Advice about riding in Europe

general_piffle

general_piffle

Senior member
Location
London/Hampshire
So, when riding in Europe having come from the UK I believe you need to carry your V5 (vehicle registration document) amongst other documents. But does anyone ever actually check the frame and/or engine number? Surely this is just to check the reg and that the bike's registered to you?
 
general_piffle said:
So, when riding in Europe having come from the UK I believe you need to carry your V5 (vehicle registration document) amongst other documents. But does anyone ever actually check the frame and/or engine number? Surely this is just to check the reg and that the bike's registered to you?
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Whilst I always carry the necessary documents when travelling on the bike outside the UK over the past 30+ years, I've never needed to produce them.
Don't over think it! 👍😉
 
Unless you behave like a complete dickhead, roadside controls are hardly to be expected. Registration and license are obviously checked, I've never had frame or engine #'s checked. Engine #'s are mostly irrelevant anyway. Documents are obviously very necessary if you get into any fuck-ups.

I haven't experienced any checks for at least 20-25 years, be it in France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Czech Republic, Spain. If you venture into areas of heightened terrorist activity or drug running, you might be in for a surprise or two... I experienced a road block near Cadiz about 40 years ago, about 50 heavily armed police officers stopped every vehicle and searched for drugs, at about 2am. They had positioned themselves in a cutting with machine guns positioned above the road, no escape possible. In hindsight, pretty scary.

piet
 
Vehicle documents, insurance, license.
As Piet writes, unless you're behaving like a right twit, you won't be bothered.
Don't expect police to speak English, you're the foreigner.
Police in Southern countries are much more easy going than those with a more Northerly culture.
Paul
 
Paul Marx said:
Vehicle documents, insurance, license.
As Piet writes, unless you're behaving like a right twit, you won't be bothered.
Don't expect police to speak English, you're the foreigner.
Police in Southern countries are much more easy going than those with a more Northerly culture.
Paul
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Very good point...

piet
 
Firstly, they drive on the right🙄ffs, everything’s in bloody kilometres, hardly any petrol stations and sometimes they have no fuel/ not open Sun& Monday and they might ask you to pay before you fill up . Don’t bother with GB sticker, you know your British and do expect them to speak English- if they don’t just talk slowly and louder. Don’t bother with carrying breathalysers or luminous arm bands and don’t expect anywhere to be open between 12-3 which is when Johnny Foreigner has lunch. The French do warn you of impending speed traps and tend to take you somewhere as opposed to just giving directions, and offer you a drink or a bed for the night. If you have a Guzzi the cops let you have run of the place.
 
Exmoor beast said:
Firstly, they drive on the right🙄ffs, everything’s in bloody kilometres, hardly any petrol stations and sometimes they have no fuel/ not open Sun& Monday and they might ask you to pay before you fill up . Don’t bother with GB sticker, you know your British and do expect them to speak English- if they don’t just talk slowly and louder. Don’t bother with carrying breathalysers or luminous arm bands and don’t expect anywhere to be open between 12-3 which is when Johnny Foreigner has lunch. The French do warn you of impending speed traps and tend to take you somewhere as opposed to just giving directions, and offer you a drink or a bed for the night. If you have a Guzzi the cops let you have run of the place.
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UK sticker.
You won't be allowed off the island if you don't have it.
Paul
(Reminds me of a letter many years ago in the ILOC mag from an Englishman about to dare cross the Channel for the first time asking what sort of anti theft device for his bike he'd need on the continent. I hope that he's been sent to Ruanda by now)
 
Paul Marx said:
Vehicle documents, insurance, license.
As Piet writes, unless you're behaving like a right twit, you won't be bothered.
Don't expect police to speak English, you're the foreigner.
Police in Southern countries are much more easy going than those with a more Northerly culture.
Paul
Click to expand...
Fortunately, I speak basic (very basic) French. At least enough to get by. This should get me far south enough before I have to resort to smiling a lot.
 
I've been stopped a fair few times in the car and on the bike, despite what people say on here it is quite common for the police in in various countries including France, Austria, Spain and Portugal to set up a little checkpoint, usually on a roundabout or just after a border crossing. Be polite and have your passport, driving license, V5 and insurance to hand. They aren't looking for you, there are bigger fish to fry. No one has ever checked my vin number either but the V5 is always a bit of entertainment for them. I only ever had to pay a fine in Austria and I still don't know what for.
 
Paul Marx said:
UK sticker.
You won't be allowed off the island if you don't have it.
Paul
(Reminds me of a letter many years ago in the ILOC mag from an Englishman about to dare cross the Channel for the first time asking what sort of anti theft device for his bike he'd need on the continent. I hope that he's been sent to Ruanda by now)
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Came back from south of France a month ago- no sticker, never used one.
They also serve beer in a wine glass and you can forget a decent cup of tea…
 
And don't be alarmed when riding through quite large French towns and not seeing a single person from one end to another. I have no idea where they all go . Its like the nuclear sirens have sounded and they are all in their cellars.
 
Perry said:
And don't be alarmed when riding through quite large French towns and not seeing a single person from one end to another. I have no idea where they all go . Its like the nuclear sirens have sounded and they are all in their cellars.
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This is completely true- I drove 700miles through France, North to South not once did I see any builders working and if you do see someone in a village they look at you like your from space, usually an old woman looking out of a window.
It’s like driving through an old film set .
 
Also there seems to be a strange lack of wildlife to be seen when riding through rural France. If you travel through on a Sunday i think the answer becomes apparent. Hunting parties everywhere who appear bent on erradicating anything furry or with wings.
 
V5... I meet them halfway and have a photo of it (all pages) on my phone and a 'on a motorbike tour, I'm afraid I will loose it' excuse on my tongue.
 
Gerald said:
If you travel through Austria make sure to have a motorcycle first aid kit with you.

Gerald
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really, is it mandatory? Is there any norm which defines what should be the content.
You know, I love to travel just with a tank bag, so the space is limited….
 
andre g said:
really, is it mandatory? Is there any norm which defines what should be the content.
You know, I love to travel just with a tank bag, so the space is limited….
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Hepp HEPP VERBANDTASCHE KRAFTRAEDER,Ö-NORM V5100

Hepp HEPP VERBANDTASCHE KRAFTRAEDER,Ö-NORM V5100 günstig kaufen bei Louis. Top Marken ✓ Große Auswahl ✓ Kauf auf Rechnung ✓ Kein Risiko ✓ Kostenlose Rücksendung ✓
www.louis.de www.louis.de
Ciao, Gert
 
lavgert said:

Hepp HEPP VERBANDTASCHE KRAFTRAEDER,Ö-NORM V5100

Hepp HEPP VERBANDTASCHE KRAFTRAEDER,Ö-NORM V5100 günstig kaufen bei Louis. Top Marken ✓ Große Auswahl ✓ Kauf auf Rechnung ✓ Kein Risiko ✓ Kostenlose Rücksendung ✓
www.louis.de www.louis.de
Ciao, Gert
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Thanks Gert,
I have some doubts that this kit really makes sense. I somebody really has an accident will he be able to use it and for minor issues we all have gaffer tape in our tool kit.
But it is mandatory and I did not know.
Andre
 
Thanks Gert,
I have some doubts that this kit really makes sense. If somebody really has an accident, will he be able to use it? And for minor issues we all have gaffer tape in our tool kit.
But it is mandatory and I did not know.

„f , and ? „added
 
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