Paging Mr. Fantastic

With apologies to those who are fed up of these paging xxx posts, sorry
but I am in a rush to get to work and don't have the time to faff about
trawling the NG to get an email addy that may or may not be valid..

Mr. Fantastic, can you tell me whether or not your 400L has a front
parking light?

The pedantic inspector I saw today was adamant that mine required one,
despite the fact that there is no provision within the headlight for
one, nor on the loom. (Based not only on visual inspection, but also
looking at the exploded diagrams and wiring looms for the H & L models).

I went to my usual bike shop (who sadly doesn't do MOT's), they took a
peek and confirmed that there is no provision for the parking light at
the front. I've also taken a peek at the MOT site, and cannot find any
reference to a working parking light being required on the bike - unless
it has a sidecar fitted in which case the parking light on the sidecar
should be working.

--
Lesley
ZXR400SP
SBS#11[with oak-leaf cluster]
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18

Un-cork me to reply

 

Phone the DVLA on Monday, and if necessary gt the tester reprimanded.

 

I guess that you are referring to the "position lamp", or "sidelight".
Bear in mind that your bike is an import, and not designed or
manufactured to specifically comply with UK regs - and that the MOT
website is three years out of date.

Having said that, it has passed MOT tests before, in its present
condition and thus you could reasonably assume that it would do so
again. Was the tester new, young or otherwise inexperienced? He may
have had the 'obligatory lamp' for cars in his head, perhaps.

It seems strange that he has failed it where others have not, however
if he was expecting to see a lamp where there was none, then this may
explain that. The regs stating that the lamp is not required is one
thing, but explaining that to your tester is another completely
different ball game, I would suggest.

In conclusion, wibbleflipdibbledoo and take it somewhere else ;-)

 

<recommendation>

May I suggest somewhere else being Green Lane Motorcycle Services in Old
Swan?
Good bunch of lads with a sensible attitude towards MOTs. Nice cup of tea as
well.

Nope, I`m not affiliated to them in the slightest, but they`ve always been
honest, cheap and reliable for me at least.

</r>

 

It sounds as if he's confused. Ask him to refer to the appropriate
section of his testers manual.

Does the tail light come on independently of any on the front? Or,
hopefully slightly more clearer, does the rear light come on without a
corresponding light in the headlamp?

I used to have an ex Minor Lucas 7" sealed beam on the Guzzi without a
pilot light. The MOT chap kept threatening to fail it because the tail
light could be illuminated without anything at thr front.

It was the total lack of light it put out that caused it to be changed.

 

It is very unusual for an MOT requirement to be introduced
retrospectively [1]. As I assume DS's bike is over three years old I
can't see any recent change on pilot lights (that may not be included on
the MOT website) being applicable. C&U may be another matter, however.


[1] I can only think of windscreen washers on cars, IIRC they became
mandatory on all cars in the early '70s, regardless of age, unless they
had a removable screen.

 

sweller says...

Seat belts as well. In the 70s it became a requirement that all cars
built from January 1st 1964 onwards should have them fitted. I remember
helping my dad retro-fit them to our Morris Traveller because of the
change in the MOT law.

--
Lozzo : The anti-Timo
YZF1000R, GPZ500S, CB250RS x3
BOTAFOT#57/70a, BOTAFOF#57, MIB#22, TCP#7,
ANORAK#9, DIAABTCOD#14, UKRMT5BB, IBW#013, MIRTTH#15a/16,
BotToS#8, GP#2, SBS#10, SH#3, DFV#14, BONY#9.
Url for ukrm newbies : http://www.ukrm.net/faq/ukrmscbt.html
http://www.glfuk.com/ for MJK Leathers in the UK.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

 

Seat belts are not retrospective.

I've had a number of pre-64 cars that didn't have seat belts. The MOT
only applies to them if they're fitted.

 

sweller says...

Read my post again, it applies to cars registered *from* 1st Jan 1964
onwards. Quite a few cars in this age band hadn't had them from factory,
and after this law came into force at some point in the 70s they neeeded
fitting before the next MOT or the car would fail. Those registered
before that date are exempt. You're right about testing for those cars
fitted with them and registered before 1st Jan 1964, if they are fitted
they must be to MOT standard.

I've owned a few cars that had retro-fitted belts to comply with the
law.

--
Lozzo : The anti-Timo
YZF1000R, GPZ500S, CB250RS x3
BOTAFOT#57/70a, BOTAFOF#57, MIB#22, TCP#7,
ANORAK#9, DIAABTCOD#14, UKRMT5BB, IBW#013, MIRTTH#15a/16,
BotToS#8, GP#2, SBS#10, SH#3, DFV#14, BONY#9.
Url for ukrm newbies : http://www.ukrm.net/faq/ukrmscbt.html
http://www.glfuk.com/ for MJK Leathers in the UK.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

 

I still think that's not right. The case you cite are the few that
slipped through the net whilst sitting on the metaphorical dockside
between manufacture and registration.

Seat belts were not required to be fitted to vehicles that did not have
them "in use prior 1/1/1965" (we both got the date wrong).
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft_roads_5
06860-01.hcsp

I thought that it was mandatory for them to be fitted by the manufacturer
by 1964 as part of the C&U regs. This may be why I have 1964 as a
commencement date. I could be wrong though ...

As there doesn't appear to be a definitive "History of the MOT" I'll just
have to sulk.

 

sweller says...

