Road closed to motorcyclists east of Bouillon - N865 between Douhan and Mortehan

Doesn't surprise me, as I've seen similar type of road closures around Germany in the last few years. Not that I cared that much as it's not a regular/preferred destination and I'm happy to re-route around.


While I sympathise and agree with the concept that a non insignificant amount of bikers would behave like twats (this amount is proportionally less in Europe than in the UK, IMHO) I think these type of closures are probably also more common in some specific (northern) countries. I agree with Wessie's comment above.

I've seen similar things in southern Europe, just to be extremely short-lived as the local businesses noticed less money coming in, and there are other ways of filtering out dickheads – if that is actually the issue.
 
Same in NL. There are popular “biker” roads in parts of Holland that are closed at weekends and some completely. Local pressure groups wanting to avoid mainly the noise I understand.
 
er-minio said:
Doesn't surprise me, as I've seen similar type of road closures around Germany in the last few years. Not that I cared that much as it's not a regular/preferred destination and I'm happy to re-route around.


While I sympathise and agree with the concept that a non insignificant amount of bikers would behave like twats (this amount is proportionally less in Europe than in the UK, IMHO) I think these type of closures are probably also more common in some specific (northern) countries. I agree with Wessie's comment above.

I've seen similar things in southern Europe, just to be extremely short-lived as the local businesses noticed less money coming in, and there are other ways of filtering out dickheads – if that is actually the issue.
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Just because some people behave like twats isn’t a reason to ban an entire class of transport.

Twattery, luckily for most on here, isn’t illegal.

If the twattery does involve illegality, well, it’s illegal, so use the law.

What’s the problem with that?
 
It’s pretty easy then:

1. Don’t make a whole heap of noise.

2. Don’t smash your vehicle into the scenery.

3. Don’t wind up the local authorities and populace, more than is absolutely necessary.

That way, the excuses or demands to close roads all but vanishes.


4. Stay off the ‘Awesome road, mate’ as far as is practicable, so as to avoid every other bikermate and driver, doing exactly the same thing because they too have access to the internet and have been told about yellow roads, lined green.

:beerjug:
 
Wapping said:
It’s pretty easy then:

1. Don’t make a whole heap of noise.

2. Don’t smash your vehicle into the scenery.

3. Don’t wind up the local authorities and populace, more than is absolutely necessary.

That way, the excuses or demands to close roads all but vanishes.


4. Stay off the ‘Awesome road, mate’ as far as is practicable, so as to avoid every other bikermate and driver, doing exactly the same thing because they too have access to the internet and have been told about yellow roads, lined green.

:beerjug:
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5) Don’t be an idiot. The excuses or demands will not go away, because they are just that- excuses. The road will be closed anyway.
 
Berin said:
If the twattery does involve illegality, well, it’s illegal, so use the law.
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I assume that the twattery (some of it itself illegal) that the locals have endured, has enabled the authorities to (legally) close the roads to the vehicles they take to be the most troublesome.

Yes, it’s maybe unfair to single out motorcycles (and the support for such an action is understandably thin on the ground on a motorcycle centric forum) but the impracticality of banning more / all vehicles is obvious, it is after all a major road.

:beerjug:
 
Its all bullshit and double standards.
Noisy wagons, BMW cars with straight through exhaust systems, remapped diesels..not a glance. One working headlight when its dark, no issue.
Someone trying to be free, feeling the wind rush by, alive. Fuck no. Cant have that.
Noisy exhaust (see above) well do something about it. Dont sell them, illegal. Job done. Im puzzled that legally roads can be closed to motorcycles…are scooters..mopeds OK?
Seen this shit in the Dolomites for a few years. Then the locals go out in hunting season with shotguns and rifles. Ah, but that noise is ok…
Nothing like a down turn in footfall at local business to focus minds. Thats as much as I can achieve with my small protest.
 
Berin said:
If the twattery does involve illegality, well, it’s illegal, so use the law.

What’s the problem with that?
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I do agree.
In my experience, this was always treated with heavy police presence for a few months. Twats divert to different areas or, easier, ride less twatty.

Just to clarify: I am not the most law abiding rider, but my motto is "reasonably fast and unobtrusive" – worked well so far. :D


To look on the bright side, we might be experiencing the early stages of an arc-reflex against motorbikes/motor vehicles in some instances where there is an exaggerated response, and things will self adjust and balance out over time.

Everyone is happy to banish things, until they realise they cannot do shit anymore themselves too.
Screenshot 2026-05-22 at 11.39.54.jpg
 
Wapping said:
I assume that the twattery (some of it itself illegal) that the locals have endured, has enabled the authorities to (legally) close the roads to the vehicles they take to be the most troublesome.

