Well
– not really, ‘cos that’s liable to get you booked at the least
and scraped off the front of a truck at the worst, and we don’t
really want either of those do we? We’re talking here about riding
in Europe, and if you’ve never taken your bike to the other side
of the Channel, riding on the right hand side of the road is the
most obvious difference. Not that it’s any real problem, and it’s
a lot easier riding a bike abroad than driving a right-hand drive
car. A bike will always have the advantage of being able to position
itself on the road to get the best forward view and make itself
visible to oncoming traffic, something that a UK car just can’t
do without half of it being on the wrong side of the road before
the driver can see what’s approaching.
But having said that, it’s still all too easy to forget which
side of the road to ride on, especially starting out at the beginning
of each day and after you’ve stopped for a break. So take a few
seconds to think about which way the traffic’s flowing before
you let out the clutch and pull away. Motorways and major roads
don’t usually present much of a problem as the signing and road
layouts makes it difficult (but not impossible) to end up on the
wrong side of the road. Small towns, villages and minor roads
are much easier to make a hash of, and in these environments you
need to have your wits about you as it’s all too simple to get
it wrong. This is especially important in the first couple of
days on the continent, but if you take the time then, you won’t
put yourself in a dangerous situation and you’ll start doing it
subconsciously and it will become automatic. T-junctions and cross
roads are the biggest trouble makers and turning right the biggest
cause of error. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to get it
wrong!
The
other bit of road layout that brings grief to some riders is the
roundabout. The principle is the same as over here but the traffic
goes round in the other direction. Now you wouldn’t think that
this would be a problem, but you’d be amazed at what sometimes
happens. I’ve seen riders go into “frozen rabbit” mode
when they get to their first roundabout after leaving the ferry
at Calais. And when they finally work out what to do they wobble
round to the appropriate exit like a learner about to fail his
CBT. Mind you, some French roundabouts do need a bit of care as
they are higher at the centre than the outside and this reverse
camber can catch out the unwary, especially in the rain. The other
thing worth remembering is that once upon a time in France, traffic
coming onto a roundabout had priority over that already on it.
Now whilst this “rule of the road” was consigned to
the waste bin a long time ago (except in certain parts of Paris),
there are some French drivers who have obviously not read the
more recent versions of “Le Highway Code”, so don’t
always assume that approaching traffic is going to give way.
You should always have your headlight on when riding on the continent,
especially in Spain where they’re really hot on this misdemeanour.
In fact it’s not unknown for the police to lie in wait just outside
the ferry terminals and border crossings to catch the miscreants.
Which brings us nicely on to penalties.
On
the other side of the Channel, the “on-the-spot-fine”
is the norm for most minor motoring offences including speeding,
and the guardians of the law will only accept cash. If you can’t
or won’t pay then expect to be whisked away to the local cop shop
and your bike will be impounded as well; although I have heard
of some offenders being escorted to the nearest bank or ATM to
get the money. But make sure that you get a receipt for any fines
paid and check that the amount on the receipt is the same as the
fine paid. If not, then someone’s on the fiddle! And you should
always have your vehicle and personal documentation with you.
There’s no “within five days at a police station of your
choice” nonsense over there, so if you can’t prove the bike’s
yours, it’s properly insured and you can legally ride it, you
may find both you and the bike taking a trip. In Spain you’ll
need a Bail Bond as well. Talk to your insurer before you go abroad,
just to make sure that you’ve got the correct cover. Even though
we’re in the EC, there’s still a long way to go before we have
a universal insurance policy.
There’s also a lot of peace of mind in having some form of additional
insurance against breaking down or getting the bike and yourself
recovered to the UK in the event of an accident.
So, if you need to look out for all these things, is it really
worth the hassle? Oh Yes!
The roads are generally in much better condition than we seem
to get over here, there’s far less traffic to contend with just
about everywhere (Paris and Rome excepted!) which gives a much
more “spacious” feel to the riding. After riding in
the UK for years, it’s like removing a strait jacket! Add to this
scenery to die for just about everywhere and you can begin to
get the picture. But perhaps the biggest difference is that over
on the continent a bike rider is not considered a second-class
citizen. Quite the opposite in fact. You’ll be surprised at the
way other traffic will move over to let you past and give you
room, and it’s not unknown for complete strangers to give you
smile and a wave as you go past, especially in small towns and
villages.
And after a good ride there’s nothing quite like relaxing with
a cold drink outside a pavement cafe or bar and just watching
the world go by. Go on, you know it makes sense.
