A question for Swiss people
Discussion
Friends, Romans… 954 Fireblade lovers, I have a question.
How strict are the Swiss authorities on loud bikes? I'm planning a tour with a few friends and would like to ride through Switzerland as part of our route. Years ago we used to avoid it because we all had vaguely loud bikes (think Street Triples with Arrow cans on… not Racefit Gixxazzz) and heard rumours that loud bikes and Switzerland weren't a good mix.
This year we seem to be in the same predicament – I have an 1198 with Termis on which is very loud, another chap has a loud Monster 1200 and our third bike is a TL1000R which is loud and heavy. Will we be okay?
I've ridden (bikes with stock exhausts) and driven in Switzerland before so know to stick religiously to the speed limits, but will we fall foul of any noise laws too with aftermarket exhausts? I wouldn't be CHFed if we ended up getting fined.
How strict are the Swiss authorities on loud bikes? I'm planning a tour with a few friends and would like to ride through Switzerland as part of our route. Years ago we used to avoid it because we all had vaguely loud bikes (think Street Triples with Arrow cans on… not Racefit Gixxazzz) and heard rumours that loud bikes and Switzerland weren't a good mix.
This year we seem to be in the same predicament – I have an 1198 with Termis on which is very loud, another chap has a loud Monster 1200 and our third bike is a TL1000R which is loud and heavy. Will we be okay?
I've ridden (bikes with stock exhausts) and driven in Switzerland before so know to stick religiously to the speed limits, but will we fall foul of any noise laws too with aftermarket exhausts? I wouldn't be CHFed if we ended up getting fined.
308mate said:
Switzerland is a petrolhead mecca. Lovely bikes, supercars, american classics everywhere in various states of tune and loudness. What is universal however is that they are all driven and ridden fairly sensibly.
I find this to be true living here. Super cars and classics are everywhere but they choose where to have fun very carefully. The police will only take notice of you have a straight through pipe and take the piss in populated areas.Come on over and enjoy the best roads in the world (don't tell Austria I said that).
TimmyWimmyWoo said:
I know, I'm hilarious 
Thanks for all your advice guys! Looks like we have a green light to return to the land of the £18 Subway meal deal.
Why would you eat at places like that here? The standard of food is extemely high here so try the local places rather than the foreign chains.Thanks for all your advice guys! Looks like we have a green light to return to the land of the £18 Subway meal deal.
Depending on where you are in Switzerland the police is more or less "strict", French and Italian parts are more relaxed, German part is more strict.
The coordinated police controls of bikers are now over, normally these take place in the spring, early summer. They then check tires, permissions for aftermarket parts, operation of the bikes.
I do not think you will have problems with the police, though, you are on foreign plates.
The coordinated police controls of bikers are now over, normally these take place in the spring, early summer. They then check tires, permissions for aftermarket parts, operation of the bikes.
I do not think you will have problems with the police, though, you are on foreign plates.
Ho Lee Kau said:
I do not think you will have problems with the police, though, you are on foreign plates.
I might have cause to disgree OP - Watch out for unmarked police cars! Don't overtake in tunnels or take the piss and most def carry your docs with you and most certainly if you want to be naughty carry a big wedge of CHF with you in your wallet!I would say you should have no issue as long as the bike is legal where you are coming from. They can read English so if your can says "race use only", they might not be impressed.
Things to bear in mind as there is plenty of fun to be had....
1. Where it is a 20/50/80kph zone, stick close to the limits. Cameras will fire at 21/52/83kph.
2. There are not many police patrols over here but there are unmarked ones
3. On the motorway, there are cameras in road works, tunnels and city bypasses - basically if they bring you down from 120kph then expect a fixed or mobile camera. Assume they are there and stick within a couple of the limit.
4. Some 120kph stretches also have fixed cameras, particularly on the French side
5. If you cross the German-Swiss border on the autobahn at Basel, there is a Christmas tree camera set up just on the Swiss side. They catch lots of people!
