Hi all,
I've recently emigrated to eastern Switzerland (Altstätten) from the UK and am looking for some advice! I've been a very keen rider in the UK for the past 5 years with the majority of my time on a GSXR 1000 (K7 & L3) model.
I'm currently looking to purchase a Suzuki GSXR 750 or 1000 2015+ next month and have a few questions.
Where are the best places to search for new & used motorcycles? At the moment I'm only aware of https://www.motoscout24.ch/de and http://www.winiger-au.ch/ a nearby dealership.
Where can I look to purchase new gear, helmet, 2pc suit ect... anywhere in Western Austria would also be great as I'm 5 minutes away from the boarder.
Are there any local clubs that are happy to welcome 'foreigners'. (I only speak very basic German at present)
Any advice for nice riding routes, I'm particularly interested in twisty mountain roads!
How strict are the police with modifications here, for example.. a custom Exhaust. In England they are fairly relaxed.
Apologies I haven't written this in German, I've started learning only 4 months ago!
Thank's in advance for your help!
Ben!
EDIT - Also, anything in particular I should watch out for when buying insurance? Any companies that I should avoid or are there any that shine above all others?
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HI Ben. I just signed up myself. I'm from South Africa originally but I've been here for 30 years now, so I speaka da lingo, so to speak. Hope you find your feet. For a great youtube expat riding experience, look up Andy Man Cam in Hamburg, Germany.
As mentioned above, motorradhandel.ch is probably the biggest place for bikes, but ricardo.ch is also good and tutti.ch is fantastic for cheap deals.
Alos, as mentioned above, louis.eu and http://www.polo-motorrad.ch are good. http://www.motardinn.com is also not bad, but don't forget about customs duty on imports. Otherwise, do an online tour of dealers and ask about gear, etc.
You'll prolly find routes and clubs on your own, as bikers, like in most places, tend to be friendly and chatty. Don't forget the obligatory left handed bikers greeting on the roads Youtube will also help you find lots of the ore famous places, but from where you are there are amazing routes in Appenzell right next door.
Cops and officials tend to be faffy and strict here. Mods need to be "homologated", i.e. certified in Switzerland, which can be an enormous pain, because if the part hasn't been certified by some dealer, you'll have to get it done yourself which is mostly not worth it as it's hugely expensive. http://www.cycle-tech.ch/de/q1/Kapitel_Motorrad/Chapter.aspx is a good place to see if the parts have been certified here.
Insurance: avoid AXA as they're pretty pricey.