Our Traveller was a 1969 G regd one, it had never had seat belts until
the law changed and passed a few MOTs like that. Then my dad and I
fitted them to apparently comply with the new law.

--
Lozzo : The anti-Timo
YZF1000R, GPZ500S, CB250RS x3
BOTAFOT#57/70a, BOTAFOF#57, MIB#22, TCP#7,
ANORAK#9, DIAABTCOD#14, UKRMT5BB, IBW#013, MIRTTH#15a/16,
BotToS#8, GP#2, SBS#10, SH#3, DFV#14, BONY#9.
Url for ukrm newbies : http://www.ukrm.net/faq/ukrmscbt.html
http://www.glfuk.com/ for MJK Leathers in the UK.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

 

Sulking it is then.

 

sweller says...

Here, have a choccy biccy

--
Lozzo : The anti-Timo
YZF1000R, GPZ500S, CB250RS x3
BOTAFOT#57/70a, BOTAFOF#57, MIB#22, TCP#7,
ANORAK#9, DIAABTCOD#14, UKRMT5BB, IBW#013, MIRTTH#15a/16,
BotToS#8, GP#2, SBS#10, SH#3, DFV#14, BONY#9.
Url for ukrm newbies : http://www.ukrm.net/faq/ukrmscbt.html
http://www.glfuk.com/ for MJK Leathers in the UK.
Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

 

(ii) Stop Lamps and Front and Rear Position Lamps - on motorcycles first
used on or after 1 April 1986 must be approved to EC Directive 76/758,
93/92, Chapter 2 of 97/24 or ECE Regulation 7 or 50;

I started
here........http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/pdf/df
t_roads_pdf_506856.pdf, quite a useful publication,
which led me to here
http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/s...numdoc&lg=en&numdoc=31989L0516&model=guichett

EEC ruling etc on lights on motor vehicles, I assume from the text that it
also applies to motorcycles although nowt in there to say it actually does
by wording.
HTH


--
--
Robbo
1500GL 1988 Goldwing (Rebuild in process)
BMW K100 RS 1984
"Fairly Quick" status. Silver level
BotaFOF #19. E.O.S.M 2001/2002/2003.
B.O.S.M 2003.FURSWB#1 KotL..YTC449
PM#7

 

Pip says...

The tester is Ronnie, commonly referred to as IBR (Incredibly Boring
Ronnie) because he cannot have a conversation that lasts less than 1/2
hour on one small subject, and quite frankly doesn't appear to draw
breath in the whole period he spends wibbling.

To put it into context, many years ago I went to a bike shop in
Liverpool and acknowledged him because I recognised his face. I bought
the bits I needed for the bike and left the store, put them into the
boot of the car to head home. To normal people it would just be a 'see
you soon' moment. Not Ronnie. Oh, no. I had to reverse out of the car
park whilst attempting to wind my window up with his head through it,
still attempting to hold a conversation!

I think he is taking the word of the MOT book to the extreme. The
annoying thing is I took it there last year and mentioned the fact that
it didn't have a parking light at the front, yada yada, and he was ok
with it. He was also ok with the exhaust that came with the Jap import
yet this time he had a problem with it. I have come to the conclusion
that he spends a lot of time looking for something to fail a bike on.

The goit even said to me 'you've changed a lot on this bike since I last
saw it'. The only difference is the bloody rear light switch attachment
I installed on it. Cnut.

I will be taking it elsewhere, no doubt about that. The shame is that
the guy who owns the garage is a good 'un, unfortunately it's Ronnie
that wields the power when it comes to MOT's.

--
Lesley
ZXR400SP
SBS#11[with oak-leaf cluster]
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18

Un-cork me to reply

 

Loz H says...

Never heard of them, but thanks for the nod.

That's a good enough reason for a plug )

--
Lesley
ZXR400SP
SBS#11[with oak-leaf cluster]
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18

Un-cork me to reply

 

sweller says...

I was under the impression that you could only MOT a car with seatbelts
as a requirement if the vehicle was introduced into the country with
them as standard, ergo older vehicles that didn't have them as standard
were exempt from the seatbelt part of the MOT.

If that makes any sense.

--
Lesley
ZXR400SP
SBS#11[with oak-leaf cluster]
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18

Un-cork me to reply

 

sweller says...

I can see where the tester is coming from as there is a provision for a
parking light on the switch cluster, this causes the rear light to be
illuminated only.

Having looked into the situation extensively last year I know that there
is a significant difference between the H & L models of the ZXR400. The
exploded diagram for the headlights on the H shows a parking light
installed, there isn't one on the L. The wiring loom on the H shows
wiring for a parking light on the front. The L doesn't.

<shrug>

I don't know why they decided to change it. And, although the bike is a
Jap import the headlight in all other respects conforms to UK regs..so
the headlight was changed when it was brought into the country to comply
with our regs as they stood at that point in time.

--
Lesley
ZXR400SP
SBS#11[with oak-leaf cluster]
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18

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Robbo says...

Somthing that is easy to read would be a bonus, rather than the
convulated way that document has been done.

--
Lesley
ZXR400SP
SBS#11[with oak-leaf cluster]
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18

Un-cork me to reply

 

Sorry for the late response, I've been playing. :-D

Anyway, yeah, it's on the ignition switch (on, off, lock, p) but I'm sure
it's never been tested on an MOT.

As I think someone up there ^^ says, if it's passed before then surely it
shouldn't be a problem this time? Unless the tester's being a pedantic twat,
I suppose.

HTH.