chewy Posted December 8, 2009 Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Having been going to France & Switzerland for last 18 years and as a result of seeing several hospitalisation crashes at the last event I decided to look into "proper insurance" to satisfy ACU & FIM affiliated clubs. I am 58 years young and wouldn't go and do these events if I wasn't fit enough... in fact I find them less physically taxing than 4 laps around local farm /quarry or field. It appears that I need for ACU "endorsment" 1) Doctors report (anything up to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisse Posted December 8, 2009 Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 It all depends on what type of event you wish to do in France, there are two federations that trials are run under. Firstly the FFM which is mostly modern trials with a few Pre 65 and twinshock trials, or UFOLEP which is in fact an association for all amateur sports, with a branch for trials. The later is under which the majority of classic trials run . The FFM is very strict with lots of rules and regs and UFOLEP is more laid back for example you can ride in your old helmet, without gloves, kill switch in the middle of the bars not by the clutch lever etc etc. With both, you are covered by insurance although with the FFM you bike should be registered and covered with the additional insurance that would come with road use. I dont know the true cost of club membership and FFM licence , but ball park around Euro 140/150 plus you may or maynot have to sit an exam to prove you know what your doing before they give you a licence. A UFOLEP club and licence is no more than EURO 70 however you need to have a medical for both adding Euro 20 to the cost. The amount of UFOLEP trials are on the up and many clubs are changing their affliation because of the license cost and the fact there is no difference in insurance cover, much to the distain of the FFM and as you can imagine there is not a good word between them I ride in Spain from time to time and they are happy to accept my French UFOLEP license but again these are classic events which are usually more laid back. If this is of interest to you and would like to apply for a UFOLEP license and club you could do no worse than contact Joel Correy at Trail 70 vesoul. He knows the system inside out, and most Brits living and riding in France use his club no matter where they live as its the easiest option to get going. Hope it all makes sense Bon soir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy Posted December 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 Un grande merci pour ton gentilless. mais cest vrai par example le vielles tiges normalment cest ufolop pas de problem!(en plus le licence 70 eu cest pout 12 mois) mais le 4 jour de geuret & le trois jour de Avereon etait FFM. But why oh why is it always the case with ACU instead of facilitating sport they seem to represent insurance company the catch 22 clauses and caveats are ridiculous It seems to do the 3 trials next year its either one event licences there or FFM licence ( I.ve got mates over there but there may be some residence qualifications (insurance companies are by and large multi national and have most loose ends tied up when it comes to revenue collection) sorry to rant on thanks for your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzralphy Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Why do you need it and what will it get you? I thought the UK had a reciprocal health deal with other EU countries? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisse Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Thats true, if you are taken ill, you are covered. However to ride a trial you either need a licence albeit a day one. If I ride an FFM event, usually once or twice a year, its 25 euros for a day licence. However, the clubs have lowered the enty fee for one day licence holders so in fact the whole days entry ie. entry fee plus day licence is only 5 Euros more than I would expect to pay if I had in fact a FFM licence. Out of interest I will make some enquiries as my local club is FFM, although we are trying to have a classic side with a UFOLEP affiliation as we speak. I will see if non residents can have a club licence and what would be needed to qualify for a FFM licence. Again hope this helps and after all, I thought now we are all " Europeans " you should be able to work and ride trials where you like...........hassle free.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave horne Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Why do you need it and what will it get you?I thought the UK had a reciprocal health deal with other EU countries? You're correct to a point. Within the EU, a UK resident will receive free medical care. However as I found out to my cost, this does not include drugs or accommodation. In 2005 even with my EU medical card (used to be E111), I was still charged about 300 euro's for a two night hospital stay in France and a couple of pain killers. My advice to anyone riding a motorcycle event in Europe is book the tunnel. Two hours on a bumpy ferry after a big accident and a few breaks is no fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabie Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 OK this is a real complex one, mostly dependant upon how much you want to wing (chance) it; as best as i understand it you should turn to page 118 of the 2009 handbook, where it talks about is more commonly know as "start permission", basically it cover your medical costs abroad and more importantly (and crucially) your medical repatriation costs (ie they send you home to a UK hospital in a private plane IIRC. because your going for in effect the international licence i thus think you have to go through the (expensive) medical including stress ECG. So veering away from the kosher way, you can wing it to varying extent; a) A lot of the mx guys who go on these mx holidays to the states, get specialist travel insurance