Tips for riding motorcycles overseas and in Europe
Well
– not really, ‘cos that’s liable to get you booked at the least
and scraped off the front of a truck at the worst, and we don’t
really want either of those do we? We’re talking here about riding
in Europe, and if you’ve never taken your bike to the other side
of the Channel, riding on the right hand side of the road is the
most obvious difference. Not that it’s any real problem, and it’s
a lot easier riding a bike abroad than driving a right-hand drive
car. A bike will always have the advantage of being able to position
itself on the road to get the best forward view and make itself
visible to oncoming traffic, something that a UK car just can’t
do without half of it being on the wrong side of the road before
the driver can see what’s approaching.
But having said that, it’s still all too easy to forget which
side of the road to ride on, especially starting out at the beginning
of each day and after you’ve stopped for a break. So take a few
seconds to think about which way the traffic’s flowing before
you let out the clutch and pull away. Motorways and major roads
don’t usually present much of a problem as the signing and road
layouts makes it difficult (but not impossible) to end up on the
wrong side of the road. Small towns, villages and minor roads
are much easier to make a hash of, and in these environments you
need to have your wits about you as it’s all too simple to get
it wrong. This is especially important in the first couple of
days on the continent, but if you take the time then, you won’t
put yourself in a dangerous situation and you’ll start doing it
subconsciously and it will become automatic. T-junctions and cross
roads are the biggest trouble makers and turning right the biggest
cause of error. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to get it
wrong!
The
other bit of road layout that brings grief to some riders is the
roundabout. The principle is the same as over here but the traffic
goes round in the other direction. Now you wouldn’t think that
this would be a problem, but you’d be amazed at what sometimes
happens. I’ve seen riders go into “frozen rabbit” mode
when they get to their first roundabout after leaving the ferry
at Calais. And when they finally work out what to do they wobble
round to the appropriate exit like a learner about to fail his
CBT. Mind you, some French roundabouts do need a bit of care as
they are higher at the centre than the outside and this reverse
camber can catch out the unwary, especially in the rain. The other
thing worth remembering is that once upon a time in France, traffic
coming onto a roundabout had priority over that already on it.
Now whilst this “rule of the road” was consigned to
the waste bin a long time ago (except in certain parts of Paris),
there are some French drivers who have obviously not read the
more recent versions of “Le Highway Code”, so don’t
always assume that approaching traffic is going to give way.
You should always have your headlight on when riding on the continent,
especially in Spain where they’re really hot on this misdemeanour.
In fact it’s not unknown for the police to lie in wait just outside
the ferry terminals and border crossings to catch the miscreants.
Which brings us nicely on to penalties.
On
the other side of the Channel, the “on-the-spot-fine”
is the norm for most minor motoring offences including speeding,
and the guardians of the law will only accept cash. If you can’t
or won’t pay then expect to be whisked away to the local cop shop
and your bike will be impounded as well; although I have heard
of some offenders being escorted to the nearest bank or ATM to
get the money. But make sure that you get a receipt for any fines
paid and check that the amount on the receipt is the same as the
fine paid. If not, then someone’s on the fiddle! And you should
always have your vehicle and personal documentation with you.
There’s no “within five days at a police station of your
choice” nonsense over there, so if you can’t prove the bike’s
yours, it’s properly insured and you can legally ride it, you
may find both you and the bike taking a trip. In Spain you’ll
need a Bail Bond as well. Talk to your insurer before you go abroad,
just to make sure that you’ve got the correct cover. Even though
we’re in the EC, there’s still a long way to go before we have
a universal insurance policy.
There’s also a lot of peace of mind in having some form of additional
insurance against breaking down or getting the bike and yourself
recovered to the UK in the event of an accident.
So, if you need to look out for all these things, is it really
worth the hassle? Oh Yes!
The roads are generally in much better condition than we seem
to get over here, there’s far less traffic to contend with just
about everywhere (Paris and Rome excepted!) which gives a much
more “spacious” feel to the riding. After riding in
the UK for years, it’s like removing a strait jacket! Add to this
scenery to die for just about everywhere and you can begin to
get the picture. But perhaps the biggest difference is that over
on the continent a bike rider is not considered a second-class
citizen. Quite the opposite in fact. You’ll be surprised at the
way other traffic will move over to let you past and give you
room, and it’s not unknown for complete strangers to give you
smile and a wave as you go past, especially in small towns and
villages.
And after a good ride there’s nothing quite like relaxing with
a cold drink outside a pavement cafe or bar and just watching
the world go by. Go on, you know it makes sense.