25 replies to this topic

[Manx1200]

Hi all, I've just been thinking about the trip to Germany, has anyone masked the dipped headlight to do away with the kick-up on the left hand side? Or isn't it worth worrying about? Also, do you still need the yellow tint to the lights when riding through France? Thanks, from a euro-virgin.

[rad]

I don't know about France, but last year I made a trip from UK through Holland and Germany to Poland (and back), passing several police cars on my way- had no problem with my HID lights. You can always adjust them to point as far to the right as you can. Good luck

[paddy900]

Here's some interesting reading,

Riding In France - A Beginners Guide

Read this carefully, it can save you time , money, & aggro.;

The French week-end is Sunday & Monday. Almost everything closes then, even many filling stations. Make sure you have enough fuel for your journey, & food if you are staying somewhere other than a hotel.(even some hotels don't do food on Sundays) British cards don't usually work in French automated petrol pumps when closed. Newer types may.

MONDAYS; Most shops shut, but the larger Supermarkets stay open, & often sell fuel & oil. Some shut for lunch though. Smaller ones sometimes open Sunday mornings, as do small Bakers & Butchers.

LUNCHTIME; Lunch is sacrosanct to the French. Unlike Britain, it's their main meal of the day. It can last 2 hours. Bars are busy from 12 till 2, but if you are hungry, ask for Sandwhich American. It's full of Ham, Eggs, Lettuce, and cheese. They are normally huge, & very filling. But only supplied during the day.

THINGS TO CARRY; All your Bike documents, Passports, Chain oil, Toilet roll, Spare bulbs, Torch, A First Aid Kit. Tyre sealer, & a Map of France.

LOST; Satelitte dishes usually face South, or buy a Compass. It can save you miles.

DIPPED HEADLIGHTS; Must be used in daylight in France on a motorcycle.

FRENCH DRIVERS; BLOODY AWFUL, but OK towards Bikers. They Tailgate, forget to indicate, overtake in stupid places, but pull over to let Bikers pass.(we stick our right leg out to thank them) Like all French, they love Bikers. Their attitude is totally different to the Brit car drivers. If they flash their headlights at you, it means Police or Accident ahead, or they are Bikers at heart. Old ladies & children often wave to you.

VILLAGES & TOWNS, SIDE TURNINGS OFTEN HAVE RIGHT OF WAY. BEWARE; If a side turning has no white line across it, they have right of way. Stupid idea, but that's the way it is in France. This also can apply to country roads.which can be muddy at certain times of the year.

ROUNDABOUTS; Same as Britain, but in reverse. Those on them have right of way, but give way to traffic coming from your left as you enter.

TYRE PRESSURES; They use BARS. One Bar is approx 15lbs. 2 Bars - 30lbs.

HOTELS; Much cheaper than Brit hotels. If it's on a main road, ask for a room at the back. Lorries may keep you awake at night.

SHOPS; Most open 9 till 7.00, but most close for lunch 12 till 2.

NIGHT RIDING IN FRANCE- Not recommended. Not much street lighting, & you will miss direction signs. Plan your journey to avoid it.

TRAVEL INSURANCE; Read the small print. Some aren't worth the paper they are printed on. Check it out.

CHECK YOUR BIKE; Before leaving home. We have had people arrive on two bald tyres, badly adjusted chains, & no oil in their brake master cylinders.

FRENCH; If you don't speak it, buy a phrase book, & READ IT.

MOBILE PHONES; Check yours works in France. Many don't.

FRENCH SIGNPOSTING; Bloody awful, & often in stupid places. Ones at 45 degrees often mean straight on.

PLASTIC; OK in shops/hotels, but not always. CHECK IT. Usually OK in ATMs, but depends on the card.

BEWARE Of White lines & Black road joints; OK in the dry, lethal when wet. The iside edge of roundabouts are often cobbles. BEWARE in the wet.

ROUTE SHEETS & ADDRESS; Give everyone a copy. If they get seperated, at least they can find their own way.

MOTORWAYS; They sometimes check your times between junctions, & have you for speeding.

MAPS; When choosing one with Motorways on it, make sure the junctions are numbered. Some aren't.

