Yep I had to pass though it every time I went to the good roads in Europe there were some nice places and some real dumps to pont a mousson being one of them but on the other hand I visited the memorial at Verdun and although the town was a crap hole there was no vandalism on the memorial. Moving and breathtaking, but your right just passing through to better roads sorry.
Had to change a bulb on my son's VW Polo a while back - the light unit needed to be removed to access it ... which in turn meant you had to remove the front bumper! I also had to help a friend replace a bulb on his BMW R1200RT. If it was dark and you slightly larger hands than the average person there is no way in hell you're changing that bulb. They would have to mandate that you also carried a torch and a had suitable long-reach implement in your tool kit too. It's completely unreasonable as it's a law which cannot be fairly and reasonably applied to all vehicles.
Don't care. There's no fucking way I'm putting stickers on my crash helmet when all the advise from manufacturers is that it's not wise. Fine me.
Out of necessity and not out of choice, I can assure you. Just pass another fucktarded law and we'll just get the ferry to Oostende instead and your wish will be granted.
I'm inclined to agree, but it is only polycarbonate plastic helmets which are potentialy a problem, carbon F & fibreglass are unaffected by your Ducati Forum sticker (or insane French reflective ones).
Mine has them on as part of the paint work under the lacquer and stickers on the peak. also my jacket has some gray reflective piping on the sleeve seams would I still need a hi viz vest as well?
No. You should all stop being paranoid about it. BTW, you are missing out on superb roads if you genuinely think there are not good roads in abundance. Try French Alps, French Pyrenees, Verdon, Tarn, Auvergne, Vosges and many more. I see mention of Switzerland, hmmm. The police are like the Stasi, the fines draconian. Roads in the north and anywhere near towns a waste of time. France is much less of a worry for speeding AND getting caught. Last year we did Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany. Only one full days riding in Switzerland. Only place on the trip where there was a speed trap. Switzerland, 2 of them. Expect a fine and not a lecture.
Since January 2016 , riders on two or three wheels must carry reflective jackets and wear them in an emergency or break down. If you are not wearing one whilst broken down you could be fined 135 Euros. All helmets must display reflective stickers on the front, rear and sides in accordance with the requirements of Regulation 22 - a sticker of minimum surface area 18cm2 must be visible from the front, rear, left and right and within each sticker it must be possible to mark either a circle of 40mm diameter or, a rectangle at least 12.5cm2 in surface area and at least 20mm in width. Non-compliance – Class 4 fine of 135 euros. There does seem to be conflicting views wether this law applies only to Frenchies or to everyone. I guess it will come down to the gendarme who does or does not issue an on the spot fine! Oh and remember to keep your lights on dip during the day. I love France- its a great place. I'm frequently one of the 83million people who visit per year.
Particularly when you just want to get home and ... the workers at the port have gone on strike ... or ... the train drivers have gone on strike ... or ... lorry drivers blockade the roads in and out of the ports ... or ... farmers blockade the roads in and out of the ports ... and all of these things are timed for maximum inconvenience at peak season, impacting the very people that are there to spend their hard earned cash that the French economy needs so much. I'm sorry to whine about it and I don't wish to offend our fellow French bikers. It is a lovely country and I find the people to be pleasant and hospitable, the food good and beer pretty decent too. But French choice in politicians leaves a lot to be desired and over the years the place has just ground me down to the point that I just see it as a massive inconvenience that I just want to get out of the way. It's no reflection of the French people at all, except to say you need to get a grip on your politicians and unions because they are really fucking you over.
All I did was ask for the CO2 number - I really didn't want to start another Anglo French war !! BTW - I love France and it does have some great riding roads and great food and wine. Just keep away from the tourist hotspots.
Sorry I can’t help you with the CO2 number and apologies for continuing the information exchange about France. I have been stopped for speeding in France and paid a large on the spot fine. They did not check my helmet for reflective stickers, check that I had spare bulbs or if my exhaust was too loud, which in theory they could have and added something to my fine. I have also been caught up by a French motorcycle cop who just waved at me to indicate that I should slow down. Similarly at a speed trap on the edge of a village. The police wanted to catch speeding lorries not bikers so they didn’t stop me. I have been stopped in France for a document check as they were checking that all bikes had valid insurance. For me they just checked that the bike was mine. They didn’t worry about anything else that might have been illegal as they were doing for the hooligan scooter riders that they were targeting. Another time I was stopped for a tyre check. They were stopping lots of vehicles and checking that their tyres were legal. They’re were also taking the opportunity to check other things about the vehicles and their occupants. For my bike they just checked my tyres. They didn’t bother with seeeing any documentation, but they did say that my exhaust was loud, but as I was British that was ok. The French police are no worse for enforcing their laws than the UK police. They don’t religiously enforce all the laws every time they stop a vehicle or catch you speeding. They use their discretion. If you don’t enjoy riding in France then sobeit. Personally I have no issues with riding there and actually prefer it to the UK.
By the sounds of it, much more lenient than U.K. cops who will crawl all over your bike and bag as much as they can
Gotta disagree there. For example in the UK there are very clear rules on police deployment and use of speed cameras. Even the random vans have to adhere to certain rules about calibration, their line of sight, obstacles that cause false readings, etc. No such thing in France. I've seen French police hiding behind walls and literally sniping drivers from behind cover and imposing on-the-spot fines, which if you haven't got the money to pay right there and then they'll take you to a cash machine. You ain't going nowhere until you've paid. French police are obviously revenue motivated as they are responsible for collecting fines, so once they've got a fine out of you they don't give a fuck about anything else. UK plod don't collect fines which means it can't compromise their integrity and they remain objective in their job of purely upholding the law. UK cops are just thorough, and why shouldn't they be? If you're genuinely taking the piss and breaking the law then they should throw the book at you, and the laws they enforce are largely pretty reasonable and pretty hard to fall foul of without knowing. The fact is also that bonkers traffic laws just don't end up on the statute because the UK general public just wouldn't let it happen. Anyone remember Peter Bottomley and his plans to make leg guards compulsory on all motorcycles. CE labels in motorcycle gloves? WTF is that about? Who's life is that going to save? It's a cryptic law that's there for when they stop tourist on a motorcycle so they've still got a good chance of getting a fine when there's nothing else to pin on them. You can't help be cynical about that sort of thing.
Get pulled for 34 in a 30 and you will have: ins checked, licence checked, outstanding warrants checked, tyres, plate, exhaust, anything that looks modded. In France, going from the above anecdotal evidence, you get a fine. No points. No full check. No big lecture about dark visor or aftermarket plate hanger lights. I know what I’d rather have...
Same here, love it over there. Lower population density = clearer roads, generally better weather, better public attitude to bikes/bikers, fantastic scenery, food and culture. Have been stopped once by Gendarmes in 10 years of touring. We were given a breath test each and cheerily waved on our way, by that I mean given the kit, not actually breathalysed. We tested them in the campsite that evening after a few beers... Marriage is broken beyond repair and kids now getting to independent age, both things that have held me back from moving there. Brexit could bugger up the possibility of doing that. When divorce is settled the dust settles on Brexit it's something I could seriously consider.