Oh and you cannot filter (or at least not get caught). You cannot cross a solid white line (they are big on that).
Also bear in mind the weather is starting to change and the Alps got snow last weekend. It is colder at night, low double figures.
Also watch out for Dutch and northern German drivers on the passes. They can't drive very well.
Things to bear in mind as there is plenty of fun to be had....
1. Where it is a 20/50/80kph zone, stick close to the limits. Cameras will fire at 21/52/83kph.
2. There are not many police patrols over here but there are unmarked ones
3. On the motorway, there are cameras in road works, tunnels and city bypasses - basically if they bring you down from 120kph then expect a fixed or mobile camera. Assume they are there and stick within a couple of the limit.
4. Some 120kph stretches also have fixed cameras, particularly on the French side
5. If you cross the German-Swiss border on the autobahn at Basel, there is a Christmas tree camera set up just on the Swiss side. They catch lots of people!
Oh and you cannot filter (or at least not get caught). You cannot cross a solid white line (they are big on that).
Also bear in mind the weather is starting to change and the Alps got snow last weekend. It is colder at night, low double figures.
Also watch out for Dutch and northern German drivers on the passes. They can't drive very well.
eeLee said:
5. If you cross the German-Swiss border on the autobahn at Basel, there is a Christmas tree camera set up just on the Swiss side. They catch lots of people!
I got caught on the French side by a car pointed down the road at the approach to the border and relieved of 90 euros. Paid more attention to the count down limit signs from that point.JustAnotherNobody said:
Why would you eat at places like that here? The standard of food is extemely high here so try the local places rather than the foreign chains.
Hmmmm, the only country in the world where I've caught food poisoning, thanks Interlaken, I was just glad I had a flip front crash helmet on when it hit!sjtscott said:
Ho Lee Kau said:
I do not think you will have problems with the police, though, you are on foreign plates.
I might have cause to disgree OP - Watch out for unmarked police cars! Don't overtake in tunnels or take the piss and most def carry your docs with you and most certainly if you want to be naughty carry a big wedge of CHF with you in your wallet!Unmarked cars, cameras in and right after tunnels, cameras in the mountains on completely open roads with no people around, etc etc, that is Switzerland. Speeding is at your own risk here, especially when you do not know the roads.
eeLee said:
I would say you should have no issue as long as the bike is legal where you are coming from. They can read English so if your can says "race use only", they might not be impressed.
Things to bear in mind as there is plenty of fun to be had....
1. Where it is a 20/50/80kph zone, stick close to the limits. Cameras will fire at 21/52/83kph.
2. There are not many police patrols over here but there are unmarked ones
3. On the motorway, there are cameras in road works, tunnels and city bypasses - basically if they bring you down from 120kph then expect a fixed or mobile camera. Assume they are there and stick within a couple of the limit.
4. Some 120kph stretches also have fixed cameras, particularly on the French side
5. If you cross the German-Swiss border on the autobahn at Basel, there is a Christmas tree camera set up just on the Swiss side. They catch lots of people!
Oh and you cannot filter (or at least not get caught). You cannot cross a solid white line (they are big on that).
Also bear in mind the weather is starting to change and the Alps got snow last weekend. It is colder at night, low double figures.
Also watch out for Dutch and northern German drivers on the passes. They can't drive very well.
I filter every day, but obviously, if I see a police car in front of me - I don't. Common sense.Things to bear in mind as there is plenty of fun to be had....
1. Where it is a 20/50/80kph zone, stick close to the limits. Cameras will fire at 21/52/83kph.
2. There are not many police patrols over here but there are unmarked ones
3. On the motorway, there are cameras in road works, tunnels and city bypasses - basically if they bring you down from 120kph then expect a fixed or mobile camera. Assume they are there and stick within a couple of the limit.
4. Some 120kph stretches also have fixed cameras, particularly on the French side
5. If you cross the German-Swiss border on the autobahn at Basel, there is a Christmas tree camera set up just on the Swiss side. They catch lots of people!
