Headlamp beam deflectors for riding in Europe

[beezermacc]

I have a standard Lucas headlight, 12v. Does anybody bother with beam deflectors for European travel? I'm not going to the expense of buying genuine beam deflectors - I'm happy to stick a bit of masking tape on the area of the headlight which may cause dazzle for oncoming traffic. Any advice on where to stick the tape would be appreciated. In the absence of good advice I'll park in front of the garage door and blank off the offending part. Thanks.

[RogerSB]

Andrew, if your headlight just dips straight down you don't need a deflector, but to be safe, if it dips to the left you will. A car type stick on such as the ones generally available (Halfords etc) will do or as you say some tape to mask it.

I drive in France a lot and with my current car, happily, I never need to bother with deflectors because it has adaptive headlights and they automatically adjust to what they need to do.  In previous cars I always used the self adhesive ones.

Depending on when you go, what you will need is a IDP (International Driving Permit) available at a post office if we leave the EU on or before 31 Oct and you're in the EU after that.  I was in France in April this year and got one in case we were out of the EU on 29 March. They are valid for 3 years. To get one you need to take with you a passport type photo, your driving licence, proof of identity (ideally your passport) and £5.50. Also if we're out of the EU you'll need a Green Card from your insurance company, usually free (actually mine was just a sheet of A4 paper).  A GB sign/sticker and when on the road in France I know you need to carry with you proof of insurance, registration docs., etc. in case stopped (at gun point ) by the French gendarmes.

Having said all this I have heard that the police don't worry too much about headlights & GB signs/stickers on motorcycles - but I don't know if that is true.

[Greybeard]

I know you need to carry with you proof of insurance, registration docs., etc. in case stopped (at gun point ) by the French gendarmes.

Don't you also have to carry spare light bulbs, a triangle hazard reflector and a first aid kit?

[RogerSB]

I know you need to carry with you proof of insurance, registration docs., etc. in case stopped (at gun point ) by the French gendarmes.

Don't you also have to carry spare light bulbs, a triangle hazard reflector and a first aid kit?

Yep! In a car you do, also a dayglow yellow vest for every person in the vehicle. I don't know if this is the case for a bike.

(Edit): Also a breathalyzer kit, in case stopped and they want to check you. Although I've heard that they don't enforce the on-the-spot fine for this anymore because of some scandal to do with the main breathalyzer kit manufacturer .  I believe the director was the head of the pressure group that pressed to have it made law (edit) not that he wanted to sell a lot of breatalyzer kits of course! 

[RDfella]

The french have always been anti-visitor, requiring all sorts of nonsense whilst they conforming with nothing when they're abroad. How do you carry a sealed beam headlamp (bulb) and a triangle on a 'bike? On your head?

[Greybeard]

The french have always been anti-visitor, requiring all sorts of nonsense whilst they conforming with nothing when they're abroad. How do you carry a sealed beam headlamp (bulb) and a triangle on a 'bike? On your head?

If I ride my bike in France, (unlikely) I will screw a triangular warning sign to my helmet.
Ooerr Missus!

[RichardL]

I dream of someone being "dazzled" by my 6V headlight.

Richard L.

[RogerSB]

Maybe going a bit off topic but I do like the road system in France better than here in the UK. Not Paris and such like, but Brittany, Normandy, etc.

I. It's illegal to park on the side of the road unless in a designated parking spot or area - but good parking is provided everywhere and is mostly free. It's only in some of the bigger cities that you have to pay to park, i.e. in a multi story car park, and then the 2 hour lunch-time period is free (so park at 1200 and you want to stay for 4 hours - you're only charged for 2 hours).   In the small towns/villages there are free parking spots, built in and marked out, on the side of the roads and free car parks everywhere. So it's very easy to park and there's no constant stopping or dodging in and out of traffic because of cars parked on the side of the road and blocking it like here in the UK.

2. Also because of the ample free parking even in the smallest of towns and villages the shops and the area can thrive because passing traffic can stop for free so easily for a few minutes or even hours to look around the shops and very likely buy something.  Most small villages can then support a couple of bakeries, a butcher, a hairdresser, pharmacy, supermarket, etc., etc.  I can never understand why here in the UK we can't see the logic in that and so we price our local shops out of business with rates and with excessive parking charges.

[Butch (cb)]

I've not bothered with beam deflectors (masking tape) in the last 20 years I've been riding out there. Or any of that other nonsense. Last time I was stopped - for allegedly rolling a stop line, I was going to dispute it until they advised me I could either pay up or they would impound my bike as I had no insurance documents with me.

[Greybeard]

I dream of someone being "dazzled" by my 6V headlight.

Richard L.

My 6v 45w headlamp seems pretty good. I have hopes that one day someone will flash me to dip my lights!

[Butch (cb)]

My 6v 45w headlamp seems pretty good. I have hopes that one day someone will flash me to dip my lights!

Yeah, mine's pretty good, though I spent some time making sure all the contacts were as good as they could be. Good enough that though I'd bought some relays I've never bothered to fit them.

Worse is that the Goffy halogen bulb does not seem a good match to my Wipac lens. When dip is set up about right my main beam starts attracting flights over from nearby Stansted.