“My life consists of my motorcycles, my children, birdwatching, and traveling. Happily enough, a lot of these interests are easy to combine. In the time left over, I do have a job as well.” This is the introduction to the website of Sylvia Stuurman who has entranced me with the stories of her motorcycle travels. She chronicles her frequent journeys, often taken with her husband Ernst, in the USA, Spain, the UK, Italy, France, Scandinavia, Germany, Poland, and the Swiss Alps, with a lovely Dutch accent and a great sense of humor. This is an easy-to-read, down-to-earth website with lots of photos and useful tips, especially her tips for long distance motorcycle travel on back roads. Read on for an amusing excerpt from her tips for riding in foreign countries.
Remember that traffic rules and habits may be considerably different from what you are used to at home.
In Scandinavia for instance, people obey ridiculously to the maximum speeds that are signposted. They hit their brakes far before they pass the sign saying 50 km/h.
In lots of countries (all of Scandinavia, Poland, Greece, almost anywhere except in Holland), people go to the side of the road to make way for everybody who is faster. They use the space for emergencies, if there is any. (Foreigners coming to Holand: nobody even thinks of doing that for you over here.) Being a motorcyclist, you will be the one who is faster, most of the time, but please do the same when you see someone in your mirror who is faster than you!
Be very alert in those situations (also in the case that you are the one who passes), because the utter right side of the road is often also used by slow traffic, tractors and donkeys and so on.
In France, almost everybody drives above the maximum speed. Offical maximum speeds differ from country to country!
In France and Italy, people are used to motorcyclists riding between their lane and the lane of the oncoming traffic, when it’s possible (almost always, it’s possible ;-).
In Italy, people drive more “creative” than in Holland. You will be able to make very stupid mistakes; everybody else will cover up for you. Be pepared to cover up for somebody else’s mistakes as well!
In Spain, people in towns and villages really expect you to ride 50 km/y at most, because they are used to it.
Try to feel the “traffic habits” in the country you are riding through. That’s even more important than the official rules and signposts. Try to adjust to the habits of that country, and don’t think that the system of your own country is superior.
Thanks Sylvia! Visit her site.
