Assistance Sought-Belleme, France

[Jerzy Woking]

Don't know if anyone here can assist, but I need a motorbike moving (soonish) from Belleme, about 60kms north east of Le Mans, to Calais. Or someone to ride it. Or drive a rented van. Or trailer it. Or something.

 

Thank you

[Wingz123]

Isn’t that a job for saabnut

[anonymous user]

Isn’t that a job for saabnut

And his Yaris? Or is it a Honda Jazz that he's gone over there with?

[Jerzy Woking]

Sorted. Brother had his motorbike impounded by the French Police for speeding. Also €750 on the spot fine. And a temporary ban from driving in France. 58 kph over the limit on an empty back road. Empty except for a speed trap (its Le Mans this weekend though, isn't it).

 

Managed to find someone mad enough to drive their van and pick him up from his hotel, take him to the pound, load his bike into their van and drive him and his bike to Calais, where he will have to push it until he gets to check in.

 

I am that mad person.

[hairnet]

 

did le mans for the moto gp in 2009 and there were cops everywhere 10 miles into and out of the circuit

 

we got pulled cos oddly the headlight bulb went on my bike

 

uurreeeeee headlight eeez broken

 

i dont believe you

 

eet eeez

 

where is there a petrol station to buy another ( id brung blubs but couldnt find it (!) ) - 2km that way - had to go buy one fit it and ride back to him to get the ok

 

only the second bulb blown in about 10 years

[Jerzy Woking]

I feel sorry for my brother, as there but for the grace of God.

 

Few years ago riding down to Melle in France with my two mates. Heading down from Alecon towards Le Mans, I see blue lights in my (admittedly useless) mirrors. I slow down and then see it's a police car, so I move towards the kerb. So dies the car, so I stop at the kerbside, and my two mates stop to my left. They both looked at me, and then both gunned it away! By this time my gloves and helmet were off. Bollocks.

 

As I do the walk of shame to the police, taking my documents from the top box, and as I approach the car, taking out my earplugs, I hear the policewoman in the passenger seat on the radio, and heard her say something which included the words "moto, rouge" and "jaune".

 

The copper driving automatically starts talking to me in English, asking who the others were etc. I said I had no idea, but noticed them behind me coming out of Alecon. He checks all my papers then says that he had been chasing us for the last 16kms, and that at least one of us had been riding at 145 kph, and the limit was 90. He said he couldn't prove it was me that was speeding, so.let me go with the warning to keep to the limits "or else".

 

Turns out my mates were waiting for me in Le Mans, hid behind a McDonald's, but must have missed me going passed.

 

They got to Melle an hour after me, 55 minutes after it started raining. They were soaked, but had they not done a runner, I think we would all have been in the same position my brother find a himself in.

[mercrocker]

I had mates like that in my biking days.   I always had by far the slowest ride but (or because) always copped the coppers.   After they crept out of whatever hiding place they had found their first utterance was always the same....."Didn't grass us up did'ya?"    Nah, but the copper reckoned you were twats, too.

[Saabnut]

I am indeed about 25 miles south of Le Mans with the Jazz but can get a mate with pickup and trailer or I have a full bike licence but looks like you are sorted.

 

If you need storage or accommodation just shout

[Jerzy Woking]

^^ thank you. I put the request here as I thought someone would have advice or an answer, and I wasn't wrong.

 

I'll go and do it, as it is asking far

much of anyone that knows neither of us. But great to know that people in this community are there when help and advice is needed.

[DSdriver]

Its what brothers are for... fotunately I only have a sister

[Jerzy Woking]

Weather here in Spain is dreadful-bonus as it is beautiful in Le Mans (according to my brother who is trackside).

[Saabnut]

^^^ It is indeed!

[lesapandre]

To put this in context the mortality rate in Departments around Le Mans including 61 is about twice the UK average. Death on the road is much more common there than here in the UK. They know it is bad and there is enormous political pressure to bring it down. Les Flics have therefore been tasked with trying to stop it happening - they can't really but want to show they are doing enough. Lots of speed cameras are vandalised and that's why the cops are very heavy handed on speeding. Oh and the overall speed limit has recently been reduced. Penalties are eyewatering these days including confiscation and destruction. So don't take the Testarossa - you may get it crushed. None of this is aimed much at foreigners but you do get caught up in it. The French drive too fast in my experience where it is not appropriate. I always pull over these days when I see Monique bearing down on me in her Twingo at 80kph cus I know she will not slow down... 

[lesapandre]

I have a local paper here - typical story.  28 yo and dead. Whatever paper I pick up there usually a nasty accident story.

[Frogchod]

L'Aigle ? Not that far from me. I've heard there's a good classic car do up that way.

