There's plenty of waxing lyrical about old fashioned dealers on here, but I'm here to tell you that not only are things not what they used to be, they never were. There's a small bike shop near where I live. Old fashioned, cramped, premises, little workshop you have to ride down an alley to get to, you know the picture. I never go in there cos it's just a Honda dealer, but it's dead close to where I live now, and is an MOT station, and I needed an MOT on the gixxer. So, I dropped it in Saturday morning, and went back an hour later as requested to collect it, and was presented with a fail certificate. Now, my gixxer is pretty scruffy - tape all down one side, and scrapes down the other. The rear brake pedal has a bend in it. But, everything works. However it failed on: - small number plate - wheels out of line - bent brake pedal. I was also "advised" that the chain was too loose I remonstrated with the tester - the brake pedal may be bent, but it's still right underneath your right foot. And the rear wheel was lined up by the marks on the swing arm, which the tester said you couldn't trust. Now, I know they're often a little in accurate, and also can't be trusted on a bike that's bent, but what else is a chap meant to do. The tester also told me that "as the number plate is a new part of the test from July, we're counting it from now". So, I took the bike home, and took the mole grips to the brake lever, expecting it to snap. But it didn't! I pulled the rear wheel out, checked it, and put it back in as it had been. The chain tension was bang on - the old boy probably didn't realise that sports bikes need a decent amount of play in the chain. And I put the original big plate back on. And took the bike back for a re-test. The chap in the workshop was happy to quickly check the failure points - he seemed pleased with the number plate and the brake lever. And then I say his wheel alignment technique - a small 6 volt battery wedged against each side of each tyre, and a bit of angle iron balanced on top. He said "it's still a bit out, but it's much better now". So, I took it home, changed the plate back and resolved not to go back there again.
