Motorcycling in Germany

General Discussion Guzzisti go Touring
1

When travelling by motorcycle in Germany you must always carry:

A full, valid driving licence.
Proof of insurance (third party or above)
Green Card
Proof of ID (Passport)
Proof of vehicle ownership (V5C Certificate)
GB Sticker, if you don’t have a GB EU number plate.

Speeds:
Urban limits are 50km/h (~30mph), within those areas there will often be 30km/h (~20mph) limits in residential areas or near schools etc.
Outside urban areas the national speed limit on normal A-roads is 100km/h (~60mph)
There is no speed limit in general on the German motorways (Autobahn), but on half of them the speed is reduced depending on road condition, traffic etc. There is an advisory limit of 130km/h (~80mph).

Lane splitting – cutting between lines of moving traffic – is forbidden and car drivers may close the gap.


You are legally bound to leave a gap (Rettungsgasse) for the emergency services in case of a traffic jam

Taken of these Websites:
https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/features/travel/how-to-ride-in-germany-speed-limits-documents-the-law
https://www.lazymotorbike.eu/riding/germany/#rules
https://www.lexhaminsurance.co.uk/blog/10-best-motorcycle-tours-of-europe/
https://www.adac.de/reise-freizeit/reisen-motorrad-oldtimer/motorradtouren/deutschland/

2

‘…and car drivers may close the gap.’

Blimey

3

Amendment:

‘…and car drivers may close the gap to prevent you from doing something illegal’. :laughing:

4

Went to Germany last Sep/Oct with a group of friends.
Hit a traffic jam on one 2-lane Autobahn, sure enough they all dutifully moved to the sides leaving a full lane width down the middle.
We couldn’t see the end of it, could have been a mile, could have been 10.
I sat with the traffic for as long as I could bear it (all of 5-6 minutes), then thought "Fk it! I don’t care what the fine is, this is lunacy!", and pulled out into the wide open lane.
I didn’t 'take the ps’, keeping my speed down to around 20 mph, 2 of the group followed me, the other 4 held back, until a few minutes later, they too gave in and pulled into the middle.
No sooner had they done it, than a police car appeared behind them, lit up, and sirens going . . . but it was after ‘bigger fish’ obviously, and just sped past.
They were more than a little worried for a second.

I’ve no desire to go back there, plenty of other European countries aren’t so dumb with their laws, or so anti-Bike.
Same goes for Switzerland as far as I’m concerned . . . :cry: