New to Switzerland - Advice

Zitat von Janne

Hi there

Most questions have been answered. As to the insurance: I would recommend the Mobiliar (Schweizerische Mobiliar). Starting prices are not the lowest, but they already include a lot in the basic packages (assistance etc). If you take what's included and how much others charge for the same they are a good deal. Plus they tend not to make a big fuzz if you need them. By my experience they pay damages without much quarrel and very promptly.
Also they have a very speedy assistance covering Austria as well. Might come in handy- given where you live and all...

Same goes for axa-winterthur. Actually I think most insurance companies in Switzerland are quite good...

Greetings @ben488

Welcome to the country of milk and cheese, high salaries, low taxes, low unemployment rate, low crime rate, high living costs and a million twisties

I picked up biking again a year ago after having migrated to Switzerland myself some 10 years ago; born in Germany but grew up in South Africa.
What I can share with you:

- Insurance: AXA WINTERTHUR. They have an online customer portal thing in ENGLISH as well, where you can see your policies, report claims, order proof of insurance, a green card, EU Accident statement form etc. Prices are good too. For my Z900 I merely pay CHF 317.55 per anumn.

- Buying from POLO.EU will incur taxes and in some cases duties. Meaning if you buy a product per say valued EUR 200 excl German VAT, you will be billed 7.7% Swiss VAT on the product value and postage fees. LOUIS.EU is generally around EUR 7.50 to Switzerland. So EUR 207.50 x exchange rate 1.18 = CHF 244.85 x 1.077 = CHF 263.70. In this case, you would’ve paid CHF 18.85 on Swiss VAT. Now if the product is a leather jacket or pants, depending on the country of origin (where it was manufactured), you will also pay duties. But those are marginal.

- Also check out super-bike.ch

- A few months ago I bought the SHARK FACTORY SLIP ON exhaust from LOUIS.EU. To legally drive around with the thing, you will need to attain a Manufacturers Declaration where the manufacturer confirms the conformity of the slip on. Whilst a lot of people believe that this is only accepted by a Swiss Importer, I can confirm it was not the case in my situation. My roadworthy department in the canton of Zug accepted the confirmation from the Distributor in Germany, being FECHTER DRIVE. So when you intend on purchasing a slip-on, let us/me know before you do and I will gladly assist you.

- Mountain passes are a plenty here. The links previously posted are the ones I use too. In most cases you can download the route onto your phone (google maps or TomTom) and off you go. HOWEVER, if you do decide to go for a trip to one of the many bigger mountain passes, be sure to check out the status of the pass before you go: https://www.alpen-paesse.ch/en/ Nothing worse than riding 2hrs to a pass just to find out it is closed because of weather or other road-works.

- Get an AVIA petrol card. There are 600 or so self-service stations throughout Switzerland where you can fuel up 24hrs a day. You will receive a monthly bill, which in turn is payable within 30 days.

- Road side assistance: Either have it included in your insurance policy or join the Swiss Touring Club: http://www.tcs.ch

- Tires: don’t ever, ever drive with less than (EDIT) 1.6mm profile left. The cops, if you are pulled over, have a zero tolerance…rightfully so in my opinion. Same applies for boozing and riding/driving, don’t do it!

- Speeding: I only found out a few months ago, believe it or not, that it is illegal to publicly post the whereabouts of a mobile radar or where the coppers are standing somewhere with their laser. This app for your phone however is pretty good: See your private messages 

- If you like to work on your own bikes, I can put you in touch with someone in Germany who can supply workshop manuals for almost any bike and model…I am not talking about Haynes; I mean the actual manuals that are lying in the workshop of a dealership. Usually around EUR 100.

- If or when you go shopping in Austria, be sure read up on this if you have not done so already: https://www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/en/home/in…witzerland.html

Oh and enjoy the Summer in the Rhinetal...I lived in Sargans for 5 years and you will experience something called FÖHN.

Greetz

Zitat

- Get an AVIA petrol card. There are 600 or so self-service stations throughout Switzerland where you can fuel up 24hrs a day. You will receive a monthly bill, which in turn is payable within 30 days.

Why make it complicated? With a normal bank card you can fuel up at any service station you like and you dont get an extra bill

Zitat

Tires: don’t ever, ever drive with less than (EDIT) 1.6mm profile left. The cops, if you are pulled over, have a zero tolerance

They certainly have a tolerance, since they still are humans. Depends on how the profile distribution looks like on both tires and on how you behave of course. But I dont recommend to challenge the law or the police in switzerland anyway

Zitat von Boo

Why make it complicated? With a normal bank card you can fuel up at any service station you like and you dont get an extra bill ;-)- It may not be much, but you get 3 cents per liter discount with the card. Plus, for me personally, I like keeping track of the consumption and the monthly statement shows when, where and how many ltrs you fueled up. It is not a must-have, but a nice to have.