to cover them As you say, use a French address, join a French club and get a French licence. if the French are awkward and won't give you a French licence or accept your UK (ACU) without start permission, try getting a Luxembourg licence (the lower one excludes start permission - ie the insurance) - this has been used by many riders over the years.... i know all this sounds overly complex but when Stephen Sword got really hurt at a MX GP in (what is now east) Germany, the insurance got him on a private jet back to the UK, etc. The system is not set up for guys who just hop across the channel to France/Belgium (or any Irish rider coming over here, or us over there). best bet is try speaking to the Trials and Enduro dept or licence dept at Rugby ohh and bon chance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrc1 Posted December 12, 2009 Report Share Posted December 12, 2009 Chris, Licence/insurance requirements seem to vary with each (French) club. Gueret And Indre (Easter trial) club's are pretty laid back & only an ACU licence is required - at least that was the case last year. We stopped going to Aveyron due to their insistance on all that FIM international licence guff you mention. Getting ripped off for a medical was a bit much, but the extra requirements for over 50s really killed it off. Regs are out for the Indre/La Chatre trial now http://trial.lachatre.free.fr/indexbis.html Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisse Posted December 12, 2009 Report Share Posted December 12, 2009 Here anybody can go and see any doctor, and that would apply to any non resident, most villages have them, no appointment just turn up and wait your turn. At the end of the consultation we ALL have to pay twenty euros. Living and being in French system this is reimbursed into our bank account, for someone on holiday or not in the system you would not recieve it back unless you had extra insurance. Perscriptions work along the same lines. I cant see how if you have you come to a trial here in France and have a medical it should or will cost more than twenty euros. If it does then something is not right... My doctor in fact just signs and stamps the medical everyyear, doesn t charge me as its not obligatory , I scan it onto the computer and use it for the numerous other things that require it over the course of the year. There seems to be a lot of hearsay regarding this and I am pretty sure what I have written is correct. As I mentioned in an earlier post the FFM are very rigid in their interpretation of whats right, the classic scene run under UFOLEP are just happy to get the riders and will in most cases be very accomodating.. Winging it in 99.9 pct of cases is usually ok but.................... Again hope this help Back to X factor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john collins Posted December 12, 2009 Report Share Posted December 12, 2009 Chewy Before I try to look into this for you, there is really some more info needed. a) I asume you are talking about riding Trials in France - not Enduro or MX < How many events planned in 2010 ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordi Posted December 12, 2009 Report Share Posted December 12, 2009 John, I would like to carry on riding the odd trial a year in europe but the cost of an ECG ( being over 50) is prohibitive. So would appreicate any change that the ACU could look into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted December 13, 2009 Report Share Posted December 13, 2009 John, I would like to carry on riding the odd trial a year in europe but the cost of an ECG ( being over 50) is prohibitive.So would appreicate any change that the ACU could look into. Me too I stumped up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordi Posted December 13, 2009 Report Share Posted December 13, 2009 (edited) Me too I stumped up Edited December 13, 2009 by jordi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john collins Posted December 13, 2009 Report Share Posted December 13, 2009 Guys I will look into all this on Monday All I can say for now is that along wth many others I rode in Spain in 2008 in Robregardo , and I certainly did not have an ECG etc - and I am fairly sure I paid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisse Posted December 13, 2009 Report Share Posted December 13, 2009 I ve been delveing a little further, and have come up with some more information. If you wish to ride in a French national championship trial under FFm rules you have to have been resident for a minimum of three years. To have a FFM licence and ride one off non championship trials, you can be a non resident but you have to belong to a french club etc etc, and there are no rules regarding over 50s and ECG scans. Remember this is for a normal yearly FFm licence not an one off international one, there is a difference it would appear. The sticking point as I see it. Since around 2005 before a license is issued, to anyone, you have to complete a course of competence "CASM" in a nutshell basic trials know how. So when you arrive at a trial you know how to sign on, start the bike in a safe manner, fall off in a safe manner etc etc etc............Now this is universal whether you have an FFM or Ufolep license. It doesn t matter if you have been riding in the UK for the last 100 years no way round it. Unless as stated in a previous post on this subject , Joel Correy seems to be able to circumnavigate this for Brits wanting a Ufolep licence for classic events and you join his club as well. All in all it is a lot of hassle certainly to ride only one or two events a year, again this was gleaned today on a cold French hill side from a enthusiastic French man speaking at 100 mph so I hope I understood it correctly and I am correct in what I have written. By the way is there anyway I can come home and ride the Phil king national next year and get a day licence as I no longer have one, or belong to the organising club. Bon soir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.