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Motorbikes

Motorbike contrôle technique tests in France boycotted by most riders

The roadworthiness test for bikes has long been controversial

French mechanic finds stolen motorbike 24 years later on Leboncoin

The vintage bike has a long history but the owner had lost hope of finding it again

Letters: Minority of French motorcyclists think they are in a video game

Reader says that UK and German bikers act more responsibly

practical

Next roadworthy check deadline for motorcycles in France approaches

The timing of the contrôle technique depends on when your vehicle was first registered

Newly registered motorcycles to be subject to stricter noise rules in France

The changes are due to start in January 2025

Trial allowing motorbikes to ride between lanes extended in France

The test is ongoing in 21 departments

Are there noise restrictions for motorbikes in French rural areas?

Motorcycles can be extremely loud and cause a nuisance for residents

Obligatory roadworthy tests begin for motorbikes in France

Protests took place across the country at the weekend - but a survey also shows most users support the change

MAP: Where are drivers most likely to have an accident in France?

Where are the most dangerous places to drive in France? We take a look at the data

Start date set for motorbike roadworthiness tests in France

The introduction of compulsory testing will be staggered and will also apply to mopeds and licence-free cars

How will new contrôle technique tests work for motorbikes in France?

We review the test, which vehicles require one, costs, and more

Paris reviews banning motorbikes and scooters at night to limit noise

‘One combustion scooter alone can wake up several thousand Parisians’, says the councillor behind the plan

Do non-licence cars need a contrôle technique in France?

The law is changing from 2024, for both non-licence vehicles and motorbikes

Launch date set for obligatory CT tests for motorbikes in France

Scooters, trikes and roadgoing quads over 50cc, including the Citroen Ami, are also concerned

France Crit’Air zones: biker anger and where do rules limit drivers?

A mass demonstration by motorcyclists is being organised in Rouen on Saturday after exemptions for them to the low-emission area there ended

Bikers protest in France against new two-wheeler contrôle technique

Thousands have taken part in demonstrations across the country after the Conseil d’État finally ruled that CTs will be needed for motorbikes

Contrôle technique for motorbikes in France: Complications emerge

The measure, which has been ‘off and on’ in France for months, is finally set to be introduced – but campaign groups say it will take ‘at least two years’ amid continued disagreement

Motorbike protesters hold anti-contrôle technique demo in Paris

The motorbikes riders took to the streets after the Conseil d’Etat ruled that the check will likely be required for the vehicles, in contrast to the government’s previous decision

French motorbike contrôle technique now ‘very probable’

Two-wheeled vehicles and licence-free cars will very likely require a CT, in the latest decision on the long-running saga – however, the requirement will not be immediate

Update: French motorbike contrôle technique decision overturned again

State body the Conseil d’état has made the roadworthiness test a requirement once again, going against government actions

France will not require motorbike contrôles techniques after all

Until recently, the roadworthiness checks were expected to become obligatory from October 1, but the government has now outlined alternative plans

Will contrôles techniques on motorbikes be obligatory from October 1?

France has changed its mind multiple times on whether two-wheelers and licence-free cars need a check. We give a summary

End of free parking for motorbikes and scooters in Paris

The city has introduced parking fees for riders as part of wider measures to reduce traffic and go green

France promises stricter measures on illegal urban motorbike racing

Several people have been seriously injured or killed recently by motorbike and quad bike riders practising dangerous tricks on public roads

French law on contrôles techniques for motorbikes and mopeds repealed

The decree would have imposed the requirement from January 1. Environmental groups ask for an earlier start date, motorbiker groups are against the idea

Boilers, cars, loans: 10 changes for residents in France July 2022

We look at updated regulations on boilers, black boxes on new cars, extended opening times at the Louvre and more

French motorbike and scooter ‘technical checks’ stuck in slow lane

Contrôle technique checks were originally due to start in January 2022 but were delayed

French car insurance group calls for end to green windscreen sticker

They have asked the government to scrap the ‘carte verte’ scheme saying it will be easier and cheaper for police to check for uninsured drivers on an existing online database

Motorbikes in France will need a contrôle technique from October 1

The rule, which comes from an EU law, was planned for January 1 but has been advanced

Mock ‘hen’s nests’ appear in French potholes to fight for better roads

The nests are part of a campaign by motorbike riders to denounce what they call the dangerous and worsening state of roads across the country

Toyota Prius tops list of most stolen car model in France in 2021

Over 120,000 cars and motorbikes were stolen last year, the equivalent of 336 every day

What can I do about biker noise outside my French property?

There are several French laws that apply to this kind of behaviour. We explain

French Alps killings: motorbike rider released without charge

Police say the 57-year-old has been ruled out of the investigation into the quadruple murder which took place in Chevaline in 2012

France to test ‘sound radars’ and other ideas to avoid motorcycle MOTs

Motorcyclists could still face a raft of strict new measures to ensure they fall in line with EU rules, despite recently escaping the mandatory ' contrôle technique' on road vehicles

Contrôle technique for two-wheelers: Common sense or pointless?

