Travelling in France

Have traveled twice across France with guys with loud pipes and we were never stopped. Just take your time through villages and the revs down.
My mate had a pair of arrow exhausts on his Ducati Monster which he took the baffles out of when we got close to the Alps as it sounded fantastic going through the long tunnels.
Just beware very loud pipes get personally tiring after a while on the long French motorways and you may get tired of the noise before the law does.
(If you use the French toll roads keep the tickets dry or they don't work at the exits and try to use manned booths so you get charged for a bike and not a car)

 

Good advice Richard. Personally I wouldn't have loud pipes because, as you say, over a long distance they can become very wearing (especially for anyone following!). I did a trip a few years with a guy on a GS with a very loud pipe and riding behind him was an absolute pain (even with ear plugs) and I ended up letting him ride several hundred yards in front of me. I also got fed up with the glares we got every time we went through a town or village (then again I am the sensitive type :wink

A point about the tolls though. There are very few manned booths these days unfortunately. Don't use lanes marked as "Reserve Telepeage" (or something like that) as you won't even get through them and will have to back out and call for assistance (those lanes often tend to be on the far left and sometimes have a 30kmh speed limit sign). Also don't use lanes that have a height restriction as you WILL get charged the car rate.

When you stop at the gate it should indicate "Classe 5". If it doesn't then make sure you get a receipt as you can claim back any overcharging (it's a pain but can be done). Another point to remember is to leave a little distance between the bikes at a toll booth as it may flag you up as Classe 1 (that can also happen if a car stops immediately behind you at a booth and that's not so easy to avoid.

In answer to the original question...... I'm not aware of anyone being stopped for a loud exhaust.

 

Hi, just thought I'd check on the hi-vis vest situation in France. It was going to be mandatory for all riders of bikes over 125cc last year but this has now been scrapped. As the law currently stands, it appears that you don't need to wear or carry one in France until further notice.
However this looks like it will soon change, as the government’s idea is to force bikers to wear the vest only when they breakdown alongside the road and/or need to park the bike on the side in case of an emergency or accident. So if you get caught while riding without having a high visibility jacket with you (either in your bike or your bag), you will not be fined as you are not expected to wear it while using your bike.
However, if you get caught not wearing the vest in the event of a breakdown, flat tyre, emergency stop or accident, you risk a fine of 35 euros payable on the spot and possibly a couple of points taken off your licence. This would also apply to foreign bikers visiting France.
May pay to keep a couple of cheapies in the bag!

 

Some very sound advice. Breath test kits are also required to be carried I believe.

I try to avoid toll roads when ever possible. It makes the trips to Switzerland more interesting.

 

Good point - you definitely need them in the car and spare headlamp/stop lamp bulbs as well.

 

Minefield alert! This is what I've got from my French motorcycling mates so treat it with some caution .................

As I understand it there is no system in place to deduct points from your UK licence. They can (and will) fine you on the spot for speeding but can't take points from your licence (they can however take away your bike if you've exceeded the limit by a "lot" - possibly 50kph iirc)

I'd check up on the current status with breathalysers as it seems to change but the last I heard it had been abandoned as they didn't have enough units available. There was also a scandal about the manufacturers have some link to the politicians who brought in the law.

Bulbs - you won't be prosecuted for not having them but you will be prosecuted if a bulb fails and you're stopped by the police and you can't replace it on the spot. Pretty dumb to not have them with you tbh.

Hi-vis - another abandoned idea and my mates (as yet) haven't heard anything about needing them if you break down. I'll need to press them on that one. I always wear one anyway so I'm not too concerned.

Helmet stickers - again a bit of grey area. All helmets sold in France either have reflective stickers attached or supplied and it's illegal to ride without them fixed on. The grey area is whether it applies to "foreign" bikers. Some say yes, some say no. I've never bothered and never been stopped in the last 35 years of French touring. If you're concerned do an ebay search for French helmet stickers (that could turn up some interesting results :wink

Good move staying away from the autoroutes. I just wish I could avoid them but somehow I manage to engineer a tight schedule and need to use them.