Hi DeinMeister
Your trip sounds like quite an adventure, I stopped for lunch in Sisteron when I rode the route Napoleon a few years ago, nice place.
I'll check out some of the municipal campsites, thanks for the tip. I also visited Ile de Re, loved that bridge that takes you onto the island, it seems to keep on climbing, the island and La Rochelle were great places, happy memories of that particular trip too.
 
The only good thing about winter is planning a great trip for next spring and summer 

The bike looks great, what a steal for £2k.
I brought my Fazer 600 back from Southern France (where I kept it for 4 years) in April, I rode the "Route du Grande Alpes" which is well worth consideration for one of your future trips. Stunning roads, stunning scenery, loads of friendly bikers, car free roads and......minimal plod 
 
 
Did you have your route planned and your campsites booked, or did you take pot luck and stay in places that took your fancy?
 
Oh, and welcome from another new boy

I lifted the following from the AA Website:     
 
For some years now it is has been strictly forbidden under article R413-15 of the French 'Code de la Route' (highway code) to have a speed camera detector in a vehicle in France, regardless of whether or not it is being used.
Penalties can include fines of up to €1,500, confiscation of the device and of the vehicle.
Until recently this legislation didn't apply to satellite navigation or other GPS-based systems capable of displaying fixed speed camera locations as points of interest (PoI).
    New law in France Effective from 3 January 2012 French laws prohibiting drivers from carrying devices capable of detecting speed cameras have been extended to include devices able to warn or inform of the location of speed cameras e.g. satnav or gps systems capable of showing speed camera sites as PoI.
As well as now banning all devices capable of warning drivers of speed camera locations, the French government is installing around 400 new fixed speed cameras and is taking down road signs indicating the location of existing fixed speed camera sites.  What should you do If you have a satnav capable of displaying French camera locations in France then you must at least disable camera alerts before driving in France. We recommend that you contact the manufacturer of the satnav for advice as it is likely that a software or database update is available that will actually remove camera data for France from the device.
If you have a satnav system built into your car then we recommend contacting the vehicle manufacturer in the first instance.  Further advice Driving regulations and customs in France are different to the UK. There are severe and rigidly enforced penalties for all road traffic infringements. These include imprisonment and a heavy fine for causing death whilst driving over the alcohol limit or under the influence of drugs.
There are also similar penalties for causing death by dangerous or negligent driving.
The French police apply speeding restrictions strictly and if you exceed speed limits you will face heavy on-the-spot fines.
If you break French driving laws you can also have your UK driving licence confiscated by French Police. This could lead to your vehicle being temporarily impounded if no alternative driver with a valid licence is available.

New rubber fitted front and rear after this particular trip back from the French Alps.....If I'd stuck sunglasses and a lollipop on it, it would have looked like Kojak 

I have a black and silver 'show plate' on my black mk1 FZS600, it looks better than the standard legal one. 
 
Not had a problem with it so far, never been pulled for it.................that is now the kiss of death no doubt.   

You state that the RAC said "We will get the recovery company to look into it".........this is still a top quality fob off.
 
YOU are the customer of the RAC, your contract is with THEM.
 
You need someone at the RAC to take responsibility, they are liable. I guarantee that if you don't sit on these idiots the whole situation will disappear into a black hole.
 
The four things that I have learnt in dealing with Insurance companies and associated third parties:
 
1) You have to sit on these morons and push for action.......become a pain, they will want to get rid of you and resolve your problem, simply to stop your daily phone call!!
 
2) People never do what they say they will do.......get everything in writing.
 
3) Get names, telephone numbers  and email addresses of EVERYONE you speak to............so that you can hound them
 
4) Threaten them with a sh*t storm of bad publicity and a county court summons if they don't take you seriously and if they do not repair the situation to your satisfaction
 
Don't let them off the hook, they rely on the fact that most people are too lazy and simply give up.
 
Your bike solicitor sounds good !!

The RAC are a pain to deal with, they are trying to fob you off.
 
Firstly, put your complaint to them in writing, post it by recorded delivery. Give them a reasonable time frame to respond ie 7 days from receipt of letter. Send it to a responsible named person, find out the name of the director of customer services and send it to him/her......shit always travels downhill.
 
List all of the damaged parts and the cost to replace (plus labour) and include it in the body of your letter
Also add in the cost of a hire car to enable you to get to work as clearly your bike is unrideable due to their negligence.
Ask them for the insurance details of their third party garage so that you can speak with their insurer as well advising them of your situation.
 
Tell them that if they fail to communicate you will go to small claims court (County Court) and sue them for the damages.
 
You will also be contacting MCN, Bike, Ride etc highlighting their dirty tricks so that the other 1 million motorcycle license hholders are aware of the shabby way in which you have been treated.
 
Responsibility of the RAC or its Agents:
The RAC has a general duty of care to look after your vehicle while it is in its possession. If the bike is damaged due to staff negligence ( the way in which it was secured on the recovery vehicle ,it will be the RAC's responsibility, they appointed the 3rd party.
I suggest you also contact Citizens Advice.
The Citizens Advice consumer service provides free, confidential and impartial advice on consumer issues. Visit www.adviceguide.org.uk or call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 08454 04 05 06.
 
Good luck