I received an email today from Ashley Fox MEP. With this response. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

After riding a Blood Bike on Saturday, I'm wondering what difference an armband will make in terms of visibility? I was on a Pan European with reflective battenberg stickers (similar to a police bike) plus blue lights and sirens and with the flashing lights off, some car drivers still seem oblivious, even though the bikes have to be ridden with a hi-viz jacket! Defensive riding is still the order of the day.

email (option): lee@twowheelstested.co.uk

hi lee,what about suggesting a hooped jersey,beret and a couple of garlands of onions hanging off your handlebars,this would serve as an alternative
cheers rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

there goes the children's swimming arm bands but will it be allowed to have pretty flowers on them

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

You could paint the bike in high viz, dress entirely in high viz and smoke a high viz pipe, but it wouldn't make any difference to some drivers. The idea that high viz water wings are going to cut down on accidents is plain stupid! I suppose it's going to be slightly less obtrusive than having to wear a high viz vest?

rick

hi lee,what about suggesting a hooped jersey,beret and a couple of garlands of onions hanging off your handlebars,this would serve as an alternative
cheers rick

email (option): lee@twowheelstested.co.uk

Lee, in my experience there is nobody in the world with a better sense of humour than a French Traffic Cop!!

there is an advert on TV showing bikes with big 4 ft neon sign on the back of the bikes these might help a bike saying think bike also there has been think bike signs on motorway message boards in this area resently

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

Perhaps the french should ride with a yellow stripe down their backs.... Why didn't they fight this stupidity

email (option): stinkypete80@hotmail.com

Ewok. I just took this information off another site. Ron

From 2013
•Compulsory hi-vis clothing in France for motorcyclists from 1 September 2012. This one’s kicked up a terrific stink in France with riders, with an estimated 100,000 turning out in demos on Sunday 18 June, in numbers which paralysed cities and towns up and down the country. According to reports, more than 15,000 bikers clogged up the heart of the capital blocking the Periphique, Lyon (France’s second largest city) saw more than 10,000 bikers, 7,000 demonstrated in Lille, and Toulouse was totally blocked by 8,000 bikers. Smaller demonstrations took place in dozens of other cities.
•France to ban bikes over seven years old from cities centres. This was announced just before the hi-vis demo, so almost certainly added to the turn-out.
•New French laws will also ban filtering and force all riders to remain stationary in traffic jams and retro-fit bigger rear numberplates [Rather bizarrely, Belgium has just legalised filtering on 1 January 2011, so long as it's within limits - you can't ride faster than 50Km/h or more than 20Km/h faster than the traffic you're filtering past.]

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

That's unbelievable Ron. Banning bikes over 7 years old and no over taking in jams...! What's the point in having a bike in France, or even going there..!

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

I agree Dave. I quizzed the author of that item a bit about the areas that we are mostly riding in. He said that Caen and Bayeux or not included in the exclusion??
Of course the non filtering law would be blanket, but I dare say we can leave that to the French motorcyclist to do their own demos in that respect, like they did with Hi-Viz. I think we will have to do our own research on the subject though. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I think the whole question is not fully resolved yet in France. They have elections pending which may lead to a change of Government and attitude and the French Government show a greater inclination to react to strong protest and modify legislation...they have already gone from a Hi Viz waistcoat to an arm band.
I think it will be hard to come up with any definitive information until the various laws are finalised, enacted in the French parliament and finally made law....The key thing is to keep an eye open for the ones that come into force...following the process isn't really an indicator of any final result. Planning for the 70th in 2014 starts in earnest during 2013 and at that point I will check out whether there are laws in place that affect anyone attending, or if there are other laws in the pipeline at that point that may require action if introduced. Anyone leaving for France before that time only needs to make themselves aware of any new laws that are current at the time of departure..You should be able to get that information from the AA or RAC... ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Do they have a size for it?? if not a very small one will do!

Bram

email (option): bram@ockhuizen.com

Hi Bram..if your refering to the armband it has to have a minimum area of 150 square centimeters...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Hi Ian, that is not to big 20 cm long X. 7,5 cm high
Put someting extra over it and you don"t see it very clear!
Bram

email (option): Bram@ockhuizen.com

Horror suggested the R.Sigs armband on the earlier thread. Could we get some reflective DR bands made up ? Blue reflective is a problem with the rozzers in Blighty. I don't know about France.

How did we get away with the four stripes on the helmet ? When did that rule come in ?

The joke about the armband rule is that the monkey-on-a-stick Power Rangers who are probably the target of this legislation will all be tucked away behind their fairings anyway.

...if I had one of these made up in High-Vis ?



The idea being to retain a 1940s feel on the WD bike with also perhaps a fleeting reference to the unacceptability of singling out sections of the population and forcing them to dress differently..

I calculate that an armband 16" long x 2" wide will slightly exceed the requirement. Of course half of that is round the back of your arm and you will only have it on one side. With your arms extended to grasp the bars it will be difficult to see from behind as well (Hi Viz difficult to see?)....I get the feeling the French politicians realised they had got it wrong but weren't sensible enough to own up to it and just forget the whole idea...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Interesting idea Rik..perhaps a black silouette of a motorcycle in the center?...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Glad to see I was wrong about the French

You could make the wording in the shape of a motorcycle silhouette to add more impact.

email (option): stinkypete80@hotmail.com

i think they went to concider arm bands as the supply of large hi viz jackets are non exsistent being of a large size finding a hi viz waistcoat/jacket were hard to find when i was riding my modern bike wearing my proctective motorcycle jacket i wanted to wear a bandolier type reflective but couldnt find one that went round the jacket not even at a bike show

email (option): roger.beck@node6.com

Hey chaps, been a while since I've posted, hope you are all well, last weeks MCN page 19 there was an article on this, it's also in question whether motorcycles over 125cc and beyond 2004 manufacture will be allowed in towns with a population of over 100k people.

Without statute obvious, these Frenchies live in whole different country all of their own ;-)

The Frenchies are considering the intrduction of an MOT for motorcycles..What if you live near a large town and have a bike older than 2004? How will you take it into town for an MOT?..Sacre Bleu..I bet they haven't thought of that!.. ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com