Speeding near Alencon/Le Mans

[Austin Colle]

A few hours off the ferry and heading to Alencon cruising at 110mph, 2 police bikes come down the slip road and we slow as soon as we saw them – too late we are pulled and follow them to a turn off.
We are told to hand over our licences and 750 euros each , they were going to impound our bikes but said you can go at our risk but we are banned.

Very poor and miserable we decide to go to Spain on the motorways at legal speed. (the other halves were flying to Valencia and due to meet us)
On the A28 outside Tours the speedo packs up followed by the rest of the bike, I push it up to a service area and the battery was red hot. The rectifier had gone. The green flag lot wouldn’t pick up from a motorway service area so we pushed the bike through a gate at the back of the service area and a few miles to a village called Dissay where we found a Chambre d’ Hotes B and B which was nice.

A van from Motos Tours Honda picked up the bike at 2pm the next day and I went with the bike in the van. They couldn’t get a new rectifier until Tuesday and so we went into Tours and had a good night watching England and quite a lot to drink with the French ministers who were having a convention in Tours. We asked for our money and licences back to no avail.

I caught a train to Poitiers the next morning to stay with friends who have small farm in Montmorillon south of Poitiers. My mate Les picked me up from the station and Pete (Fireblade mounted) met me at Poitiers station.

We had quite a nice time at Les's but then went back to pick up the bike. They charged me €477 - €266 for the rectifier! Plus battery and labour.

By this time, banned in France, no money and the girls in Valencia waiting but we couldn’t get there in time to get to see them before their flight back – we decided to hit the motorway all the way back to Calais that night

Got home early next morning.

I’m poor, the catalogue which was promised when I returned has evaporated – I’ve been better.

The LD lines ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre costs £108 return and does the journey in 3 1/4 hours. The facilities for bikes is very good. Padded bars, tie downs and very efficient.

I'll re group, earn some money and have another go in few months time in the Alps - I hope I'm only banned in France for a few months - waiting to get my licence back, they said they would send it back to my home address.

Anyone else been done in France lately?

[Tinytim]

...'kinell Austin...stuff of nightmares. You poor, yes poor, bugger !

Enough to put you off isn't it !

If someone robbed me of 700+ Euros, I think I'd top myself....

[fivetide]

Not toured through France actually but family have. sister got pulled for speding on her CBR last year. Cops had a right laugh when they realised they'd stopped a girl! 100 euro fine I think.

French seem to be clamping down a lot on English registered (maybe other countries too) vehicles, presumably because they can't be done by the cameras. I know cars are being checked for high viz jackets etc.

We generally go east into Germany and the Black Forest so Norfolk Line from Dover is the usual ferry. Much cheaper than that and Dunkirk is only 30 mins down the road from Calais. No facilities on the french side for the return journey is the only issue!

5t.

[ScottyUK]

OUCH !!!!

I thought they did you like that for proper naught speeds but not 110!

Maybe I need to recalibrate what my brain considers naughty!

[madlandrover]

The rule now is a ban (usually 2 weeks) for anything more than 25kph over the limit. Still good roads for steady progress though, 85-90 for 14 hours gets you home nicely!

[TANK0700]

Originally Posted by Austin Colle

cruising at 110mph,

Originally Posted by fivetide

French seem to be clamping down a lot on English registered

5t.

i know what you are saying but me thinks it maybe the 110 and not the fact it was a UK plate that got him pulled , thanks for the heads up BTW as that's the way i will be heading in August, sorry about the hassle but you still kept your chin up it seems

[Rolfy Dave]

Bloody hell Austin

Ya sound like me... if ya didnt have bad luck ya wouldnt have any luck at all...

All I will say is that I am glad I dont have a bike to tour in France now... We used to go chasing Ferraris & Lambos on the Peage (sp) silly speeds...LOL

Hopefully, your next trip will be less (shall we say) expensive or eventful.

Best wishes,

Rolfy

[fivetide]

Originally Posted by TANK0700

i know what you are saying but me thinks it maybe the 110 and not the fact it was a UK plate that got him pulled , thanks for the heads up BTW as that's the way i will be heading in August, sorry about the hassle but you still kept your chin up it seems

In this case you will be right, general point for anyone going in a car though, remember, you now need to have a high viz jacket under the drivers seat by law along with the full bulb kit and the warning triangle. Quite a few caught out by the rule change, at first they were just warning people... not sure if they've progressed to fines. Bikes safe from that one of course but it does make the plate a target.

5t.

[mick the knife]

Originally Posted by fivetide

No facilities on the french side for the return journey is the only issue!

5t.

Do you mean at Dunkirk ??

If you glance to your left at the holding pen you'll see a bloody great building which house toilets and a cafe

[Judge Dredd]

coming back from the Catalunya GP last week we used the above road coming home, long straight road in places ideal for sillyness........... fortunately we got that out of our system before we spotted 2 Gendarme watching the road and 2 further Gendarme on bikes hidden by banking on the road below waiting for the nod to go chase. You would not see them if travelling quickly and you would certainly not have time to react.

Also fixed speed cameras are now a genuine problem. You get the warning about fifty metres before the camera. By the way they hide the camera just to make it more difficult to spot

[Jaws]

Strewth mate.. not good..

As a by the by, if anyone else gets caught out like this I can get an uprated reg rec couriered to france next day for about £80 inc the shipping !

[fivetide]

Originally Posted by mick the knife

Do you mean at Dunkirk ??

If you glance to your left at the holding pen you'll see a bloody great building which house toilets and a cafe

Can't remember always having access there though, we did last time though so you are right but it is essentially a truck terminal so the facilities at the bigger, family ports are generally better.

5t.

[SimonC]

Stay off the A / E routes and use the older N and D roads, much more fun and a lot less fuzz!

[lumpy]

I wonder if he's got his licence back in the year since the OP?

[Punchy]

OK you were doing 110mph which is 176kph...
and the speed limit is 120kph and you are doing nearly 1.5 times the limit.

What would you expect in the UK for doing that sort of speed?

Roy
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