Riding Abroad Queries

[digger06]

Another perfect example where we can see how poorly organised is the European Union... They should accept each country's legislation or make a common one (which might not be the best option).

PS: Don't go to Romania just with the CBT. They want to see AM, A1, A2 or A (depending on what you ride, in your case A1) written on your driver's licence.

lol, everytime I go, they just look at my insurance, try to con my helmet off me and send me on my way,
I cant work out Romania, I have seen bikes with no number plates riding in town??
do you actually need a helmet, ? or do you just ignore that law if you don't like it , (like a lot of eastern europe )
I always wear a lid because Romania is the worst driving I have ever encountered, especially on the lorry routes over the Carpathians, truly scary

[George]

Another perfect example where we can see how poorly organised is the European Union... They should accept each country's legislation or make a common one (which might not be the best option).

PS: Don't go to Romania just with the CBT. They want to see AM, A1, A2 or A (depending on what you ride, in your case A1) written on your driver's licence.

lol, everytime I go, they just look at my insurance, try to con my helmet off me and send me on my way,
I cant work out Romania, I have seen bikes with no number plates riding in town??
do you actually need a helmet, ? or do you just ignore that law if you don't like it , (like a lot of eastern europe )
I always wear a lid because Romania is the worst driving I have ever encountered, especially on the lorry routes over the Carpathians, truly scary

I have lived in Romania 26 years and I have never seen a motorcycle without a number plate being ridden on the public roads. You might refer to the sport bikers blokes who are placing their number plates under the rear wheel arch so that the speed cams won't get them. And since the number plate gets all the mud from the wheel, it is barely visible. That is illegal and if a police crew will see that, they will stop you. These incidents are really specific to guys that are considering themselves outlaws and are a bunch of idiot morons! They go fast and as a result they will die fast as well, so nature has a way of getting rid of them. (not fast enough)

The other felony that is common is with 125 cc bikes. The 50 ccs are meant to have a yellow plate and are registered at the town hall. Since there is not much police work involved, people tend to register 125s on yellow plates since they have ”someone” working in the town hall...

Helmets are mandatory! Will get a fine if caught without one. I took my GF on the back of my C90 in Bucharest, 50 meters, without a helmet and an untagged police car stopped next to me and gave me a warning... I tried to tell him that I will drop her off like next red light and he was really shouting at me... he left me alone and carried on. Never took her without a helmet not even for 10m ever since.

I guess that Bucharest is more organised than the country side or small towns. I have been stopped for routine checks with my C90 2 times. They wanted to see if the bike is a 50 cc or bigger and if it was bigger they wanted to see my licence. Checking MoT and insurance since the scooter fellas are riding without any of them.

The lorry drivers are mad. If you go fast enough, along with the traffic, no problems. If you go slower, you are being overtaken by lorries in bends, by 2 cars in the same time... etc.

But the things are improving massively. When I've started ridding in 2006, there were many hazards on the public roads. From 2006 till 2014 when I left home, there has been a massive improvement in drivers towards bike awareness and not only. It will take time but Romania will get there. Imagine that when my parents took their motorcycle licence back in 2002, you could barely see a motorcycle on the roads... they were a hand full of them scattered around the country. Took at least 4 years for drivers to get used to them.

[Newtsalad]

Interesting post George. Apparemtly police and a minister here, are moving to promote motorcycling, reckoning the more on the road, the more awareness it will create.

[digger06]

that could have been the thing with the number plates, Bulgaria seems to do the same they are well tucked away.......
yes, the roads did seem better behaved last year when I last went, (only to mangalia though)
I first started going to that area of the world a long time ago, yes, Romania has changed, and for the better,
when I first went, English got pulled up regular and bribes taken, but, if you outran the cop car, (no radio,s) they gave up after a mile or so,
(bit dodgy as they were armed (still are?)I have no doubt it would be different now if I tried it...
Bulgaria is still taking bribes for speeding though, (20 quid last one )
I recon its a lot to do with the prices of petrol rising, everyone on the black sea coast seems to slow down as the prices go up,
cant blame em really,
as for the no helmets, the guys at the border to hungary told me I didn't need one, the lieing swine,
(that was 2009ish though?)
BUT, I did see a big Suzuki rider with no helmet, and a moped rider with no helmet too, last july?
I must attract the idiots,

I had a girl try to race me in Bulgaria on the varna coast road in 2012, gsxr750, no helmet, and in a BIKINI!!!!I let her pass ,
it was a lovely view, her top must have had a decent strap, she was doin 80mph

[Rooweller]

i got knocked off my bike in France two years ago and was treated by a very partisan French Gendarm and a fantastic French hospital !

