Brittany 2013, Euro 'friendly' trip

[TLS-Moose]

It would be " Motards sud ouest" ......

You could put:

Motards Sud Ouest
Bretagne 2013

inside an outline of the North West & Cherbourg peninsula?

[billinom8s]

how about

yes we are British
please do not judge us
we are bound by law to behave this way when abroad
i am sorry

or

yes we are british
don't panic
we will be going home soon

[TLS-Moose]

Or all but one of us has a t-shirt that says "Yes, we are with this grumpy b'stard, but we'll take him home soon"

[billinom8s]

Perfect .

[Atomic]

There is a useful supplement with September issue of Ride magazine, called 'The Ride guide to France'.
It not only has good riding routes (which you probably don't need for this trip), but also factual rather than rumoured items that need to be taken.

One of the things that they do pick up on is the the following;
" Your helmet is meant to have reflective patches on it - we've never had a problem riding without them in France, but we hear that riders stopped for other offences (speeding) may be fined for that as well."

The reflective patches are small - they came with my Shark helmet (being of French make), so I fitted them. They are subtle on my lid as it's white - don't think they would look too good on any other colour but obviously are easily removed on return.There are 4 needed, one for each 'side'.

It also mentions that "you should take your bike's V5 logbook, your driving licence and insurance certificate" (cover for Europe). "We'd recommend taking colour photocopies of everything as well, so if there is an incident involving the gendarmerie, you can let them have a copy of your documents. That is highly unlikely to be necessary, though."

There is no need for reflective bibs, breathalyzer kits, triangles or spare-bulbs (as already stated).

If this is your first trip driving in France, do read up on their road signs. The most important one that is mentioned (and I agree totally having driven many times over there), is the 'priorite a droite'. Extra care on a bike is needed as we are not used to this method of traffic priority.

Bon voyage.

[billinom8s]

Thanks for that, I guess I had Better get hold of that mag as I know sod all about riding ever there.

[Tractorwackyracer]

right peeps 37 days to go !!!!! not in the least bit excited yet have we any takers on tee shirts ???? and what we putting on them ????

I have just rung my insurance company for my green card and to check if I can carry a pillion which was anew one on me !!!

OH any sticking headlight deflectors on ?? and I thought we had to carry spare bulbs and a high vis in case of a break down ??

[Smiler]

Tom thanks for posting that, pretty useful article by the sounds of it

Pillion cover is not automatically sorted on most policies now I think, so even if you're not planning a two up in Europe, always wise to check

Tee Shirts....has been suggested we have some smart(ish) polo shirts with SWB Euro Tour 2013 or somethingorother embroidered on them? Billi, whats your t shirt contact like for prices etc...?

Mark, I've never bothered with headlight deflectors but then I try and avoid riding at night if at all possible when I'm abroad.....

Tom, have you seen where you can get those 4 reflective stickers you mentioned? In case people wish to comply...

[billinom8s]

first i've heard of embroidered shirts, i can have a word with him when i see him on Saturday. Would need to know what people want though to get a price.

[billinom8s]

The RiDE guide to france

http://www.ride.co.uk/France/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[billinom8s]

some further info that appears to be up to date


UK France bikers.com

Factors affecting motorcycle insurance for UK bikers
June 16, 2013

Stay safe and on the right side of the law in France

The vast majority of bike enthusiasts will be able to tell you about a particularly pleasurable road trip involving the French roads, heading to iconic destinations such as Toulon and Provence to name a few. You can still enjoy a safe trip to France but bikers should be aware of a raft of regulations that have been brought in that relate specifically to motorcyclists. Here are some of the main points to remember or be aware of.
Stay safe and on the right side of the law in France

The vast majority of bike enthusiasts will be able to tell you about a particularly pleasurable road trip involving the French roads, heading to iconic destinations such as Toulon and Provence to name a few. You can still enjoy a safe trip to France but bikers should be aware of a raft of regulations that have been brought in that relate specifically to motorcyclists. Here are some of the main points to remember or be aware of.

Reflective stickers

In accordance to French law, your helmet must be equipped with reflective stickers. Although this law has been effective for quite a long time, it is only recently that it has been enforced. Click here for further details.

Ride to survive

Biking is a lot of fun but it should never be forgotten that motorcycles are the smallest vehicles on the road and are always going to be potentially more vulnerable in a crash. The best safety advice you can give when it comes to riding your bike is to be extra cautious and even try to anticipate the moves of other vehicles, especially trucks. By all means enjoy your time on the bike, but those that ride with a degree of caution and even take a defensive approach to staying safe on the road will increase their chances of avoiding a crash or injury.

Hi Viz

So let’s discuss any logic behind this new proposal. Remember, this is only a proposal at this stage, you do not need to carry or wear a high visibility jacket in France until further notice. The government’s idea is to force bikers to wear the vest only when they breakdown alongside the road and/or need to park the bike on the side in case of an emergency or accident. So if you get caught while riding without having a high visibility jacket with you (either in your bike or your bag), you will not be fined as you are not expected to wear it while using your bike. However, if you get caught not wearing the vest in the event of a breakdown, flat tyre, emergency stop or accident, you risk a fine of 35 euros payable on the spot and possibly a couple of points taken off your licence. This would also apply to foreign bikers visiting France.




i don't know how much of this is still true, the rules seem to change so often.

[Atomic]

Tom, have you seen where you can get those 4 reflective stickers you mentioned? In case people wish to comply...

I must confess I thought they had to be white, but who knows with French law. Anyway, here is one place (not a recommendation, just a Google search)...

http://forum-stickers.co.uk/shop/index. ... cts_id=256" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tom

[Atomic]

I have taken a quick photo of each of the French supplied stickers so you see how they intended their use.
One is with the flash on for comparison.

http://s1190.photobucket.com/user/kwack ... 20stickers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TLS-Moose]

The helmet sticker thing is a requirement for helmets sold in France. Just as bikes sold there must conform to a 100bhp power limit. If your riding gear, just as with your bike, is legal in this country then it will be legal in France.

People really need to take a chill and not get too het up about all this. Wear what you would normally wear, ride how you would normally ride (though on the correct side of the road!), ride what you would normally ride.

Cover the part of the lens that creates the flick-up on the left (somewhat snookered with projector lamps) if you ride after dark, take your driving licence, V5, MOT & insurance certificate with you, and all will be fine.

In 30yrs of taking bikes abroad, despite having been "spoken to" by the ever friendly Gendarmerie (!), the only documentation i have ever been asked for is proof of ownership by gate security at Paul Ricard because they could pull the key out of the ignition with the bike still running and they wanted proof i wasn't pinching it .....

[TLS-Moose]

The helmet sticker thing is a requirement for helmets sold in France. Just as bikes sold there must conform to a 100bhp power limit. If your riding gear, just as with your bike, is legal in this country then it will be legal in France.

People really need to take a chill and not get too het up about all this. Wear what you would normally wear, ride how you would normally ride (though on the correct side of the road!), ride what you would normally ride.

Cover the part of the lens that creates the flick-up on the left (somewhat snookered with projector lamps) if you ride after dark, take your driving licence, V5, MOT & insurance certificate with you, and all will be fine.

In 30yrs of taking bikes abroad, despite having been "spoken to" by the ever friendly Gendarmerie (!), the only documentation i have ever been asked for is proof of ownership by gate security at Paul Ricard because they could pull the key out of the ignition with the bike still running and they wanted proof i wasn't pinching it .....