Anyway back to speeding. There was a bit on Le radio local today about British motorcyclists taking the piss with local law. Les flicks will apparently be extra vigalent .

Expat grapevine reports that minor speeding tickets are now appearing at the UK registered address.

As above, the few speed cameras here are mostly dead. Couple round here with obvious shotgun wounds

[lesapandre]

My experience is they don't particularly target foreigners but Le Mans events do get extra police who as you say look closely for bad behaviour where they think it will happen.

 

The difference with the UK is the total roadblock where they speed-check and then stop everybody, as you probably know. It's initally speeding and then drunk driving they are principally after - if it's an arterial route they also look for drugs with dogs. I'm on UK plates but have had very little trouble as long as you are polite. I got ticked off for my exhaust once, yup it was noisy as it had a big hole in it. Apart from that everything's fine. They are usually more interested (in a nice way) in some ridiculous (to them) old  car I am driving than anything else - my AX has raised a chuckle as its not what they expect a Brit' to be seen in and regularly gets a double-take when folk realise it's rhd and UK reg.

 

Loads of car shows whenever I am here. La Vie de L'Auto carries the full listings which I find very useful. Could spend every weekend at a car event.

[Jerzy Woking]

My brother specifically chose a route to keep him away from the main roads, which I suppose was his downfall. When he rang me and said he was "in the shit" my immediate thought was he had been in an accident. I suppose that this was the less of two evils.

 

The owners of his B&B drove him to the circuit and will collect him, and will also give me a room on Monday night (for free) as I am going a long way to help him.

 

I think that the police are fed up scraping riders from the road, and having speed cameras destroyed everywhere doesn't give them much option. Just unfortunate for my brother. Still, sounds like he was having a good day, whilst the area of Spain I am in has suffered it's worst rainfall in 50 years.

[lesapandre]

Yes  I saw the Spain stuff. Hope its ok.

[Jerzy Woking]

Yes  I saw the Spain stuff. Hope its ok.

Torrevieja is only 5 or 6 miles from my gaff, and quite a lot of it is underwater (up to the windows on a number of cars). I'm on a hill so thankfully all OK.

 

Motorways all good, and got to Pau (via Route de Somport (a great road), and decided to stop overnight at a nice hotel rather than on a blow up mattress in the van. It's a really nice town too.

 

Meeting my brother near Le Mans tomorrow afternoon, and going to go out and get pissed with him-we've not had the opportunity to do that for years.

[lesapandre]

Sounds an interesting drive over the Pyrenees. Great fun!

[Jerzy Woking]

1830 miles completed. Met my brother at his B&B which was great. The owner has a really beautiful Triumph Spitfire that he and his wife take on a few rallies within Europe every year. I think that's what he said anyway (he spoke very little English). Anyway, I've digressed.

 

 

So my brother and I set off at 7.30 for the hour drive to the Gendarmiery to collect his bike.

 

Halfway there he gets a phone call from the lieutenant from the police to say that he can get a taxi from his B&B, as the prosecutor had not signed the papers within 72 hours, so they had no power to remove his licence from him now.

 

So we get there, he is given his bike back within 5 minutes. We say goodbye to each other at 9.15 and went on our seperate ways. I drive home in one hit with a couple of coffee stops and get back here at 03.00 today.

 

Plus sides are that the drive through the Pyranees from France to Spain was great, with lovely roads and a spectacular set of views. Secondly, the storms have left the Costa Blanca, and I have been snoozing in the sunshine this afternoon. Felt like it must have done in he UK over Easter!

[lesapandre]

9.15AM to 03.00 not bad going for that journey. Which route did you use? And what were you driving? I'm due to go that water later in the year.

[Jerzy Woking]

I came back from Le Mans via non toll motorways (Poitiers, Bordeaux, Orthez and then the N134 from Oloron-Sainte-Marie through the Pyrenees, the Tunnel de Somport into Spain, then motorways all the way to home on Costa Blanca.

 

Driving a Vauxhall Vivaro. Made good time because all the roads were empty, and even on the Bordeaux bypass I only was only slowed to about 40mph. And, due to my brothers issues, I kept to speed limits. It is amazing how much distance you can cover here as not held up in queues anywhere.

 

And 44 mpg achieved, which I think is good for a 2.5 diesel with poor aerodynamics.

[Jerzy Woking]

What a lucky bastard!  Don't suppose he gets his €€ or bike back so easily?

He was happy to get both licence and bike back. No chance at all of getting his money back though. Just as well he is not resident in France, as the fine would have been at least double (according to the B&B owner). No wonder everyone seems to stick to the posted limits.