lebowski Posted October 8, 2015 Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 Calling anyone living and riding in France! Hopefully moving to France permanently next year, can anyone please tell me what the process and cost of getting a french trials licence is? Whilst I'm asking, my bike is UK registered, but SWMBO's 125 isn't (she also doesn't have a full UK bike licence)..... Do I have to reregister them in France to be allowed to ride and does SWMBO have to take her full bike test? Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_oil_baron Posted October 9, 2015 Report Share Posted October 9, 2015 If you're moving to France permanently then you are required to register your bike within 6 months, I think. This can be an entertaining process depending on age, type and if you can get a certificate of conformity. I've done a road bike but never a trials bike. My 4t beta is French but I got it cheap off a French guy who never bothered changing the registration over when he got it. I did get the original docs and checked it wasn't nicked. He was riding s2 at his club no issues. However if it has wheels you are legally required to insure it. Can't do that without a Carte Gris (registration). My ossa MAR can't be registered because it's an old uk bike that was never registered anyway. Catch 22 really. I ride with 6 or 7 mates and I think maybe 1 or 2 are registered. If you're riding road section it is of course a different matter. I'm at work and out of France till November but I'll do a bit of digging and try and find out a bit more. Do a search for Trail Club Bourbriac I think the info you want is on their site If you happen to be moving to (or even passing through) Brittany we've got no shortage of places to play on..and are always looking for someone to laugh at me falling off.. Apologies for any errors in advance as I am sat at the bar in a Dubai pub....... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisse Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 HI If your bikes are uk registered , the change over should be quite simple although remember this is France... . In France to be road legal have to have lights fitted, and working. To obtain a French licence you will need to pass a CASM test. This is just a test organised by the club you choose to join, showing you are a competent rider. Most entries will ask for this as well. Again you will need a bike licence to ride, as again this is asked for and checked sometimes at signing on. You should, if living in France, change your English licence for a French one, its a simple swap, One bonus is you get your trailer licence as well which is a separate affair here and requires a test. You do however need a medical from your local doctor, again easy to arrange. In France you can use a trailer of less that total 750 kg on your car licence, above that you need a trailer licence hence you have that anyway. so best to organise that changeover at the same time. Regarding classic bikes that have never been registered, either in France or elsewhere. You can get a carte gris for it quite easily. You apply for a form from the I think FFVE its a classic dating company that with the form you fill out and the photos you supply verifies that it is in fact what you state it is. With this completed form which is around 50 euros to obtain you can go to your prefecture and register it and get a registration number. It a little bit of a faff , long around three months but quite easy. A FFM licence which is the federation that runs modern trials will cost around 200 euros per year, plus club membership 30 euros not the cheap ACU here . A Ufolep licence which most classic Pre 65 twinshock trials will be around 60 euros in total. For all the dicking around with registrations etc it may pay to look and see about selling your bikes in the uk and buying French homogated bikes here cerrtainly Stg is quite strong so wont be much in it. Hope this helps, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 2oo euros for a licence, ouch. No wonder Thierry Michaud likes his job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisse Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Exactly, and with fewer and fewer trials to ride, its becoming an expensive hobby. Insurance costs through the roof, as well as a portion on each licence going to fund the training of young riders etc, the natives are not happy. What is happening more and more now are what they call Trials amical. These are trials that are run without an entry fee, without observers and without a classification. No licence required so they are attracting a good amount of riders. Even the Mont Ventoux classic trial although run under a different federation ie. UFOLEP, the only requirement was a road legal bike and a medical certificate. I don t know where its all going, but the normal weekend competition trial may soon be a rare thing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Times like this you appreciate living in England and having the ACU. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisse Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Yes agreed, having a trial almost on your doorstep most weekends, several national championships and a few named classics all covered by a tiny fee in comparison, you have never had it so good...... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebowski Posted October 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Thank you all very much for all that information, very helpful. With the cost of the licence and the lack of trials, I think I might hold fire and do some investigation when we move. My other half is very new to trials and I'm barely clubman standard, so to lay out 400 euros would be daft. From the sound of it riding an 'amical trial' would probably suit us perfectly however, so that may be the way to go. I've also come across UFOLEP in my research and they appear to run trials in our neighbouring departments at least. We looked at buying a 125 (for SWMBO) in France, but the dealer we spoke to told us they were quite rare(?). When a bike is registered in France is DVLA notified? Thanks again gents for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 Mettise has the measure of it.....The FFM have just about milked trials dry in France I heard the other day that there are just 1300 trials riders licenced for 2016. i registered a trials bike here had a uk reg but needed a COC also. You will find administration in france mind booggling,frustrating and you will need to find reserves of patience and humility to get through it. When we are in france we ride three times a week ...amical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greeves Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 (edited) 2oo euros for a licence, ouch. No wonder Thierry Michaud likes his job. 290€ in Spain for a licence for standard trials and 350€ if you want to ride Spanish championships either classics or modern. Each starting pemit for EU trials more than 200€ per trial to add to the licence. 