loud exhausts in spain and france

[jessie]

Anyone toured in Spain and or France with race cans on their bikes?
I am going in July and was wondering if anyone had any hassle from the local rozzers? :confused:

[dizzyblonde]

yes, the French aren't overly keen, but we didn't have a problem as we rode pretty much to the rule book. But when we went to Rochefort so my friend(whose a resident) could register her z1000 for a frog plate...the gendarmes at the police station werrn't too impressed...but thats what you get when 4 bikes pull up outside, and 2 of them are British with twin M4s and a baffless Scorpion...lol

[dizzyblonde]

just make sure you keep your hands on the handle bars in France and acknowledge folks with your foot rather than waving

[xXBADGERXx]

Jeeeze , sounds worse than around here :D

[jessie]

errr forgive my ignorance, but why dont the froggies like waving?

[amnesia]

just make sure you keep your hands on the handle bars in France and acknowledge folks with your foot rather than waving

Or nodding, like this guy>>>>> :smt045

Its a continental thing, riders acknowledge each other by dropping their left foot off the peg.

[STRAMASHER]

Anyone toured in Spain and or France with race cans on their bikes?
I am going in July and was wondering if anyone had any hassle from the local rozzers? :confused:

Forget about it. Any time I have been stopped they are more interested in your V5. I just hand it over with my license and insurance doc. But if you act like a fud you can expect to be treated like one just like anywhere else.

If you are going to a GP in spain though, from the thursday before the race onward it seems traditional for about 50% of the bikes to run with out an end can. All day and night. Righteous!:smt077

Have a good one.

:)

[dizzyblonde]

errr forgive my ignorance, but why dont the froggies like waving?

because in France it is an offense to remove your hands from the bars. You may see peeps waving back on the peages, cause you can't see a foot waving at that speed. But around local towns etc, you will notice that most use their foot, or nod. Incidently, if theres a gendarme hiding in a bush with a speed cam....because they is sneaky.....you will usually find that even the car drivers will give you a flash

[Dangerous Dave]

Anyone toured in Spain and or France with race cans on their bikes?
Yes, the french authorities are similar to the UK in that it all depends on the copper but ride safely and within the limits you'll be fine. The Spanish, well no problems to report from them and the same for the italians too.

[Stu]

errr forgive my ignorance, but why dont the froggies like waving?
Because they drive on the right, so if you want to acknowledge a car that has pulled over to let you pass, you would be taking your right hand off the throttle, so instead wave with your right leg.

[petevtwin650]

Been abroad on holiday for the last 5 years either with an Art can or Stubby fitted. Never had a problem so far, touch wood, even when the Spanish police were gonna remove our bike from the pavement in Los Ramblas.:(

[Luckypants]

They can't be that bad, because almost every bike I see in France has a race can on it. :cool:

[gettin2dizzy]

because in France it is an offense to remove your hands from the bars.
Yet it isn't offensive to wear one pair of boxer shorts for a week. Funny ol' world this :rolleyes:

[petevtwin650]

They can't be that bad, because almost every bike I see in France has a race can on it. :cool:

Yeah, aren't DEVIL brand cans French?

[Dangerous Dave]

Yeah, aren't DEVIL brand cans French?
Yeap.

[Dangerous Dave]

because in France it is an offense to remove your hands from the bars.
Lived in France for a bit and I can confirm it is not an offense, or illegal, it is just not recommended. Think it states something similar in our highway code too about keeping your hands at the controls, doesn't make it a law.

[Pedrosa]

Being a resident in Spain I can tell you that the Police are more willing to turn a blind eye to noisey exhausts as long as the rest of your behaviour is within acceptable limits. Revving the nuts off a bike with a noisey exhaust in the middle of a town would quite rightly be viewed differently for example.

Be careful in Spain though as major campaigns are going on especially in connection with excessive speeds. Many radars are being used now,(both fixed and mobile) and a rather unfair use of helicopters.

Excessive speed,alcohol and drugs are elements of a ridiculously high number of accidents here and unfortunately the level of bike deaths in this country is staggering.

That said,it is a super place to ride a bike.

[Dangerous Dave]

That said,it is a super place to ride a bike.
Oh..... Yes.....

[jessie]

thanks for all the replies guys and gals!

Its 82 days before i arrive in santander (not that i am counting them down)!

Any tips on the ferry crossing as far as taking a bike?

[Dangerous Dave]

Put your gloves or a rag under the straps when they strap the SV down, stops them taking the paint off!

Have a doze on the ferry and remember what side of the road you should be on!!!

[sam anon]

Can I turn this into a guide to European riding?

I'm off to France in July to watch the start of the old tdf and ride motorbikes. What should I take? I was planning on taking copies of my licence, insurance and V5.

Anything else?

[petevtwin650]

Can I turn this into a guide to European riding?

I'm off to France in July to watch the start of the old tdf and ride motorbikes. What should I take? I was planning on taking copies of my licence, insurance and V5.

Anything else?

IIRC, you need the originals of the vehicle documents. Euro accident and breakdown recovery. Euro health insurance card. Spare levers. Enough mileage in your brakes and tyres. Spare bulb kit and first aid kit (legal requirement)

I'm sure there are a dozen things I've forgotten.

[jessie]

ive got a list of about 40 things to take so far, and the list keeps getting longer!!

[redbouy]

I run with the baffles out and never had a problem. If you get stopped for speeding, it's a on the spot fine. If you dont have the cash you will be taken to a cash machine and made to get cash,
Copies are not allowed.
I wave, nod or stick my foot out. Depends on the mood. sticking my foot out at an on coming bike would seam a bit off putting.

[evertheoptimist]

with these stiff leathers and high foot pegs im not dropping anything but my head

[the white rabbit]

Stop at STOP signs and lines in Spain, do not see it is clear and cruise over the line.

You can be done for not stopping, so when you see a copper at a junction, stop, dab a foot down and then continue.

I also think they are funny about autocom and /or speaky sat nav but that may be something I am mixing up.

[the white rabbit]

IIRC, you need the originals of the vehicle documents. Euro accident and breakdown recovery. Euro health insurance card. Spare levers. Enough mileage in your brakes and tyres. Spare bulb kit and first aid kit (legal requirement)

I'm sure there are a dozen things I've forgotten.

I think you are 'meant' to have a fluorescent vest as well, certainly for cars.

[Dangerous Dave]

Stop at STOP signs...

...You can be done for not stopping, so when you see a copper at a junction, stop, dab a foot down and then continue.
You can be done for that here in the UK too!

[Dangerous Dave]

IIRC, you need the originals of the vehicle documents. Euro accident and breakdown recovery. Euro health insurance card. Spare levers. Enough mileage in your brakes and tyres. Spare bulb kit and first aid kit (legal requirement)
All the above as Pete said. You will need the original documents, keep them on you at all times, and take some copies too and keep them with the bike/luggage.

For clothing pack the bear minimum, if you are gonna spend most of the day in leathers then why take so many pairs of trousers etc??? In 2004 I toured through Europe for 3 weeks, kept buying cheap boxers, socks and t-shirts at various locations and binned them after use, it helped keep the luggage down.

[the white rabbit]

You can be done for that here in the UK too!

Really? Crikey!

[Dangerous Dave]

Really? Crikey!
Yeap, its an enforced and not an advisory sign just like the speed limit signs!