Riding in France

The dipped beam cut-off is symetrical, i.e. not angled up to the right, on the mutley. So it will not dazzle oncoming traffic any more in France than it does in GB.

A lot of mutleys seem to come out of the crate with the lights set way to high, shining up at the moon. Presumably you will have adjusted them to a reasonable level already. With a pillion and luggage the lights may point up a bit more than normal (even with rear pre-load set to hard). You could angle them down a bit more, to be on the safe side.

 

Czech Republic for me this year:biggrin:

 

Heviz in SW Hungary at the end of Lake Balaton. After 9 years a return visit to swim in the volcano and take a relaxing hot mud bath!! Fig, have you got Think Bike and 58 stickers in your car window? I saw somebody yesterday with the Marco Simoncelli 58 stickers that were available on the old Ducatisti site, at Addlestone.

 

That was me, could be either van though, as both me and my brother's vans are stickered up. Me, white Combo with Think bike in the drivers door window, brother with silver astra van, think bike in rear window. I've been driving both vans around Addlestone lately.

 

Seen the white van on the M3 before but yesterday it was a black BMW.

 

I can't help feeling amused by the big deal it still seems to be crossing the Channel. You don't have to be paranoid riding in France. From me here in Switzerland, it's about 25 miles away, so I'm always there. I've never had a CH sticker and don't intend ever to have one. No one has. Sportsbikes (and if you are in the Alps in the summer they are from all sorts of countries) almost never have country stickers. In 30 years of riding abroad, no one has ever remarked on the lack of it.

Yellow lamps in France died out with the Ark. Not even French cars have them now, unless you meet a 40 year old Citroën.

Yes, you are now meant to be riding in day-glo vest. Fat chance of me doing that. Though I may conceivably make a concession to wearing flashy leathers. And I may not.

I won't be carrying the breathalyser after September either.

The French are a bolshy lot, and French bikers are bolshier than most. Don't expect the locals to abide by all these ridiculous laws.

The only thing I think would be a good idea is to have the black strip that goes on your headlight. It's polite not to dazzle everyone else. But for the rest - dayglo vests, dayglo jackets, first aid kits, breathalysers etc., forget it. Unless of course, you never exceed a speed limit under any circumstances or ever cross a white line.

Chill and enjoy.

 

Some sense at last. Get your arses over the channel; the cops ain't gonna bother you cos they can't be arsed translating everything, it's more hassle than it's worth for them to stop brit bikers, unless you make it too easy for them. And getting on a train ain't exactly a hardship. Getting used to riding on the right takes about 3 seconds; and once you get there you'll find the traffic lighter, the drivers more bike-friendly, and the weather usually better. The difference between riding in England and riding in Europe is staggering (except the top half of Belgium and Holland, which are shoite). Just go for the weekend. I guarantee you'll be back.

 

DAY GLOW JACKETS NOT COMPULSORY IN FRANCE , 2013 MAY SEE THE INTRODUCTION OF A REFLECTIVE BAND TO BE WORN ON THE LEFT ARM BY ANYONE RIDING A BIKE BIGGER THAN 125CC. The logic behind this, and don't laugh, is you will be more visible to car drivers if/when you fall off. Everyone here rides with open exhausts and modified engines, the limit in France being 100bhp, but everyone bypasses the limiter, the police know and don't care, as Gliddofgood says don't worry too much over here just don't be a complete nutter and you'll be left alone.

 

Well said.