Austin Colle
Registered User
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 :rant: , 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?
We are told to hand over our licences and 750 euros each :rant: , 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?
...'kinell Austin...stuff of nightmares. You poor, yes poor, bugger !
