MOT changes
 

Registration plates....A number plate that can be misread from a distance of approx 15 metres from the rear or the m/cycle is now a reason for rejection (fail)
A single line plate ie ABC 123 is a fail
A multi line plate will fail if the letters or figures are incorrectly formed,too small,or not of an equal stroke.

VIN and FRAME numbers.
A motorcycle first used on or after 1st august 1999, unless amateur built must have/display a VIN/FRAME no. This follows changes to Type approval legislation and construction and use regulations which now require that the VIN on all new vehicles should be easily visable or accessible.

Fuel system checks.
Apart from the usual checks, now the fuel cap has to be checked, so if its on a seperate key remember to take it with you.

EXHAUSTS (this is word for word)

Finally you no longer need to inspect an exhaust for british standard or equivalent markings. Under section 7.1,you can now decide for yourself if the noise emission from the exhaust is acceptable. However, you must still fail silencers that are marked as "not suitable for road use" Again, we have taken this step to simplify the test because of the many different markings that you can come across on exhausts.

Interesting .... so does this now mean that an over-zealous policeman can form the opinion that a perfectly legal exhaust is "a bit noisy" and thus still issue a producer, even if it has a BSAU or equivalent mark on it?

I'm thinking that this has been brought in to cover where an aftermarket sticker or plate has been put onto a noisy exhaust...

And on the flip side, will I be able to MOT my noisy pipes if I polish off the "race use only" stamp?

:D

[Edited on 27-10-2004 by antonye]

Where are these changes listed? is there a website or a paper document you can obtain?

Be handy to have that to hand if plod got stroppy

The above info hasn't got anything to do with if the Police can do you or not. They will issue a producer based upon a breach of the construction and use regulations which probably still state that the exhaust must have the correct marks etc. I'd love to be proved wrong though!

I was chatting with one of the testers I use about this and it has a lot to do with people putting the eBay BS stickers on their race cans.
It's now down to the testers discretion as to whether the exhaust is "substantially or discernably" louder than the stock system, in good condition, as to whether it gets through or not.
I've run a bike down there with the bolt in baffles I've got and he said, in his opinion, it was OK and passed it................ I'm happy with that ;)

Pauls right though, I think. The MOT is one thing, getting pulled and issued with a rectification notice is another issue altogether.

I hadn't heard the number plate changes though.............:puzzled:

well for me that's good news. will be a heck of a lot easier to bolt in some baffles than change the system!

i think the number plate thing has been in place for a few months, and probably ties up with the new regs for getting a proper plate made... so you can't get away with running a "show plate".

Remember tho' Nick..........it's at the testers discretion. That's the sticking point!!
If it's thought a set of cored cans, or even std. ones that have blown their packing, are too noisy then it's a fail if he wishes...

Nelly
how long to get me a set of new plates???

My cored cans have passed two MOT's now but its a worry every year. I think because they look standard from the outside then they just assume that Dukes sound like that anyhow. If its got Devil or Termi or such like on it then they start to get interested.

But it's always been like that...

The point I'm making is that an MOT tester has been trained for this particular task, and therefore knows a bit about how "loud" a bike should sound before it fails the MOT.

However, your average plod on the street would probably go by the BSAU or equivalent sticker, and ticket if it wasn't there.

What one thinks will pass and what the other thinks may well be completely different.

I don't think this new change has helped, but just muddied the waters even more!