Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

we will eventually be spending more time in Northern Cyprus -we are out tatlisu way.
I had considered just using local transport but think this is unlikely to work as the buses are in-frequent.
I have a full motor cycle licence in the uk and am weighing up whether a small car or a scooter is the best idea. the scooter/car would be left for up to 4 months while we are back in the uk -we would be out spring and again in autumn- any ideas regarding storage ( we don't have a garage) just a small apartment . I have heard that leaving vehicles of any description can be a problem over time . is there any service in the North of Cyprus for looking after vehicles while owners are off the island? also what sort of recovery services exist-are there any at all?

thanks all for any help/advice/suggestions

Hi Frugal90,

As I'm not here permanently I have a scooter. My place is in Esentepe and my scooter recently broke down in Girne. To answer your question about recovery here's some of the text I posted on this forum.

I called Harvey of Kyrenia Moto Rent. Harvey came out in his truck, loaded the bike and took me to his shop on the Bellapais Rd. He plonked me on one of his hire bikes so I could get home to Esentepe and he'll call me when my scooter's fit again.
Better and quicker than the AA and Harvey's a really nice bloke.

The bike is now back on the road and you may want to contact Harvey (he's in the member's index) to answer your other questions.

Frugal, there are many garages here that provide an excellent recovery service, don't worry about that. What should concern you is how dangerous the roads are here, the accident rate is horrendous, many drivers are poorly trained and reckless. To be frank, you would seriously risk your life on a bike. Go for a car.

Go for both car and bike then you can choose what vehicle is appropriate. I'm not sure about bikes but a few people who are permenant in the TRNC pay for a hire car on a yearly basis. Its cheaper (vehicles are expensive to buy), you should always be driving a relatively new car and YOU dont have to worry about maintainance. I think it is a couple of grand a year.

Mind you, its always nicer owning your own vehicle...

think we could just about afford to buy a small car -but what sort of condition would they be in if left lying for 4 or 5 months without being used - do they get sun damaged badly over the summer months -batteries run flat etc?

maybe a little scooter for around tatlisu then I could always get the bus from essenteppe into kyrenia if I need to go for shopping etc?

thanks for the great suggestions so far -really appreciated

A couple of years ago I tried to suggest some sort of car share scheme, especially on complexes such as hilltop or ceasars.
So a group of people co-own a vehicle (or several vehicles) and all can use it whenever they want, people who come out at different times of year for example.
It does sound like a nightmare in the making (people arguing over time spent using the car etc) but there are a few schemes here in the UK, you can even download a contract for all to sign.

As for storing your own car whilst away, I've seen a number of cars under wraps etc. There are ways of storing cars for long periods (draining or filling the tank, disconnecting the battery, removing the wheels etc). It wouldn't be too much trouble.