Riding in France

Your supposed to have a fluro bib jacket to wear if you break down and spare bulbs in general not just a headlamp.
Having ridden in France loads of times it is little enforced but motorways are much heavier policed so i woudn't risk it if you plan using them. I've never had a GB sticker in 12 years of Spain and France trips.

If your planning on pushing on speed wise on toll roads try and put in a fuel stop between tolls as the gendarmes will randomly check your time between tolls and fine you if you speed.

 

Been travelling by bike in France for years but with last year's rip-off prices, crap weather and the addition of this years silly little F**ggy bureaucratic safety laws we are catching the ferry Hull to Rotterdam and avoiding them altogether. Stay away brothers and don't give them any of your money. Vive la revolution!!

 

Don't forget your warning triangle!

 

im going down to Portugal though Spain for the moto gp is it the same in spain ? fugin french

 

Travelling to Europe on Thursday I was also wondering about headlamp adjustment, Multistrada 1200, does anyone know if the headlights have a central beam rather than a bias towards the nearside for UK ? I also found this AA site which is quite helpful.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/compulsory_equipment.pdf

 

when I was over the last time I was told I had
to bring the bike reg documents with me and
have them at all times to aviod a fine.
I used used headlight deflector stickers and
never had any problem with the local law.

 

Yes - driving licence, V5, insurance cert, and MOT (if appropriate) - all originals required.

 

Or colour copies. I won't take the originals abroad so that's what I've been doing for years and never had a problem even after being stopped

 

Well they do specify originals so you always worry you'll get someone officious.

 

Breathalysers aren't going to be enforced until 1st November.

 

Spain has the same law re bulbs and fluro for breakdowns. Triangles etc is for car users only.
In spain any form of headset in a car or motorcycle is banned including bluetooth.

From Santander you will only be in Spain for a few hours as the border with Portugal is not that far down if you plan to ride through and not skirt round it. If you stay in the very North of Portugal be warned that some of it is quite rough and you need security on your bike or off road parking. Braganca is a good first night stop and more classy. And the roads are not great in places surface wise with dogs frequently in the road. The further south you go the better it gets. We had 38 degrees in Spain last year and it was a touch warm in leather.

If the Police stop you in Spain it's often to ask about your bike. They are very decent guys in my experience and do not care what you do if your not being blatantly stupid. The only exception is motorways where enforcement is higher.

 

its my first time in portugal ,done most of europe before as far as i know we have off road parking i have got some big locks for the bike just in case

 

As far as I'm aware, warning triangles and hi-viz need only be carried by car drivers (obviously all due to change re: hi-viz); spare bulbs are law (and common sense if you're touring anyway); I'll not bother with the breathalyser. You are also supposed to carry your bike documents (originals, not copies), but I've got away with copies after a pull; and a first aid kit is a wise move too.

Not that any of this affects me any more, France is just too bloody expensive to consider at the moment.

 

Triangles don't apply to bikes but hi vis does. If you break down and the police go by they will moan at best. I stopped on a hard shoulder on a normal road in France waiting for my mate and a policaman came and stopped. He moaned because i stopped at the side of the road which is a no no if your not stranded and also because i had stopped on the road and was not wearing a his vis to warn other road users. You have to be off the highway completely to not need to wear one if you stop .

Luckily for me i have use of a house in Normandy so France is a fairly cheap option for me. 7th June i will be there and beginning of Sept back to Spain. Can't wait

I can't recommend health insurance enough. A friend had an off on his trip to the Alps and ended up in an Ambulance. He got taken to the nearest hospital and got a bill for 10K. Apparantly if you are not conscious they take you to the nearest hospital be it state or private. By the time he woke up he was 10K poorer and he was not badly injured.

 

I live here , no triangle obviously and no hi viz until 2013 when all bikers will have to wear a hi viz arm band, no breathalizer yet, basically don't get caught, when you are stopped they tend not to be that thorough, me and my mate were stopped and fined for crossoing the solid white line a few months back, there were all sorts of things they could have done me for, no baffles, bald tyres, small mirrors etc.. but there not that bothered, just be polite, pay up and your on youre way.

 

About the GB sticker... If the one on your number plate is the blue euro style, you're OK. Otherwise the full size black and white version is necessary. Most of the alternatives, in various colours and styles, especially those provided free by some ferry companies, are illegal. Not that it seems to matter EXCEPT if you are on your way to and from a port and you encounter traffic police lurking JUST to fill their daily quota when UK visitors are easy pickings. Oh, and most people forget that Switzerland is not in the EU so the number plate style GB plate is not legal there - big black and white one only.