Motorcycles: Germany Gets It, France Does Not from Bikes in the Fast Lane

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Motorcycles: Germany Gets It, France Does Not

July
2011

  File under France News Travel
  Author: Mike Werner
  Location: Normandy, France

So much for a unified Europe, with no borders and uniform laws. Within the same area, two countries who are very close to each other (both geographically and economically/politically) have two totally opposing views on motorcycles.

The two countries are Germany and France. German politicians, in this case the Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer

, understands the passion motorcycle owners have for their rides, and has ruled that we don't need to have these enormous and ugly license plates installed on our bikes.

Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer

The German Transport Minister, Peter Ramsauer said: "Motorcycles are for most owners a heartfelt matter. When it comes to looks there should be no compromises. Registration plates must match the vehicle design. It was no easy task, due to the limited available place on motorcycles. This proposal makes it possible to replace the old big pie plates with smaller number plates that do not disfigure the vehicle.". Here's a man who understands us.

Since April of this year, German motorcycle license plates are reduced to a minimum of 18 by 20 cm (7 by 7.8 inches). The font size is also reduced, allowing for longer identification numbers. Mr Ramsauer declared that "motorcyclists now have also more freedom to choose their personalized number plate. This is good news for the new motorcycle season."

But in France, the government is going totally the opposite direction. There they want to increase the license plate dimension to the old German standard, a standard that just got dropped by the Germans themselves.

This Europe thing is FUBAR...

Via: ACEM