[George]

that could have been the thing with the number plates, Bulgaria seems to do the same they are well tucked away.......
yes, the roads did seem better behaved last year when I last went, (only to mangalia though)
I first started going to that area of the world a long time ago, yes, Romania has changed, and for the better,
when I first went, English got pulled up regular and bribes taken, but, if you outran the cop car, (no radio,s) they gave up after a mile or so,
(bit dodgy as they were armed (still are?)I have no doubt it would be different now if I tried it...
Bulgaria is still taking bribes for speeding though, (20 quid last one )
I recon its a lot to do with the prices of petrol rising, everyone on the black sea coast seems to slow down as the prices go up,
cant blame em really,
as for the no helmets, the guys at the border to hungary told me I didn't need one, the lieing swine,
(that was 2009ish though?)
BUT, I did see a big Suzuki rider with no helmet, and a moped rider with no helmet too, last july?
I must attract the idiots,

I had a girl try to race me in Bulgaria on the varna coast road in 2012, gsxr750, no helmet, and in a BIKINI!!!!I let her pass ,
it was a lovely view, her top must have had a decent strap, she was doin 80mph

It is different form small towns to big cities. Imagine the amount of cameras in London comparing it with the amount in Leamington Spa. It is the same in Romania... maybe people decide to go to the local shop which is not so far away and they do not bother putting gear on for a 2 min ride... I don't know. Forgot when it was the last time I saw a helemtless rider.

Police used to take massive bribes. In the last 2 years, the news were full with reporters giving bribes to policemen and recording via a hidden camera. That discouraged them to continue doing so. I am sure that if you are foreign, they will ask for bribes even know... but if you would have a camera rolling it would be discouraging for them. And I would go along with the ticket... like „Give me the ticket for speed or whatever I've done and I will pay it”. I know loads of foreigners who abuse the system by getting tickets and not paying them since they do not have a Romanian address. If you want, I can ask the details to someone I know and will post them here so you all know how to avoid being charged in Romania.

20 quid? I had 62 km/h on a 50 km/h road back in Bucharest (I drove on a yellow light and I had to accelerate) and the policeman gave me a ticket (fair and square)... 80 RON in 48h or 160 after 48 hours. That is around £14.5...

Policeman are still armed in Romania... as I remember, they carry a Glock 17 Generation 3. Will never abuse using the gun. Rarely you hear on the news that a policeman shot someone. And the reasons are appropriate as well. Giving an example, there was a train station close to the black see that it's not used anymore. Out of 6 lines, only one is used once a day for instance and the gipsies were taking track sections from the unused lines. That took place so often that the train station manager called the local police. When they arrived, they saw some thieves stealing track sections. The police went over and told them to get on the ground... they fled! First shot was towards the sky and they still didn't stop running! So the next shots were in the chest of one guy and in the head of another...

He was lying! For sure since 2006 when I took my licence, it was mandatory! As well as having the light on at all times! You will be stopped if those two rules aren't followed. He might have said that so that the next police crew would fine you for riding without a helmet! Mother*****!

PS: Never saw a girl on a GSXR in bikini! I will go for rides next time around the Bulgarian cost line though...

[digger06]

i will give a bribe happily in Bulgaria, the fine was 80 euro,
he took a bribe of under half that, suits me
saves me having to go down the cop shop to pay too,
i was speeding rather excessively , so the 20 was a bargain, it would have been a LOT more in england,
as for bikini,s, im sure you have seen as many "ladies" in little more(or even less clothing ) at the sides of the roads,(just not on bikes) Bulgaria is the same,

[scubabiker]

little tip, when in italy and joining the autostrada, make sure you DONT go round the barrier! i saw the little half barrier and though 2pah its a half barrier that means bikes can go round it".....
also in italy bikes can get parking tickets....
and you should buy the autobahn pass things for bikes in germany and austria, i didnt, but the police never said anything....
and here in norway it is mandatory to ride with lights on even in daytime, and also you MUST have a reflex vest with you at all times (you dont need to wear it)

[waz]

little tip, when in italy and joining the autostrada, make sure you DONT go round the barrier! i saw the little half barrier and though 2pah its a half barrier that means bikes can go round it".....
also in italy bikes can get parking tickets....
and you should buy the autobahn pass things for bikes in germany and austria, i didnt, but the police never said anything....
and here in norway it is mandatory to ride with lights on even in daytime, and also you MUST have a reflex vest with you at all times (you dont need to wear it)

Germany and Austria do not charge bikes or cars for using the Autoban

[scubabiker]

i could be sure that you should pay to use the autobahn, ive seen so many bikes with the autobahn pass stickers....