Filtering

[richfzs]

Interesting that, because filtering is illegal in France!! There are even reports of police cars driving round the Paris Périphérique, slowing traffic down to nab filtering bikers. Les connards.

Sure, but each time I've been there on the bike (last time about 3 weeks ago) the French car drivers make a point of getting out of your way - Lane 3 will move left in Lane, Lane 2 will move right, leaving a good gap to fly through. Far more aware of bikes, expect you to be making progress, and assist in that!

I guess les connards is the bastards (or similar)?? :-)

[ChristoT]

[quote author=ChristoT link=topic=10842.msg114945#msg114945 date=1385499343]

Interesting that, because filtering is illegal in France!! There are even reports of police cars driving round the Paris Périphérique, slowing traffic down to nab filtering bikers. Les connards.

Sure, but each time I've been there on the bike (last time about 3 weeks ago) the French car drivers make a point of getting out of your way - Lane 3 will move left in Lane, Lane 2 will move right, leaving a good gap to fly through. Far more aware of bikes, expect you to be making progress, and assist in that!

I guess les connards is the bastards (or similar)?? :-)
[/quote]

The French love bikers, it's so much nicer riding there than here in the UK.

Connards is quite a bit ruder than bastards. But you get the idea... 

[richfzs]

Ohgo on, give us a translation :-)

[ChristoT]

Ohgo on, give us a translation :-)

http://translate.google.com/#fr/en/

Look up "con" or "connard", same thing!  :lol

[fazersharp]

Lane 3 will move left in Lane, Lane 2 will move right, leaving a good gap to fly through.

Maybe they just know they are gonna get their mirrors smacked and the rider just ride off, so next time they move out the way

[richfzs]

;-) Christo, honestly you could have just said :lol nobody would have minded!

What's your experience with the French coppers and the silly helmet stickers? On a French registered bike, I guess there's no leeway, but for foreign registered bikes, do they care? I ordered some before I went, naturally they didn't arrive, so kept fingers crossed. Saw a few coppers, but had no hassle about it.

[ChristoT]

Lane 3 will move left in Lane, Lane 2 will move right, leaving a good gap to fly through.

Maybe they just know they are gonna get their mirrors smacked and the rider just ride off, so next time they move out the way

Nah, the French are actually civilised!! If you come to the Madone des Motards (hint hint), you'll see the reception that bikers get. All along the 80km rideout, the locals are by the roadside cheering the riders on. Just for being there. Unlike the UK, where a bike is seen as just another vehicle (or roadkill!!), les Froggies actually appreciate the skill required to ride. Bikers are known as "pilotes", the same word for an aircraft pilot!!

;-) Christo, honestly you could have just said :lol nobody would have minded!

What's your experience with the French coppers and the silly helmet stickers? On a French registered bike, I guess there's no leeway, but for foreign registered bikes, do they care? I ordered some before I went, naturally they didn't arrive, so kept fingers crossed. Saw a few coppers, but had no hassle about it.

What, and sully the forum with bad language? Are you fucking nuts?  :lol :lol

Can't say on the helmet laws as I haven't ridden in France since Easter!  :eek My suspicion is that as with most French laws, it's something to throw at you if you're being an arsehole, or to be enforced only by the over-zealous. If you're being sensible, you should be fine. As with speeding tickets, it's probably too much hassle for them to pull over a UK biker to blitz him on it. However, you cannot claim ignorance, and some buggers will. Depends on where you ride too, though.

I might stick some on my lid when I go over. Haven't decided yet, TBH!!

[nick crisp]

Me and a mate got nicked for speeding in France, leaving the Le Mans circuit. On-the-spot fine - I don't remember how much now, but it wasn't cheap! Word was, if you didn't have the means to pay it, they'd confiscate your bike  :eek  We weren't going silly speeds when we got pulled either. Loads of bikes were hammering past while they processed our penalty. They seemed to us to be pulling mostly Brits, so paperwork hassles for foreign riders didn't seem to bother them. That was quite a while ago, so don't know what things are like now.

[Punkstig]

Can't remember if it was on here or Facebook I saw this-
http://recombu.com/cars/articles/news/to...ree-months

[Dead Eye]

[quote author=fazersharp link=topic=10842.msg114995#msg114995 date=1385511368]

Lane 3 will move left in Lane, Lane 2 will move right, leaving a good gap to fly through.

Maybe they just know they are gonna get their mirrors smacked and the rider just ride off, so next time they move out the way

Nah, the French are actually civilised!! If you come to the Madone des Motards (hint hint), you'll see the reception that bikers get. All along the 80km rideout, the locals are by the roadside cheering the riders on. Just for being there. Unlike the UK, where a bike is seen as just another vehicle (or roadkill!!), les Froggies actually appreciate the skill required to ride. Bikers are known as "pilotes", the same word for an aircraft pilot!!

[/quote]

For general traffic then maybe, but when I did Hog The Bridge there were loads of people lining the roads all along the villages we went through and over the bridges on the M48. Plenty of support for the rideout coming from all ages

[Grahamm]

I am comfortable riding at my speed but was wondering if its usual to filter in that way, seems like a recipe for disaster.

He probably thinks he's a good rider. And he'll keep thinking that when someone unexpectedly swaps lanes in front of him and he ends up the meat in a car sandwich because it wasn't *his* fault they didn't look.

It won't make it hurt any less, of course...

Meanwhile you're doing exactly the right thing, ie filtering, but keeping the speed down so if something unexpected happens, you've got time to react and brake. Don't try to follow him, unless you want to follow him to hospital one day!

[Grahamm]

As a motorcyclist is it legal to overtake a car on a solid white line?

No. As the Highway Code says: you MUST NOT (ie this bit is enforceable in law) cross or straddle a solid white line on your side of the road.

If you can safely pass *without* crossing or straddling the line, that's acceptable, provided you don't do it in a reckless manner (ie too fast or just scraping by).

[Skippernick]

[quote author=msmudge link=topic=10842.msg114886#msg114886 date=1385480293]
As a motorcyclist is it legal to overtake a car on a solid white line?

No. As the Highway Code says: you MUST NOT (ie this bit is enforceable in law) cross or straddle a solid white line on your side of the road.

If you can safely pass *without* crossing or straddling the line, that's acceptable, provided you don't do it in a reckless manner (ie too fast or just scraping by).
[/quote]


Unless overtaking a slow moving vehicle with a flashing yellow light.

[Grahamm]

Unless overtaking a slow moving vehicle with a flashing yellow light.

IIRC it's a Road Maintenance vehicle doing less than 10mph, or a bicycle, or you have to cross the line to pass a stationary (parked) vehicle or you need to turn into a entrance on the right.