Tey certainly have a tolerance, since they still are humans. Depends on how the profile distribution looks like on both tires and on how you behave of course. But I dont recommend to challenge the law or the police in switzerland anyway
- Personally I prefer to just get waved through rather than have them check the tyres and take their time doing so. When I am riding, I wanna ride ride ride, not sit and waste time. But apart from that, I change my tyres at 2mm at the very latest for safety reasons as I ride in rain too.

Hi Ben and

For the insurance I would also recommend Die Mobiliar. As already said they are not the cheapest but they are realy focused on a good service. If you need something they do it on the phone, mail or your contact person will visit you a.s.p. I have all my insurences there. If you think you will retire in Switzerland they also have a good third collum for the pension (3a).

If you buy a bike from a local dealer then he will do everything for you. All you have to do is tell him which insurance company and then pay the bills from the dealer, the STVA, and in case of Die Mobiliar, you have one month full cover and within this month a guy from them will visit you to set up all the details.

If you want to modify your bike, be carefull. As mentioned before if the cops find something thats not leagel you might have to leave your bike where it is and get it with a trailer. Examples are riding without a DB-eater, ripped tires (1.8mm i thought)

Is your love a swiss? So she should know all the other stuff.

I have had the same customer service reprensentative at AXA Wintherthur for years. They are actually in Sargans, so down the road from you (kinda).
They offer a brilliant service too and so if Mobiliar is more expensive, go with AXA Winterhtur.

I don't know if you do that in the UK but here in switzerland we say to other bikers if a radar is near by simply showing "slow down" with the hand. It saved my driver license sometimes

@ilikebananas If I am not mistaken, you just gotta be sure, that the coppers do not see you warning others, right? Because if they do, they could fine you for warning others, right?

If i remember right only public posting of where are the cops is illegal.

Zitat von ilikebananas

I don't know if you do that in the UK but here in switzerland we say to other bikers if a radar is near by simply showing "slow down" with the hand. It saved my driver license sometimes

Probable cause A reason why bikers should always wave each other.

Zitat von ilikebananas

If i remember right only public posting of where are the cops is illegal.

The definition of "public" is a vague one. A Facebook group of 30k members is not private anymore.
If you think you can warn other about a "schmierige Stelle", "Members of the local Chess club (you will get it if you are from the UK )", then think again "Znünibuebe mit ere orange Ovi-Fläsche ide Hand" (Tea break boys with an orange Ovaltine-bottle in their hands) has been deemed as an, cryptic illegal warning :
https://www.nzz.ch/panorama/mitte…esst-ld.1301304

Regarding insurance: Shop around and get quotes from Zurich, AXA, Mobiliar, etc. then compare their offer and T&C not much to compare in case of the compulsory 3rd party liability insurance, but more so for theft, fire and vandalism (Teilkasko/partial casco) and Collision (Vollkasko/full casco).
Once you found your good provider talk with an agent and see what they can do. The first offer is not allways the final one
Be aware that an offer for say CHF 600 at bonus level 100% is much better than an offer for CHF 580 at bonus level 50%.

@RebelFazer I read once that a group isn't private anymore if where are more than 50 people in it. The telegram bot is good for that because it's the bot that posts the warnings, it's anonym and all posts are deleted everyday.
Inform others of radars isn't the same than inform for controlls like alcohol tests. Theses are forbidden to post in the group.

Muss no unbedingt an mim English arbeite (ja cronite i weiss, au an mim schwiizerdütsch )

Zitat von ilikebananas

The telegram bot is good for that because it's the bot that posts the warnings, it's anonym and all posts are deleted everyday.
Inform others of radars isn't the same than inform for controlls like alcohol tests. Theses are forbidden to post in the group.

DUI tests, technical controls, speed traps, all the same. The law says "adresse des avertissements publics aux usagers de la route concernant les contrôles officiels du trafic".

Art. 98a LCR https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classif…index.html#a98a
oder uf Dütsch Art. 98a SVG https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classif…index.html#a98a
Read the whole thing, it is very generic and comprehensive.

PS: Wähir froh mis Franz wäri so guet wie die English.

@RebelFazer Wohn 18 Johr in nem kleine Dorf im Jura und du wirsch Französisch lerne
But like always, it's forbidden but everyone does it. But there is the problem what is count as warning and what isn't. if I send you "don't forgett it's 50 in the village xxx" is it a Warning?
people are very creatif to find a way to say it
Just don't post it on big groups and it's good, they don't gonna search on your phone if you warned your brother. At the test days at derendingen a biker warned like 100+ bikers that there comming to a speed trap.

@ilikebananas @RebelFazer

Or maybe we should all just start riding 50ccm, with a restriction of max 45km/h hehehe
But even then we would get caught in those shitty 30 Zones hahahahahaha