In this article
The short answer
| 25 years or older | Netherlands: no BPM on import (you still file a return) |
|---|---|
| 30 years or older | EU: on import from outside the EU as an original collector’s item 0% import duty and reduced VAT. Germany: H plate possible, €46.02 tax a year. |
| 40 years or older | Netherlands: road tax-free. From 1 January 2028 only for bikes from before 1988. |
| Before 1988, not yet 40 | Netherlands: transitional scheme with a quarter of the road tax, but no riding from 1 December to 1 March |
Most people call a motorcycle a classic from 30 years. For your wallet the most important limit depends on your country: 40 years for road tax in the Netherlands, 30 years for the H plate in Germany.
Road tax in the Netherlands: free from 40 years
In the Netherlands a motorcycle 40 years or older is exempt from road tax (MRB). The tax authority looks at the date the bike was first put into use, not when you bought it.
From 1 January 2028 that changes. Then the exemption only applies to vehicles first put into use before 1 January 1988. So a 1987 bike still becomes exempt and stays exempt. A 1988 bike, under the current rules, will never become road tax-free in the Netherlands.
For Harleys this means: Knuckleheads, Panheads, Shovelheads and Evos from before 1988 ride road tax-free in the Netherlands. Evos from 1988 and Twin Cams pay normal road tax, however old they get.
Germany: the H plate from 30 years
In Germany a motorcycle first registered at least 30 years ago, in good and largely original condition, can get an H plate after an expert assessment under § 23 StVZO. With an H plate you pay a flat-rate vehicle tax of €46.02 a year for a motorcycle, regardless of engine size.
So in Germany an Evo Harley from the nineties can already be a classic in 2026, as long as it’s original. Non-period modifications can stand in the way of the H plate.
Registration tax on import
Some countries charge a registration tax when you register an imported vehicle. In the Netherlands that’s the BPM: a motorcycle 25 years or older pays none (you still file a return). Germany has no registration tax. Read more about what importing a motorcycle from America costs.
Customs: collector's item from 30 years
If the motorcycle comes from outside the EU, such as from America, it can be declared as a collector’s item from 30 years. The condition is that it’s in original condition and that the model is no longer made. You then pay 0% import duty and a reduced VAT rate (9% in the Netherlands, 7% in Germany), instead of 6% import duty and the standard rate. Customs decides per bike.
All the details, with a worked example, are in importing a classic from the USA.
Classic insurance for your motorcycle
Many insurers have a separate classic insurance, often with a lower premium. The conditions differ per insurer. Often the bike must be at least 25 or 30 years old, you ride a maximum number of kilometres per year and sometimes you need another vehicle for daily use. So compare the conditions above all, not just the premium.
And the roadworthiness test?
In the Netherlands motorcycles have no periodic roadworthiness test (APK), whatever their age. In Germany a motorcycle goes to the general inspection (HU) every two years, also with an H plate. A bike from America must always be inspected once before it can be registered. Read how in getting an American Harley-Davidson through inspection.
Which Harleys are classics now?
- Knucklehead (1936-1947), Panhead (1948-1965) and Shovelhead (1966-1984): all the benefits. Collector’s item on import, no road tax in the Netherlands, H plate in Germany. See the Shovelhead.
- Evo from before 1988: the same benefits, and in the Netherlands also road tax-free after 2028.
- Evo from 1988 up to and including 1996: the customs benefit and in Germany the H plate, but in the Netherlands normal road tax.
- Harleys from 1997 up to and including 2001 (late Evos and the first Twin Cams): no BPM in the Netherlands, but normal import duty and VAT. They reach 30 years over the coming years.
Every year another model year is added. See the Harleys for sale now.