1,300 riders in France? That´s heaven for their clubs and organizers; less than 500 licenced trials riders in all Spain... Edited February 8, 2016 by greeves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisse Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 These amical trialing days, without classification are with out doubt the way trials are heading. We are trying to organize one near me in the Dordogne for May, and even for this the hoops we have to jump through is amazing, Meetings with mayors and the equivalent county council, to which we need to submit detailed plans etc etc. To do a trial with classification, would require more hoops still as competition is a dirty word it seems. Police, fireservice have to do a risk assement, sections not too far away from vehicle access , and a doctor or qualified first aid in attendance. Small wonder many clubs are sick and tired of these endless, needless , tiresome never endling list of things to do and the trials calendar is suffering, such a shame when the country is awash with land and hardworking people ready to put the effort in if only it just wasn t so damned difficult. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breagh Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 290€ in Spain for a licence for standard trials and 350€ if you want to ride Spanish championships either classics or modern. Each starting pemit for EU trials more than 200€ per trial to add to the licence. 1,300 riders in France? That´s heaven for their clubs and organizers; less than 500 licenced trials riders in all Spain... Quite shocked at these numbers and must be a worry for the heartland of trials bike manufacture. You would think in Spain Trials would be promoted as grassroots big time. Hats off to our ACU/SACU who virtually give away licences in comparison. And thats from a Scotsman. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebowski Posted February 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2016 Dude I think Jacky Treehorn may be over in France this year he,s staying with the Kanutssons....give him a call. Obviously you're not a golfer..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebowski Posted February 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2016 Mettise has the measure of it.....The FFM have just about milked trials dry in France I heard the other day that there are just 1300 trials riders licenced for 2016. i registered a trials bike here had a uk reg but needed a COC also. You will find administration in france mind booggling,frustrating and you will need to find reserves of patience and humility to get through it. When we are in france we ride three times a week ...amical. I tried getting a COC for my Evo.... Ended up speaking to Mr Lampkin himself, who explain that there isn't a COC available in the UK and so he advised speaking to my local Beta dealers in France. So far I've got to sell my van as I can't get a CoC for that and it's also modified (Shock, horror in France), and my Honda Blackbird, as despite the EU saying you must allow reregistration of EU owned motorcycles over 100bhp, the French authorities have decided it must also have ABS fitted as standard.... My 98 DR350 also won't have a CoC, but it's pretty standard so I'm happy to go through the process with that..... 290€ in Spain for a licence for standard trials and 350€ if you want to ride Spanish championships either classics or modern. Each starting pemit for EU trials more than 200€ per trial to add to the licence. 1,300 riders in France? That´s heaven for their clubs and organizers; less than 500 licenced trials riders in all Spain... So what do folk do in Spain? We're near to the border and was thinking about going over there to ride.... These amical trialing days, without classification are with out doubt the way trials are heading. We are trying to organize one near me in the Dordogne for May, and even for this the hoops we have to jump through is amazing, Meetings with mayors and the equivalent county council, to which we need to submit detailed plans etc etc. To do a trial with classification, would require more hoops still as competition is a dirty word it seems. Police, fireservice have to do a risk assement, sections not too far away from vehicle access , and a doctor or qualified first aid in attendance. Small wonder many clubs are sick and tired of these endless, needless , tiresome never endling list of things to do and the trials calendar is suffering, such a shame when the country is awash with land and hardworking people ready to put the effort in if only it just wasn t so damned difficult. What documentation would I need to ride an Amical? Road licence? Road Insurance? I'm now just over 2 months away from moving and yes the bureaucracy is mind blowing! The French authorities just seem to love making things hard work for people, even themselves! What one town's government office might say no to, another will say yes, it really is no wonder the country struggles. Still, if it was like here I wouldn't be moving there! Thanks all, once again.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greeves Posted February 10, 2016 Report Share Posted February 10, 2016 So what do folk do in Spain? We're near to the border and was thinking about going over there to ride.... We have to choose; pay the 290€ or 350€ licences and ride trials or nothing. If you are foreigner holding an EU licence you can ride here in some events that accept EU licences. Not all of them do, just counted events. If you want to ride a trial in particular that is not EU you can pay for a one event licence; 60€ for a one day event and 100€ for a two days trial. Best is to contact the orgazirers and see if they accept your licence. Some do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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