Hi all,

I will be riding my Honda ST1300 Pan European through Austria in September and may well use the motorways or expressways. I have no problem in buying the 10 day vignette (about €5?) but I would like some clarification on where I can mount it. From what I understand these things are particularly sticky and are intended to be very difficult to remove. They break up when trying to get them off so that they are not able to be relocated to another vehicle. I have been reading stories of them having to be scraped off with razor blades and leaving damage to screens or fairing panels etc, and that the residual glue may leave a sort of 'etch' mark on some plastics. It seems the official advice is as follows:

With single track vehicles the vignette must be stuck where it is easily visible on a flat part which cannot be removed or can only be removed with difficulty.

So, my question: where can the vignette be attached where it will be acceptable and will do no lasting damage to surfaces?

My thoughts are that putting it on the number plate might work. I have also heard of them being put under the seat on the top of the rear mudguard.

Anyone have any relevant experience and wise words on the subject?

Stick some easily removed tape to wherever you want the vignette and stick it to the tape, you can then just remove the tape.

I had thought of that Mark, but unfortunately that is unacceptable to the Austrians. It circumvents the anti-tamper features of the vignette, ie the features that make it non-removable and therefore non-transferable. If discovered during an inspection (entirely possible) it seems that the fines are quite large (at least €130) and therefore possibly not worth the risk.

Anyone had any experience of removing an Austrian vignette after their trip? Where was is fitted and how did you get it off?

Don't stress! I just took mine off last week.
It peels off just scratching it with a finger nail. It is designed to rip in parts thereby preventing transfer to other vehicle.
Just stick it on your front fairing where it is supposed to be. ( not hidden under seats/number plates etc)

Hi 1moremile!
As Bertrand mentioned it is really easy to remove without damage to the motorcycle.
Another way to fix it is with this little gadget from Louis Motorcycle Company: (www.louis.de)
The price is higher than the vignette itself. €4.90 for 10 days so its up to you if its worth the extra money.


FIXITEASY HOLDER FOR HIGH

Area of use: For motorcycles and scooters: enables vignettes to be attached/removed on forks with a diameter of up to 8 cm without damaging the paintwork
Material/colour: plastic/black

Properties: Moulded in one piece, permanent attachment, non-transferable

Where to install: Regulations of ASFINAG (Austrian motorway authority) for the Austrian motorway vignette:
"The holder must only be attached to a fixed component of the vehicle which is difficult to remove with tools." Luggage racks, crash bars, open handlebar ends, open footrests (to mention only a few) are not permitted attachment points. The holder must only be mounted on the steering stem of the front wheel/fork.

How to attach: Feed the holder strap around the fork and pull tight. Use a screwdriver or similar tool to ensure that the strap is fully tightened and locked in place, rather like a cable tie. Then cut off the projecting strap as close to the fork as possible, e.g. using side-cutters. Then stick the vignette to the mounting plate, which must be free of dust. Make sure that the vignette is well centred and the expiry date is clearly visible.

See the installation video for the correct method.

How to remove: Once the vignette has expired, you can remove the holder by cutting through the fastening strap with a sharp cutting tool.

Approval: With effect from 17th March 2011, FixItEasy V4 is officially approved by ASFINAG as an alternative to sticking the vignette to the vehicle itself, provided that the above method of attachment is adhered to (see the attached letter of confirmation)

Note: This vignette holder is used at the vehicle owner's own responsibility. Certified only for austria.

Thanks Bertrand and Lobster09 - good to know I won't require a hammer and chisel to shift the thing. I shall stop worrying about it.

I attach the vignettes on the plastic panel down by the gearshift lever on my ST1100. In that location, they are easy for police and others to see at roadside checks or border crossings, but they are otherwise out of the way and don't look ugly.

Although that plastic panel could be removed from the bike, the only thing it would attach to would be another ST1100, and it is not obvious from the appearance of the motorcycle that the panel is removable.

If you want to remove the vignette at a later date, warm it up with a hair dryer, that usually makes it easier to peel it off.

Michael

Vignettes on PanEuropean

I'm back from Austria and had a great trip - went through 9 countries in 10 days with no problems at all. I eventually attached the vignette to the RHS fairing pocket lid, but first I rubbed a tiny quantity of light oil over the surface. The vignette came off 10 days later with no problems. Austria is a very bike-friendly country from what I found, The total opposite of it's neighbour Switzerland.