Avoid these 10 mistakes when riding your motorbike abroad

While riding a motorcycle anywhere delivers a sense of freedom like little else, riding one abroad takes things to another level and is often the highlight of the biking year.
It also brings fresh challenges, unfamiliar laws and different regulations to observe, and more to think about than if you’re just going for a local blast or weekend away on British roads. Nor do you have to be as unfortunate as the British bikers recently arrested while travelling in Iran, your correspondent able to confirm it’s just as easy to end up in a mess just over the Channel in Northern France. But that’s a story for another day! So, whether your summer riding plans extend to France or further afield, we’ve compiled our 10 top tips to help you avoid the most common mistakes. Skip to: 1 | To ride or not to ride, that is the question 2 | Do your homework 3 | The boring paperwork bit 4 | Kit essentials 5 | Is your bike ready? 6 | Security 7 |Stuff you might forget 8 |Spreading the load 9 |Keep it legal 10 | Don’t upset the locals

One of the great things about modern motorcycling is how much assistance there is on hand, even for first-time travellers. Yes, you can book a ferry and go it alone but that can look intimidating. But it needn’t be if you can team up with like-minded friends, or make new ones by joining the increasing number of group rides organised by everyone from tour operators to popular biking podcasts!
Inspirational as he might have been, you no longer have to be as plucky or self-sufficient as famous motorcycle adventurer Ted Simon to ride abroad! So, think hard about the options available and be honest about your levels of experience. Will a long weekend in France suffice? Do you even want to risk your own bike and a long journey on boring motorways to the exciting roads when you could fly out to direct to the good stuff and rent a bike from one of the many specialist outfits and tap into their local knowledge? Back to top

Where to ride? This one’s up to you! What do you fancy? Best advice is to use the off-season evenings to do your research, pick a country (or two), look at routes, events or destinations you might want to tick off and figure out how much time and budget you might have to play with. With that settled you can get down to the nitty-gritty of specific roads, routes and itineraries, even if you don’t have to be too rigid about the latter. Nor do you have to take a paper map, though it can still be useful and exciting to do so. And a good back-up if your sat-nav packs up, gets nicked, runs out of charge or loses signal. Got an adventure bike and fancy including some off-road as part of the route? Great idea, given most European countries, including France, are covered with their equivalents of our green lanes. Like home some areas – National Parcs, for example – can be out of bounds, though. So check the local access rules before committing tyre to dirt!
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Prepare a checklist and make sure you have the following as a minimum:
• A full motorcycle licence for the grade of machine you’ll be riding, whether that’s A1 or restricted A2. Sorry, but a CBT and L-plates won’t suffice! Generally, you won’t need an International Driving Permit in Europe but if your route takes you beyond check what’s required and pick one up from the Post Office as required. • You’ll also need your bike’s V5c and, if applicable, MoT certificate. If the bike’s financed you may need a form V103 to prove you have permission to take it overseas – check with the provider before going too far with your plans. • You don’t need a ‘green card’ for insurance but an original certificate (or digital equivalent) is required, and you need to make sure your cover extends to where you plan to ride. • Passport issued less than 10 years before your outward travel date and with at least six months’ validity before you are due to return. • Travel and breakdown insurance aren’t compulsory but would be sensible – make sure the latter includes repatriation for you and your bike. A free Global Health Insurance Card is a bare minimum and you’d be daft not to given it’s free. It’s also worth taking the standardised European Accident Statement (EAS) form should the worst happen, and you need the information to support a claim. Back to top

Riding kit will depend on preference and the likely climate of where you’re going, but plan for the worst and ensure it’s comfortable for long days in the saddle. CE-certified helmets are a legal requirement in most places while some EU countries require you to have reflective stickers on your helmet, too. France requires CE-certified gloves and some places also require high-vis vests for you and any pillion should you need to stop by the side of the road for a breakdown or suchlike. As ever, check before you travel.
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Forget the old GB sticker – unless your plate has a country code and flag on the plate you’ll need a UK sticker, though not for Ireland. Beyond that give your bike a mini health check to make sure everything is fit for your trip. This should include:
• Tyres – they may be legal at the start of the trip but will they still be so at the end? Change if in any doubt! • Oil and coolant levels • Battery health • Brake pads • Chain tension and lubrication • Headlight alignment Back to top

A worry wherever you go with a bike, of course, but you’ll need to be even more watchful than ever. If you’re travelling by ferry it’s important to be able to tether your bike properly with straps, for starters. Just like home theft is an ever-present concern so think about where you’re staying and choose places with secure parking if possible. Big locks and chains may be too heavy to carry but at the very least take a quality disc lock.
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Some countries have particular requirements for things you need to have on you, so check before you go. These can include the high-vis jackets mentioned previously, replacement headlight bulbs, spare glasses if you need them for riding and even breathalyser kits. If your bike doesn’t have a 12V socket or charging point a power bank can be useful to keep things like phones or sat-navs charged up.
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How you pack will mainly be dictated by the amount of space you have, and the requirements of where you’re going. But it’s worth being tactical about where and how you carry stuff on the bike. Packing as light as possible is always smart and it’s worth having some sort of waterproof lining for panniers, even if it’s just a bin bag for emergencies. Sticking to a dedicated pocket on your jacket or tank bag for your phone or wallet will help you reach them quickly if you’re riding somewhere with regular toll stops or the like, and it’s sensible to practice packing and how you’ll be spreading the load in the days before you travel.
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You might know the riding customs and etiquette at home but it can be subtly different in other countries. Filtering might be second nature on the commute but isn’t legal everywhere, while radar speed detectors can be outlawed. While most modern bikes default to lights on if yours doesn’t be aware this may be a requirement in some places while others have lower speed limits in wet weather. Some European countries are meanwhile stricter about exhaust noise than others, some classic biking roads in the Austrian Alps banned to bikes with homologated sound in excess of 95dB. Speed limits can vary as well, so keep aware of local restrictions. Drink driving laws can also vary, with some countries having very strict limits. While it’s easy to slip into the holiday spirit if in doubt take it easy on the wine and beers the night before riding.
Environmental regulations are increasingly common across Europe, meanwhile, certain French cities or regions requiring a Crit’Air sticker displaying the bike’s emissions certification and restricting access or parking to those not meeting certain standards. This is similar to the Swiss motorway ‘vignette’ you’ll need for using the country’s toll motorways. The latter can be bought on the spot but a Crit’Air sticker needs ordering before you go, so make sure you get one if you think you’ll need it and from an official government source rather than a dodgy third-party. Back to top

Part of the fun of travelling is learning new things as you go, even if some of that comes from trial and error. No spoilers on that, though there are a few little habits and customs that can help you look like a local, not least the fact that riding on the right means bikers tend to acknowledge each other with an outstretched left hand rather than the nod you may be used to back home. If you can’t manage that an extended leg off the peg to thank a car for making space is another Euro biker habit. While it goes without saying you need to remember which side of the road you need to be on take particular care when leaving petrol stations, when your mind might be on other things and the usual road signs might not be there to remind you.
And did we mention planning? Whether your ‘7Ps’ mantra comprises marketing jargon or you default to the saltier army equivalent the spirit is the same, and proper planning can prevent … the worst happening. There are plenty of resources out there to help you, so take advantage of what remains of the winter evenings to swot up and we’ll wish you bonne route for when wheels touch foreign soil! Back to top