Number plates/travel abroad ....

[Devo McDuff]

Bombarding this board a bit at the moment, sorry. Been in France for a while and have missed my Vespa fix!

Was thinking of getting a metal pressed plate (yellow, wish I could have the black pre 70s ones!) but after reading some stuff it looks like they aren't legal on the road. Am gonna get a new one done anyway as I don't like the dealer stuff on the current one.

Am likely to be doing a fair bit of travelling on the scoot in Europe next year. Anyone know if the chrome effect G and B adhesive badges you can get (see them a lot on Mini Coopers) are valid? If so, can they legally go on a side panel or something as I can't see there being anywhere to put them on the back. If not I'll get a plate with the GB Euro thing already on it.

Ta, Dan

[Feed Your Head]

when you get a new plate, you can have the GB flag or any of the Union country flags (England, scotland, Wales) instead of the Euro flag. contact the dvla or go to their nimberplate section of theitr website. My dad recently got a personalised plate for his car and stipulated which flag he wanted on it.

[bryno]

Not that I'd suggest this , but I've had a black & silver plate on the back of my 1999 Vespa for a year now and not had a problem. I do switch to the 'proper' one on long runs and always keep it in the front box just in case I get pulled..

Re the GB plate personally I'd do the chrome ones, euro-plod would need to be having a pretty rough day to pull you up on that one! ;D

[Spence]

There was a very interesting in article by Andy in the August 2006 Scootering about scooter-riding in Europe.

Euro-plod can be surprisingly draconian actually. I won't reproduce the article word for word, but will some up some of the more salient points.

Firstly, to ride in Europe you must hold a full driving licence. Check your insurance includes green card cover for continental riding also.

A GB sticker (a proper black on white one) and a spare set of bulbs are compulsory in some countries, as are warning triangles and hi-vis jackets. Although as mod1969 says, if you have a legal number plate with the GB emblem on it, you don't need a GB sticker as well.

In Italy, you must have at least a 150 engine to ride on motorways (autostrada), but of course if you have no badges on the outside of your scooter to identify the engine size, it's a desperate carabinieri that examines your engine to verify.

In addition, I think it's in Spain that, if you wear glasses to drive, you must by law have a spare pair with you.

For more info, go to www.theaa.com/motoringadvice/overseas because there are different laws in every country on the continent, and some of the police there love to stop foreign motorists, especially the two-wheeled variety.

[Devo McDuff]

Presume this would be acceptable? Like how it looks as well, bonus.