MOT requirements question.

Hi all,

I recently bought a 2000 ZX-7R and it came with 12 months MOT as the ownerMOT'd it just prior to sale. All was well until I got pulled by the policeat a random stop. The bike has got an undertray fitted and this means ithas a smaller plate than standard. The copper asked me to change it for alarger one and also informed me that he thought my indicators were tooclose together and that I also legally must have a reflector and a numberplate light...

Eeeks.... To be fair he didn't fine me or give me a rectification notice,just said "fix it". I don't really want to mess with the indicators andhave nowhere to fit a plate light. Can anyone tell me will the indicatorsor lack of plate light fail its MOT? If so how did it get one last month? Ican fit a reflector with sticky back tape and can get a bigger plate sothey are no problem. I'm just really worried about the plate light andindicators. can anyone tell me for sure if I will fail for these pointswhen MOT time comes around?

Finally on an unrelated'ish note, I would like to buy a tinted visor as Ihate wearing sun glasses under my visor. if I carry a clear one with me isthat okay or am I asking for more trouble with my already illegal bike?


Thanks
Steve

 

James Wood wrote:

I think you'll find the number plate is not part of the MOT unless it is
dangerous.

Yes they will.

 

Hi all,

I recently bought a 2000 ZX-7R and it came with 12 months MOT as the owner
MOT'd it just prior to sale. All was well until I got pulled by the police
at a random stop. The bike has got an undertray fitted and this means it has
a smaller plate than standard. The copper asked me to change it for a larger
one and also informed me that he thought my indicators were too close
together and that I also legally must have a reflector and a number plate
light...

Eeeks.... To be fair he didn't fine me or give me a rectification notice,
just said "fix it". I don't really want to mess with the indicators and have
nowhere to fit a plate light. Can anyone tell me will the indicators or lack
of plate light fail its MOT? If so how did it get one last month? I can fit
a reflector with sticky back tape and can get a bigger plate so they are no
problem. I'm just really worried about the plate light and indicators. can
anyone tell me for sure if I will fail for these points when MOT time comes
around?

Finally on an unrelated'ish note, I would like to buy a tinted visor as I
hate wearing sun glasses under my visor. if I carry a clear one with me is
that okay or am I asking for more trouble with my already illegal bike?


Thanks
Steve

MSN:
MY BIKE AND ASTRONOMY SITE:
http://www.biker.v21hosting.co.uk

HI there,
You do have to have a reflector, however it could be the size of a pea, so a
small one stuck to the plate is fine. (about the size of a 2p coin.)
It does not matter what the indicators are, as long as they work, there is
no limit of how close the are and so forth.
The plate will have to be changed. to be road legal for an MOT they need to
be the standard size. (don't know what that is).
Tinted visor is fine if you carry a normal one too. (no copper will pull you
for that)
Hope this helps
Jim

 

According to

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/motorcycleowners/mottesting/motorcyclecomponentstested.htm

the plate isn't tested.

Different kettle of fish entirely, it seems.

Ho Ho Ho.

--
| ___ Salad Dodger
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_/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/KH500A8/TS250C
|_\_____/_| ..64741../..15361.../..3157./.19406
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4 PM#5
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11 WG*
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17
'^' RBR-Visited:14 Pts: 270 Miles:1248

 

I'd call that a result. I'd also get on and fix it, because sure as
eggs, if you get pulled by the same copper again, you are toast.

None of these issues save the presence of a reflector are reasons to
fail the MOT. Perhaps spaced apart LED indicators would be the
answer. A white LED will suffice as a plate light - these are
obtainable on ebay, for example, with a stiff wire 'tail' that you can
bend around to point the LED where you want it to point.

s far as the plate goes, go to any motorcycle shop and ask them to
make you a plate. The requirements have been tightened up
considerably recently and they will make you a conforming plate. You
will need to produce your V5 and ID to get a plate, mind.
If you want to be legal, buy a kitemarked or E-marked tinted visor.

If you want people to read your posts, please adjust your news
software to a line length of ~72 characters. Otherwise people will
give up on the scrolling mass that your original post resembled.

When replying here, we follow up below the text to which we are
replying, as I am doing here. This makes the huge number of posts
here every day manageable for the regulars and a flamewar will kick
off if you try to buck the system.

Look here for newsgroup info:
http://www.ukrm.net/faq/The_Newsgroup/Posting_Style.html
and have a look around the FAQ while you are there.

For MOT info, look here:
http://www.motuk.co.uk/mcmanual_110.htm
It's not wonderfully written or detailed, but gives a decent guide.

Nice bit of reformatting, James. Shame you couldn't manage the indent
string to sort out the attributions - but never mind, I've corrected
that for you.

Sadly, there's a few other things that need correcting too:

There is a minimum size requirement for a reflector. It used to be an
inch square, but I expect it has gone metric - 25mm square, probably.

There is a requirement for minimum distance between indicators.

Numberplate size is not an MOT tester's concern. In fact as far as I
know, none of these particular items fall within the remit of the MOT
test, rather they are Construction and Use Regs offences.

people are regularly stopped for using dark visors. If they transmit
less than the legally required amount of light then the use of that
visor is an offence, no matter if you have a clear one with you - in
fact, having a clear visor but not using it, instead choosing to use
an illegal item compounds the offence.

Get rid of this shit, fuckwit. It has no place on a post to usenet.

 

To be road legal, indicators must be a minimum distance apart. AFAIK,
this is not measured on an MoT test, though

Wrong!

--
Veggie Dave
UKRMHRC#2 BOTAFOF#08
IQ 18 FILMS http://www.iq18films.com
Extreme Racing http://www.veggie-dave.co.uk
Toxic Shock Syndrome Gets More Girls Than Me

 

Hi Pip,

Yes, I'll get a bigger plate.

Good idea, I'll get a white led fitted.

Okay, thanks I'll try to find a legal tint one for my Shoei. I'm just
not sure that it will be strong enough. I guess I can have a look
through one in a shop.

Sorry, not sure how it became unwrapped. Set now to 72.

I always do.

Cheers for all your help. I'll check out the legal tint, get a new
plate and buy a white led.

Regards,
Steve

 

Fancy that, I was just looking at the VOSA site and was sure it said
some thing like they check numberplate condition, spacing etc.

And it does, but only for cars:
http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/carlgvowners/mottesting/carcomponentstested.
htm

For bikes it's not an issue:
http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/motorcycleowners/mottesting/motorcyclecompon
entstested.htm

 

Really? Is that right?

My Uvex visor is both tinted and legal - and incidentally, lighter in
shade than those currently in use by Bedfordshire's motorcycle police.

Your lack of attributions is, however, criminal.

 

Pip says...

Yeah, but "my norton dominator" explains rather a lot.

 

Ah, but is it "well screwed together"?

--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/KH500A8/TS250C
|_\_____/_| ..64741../..15361.../..3157./.19406
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4 PM#5
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11 WG*
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17
'^' RBR-Visited:14 Pts: 270 Miles:1248

 

Salad Dodger says...

Well screwed, certainly

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, MattG said:

Yeah, better than the latest R1, that is.

 

Type Approval for Motorcycles and Mopeds
http://www.vca.gov.uk/downloads/files/vca005.pdf

As an aside; my Guzzi has no number plate lght (the tail lamp unit is an
ex MZ sidecar one). It has passed the last 8 or 9 MOTs like that.
Nothing has ever been said by a tester.

I spoke to Sussex plod at the time of fitting about it. There is no
requirement for a number plate light but if it's fitted it must work.

Unfortunately for you this is only for machines registered prior to
1/04/86.

 

Not an option on a post '86 machine.