We speak to both sides of the debate on the (currently suspended) new rule of introducing a contrôle technique (MOT test) for all scooters and motorbikes in France

This new French road sign will show where motorbikes can lane filter

This second trial - lasting three years in 21 departments - lets motorcyclists filter between lanes of slow-moving traffic and will be marked with new road signs

French motorbike contrôle technique requirement to start in 2023

The new law - which has been strongly opposed by bikers across the country - will also cover mopeds and appeared in the government’s legal publication, Le Journal officiel on August 11

Macron suspends new motorbike contrôle technique requirement in France

This announcement comes just one day after a decree was published in the government’s legal publication Le Journal officiel and met with considerable opposition from motorbike riders across France

Motorbike lane filtering reintroduced in 21 French departments

After a blanket ‘ban’ in January, a new trial will reintroduce rules allowing motorbikes to advance past vehicles waiting in traffic queues

Motorbikes in France to be subject to contrôles techniques from 2023

The checks will be introduced due to an EU directive after a two-year postponement and will also apply to scooters. Biking federations have condemned the move as a ‘money making’ scheme

Paris street parking fees set to rise 50% and motorbikes must pay too

The changes are part of wider reforms that aim to encourage vehicles to park underground to free up space in the street

France retracts mandatory motorbike 'contrôle technique' plans

After intense lobbying, plans to introduce a contrôle technique (CT) for French motorbikes have been dropped

French rural residents fear loud motorbikes will disturb summer calm

Around 20,000 fines are handed out each year to riders of noisy motorbikes but a bikers’ association says that education, not instant fines, is the answer

French Biker’s protective airbag trousers soon on sale

After an accident in 2016, Xavier Bouquillard de Milleret developed an idea based on pressure-suit trousers he wore 30 years ago as a jet pilot

French 'ban' on motorbike lane filtering under review

Road safety agency Securite Routiere will launch a new trial to reassess the safety of the practice following protests by bikers

Bikers barred from riding between lanes as French trial ends

Five-year trial in 11 departments concludes practice of allowing motorbikes to travel in gaps between lanes of vehicles is unsafe - but another experiment could begin soon

Motorbike riders protest against France’s lane weaving 'ban'

The practice has been definitively banned nationwide since February 1 after a trial on certain roads showed an increase in accidents

Vroom for more as bikers group roars towards expansion

Lawrence of Arabia’s famous bike reborn in France

A famous British brand has been brought back to life at what is now France’s only motorcycle-making firm

What’s on in France - September 2019

Our pick of what to do, where to go and what to see in France. This month, starry nights, prunes, rice, choucroute and American cinema festivals, art at the abbey, motorbike racing and more…

Crackdown on noisy motorbikes in Paris

Authorities in the capital plan to introduce anti-noise radars once permitted by the loi mobilité - but efforts to cut noise pollution have started already

I had to change my motorbike’s speedo

I brought my Triumph motorbike to France and was required to change the speedometer, which showed mph and kph, to one showing only kph. This seems petty. D.K.

May motorbikes ‘weave in and out’ of traffic?

Is it legal for motorbikes or scooters to weave in and out of traffic? I am told it is only ‘tolerated’ and in the case of an accident the insurance firm may not pay out. I.S.

More than 1,000 attend new protests on 80kph limit

Motorbike riders and car drivers have protested this weekend against government plans to drop the speed limit to 80kph on main roads throughout the country.

Does green bonus apply to scooters?

Does the ‘bonus’ available off the price of an eco-friendly car also apply to scooters? S.C.

Towns impose first ever parking fees for motorbikes

Parking your scooter or motorbike on the street is about to cost you for the first time ever, as two towns become the first in France to impose parking fees for two-wheeled vehicles.

Thousands of motorists protest 80kph speed limit drop

Thousands of bikers and car drivers have protested this weekend against the government's plans to change the speed limit on main roads from 90kph to 80kph.

Man arrested running on motorway to catch Lyon flight

Gendarmerie in Isère have arrested a British man who was found running alongside the A43 motorway in a bid to catch a flight to Lyon.

Father Christmas YouTube star stops Paris hit-and-run

A YouTube star dressed as Father Christmas on a motorbike has helped stop a hit-and-run driver in Paris who was driving away from the scene.

The story of the Harley-Davidson at Hallyday’s funeral

The meaning and origin of the blue Harley-Davidson motorbike that motored ahead of the 700 bikers during Johnny Hallyday’s funeral procession have been revealed.

'I felt humbled by their sacrifice'

The descendant of a Somme dispatch rider has spoken of his 'humility' and emotion after completing a commemorative motorbike ride across the battlefield.

Dodging enemy fire – the life of a dispatch rider

The Battle of the Somme left 1.3million casualties and it has come to symbolise the futility of the First World War - meet one man in the thick of it