KILOMETRES; One kilometre is approx 2/3 of a mile. Multiply the total kilometres by .625 to convert to miles.

DRIVE ON THE RIGHT Obvious, we know. But most mistakes happen coming out of filling stations or side turnings.

FERRY PRICES; P & O give discounts, as do MCN & others.

CRASH HELMETS; They don't like them taken into supermarkets & shops. Leave them at the desk or on your bike. TRIKERS must use helmets in France.

E111; Without it, you could pay for any medical treatment you may need. One couple were charged �800 in hospital bills when they didn't carry theirs.

DIAL 18 in an emergency; Just like 999.

YOUR ROUTE; DON'T GUESS , MAKE A LIST OF TOWNS YOU SHOULD BE GOING THROUGH OR PASSING BY.

FUEL; All fill up together. You don't need someone needing fuel 10 minutes after you got yours.

STEAKS; They come a bit rare in France. Ask for Bien Cuit(sounds like Bien Kwee)(well done) It will probably be likemedium then. Hungry for lunch, Bars often do sandwiches. Ask for a sandwich American. Cheese, Tomato, egg, lettuce & more. Very filling.

HEADLIGHT DEFLECTORS; Compulsory even if you don't intend riding at night. Should be fitted between 7o/c and 9o/c on the glass. Not on the right as some fit them. Depends on type.

CASTLES & other tourist places; often close for lunch.

FRENCH BIKES; Don't have MOTs, or road tax. Yours should.

AVERAGE SPEEDS; With stops for breaks, lunch, fuel, you will be lucky to average more than 45mph, unless you use motorways. We have heard of riders doing 700 miles in one day, but you can't get averages without exaggeration.

SPARE GLOVES; Carry 3 pairs. Nothing worse than than wet gloves.

FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH THE ROUTE; Several times before leaving the UK. It's better than getting lost.

DON'T SPEED THROUGH VILLAGES; They don't like it. Heavy fines or confiscate your bike.

KEEP A DIARY; Of distances, hotel names, & anything of interest.

THINGS TO CARRY; A toilet roll, compass, first aid kit, your name & address, E111 or equivalent, phrase book, credit card, Euros.

Article kindly provided by Peter Broad, www.peteandrusty.com.

[catsbum]

Theres some good stuff in there Paddy, nice one

[apw99]

Here's some interesting reading...

very good Paddy, well worth keeping that post. You bring all the stuff, I'll follow ye ;-)

[Manx1200]

That covers pretty much everything! Cheers

[Studley Ramrod]

Good info for eurovirgins
Isn't there also a requirement to carry/wear a yellow hi-vis vest and also to carry a spare bulb kit. I also noticed some countries ask drivers to carry a red triangle, dunno if this applies to bikers tho.

[dablik]

Good info for eurovirgins
Isn't there also a requirement to carry/wear a yellow hi-vis vest and also to carry a spare bulb kit. I also noticed some countries ask drivers to carry a red triangle, dunno if this applies to bikers tho.

Ian yes m8 you are correct you need to take these with you also + 1st aid kit is compulsory and you are expected to stop and help in an accident.

[ChrisG]

I've neever bothered with the headlight adjustment and not had a problem, don't tend to ride at night when on holiday though. I believe the high vis and triangle thing doesn't apply to bikes

[dapleb]

http://www.carpe-tdm...mp;hl=headlight

[bigboat0]

I`ve seen a few people on past G2Gs with Carpe hi-vis vests, maybe an idea to see if there enough interest in someone getting a batch made up like Ivan has done with the T shirts?

[Geordie Guy]

I`ve seen a few people on past G2Gs with Carpe hi-vis vests, maybe an idea to see if there enough interest in someone getting a batch made up like Ivan has done with the T shirts?

Thats ironic, I did the Hi-vis ones aswell !

Link

you volunteering, Big Boat ?

[bigboat0]

Thats ironic, I did the Hi-vis ones aswell !

Link

you volunteering, Big Boat ?

Could do if there is enough interest & someone works their magic to come up with a template that I can use?

