Specialists share essential tips for riding your motorbike abroad

For motorbiking enthusiasts, planning out a road trip is often top of their holiday agenda. For example, Google searches for ‘best motorbike trips in Europe’ have risen by 400% year-on-year [1].

When travelling abroad on a motorbike there are several things that you must take into consideration, depending on the country that you are travelling to. While the UK has particular rules, these differ depending on the country you travel to.

For instance, the age that you can ride a motorbike of different engine sizes may differ depending on the country.

Specialist motorbike insurance broker, Devitt, a Gallagher company, has compiled a list of things you should consider when riding your motorbike to another country.

1. Check if you need an international driving permit (IDP). IDP’s are required in 140 countries across the world [2]. Therefore, it is crucial to check if the country you are travelling to requires one. In some countries however, the police may accept a current driver’s licence from your home country.
2. Remember your vehicle registration document. You are required to carry your V5 document, also known as the logbook, when travelling abroad [3]. It is important to note that this must be the original documentation that came with the vehicle and not a copy.
3. Check your insurance. When driving abroad, your motorbike insurance policy will provide third party cover to ride in the EU and a selection of other countries [4]. However, depending on the destination and duration of your trip, you may need upgrade your policy. Touring motorbike insurance should be considered if you are a regular tourer. You will be able to tailor your policy to cover third-party, third-party fire and theft or comprehensive cover depending on what best suits your requirements.
4. Know your speed limits. Speed limits change from country to country, so it is not as simple as converting mph to kmh. When travelling to a country, it is important to check the speed limit rules for motorways, dual carriageways, single carriageways and urban areas. Additionally, some countries change their speed limits seasonally. For instance, Finland changes its motorway speed limit from 120 kmh to 100 kmh during the winter months [5].
5. Learn the rules around lane splitting. Riding your motorbike between lanes of slow-moving traffic is legal in European countries, and in the UK, Italy, Spain it is even expected. However, in other countries including some states of America, it is in fact illegal [6]. Therefore, it is advised to check the rules of individual countries when travelling to make sure you do not receive a fine.
6. Make sure you are wearing the correct protective clothing. In the UK, while it is advisable to wear protective clothing, the only legal requirement is that you wear a helmet [7]. However, some other countries, like Belgium require riders to cover their arms and legs and wear ankle protecting boots [8]. Additionally, some countries including France and Spain enforce you to always carry a high-vis vest on your bike. In France for example, you will be issued a €11 fine on the spot if you are not carrying a high-vis vest and a further €135 will be fined if you are not wearing it on the roadside in the event of an accident [9].

Tom Warsop, Marketing Director at specialist motorbike insurance broker Devitt comments: “While motorbike touring around different countries is a popular hobby that many motorbike enthusiasts invest lots of time and money planning, this often means that they can be travelling across and through multiple countries in one trip.

It is therefore crucial to know the road rules and safety regulations and more specifically motorbiking legislation in each country of travel before entering. While motorists may be confident at driving on foreign roads, simple rules may result in them facing a hefty fine and potentially invalidating their insurance. Therefore, it is always advised to inform your insurance provider of the countries you are planning on travelling to and the duration of your trip.”