Does anyone know the current legal situation on having a 'small' number plate on your bike? There's a bit of a discussion going on at work,and so far I have heard everything from "....you just get a warning" all the way through to "....you can have your bike confiscated" by the police officer. Does anyone know the real story ? Thanks in advance......
Have heard the threat of taking your plate off you i believe this is only the case for repeat offenders and private plates issued by DVLA which are by all rights still property of DVLA and not the individual even though they have paid for the privilage.
having just got a new reg and plate there's a leaflet that comes with it saying exactly as scottyb says - the reg belongs to dvla and you are merely the keeper of the vehicle using it. And they do mention confiscation if you don't toe the line or if you mis-represent the registration
My smallish plate got ignored when we all got pulled over in Thames Valley area for "safety inspection". It wasn't taking the p**s though, it was just a trimmed down plate with slightly smaller lettering. There is a standard though detailed on the DVLA website if you want to look - it specifies the border width round the outside, character size, font, and spacing, as well as "illegal" grouping of characters.
Couple of mates got done for a tiny plate (fine) and loud exhausts though, because those are obviously "unsafe" to use.
Interestingly though, the Aprilia Falco owner was warned that he could have got fined TWICE - one for each can!
He was being... now what is the technical term??? Oh yes, b*llshitted!! The offence is failing to maintain the exhaust system, there is only one "system" on the bike and to issue a separate penalty for each silencer would constitute an abuse of process.
:P £30 fine(non endorsable so who gives a feck) twice so far..As the fines go straight to the force's coffers I think the threat of confiscation is an empty one as they would be doing themselves out of the income!!!stoopid feckers..