Pre-MoT Gaffer Tape Inspection

Good afternoon.

Due to my impending MoT I've arranged a pre-mot gaffer tape inspection
with Mr. prawn in Rye next weekend.

My clocks have been held together with gaffer tape since February and
held on with cable ties. They've never fallen off but do rattle
around when I go over bumps.

For the MoT I want to get them held on a bit more securely so they
don't rattle and I was planning on putting a few more cable ties and
some tight gaffer tape on.

Is gaffer tape frowned upon during an MoT test and if it is, what, in
your experience, is okay to secure something?

 

Angle Grinder

 

BGN wrote

Arternoon Nick.

There is probably a .gov web site where all this is explained in detail.

Fundamentally though your mot is all about safety. Brakes, lights
emissions and such. When it rattles on about bodywork and other
cosmetic bits the rules are about not having sharp bits sticking out and
it all being reasonably well secured. Gaffa tape, properly applied
should not be a reason to fail.

 

Replacing the clocks and idiot panel is certainly an option, but not
in this part of the year.

I've found suitable clocks but an appropriate idiot panel is not
forthcoming (I don't know where to find a selection to look at) and I
wouldn't know where to start. Kawasaki will be happy to sell me
replacement clocks at £600 excluding labour which is very nice of them
but unless Satan is skating to work tomorrow they can go ****
themselves. Most ER-5 clocks on ebay also come in a post-disastered
format and sell for about £250 without any guarantee of working.

 

snip>

Did you ever see the amount of gaffer tape holding my old 9R together?
It passed two mot tests like that.

 

Hmm.
We're going to have to find some for you aren't we, Nick?

Dave

 

<looks at grimly at pay slip> Only if magic beans are an accepted form
of payment.

 

<start: not taking the piss mode>
Let me have a scout around and see what I can find.
I, erm, "know a few people" IYSWIM etc etc etc
<end : nttpm>

Meantime:
Loads of gaffer tap and loads of angle ties might help....
I have a mate who /is/ an MOT tester for bikes.
I'll ask him where the pass/fail line is on that one.

How soon is your MOT test?

Dave

 

MoT runs out 7th February, but I should be having a test the last
Saturday in January.

 

I can't remember how bad the damage was, or, indeed, how many chunks
were missing.

However, in your position, I'd be tempted to go down your local motor
factors in the morning, buy a tin of P38, a tin of P40, a small amount
of chicken wire and some black, smooth, hammerite.

I've managed to bodge a few things like that.

 

I'll try and have a chat down the pub tomorrow.
If not - Monday/Tuesday-ish.

Before you aske :
Yes. I bought my bike from "a man in a pub".
He happens to be a partner in a local bike shop.
And a bloke I've known for 30-odd years
And a bloke I would trust /implicitly/ with my bikes.
If it wasn't for him, I'd still be pushing my broken CB200 back from the
1976 IOM TT....
(Now. there is a STORY!)

 

<holds up hand>
I missed that one.
Best suggestion yet!


Dave

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, steve auvache amazed us all with this pearl of
wisdom:

In actual fact, when properly applied, gaffer tape is a reason to pass.

 

Ooh. Ta.

How many years does it take to push a broken CB200 from IOM?

 

The muddy bits on the bottom cause a bit of a slow-up.

 

What? Bollox, I'm never on the bottom.

 

Well, I certainly wouldn't want to be on the bottom of the Irish Sea.
Glow-in-the-dark rocks, mud, and all the WW2 munitions you could ever
want.