[bigboat0]

Thats ironic, I did the Hi-vis ones aswell !

Link

you volunteering, Big Boat ?

But since you did such a good job 1st time round maybe....

[whichwaywasit]

Thanks paddy
I suspect that list though valid is a little dated and the french are now dumping the 2 hour lunch. If the budget is tight it is better to buy a menu touristic at lunch and a snack at tea time.

I think that a warning triangle is now required, don't think a high viz vest is legally required but it is so cheap and easy to carry that best take one.

I have not been abroad on a bike but have many times in a car.

What really worries me is the ferry. Steel ramps up and down with deisel on and if its raining add water. Deisel and water turns at the bottom. What do I need to take to tie the bike down how do I avoid damage during this proceedure, can I leave soft luggage on the bike during the crossing. Am I just being an old woman

[dapleb]

Am I just being an old woman

http://www.carpe-tdm...o...9&hl=jersey

[paddy900]

Hey no problem,


I just found the list while searching on the web,

It could be out of date but will give most people an idea of the rules and that,

Like yourself i am not sure about a triangle or hi-viz, i have seen you need to carry a spare set of bulbs,

As for the ferry dont be worrying about it,

The ramps are dead on, just take your time,

The ferry company will have straps to tie your bike down,

As for your luggage most boats have cameras fitted watching the vehicle decks all the time and the doors are closed allowing no access to the vehicle deck.

[AliG]

Thanks paddy
I suspect that list though valid is a little dated and the french are now dumping the 2 hour lunch. If the budget is tight it is better to buy a menu touristic at lunch and a snack at tea time.

I think that a warning triangle is now required, don't think a high viz vest is legally required but it is so cheap and easy to carry that best take one.

I have not been abroad on a bike but have many times in a car.

What really worries me is the ferry. Steel ramps up and down with deisel on and if its raining add water. Deisel and water turns at the bottom. What do I need to take to tie the bike down how do I avoid damage during this proceedure, can I leave soft luggage on the bike during the crossing. Am I just being an old woman

I checked this on my last trip to France but I can't find the site I found the definitive info on, but it is as follows: GB sticker or GB on your number plate (apparently it's not unusual for the French police to fine you for lack of one, if they're feeling arsie), replacement bulbs, high viz jacket and all your documents in original form (it's also a good idea to scan and have available on your email in case you have a disaster and lose them all. Include passport on that). A warning triangle is definitely not compulsory for a bike. They are too big anyway.
As far as the ferry is concerned, I went with LD Lines and the docker gave me the straps to tie the bike down myself and checked them to make sure they were tight. He also suggested using my gloves to prevent any damage to the seat or side panel. I left my soft luggage on the bike as the important stuff was in the tank bag, which I took with me or in the top box. It was throwing it down when I loaded at Portsmouth and I was a bit nervous about dropping the bike but all was well in the end.
Make sure you keep your passport handy when you get off as French customs checked every rider.
Counting down for the Brittany trip and then the big one in Germany.
Ali

Edited by AliG, 13 January 2011 - 05:27 pm.

[ChrisG]

As far as the ferry is concerned, I went with LD Lines and the docker gave me the straps to tie the bike down myself and checked them to make sure they were tight. He also suggested using my gloves to prevent any damage to the seat or side panel. I left my soft luggage on the bike as the important stuff was in the tank bag, which I took with me or in the top box. It was throwing it down when I loaded at Portsmouth and I was a bit nervous about dropping the bike but all was well in the end.

The cross channel ferries have ratchet straps or ropes, and you leave the bike on the sidestand and in gear, and strap it to the deck, they've always done it for me and as Ali says it's worth having something on the seat to spread the load a little. The IoM ones were weird, lean the bike in to a padded rail and tie it on to the rail, not seen that approach on a cross channel ferry yet though. I always pack anything I might want on the ferry (valuables, ipod, book, trainers, etc) in the tank bag and take that in with me, I've locked my helmet to the bike in the past but it never seems quite as secure on the 900 mirror as it did on the Mk1 so probably won't be doing that any more.

[Geordie Guy]

But since you did such a good job 1st time round maybe....