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Reflective stickers for helmets


sid
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I thought I'd better post this before our motorcycling section gets killed off.

I received a regular email letter from FFMC (the action group for French motorcyclists) and in it was a reminder not to forget your reflective stickers for your helmets. Apparently there has been a purge taking place in Paris with fines of 135€ and 3 penalty points.

http://www.ffmc.asso.fr/spip.php?article2487

Now, I've been here 9 years and I have never heard of this before! So I'm one of those without the stickers.

French retailers sell helmets and the stickers are provided at the time of sale. If, like me, you bought your fully approved helmet somewhere else (UK in my case) you won't have stickers. France is the only country with this weird rule.

Ignorance is no excuse, so they say, so I'll get my stickers at the first opportunity.

I reckon posts like this are good enough reason for keeping the motorcycling section.

 

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Hi Bugsy,

No I hope not, but I thought I'd keep it alive [:D]

Incidentally, I thought that sticking things on helmets was a bad idea; I'm going back years here, but I thought it wasn't good for the shell.

Don't forget your stickers. [Www]

 

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  • 10 months later...
Ah, my bad, did not realise you were a visitor!

I play the Scottish card when the French look down their noses at an Englishman - my wife is Scottish so they quickly change their attitude!

MTC cans on mine, les flics can hear me coming, even on a 50 plate....
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[quote user="BIG MAC"]French people tend to like the Scots.[/quote]Certainly matches my experience. Just explaining "Pas anglais, ecossais!" seems to improve the average french person's ability to speak English  and to understand my fench.[:D]
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  • 1 month later...

Everyone here thinks we're Welsh, and that changes...well, pretty much everything. Hereford (where I was born) is a border town, so if it's close enough for them, it's close enough for me. "They're not English" normally follows an introduction in our village to someone we haven't met before..!

Anyways, same here, no way are any stickers going on my Arai lid. All our bikes are on UK plates, don't care what anyone says, they've been that way *for a while* and they're staying that way! 

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That's exactly right - I shall remain sticker free :) It's these kinds of stupid laws that really irritate me,..hence why I ignore them completely. It's like the high-viz jacket thing? If drivers can't see or hear the motorcycle/rider with the headlight on in the first place, a high-viz jacket is going to make zero difference.

I think if you ride and drive, you're WAY more aware of bikers than people who have never been on a bike. Whoo.. I'm ranting :D

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I'm still sticker-free too. I'll just give the gallic shrug if asked. So far (he says, touching wood) and it's been 10 years now, I've found that the gendarmes are very friendly to motor-bikers, so long as you're not doing anything really stupid. I don't think after all the document checks and breath test rigmarole that they're going to suddenly notice my helmet, which will have been taken off and placed out of the way by this time anyway. Several times I've been waved through roadside checks simply because they know it's a hassle having to take your gloves off, remove helmet, remove earplugs before you can even begin a conversation.

I'm not sure that you're doing the right thing in keeping the bikes on UK plates though MJB.  It's not difficult and I for one would expect an immigrant to comply in the UK. (Not that they do - so that squashes that one!).

 

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I'm definately not doing the right thing Sid! I know we should change them over but local police have never bothered saying anything, French insurance firm doesn't mind at all (mind you, I've never put a claim in!), never had any hassle... so we figured: Leave them on!

And yes, the gendarmes are very bike friendly - and car drivers here make a huge effort to pull over for you... it's much better than riding in the UK. Although I do miss the Sunday afternoons chatting with fellow bikers at Stratford-upon-avon :)
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Earplugs! I'm going deaf and I want to keep that bit that I've got left! [Www]

I can understand about the reluctance to get your bikes registered, it can be a hassle. However, I've just imported and registered a '70 Bonneville and it was a breeze; absolutely no problem, easier than my VFR800 and a lot easier than our British caravan. The insurer will keep taking your premiums, but the worry is what happens in the event of a serious claim... will they then start to question whether the bike was legal? This has been discussed here many times and I don't think they can get out of their obligations (??) but they can sure make it difficult.

If you're living here my advice would be to get it done. I think it's rather nice not being immediately recognised as foreign (until I open my mouth at any rate! [:D] )

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  • 3 weeks later...
Hi Sid, Why do you think the motorcycling section will be killed off ? Thanks for info, I'm travelling to my new residence in the same region as you, Deux-Sevres, on my bike and didn't know about reflective stickers.

Please advise on other things that I should know about biking in France.

Regards

Steve.
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Steve, that comment was made over a year ago and the section is still here, but not very active. I've forgotten what made me post it now!

Are you coming to live here permanently or just visiting your holiday home?

There's not a lot you need to know any more than you would for a holiday, such as:-  carry your documents with you, always have your headlights on (dipped), and just enjoy the roads.

If you're here to stay get your bike registered.

If you have a specific query just fire away.

Bonne route!

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