Yes, it’s maybe unfair to single out motorcycles (and the support for such an action is understandably thin on the ground on a motorcycle centric forum) but the impracticality of banning more / all vehicles is obvious, it is after all a major road.

:beerjug:
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Unfortunately, if it’s the same as here, many local authorities have been taken over by zealots who hate everything motorised. So the propensity to ban everything they don’t like, which is everything, is high.

It’s probably relatively easy to whip up support for banning motorcycles, because most people who don’t ride motorcycles don’t like them.
But once banning is set a a precedent then more stuff will be banned. It will never be un-banned.

I don’t know what can be done about it but snidey comments about not crashing definitely isn’t it.
 
er-minio said:
I do agree.
In my experience, this was always treated with heavy police presence for a few months. Twats divert to different areas or, easier, ride less twatty.

Just to clarify: I am not the most law abiding rider, but my motto is "reasonably fast and unobtrusive" – worked well so far. :D


To look on the bright side, we might be experiencing the early stages of an arc-reflex against motorbikes/motor vehicles in some instances where there is an exaggerated response, and things will self adjust and balance out over time.

Everyone is happy to banish things, until they realise they cannot do shit anymore themselves too.
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Everyone want to ban stuff that everyone else does. Eventually that means everyone is banned from doing everything.

But by then it’s too late
 
No doubt the calls from the good folk of Wallonia for the police ‘To do more’ mirror those of tranches of the UK. No doubt too, the police of Belgium operate on a pretty much restricted budget, just as they do here. In short, they can’t do everything.

The Belgians put in speed cameras. These are then very often regarded as nothing more than revenue gathers and posts appear telling the world how a road has been ruined.. They (or the local authorities) put in road paint to help to guide motorcyclists around bends, as some (maybe many) are clearly incapable of making the bend without help. The paint is then ridiculed.

The police or the ministry of transport put in roadside tests for noisy exhausts, illegal number plates, illegally coloured lights and anything else, and it’s condemned as an infringement of liberty.

This is maybe not too inaccurate:

….in some instances where there is an exaggerated response, and things will self adjust and balance out over time.
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In the meantime, go to Belgium at Easter, when the road will be open…. Or go to Spain, where nobody seems to care, the roads are like racetracks and even a scooter can seemingly whip the arse off awesome steeds.

:beerjug:
 
Wapping said:
In the meantime, go to Belgium at Easter, when the road will be open…. Or go to Spain, where nobody seems to care, the roads are like racetracks and even a scooter can seemingly whip the arse off awesome steeds.
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That's exactly what I generally do :D
I can also keep in my lane, at speed, over bends without needing additional slippery paint on the asphalt.

I'm really not bothered by the closures to be fair.
And – again – I can understand the "other" point of view.
I was just pointing out that in other countries they were able to solve, or partially alleviate, without banning specific traffic.
Considering how Belgium clamped down on "rogue" traffic and overpopulated their roads with average speed cameras (at least on the main motorway routes to Brussels) I can see a pattern growing (or parallels with the UK).
Nevertheless, (average) Belgians are far from the most skilled drivers (to put it politely) that you can encounter on, say, French roads. So maybe we have to consider that too. Maybe it's not only the bikes... :D

I just would not "normalise" road closures to specific vehicles. That's all.
 
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the Wallonian route recommendations still have the N865 on their maps
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Wapping said:
There is an ongoing battle between ‘The world as we knew it’ and the new reality.

There is even a misfit on these pages, where bods advocate the joy of staying in quiet (almost silent) locations to ‘chill’ (that dreadful expression) but advocate louder exhausts on their motorcycles in order to get there, along with the hooning that inevitably goes with it. That many of the same bods would ban anyone on a motorcycle looking like this, is of course a given:

View attachment 505282
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Richard I hadn’t realised you had bought a “Kwacker” bit more out there than the K1600 and the Himmie !
 
Rather than wringing my hands and bemoaning how unfair the closure of five miles of Belgian highway is, I have contacted the Visit Wallonia office.

IMG_8788.jpeg
 
er-minio said:
Doesn't surprise me, as I've seen similar type of road closures around Germany in the last few years. Not that I cared that much as it's not a regular/preferred destination and I'm happy to re-route around.


While I sympathise and agree with the concept that a non insignificant amount of bikers would behave like twats (this amount is proportionally less in Europe than in the UK, IMHO) I think these type of closures are probably also more common in some specific (northern) countries. I agree with Wessie's comment above.

I've seen similar things in southern Europe, just to be extremely short-lived as the local businesses noticed less money coming in, and there are other ways of filtering out dickheads – if that is actually the issue.
Click to expand...
It's a drip feed for more closures;; the mc traffic uses other routes and hey presto more noisy bikes on new route so we better close that.
 
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