Turkey Bike speed limits
- Thread starter EyeCake
- Start date
If you get pulled over, the response you'll get is unpredictable. It'll vary from:
"show us your license.... now be off with you"
to
"show us your license. That's a 100TL fine"
"show us your license. Oh look, you're foreign, that's a 400TL fine"
I understand if you do get a fine and don't pay it, it can get difficult at the border, but that's not happened to me so I don't know.
Best bet is to keep off the 'main' roads (the equivalent of A-roads in the UK, stick to motorways (no one seems to give a flying feck about speed or driving skills on motorways), keep an eye out and/or keep the speed down.
Remember, 90% of the time, an A-road speed trap is marked by way of a little triangular warning sign at the side of the road and then a cop standing with a speed gun by his car somewhere over the next couple of miles. Not too difficult to miss if you keep you eyes peeled. Other coppers won't have the instruction or know how to stop speeders, so you have less to worry about when you see cop cars (which are everywhere).
Also remember the "Foreign" card can go for or against you. If you are lucky, they'll let you off because you are more hassle than you're worth. If you're unlucky, they'll decide you're worth more than the hassle and give you hell.
I've never been stopped for speeding, but I have been stopped for covering my number plate with masking tape to avoid the toll. Survived a week, then got pulled over. I pleaded ignorance and no Turkish, so the policeman waved down another biker who just so happened to be able to translate. A bit of sweet talking later and I'm on my way with a stern frown.
So my advice would be to get a few basic words of Turkish practised (Turks love foreigners who make the effort), have all paperwork etc. to hand (it'll make you look innocent and may bamboozle the copper) and be as innocent and niaive as possible. And if that fails, take the hit, pay the fine and enjoy the scenery at a slower speed.
"show us your license.... now be off with you"
to
"show us your license. That's a 100TL fine"
"show us your license. Oh look, you're foreign, that's a 400TL fine"
I understand if you do get a fine and don't pay it, it can get difficult at the border, but that's not happened to me so I don't know.
Best bet is to keep off the 'main' roads (the equivalent of A-roads in the UK, stick to motorways (no one seems to give a flying feck about speed or driving skills on motorways), keep an eye out and/or keep the speed down.
Remember, 90% of the time, an A-road speed trap is marked by way of a little triangular warning sign at the side of the road and then a cop standing with a speed gun by his car somewhere over the next couple of miles. Not too difficult to miss if you keep you eyes peeled. Other coppers won't have the instruction or know how to stop speeders, so you have less to worry about when you see cop cars (which are everywhere).
Also remember the "Foreign" card can go for or against you. If you are lucky, they'll let you off because you are more hassle than you're worth. If you're unlucky, they'll decide you're worth more than the hassle and give you hell.
I've never been stopped for speeding, but I have been stopped for covering my number plate with masking tape to avoid the toll. Survived a week, then got pulled over. I pleaded ignorance and no Turkish, so the policeman waved down another biker who just so happened to be able to translate. A bit of sweet talking later and I'm on my way with a stern frown.
So my advice would be to get a few basic words of Turkish practised (Turks love foreigners who make the effort), have all paperwork etc. to hand (it'll make you look innocent and may bamboozle the copper) and be as innocent and niaive as possible. And if that fails, take the hit, pay the fine and enjoy the scenery at a slower speed.
As I recall the white police car will be parked facing you with the camera inside - it will also be parked in the shade!
The speed limits according to the official highways site...
Motosiklet (L3),
town/city - 50
two way intercity highways - 80
divided dual carriagway 90
motorway 100
http://www.kgm.gov.tr/Sayfalar/KGM/SiteTr/Trafik/HizSinirlari.aspx
the other bike listings are for smaller CC bikes. The limits are lower than cars and they deffo ARE enforced. Slow down when approaching and exiting a town/village, traffic cops are lazy and cant be arsed to go too far from HQ. I've done 2 5k trips around Turkey and got only one speeding on both. Be sensible...
That's what I thought until recently when I got a ticket in the mail for speeding on the TEM motorway...go figure
Motorways are boring...A roads rock...cows/tractors/craters/crap make them much more interesting
Motosiklet (L3),
town/city - 50
two way intercity highways - 80
divided dual carriagway 90
motorway 100
http://www.kgm.gov.tr/Sayfalar/KGM/SiteTr/Trafik/HizSinirlari.aspx
the other bike listings are for smaller CC bikes. The limits are lower than cars and they deffo ARE enforced. Slow down when approaching and exiting a town/village, traffic cops are lazy and cant be arsed to go too far from HQ. I've done 2 5k trips around Turkey and got only one speeding on both. Be sensible...
That's what I thought until recently when I got a ticket in the mail for speeding on the TEM motorway...go figure
Motorways are boring...A roads rock...cows/tractors/craters/crap make them much more interesting
Don't overtake at speed on solid white lines, on a bend, going over the brow of a hill. They nick you for that.
Stick to the speeds denny posted, other than on motorways....they're a free for all. But while on the motorways, and if in the "fast" lane, watch out for drivers coming up behind you and flashing their lights, they'll often try to squeeze between you and the centre barrier.
Stick to the speeds denny posted, other than on motorways....they're a free for all. But while on the motorways, and if in the "fast" lane, watch out for drivers coming up behind you and flashing their lights, they'll often try to squeeze between you and the centre barrier.
Managed to get caught TWICE, and the money was collected as I entered Syria ;-(
I got a ticket on the TEM motorway in Istanbul while in the car about a year ago. I found out a week or so later when it came through the post. It was a mobile radar trap which means you probably won't get one on a bike cos they're forward facing....I hope not anyway as I went passed one yesterday going slightly over the limit
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