Touring and the law

I was looking on the BMF website the other day and got the impression
that, while touring in Europe, the law requires:
All documents - originals
breakdown cover
spare bulbs
hi viz jacket/bib etc
warning triangle
and possibly even an extinguisher (I may have read that elsewhere)

Looking at Nige's post before the France trip, the general concensus
seems to have been that it's all bollocks.

Does anybody here know what the law actually does require for bikes in
Holland, Belgium and Germany?

 

Dunno about the law, but I rode in Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and
Norway without all that guff and had no problems. Mined euuw, I didn't get
pulled by plod either.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

I take original+copies of relevant documents and spare bulbs. That's
it. Got stopped by plod in Hungary for 'making progress' and Romania
cos I think they were bored, both with no probs. Oh, got chased down in
Germany for slapped wrists as well. Then there was that episode in Spain...

Nah, just the documents will probably do.

 

Just been checking the same thing, for Spain though.

The common thing for all countries, seems to be; all original documentation.

but for most of the EU zone you'll be oh with:

a] All original Documents
b] Spare Bulbs...(and the tools to fit them!!)
c] Hi Viz jacket (Must be accessible quickly)
d] Headlight conversion to right dip. (most bikes nowadays are neutral)

HTH.

--
Greybeard

FLHR -03 UK (95 cu-in Stg 2. Big Boy2!)
Trumpet Trophy 1200-03
Garmin Zumo 550, To get me home!

ukrm@foxtails[dot]co[dot]uk

 

Every answer so far has mentioned spare bulbs. Why?

I don't carry spare bulbs at home[1] so why bother just because you're
abroad? Is it mandatory?[2] If you did get stopped, would they check?

[1] I can't remember the last time I had a bulb blow. Certainly not
since 1992 and since then I've had one fuse failure, which took out the
brake light.
[2] Yes, I do realise that this is the same as the OP's original
question.

 

In some countries, such as Spain, yes.

The AA has some good guidance.
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/countrybycountry.html

 

Actually required in the UK as well, but they use the 'producer'
mechanism if you haven't got them, whereas in some Euro-coutries plod
may fine you on the spot or take you down the nick if they're feeling
nasty. Doesn't usually happen to furriners, but I always used to take
the V5 and insurance cert (or green card) anyway. Not exactly a heavy
burden.

No way. I mean, mebbe it's a good idea to have it, but no way is it a
legal requirement.

I always used to carry a spare headlight one, but nowt else. No-one's
likely to check anyway.

Yes. See above.
--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (b.rogers at ifrance.com)
\`\ | /`/
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

[/QUOTE]

Yes (see below).

Yes (see below).

'Les conducteurs de tout vehicule en circulation devront desormais
disposer d'un gilet de securite et d'un triangle de pre-signalisation'.

Just called local commissariat, and one cop I spoke to said yes, bikes
are concerned; another said no, bikes aren't concerned. So the usual
French efficiency, there. Called the Ministry of Transport, no one
there able to tell me, either.

So basically: don't give a ****.

D.

 

I take my original driving licence, and a photocopy of my insurance
and V5. I've never had any problems.

I've never bothered explicitly, though my previous insurers provided
this.

**** off.

no idea - who cares. I've no idea what the law actually does require
in the UK either.

 

Yes, but it is here too. I don't do anything differently when I'm
abroad compared to when I'm in the UK, except for having slightly less
regard for traffic law in general.

 

I thought that was how they made them.

 

No. I don't care, either. I think I've only ever taken my documents
with me once in nearly 30 years of riding on the Continent. Oddly,
that was the one occasion when I was asked for them. Even when nicked
for speeding, I wasn't asked for paperwork.

FWIW, I take:

Credit cards, bare minimum of clothes (you can always buy a cheap T-
shirt en route if you need to), breakdown card, toolkit plus one or
two extras like a pair of Mole grips and a roll of insulating or gaffa
tape (gaffa tape can fix just about anything temporarily), a couple of
solderless nipples, spare chain link (*waves* at Lady Nina), puncture
kit. Oh, and a map.

 

Yeah, but I think here you'd get a defect rectification notice (or
whatever you call it), whereas in foreign you'd get an on-the-spot fine.

 

But you wouldn't need half of *that* lot if you had a half-reliable
bike.

But of course (although just a few sheets of the relevant area printed
from Google maps is what I mainly used on the last trip).

 

No - I just take documents, & a spare set of keys/alarm blipper stashed
away somewhere.

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

Oh, hah-hah.

 

Heh. It's more for possible crash damage than breakdowns, actually.
I've never had to use the solderless nipples, and the spare link has
come into play once in 1982 and once on the French Run this year. It's
like insurance, really - you just know that if you don't take the
stuff, you'll need it.

I don't think I've ever had a breakdown abroad. A puncture, yes.

On the Ducati, I've got a spare brake/clutch lever stashed under the
seat. My model of 750SS uses exactly the same lever for both
functions: it's reversible, which is smart. If the thing falls over,
you can get around without a clutch lever for a while, but not if a
brake lever snaps.

 

In some countries, it does. It does not matter. You need the registration
certificate, and a proof that you can be in possession of the vehicle
if it's not registered in your name (say, you borrowed a buddy's bike
or are driving a hire car). That's all.

Since nobody here brought this up, there's this thing called the
Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Convention_on_Road_Traffic

Regulations in, say, Slovakia may require road-legal bikes to
carry a small warning triangle and spare bulbs, and I've known
some Polish bikers who were pulled over and given ticket for
not possessing this stuff, but it's actually illegal. In the
same manner, German plod started ticketing Polish cars for
the lack of a German-regulations-compatible first aid kit,
then local papers made a lot of noise and it turned out that
the tickets were illegal and they had to give the money back.

Basically, all the signatories to the Vienna Convenion agree
to recognise the legality of vehicles from other signatory
countries which meet the requirements of the country they are
registered in. You're registered in Slovakia? Police can
ticket you in the UK for the lack of a warning triangle.
(Right, like that'll ever happen) However, when you're registered
in the UK Slovakian plod can't ticket you for the lack of
the triangle in question. Not that he won't try, if he thinks
he'll get away with it. Furriners may be seen as easy prey,
after all, and good luck in explaining what is the Vienna
Convention to a non-english speaking Slovakian in search of
a bribe. :->

Leslie

 

Pleonasm alert...

D.

 

Actually, although I'm sure they must do at times, in this instance I
probably owe them an apology. I also got info from
http://www.adventurebiketours.co.uk/motorcycle_touring_guide.htm.

Cheers for the other info.