Oh and you cannot filter (or at least not get caught). You cannot cross a solid white line (they are big on that).
Also bear in mind the weather is starting to change and the Alps got snow last weekend. It is colder at night, low double figures.
Also watch out for Dutch and northern German drivers on the passes. They can't drive very well.
White line - true. I was stopped once but they let me go.
On highways at 120kph there are cameras in german part as well, some fixed, some mobile, keep your eyes open.
Dutch/German/Italian cars are sometimes VERY slow, probably afraid of cameras. :-)
I am always surprised how Italians drive in Switzerland, given how they drive in Italy. But Germans...they seem to have no zest for life at all.
Rushjob said:
JustAnotherNobody said:
Why would you eat at places like that here? The standard of food is extemely high here so try the local places rather than the foreign chains.
Hmmmm, the only country in the world where I've caught food poisoning, thanks Interlaken, I was just glad I had a flip front crash helmet on when it hit!I got a terrible food poisoning in Nice ones...
Haven't had a food poisoning in Switzerland yet, after 14 years of living here.
Ho Lee Kau said:
Salad? or touched something with dirty hands?
I got a terrible food poisoning in Nice ones...
Haven't had a food poisoning in Switzerland yet, after 14 years of living here.
Hotel breakfast, two of our group of four had eggs, the same two of our four were very sick, I would suggest it was the eggs. I got a terrible food poisoning in Nice ones...
Haven't had a food poisoning in Switzerland yet, after 14 years of living here.
And we were both house trained and used cutlery so it was unlikely to be OUR dirty hands.
Rushjob said:
Ho Lee Kau said:
Salad? or touched something with dirty hands?
I got a terrible food poisoning in Nice ones...
Haven't had a food poisoning in Switzerland yet, after 14 years of living here.
Hotel breakfast, two of our group of four had eggs, the same two of our four were very sick, I would suggest it was the eggs. I got a terrible food poisoning in Nice ones...
Haven't had a food poisoning in Switzerland yet, after 14 years of living here.
And we were both house trained and used cutlery so it was unlikely to be OUR dirty hands.
TimmyWimmyWoo said:
Friends, Romans… 954 Fireblade lovers, I have a question.
How strict are the Swiss authorities on loud bikes? I'm planning a tour with a few friends and would like to ride through Switzerland as part of our route. Years ago we used to avoid it because we all had vaguely loud bikes (think Street Triples with Arrow cans on… not Racefit Gixxazzz) and heard rumours that loud bikes and Switzerland weren't a good mix.
This year we seem to be in the same predicament – I have an 1198 with Termis on which is very loud, another chap has a loud Monster 1200 and our third bike is a TL1000R which is loud and heavy. Will we be okay?
I've ridden (bikes with stock exhausts) and driven in Switzerland before so know to stick religiously to the speed limits, but will we fall foul of any noise laws too with aftermarket exhausts? I wouldn't be CHFed if we ended up getting fined.
A bit late with my reply, but I see tons of noisy French plated bikes here in Geneva which seem to be ‘tolerated’. There’s some pretty strict rules for Swiss registered bikes, but I’ve not seen or heard anything which would make me uncomfortable bringing a foreign registered bike in. How strict are the Swiss authorities on loud bikes? I'm planning a tour with a few friends and would like to ride through Switzerland as part of our route. Years ago we used to avoid it because we all had vaguely loud bikes (think Street Triples with Arrow cans on… not Racefit Gixxazzz) and heard rumours that loud bikes and Switzerland weren't a good mix.
This year we seem to be in the same predicament – I have an 1198 with Termis on which is very loud, another chap has a loud Monster 1200 and our third bike is a TL1000R which is loud and heavy. Will we be okay?
I've ridden (bikes with stock exhausts) and driven in Switzerland before so know to stick religiously to the speed limits, but will we fall foul of any noise laws too with aftermarket exhausts? I wouldn't be CHFed if we ended up getting fined.
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