They aren't banned but you do have to disable the 'Safety Camera' PoIs in the Settings whilst in France. tbh they're mostly useless there anyway as the fixed ones are few and far between and usually have a large warning sign 0.5-2km before, but if you're going to get caught speeding in France it'll be by a mobile unit or the Gendarmerie.
NavFree on the iPhone will do if you're on a budget but if you can stretch to it the Garmin Zumo 220 is a very good deal at £250 + £4.40 P&P from Amazon marketplace: Garmin Zumo 220 3.5" Sat Nav for Motorcycles with UK and Full Europe Maps and Bluetooth: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics It's waterproof, comes with all maps for Europe, can be used whilst wearing gloves (which is VERY handy!), can be mounted easily using Bob Telferizer's cheap RAM mount and is a fantastic satnav (Lane Assist is really good for complex junctions and motorways). The functions for finding fuel, hotels, etc is a godsend particularly in rural parts where the best roads usually are. You would realistically only need 1 between the group, rather than one each.
