A quick tip for bike trips to Europe for the Irish/English - we don’t have to carry our bike’s Tax Registration Cert here, but you bloody well NEED it in Europe. After recently getting stopped by cops near Alicante in Spain on my RT I almost got my bike impounded as I didn’t have my reg/tax certificate on me. It could have been a real nightmare. I was lucky to blag my way out as the traffic cops who stopped me were very bike friendly and I just got a warning and 30 Euro on the spot fine, but it could easily have gone tits up! To the Euro Cop the Registration Cert is the vehicle’s passport and they are well within their rights to impound your bike in Spain/Europe or crossing the Swiss border and leave you stranded by the side of the road. If this happens you need to find your way to the local cop shop, produce your Reg Cert, pay a fine, then they will give you a paper which you then must take to the impound yard, produce the paper and pay a release charge and towing charge – so DON’T ride out without it. If you don’t want to carry the original take a copy that’s been stamped by a solicitor’s office ( i.e. a legalised copy) that will pass at a pinch, most solicitors do this for free. Get a photocopy of your passport/drivers licence/insurance stamped while you’re at it just in case and stick it under your seat.
On the subject of fines the Spanish traffic cops are taking no prisoners these days, there is currently a major crack down on dangerous driving, on the spot traffic or speeding violations range from 30 Euro to 600 Euro which is your only real option on a foreign reg bike/car or if you can’t prove you’re a Spanish resident. If you can’t cough up the cash they simply impound your bike and leave you stranded at the side of the road to which they can actually fine you again if you’re not wearing a Hi-Vis jacket whilst standing at the side of a road without a foot path!!!!!!!!!
