Spare Bulbs

What's the score with these on the continent these days - big fine &
bum-raped on the side of the road if you're not carrying them?
Specifically France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria & Germany.

 

Not sure what the law is, TBH, but I've never been asked if I had
them, on the, err, seven or eight occasions I've been pulled by the
plod in frogland.

I know that it's required for cars in France, but I don't think it
ever applied to bikes anyway.

And stop being such a wuss, FFS. What is all this "lets make sure
we're all legal" nonsense I seem to be seeing so much of?

 

Champ will be carrying my spares and I'll be carrying his.

I've got about as much interest in carrying spare bulbs as I've got in
motorway vignettes and speed limits.

I was intrigued though to hear that (allegedly) French plod have been
having speeding cases thrown out when they're using a hand held radar
to nick motorbikes. Probably bollocks but the French chef at the hotel
assured me it was true.

He did point out that it'd do me no good if I was caught because
they'd escort me to a cash point and fine me and if I thought the
French appeal courts would side with an Englishman I was more stupid
than he previously believed.

 

Pathetic, isn't it?

 

Ta, I thought that might be the case.

I don't really care about not being legal, as long as the punishment
doesn't involve foreign plod impounding my bike, thus trashing the
trip. I guess it'd have to be some fairly serious law breaking for that
to happen, but... well they /are/ foreign.

 

It would probably be easier to have bath and smarten up if you want
sex that bad.

 

I think officially, yes, bikes are meant to carry them, but I've never
been pulled up for it.

 

Maybe it is, I've not heard of it though. Mind you, I've never been
caught for excess speed. Plod were in force on the way back from the
French MotoGP though with hand held radars. Luckily I was forewarned
by a cage on the other side of the road flashing all bikes. How he
spotted the copper tucked in by a bridge, I'll never know.

This is true. If they catch you, of course.

 

Heh. Last time I got pulled for speeding in France, they tried that
one on me, and I explained that I don't do cashpoints. That floored
them. So they said that in that case they'd lock me up and impound the
bike until the banks opened the next day. I shrugged and said: "OK..."
because there wasn't any alternative.

The two gendarmes had a brief confab and told me to **** off. Way too
much paperwork, I suppose.

I suppose that being able to convince them that I really don't do
cashpoints was also a key factor, so this approach might not work for
everyone.

 

He did stress that they were only being rejected when they got to
court and that the majority of bikers would just take the hit and pay
the fine.

It's the catching bit that worries me when we're on the toll routes.
I'd probably have a go at losing them if I was chased on a normal road
but on the toll roads you're fucked unless you want to abandon the
bike at a service station and try to claim it was nicked.

 

I can't remember what's the actual reason for not doing cashpoints?

They're plugged into the same mainframe all the terminals the cashiers
use, after all.

 

Is it necessary to wear a skin and carry an antelope thigh bone or
optional.

 

Mine aren't permanently on, but the alternator rattles like a Ducati
clutch when they're off, so I usually notice.

 

Never bothered with spare bulbs.

The only light issue that might catch some out, although it is maybe just
me with the 9 year old bike, is that headlights must be on. I know the ZXs
are all wired to be permanently on so not an issue for them.

Conveniently, my dip & main beams are separate H1 bulbs, so I always have a
spare headlamp bulb available anyway.

 

do keep up at the back. We did that one last month, and several times
before. The answer is, "non."

 

Champ got tugged for that on the way back from this year's French Run. A
quick chat and a flash of paperwork and we were on our way.

 

I'm not sure that applies to furriners, actually. It didn't in the
past, but the law might have changed.

 

it has - see ogger's post

 

unless someone gets very lost, I don't think anyone will be riding in the
dark. The Enzian serves "free" coffee & cake between 1600-1800 which I
think is very civilised after a day thrashing up & down Alps.

Coffee, cake, coffee, more cake, shower, beer, dinner, more beer was the
post ride routine at the Enzian's sister hotel last year. I can't see any
reason to change that this year.

 

Carry them, it is easier. Headlight went in May Chezk or Poland, once i
realised why people were flashing me, I switched to full beam until I felt
like changing the bulb.

Then bought a new bulb when I felt like it.

Same goes for indicators, I prefere them to work, so I carry a spare.