Must you have an license plate light?

[neilhatch]

Do I, Don't I?

Put on my undertray and new lights but I don't have a plate light. Do I need one?


CHeers.
Neil

[TazDaz]

I know for sure you need one on a car to get through the MOT. Surely the same rules apply for bikes?

[Mr Speirs]

Yeah you need one.

[Paul the 6th]

think you need a red reflector as well but the standard one doesn't fit on the hamicad tail tidy. Bit of a farse since there's a great big giant strip of LED's stacked vertically above the numberplate, and they can't be turned off.

[arenalife]

think you need a red reflector as well but the standard one doesn't fit on the hamicad tail tidy. Bit of a farse since there's a great big giant strip of LED's stacked vertically above the numberplate, and they can't be turned off.

They're not on when it's moving, rear reflectors on vehicles are so vehicles can see them at night when they're parked. That's why the highway code says not to park facing the wrong direction. Rarely enforced but I did read of a case where a police pursuit car whacked a parked car and prosecuted the owner for having it parked backwards!

[maviczap]

Yes you must have both. I got a nice one from Evotech on EBAY, single led which shines over the number plate unlike some of the car type ones which don't.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LED-NUMBER-PLATE-TAIL-TIDY-LIGHT-WHITE-12-VOLT_W0QQitemZ160293110791QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item 160293110791&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C 240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
I drilled through the number plate to fit mine, no hassle at all and is very discreet. Bike shop fitted a small sticky round red reflector onto the number plate get it through the MOT

[schofs]

My Hamicad (just fitted yesterday) fitted nicely with the original number plate light... although no reflector.

The trick with the reflector is to get a small reflective sticker and pop it somewhere inconspicuous (like on your number place) which is enough to pass the MOT and be road legal (I'm told)

[the_lone_wolf]

The trick with the reflector is to get a small reflective sticker and pop it somewhere inconspicuous (like on your number place) which is enough to pass the MOT and be road legal (I'm told)

If the tester follows the letter of the law it will fail, a sticker is not acceptable according to the MOT manual:

Reflecting and Retroreflective tape must NOT be regarded as a substitute for an obligatory reflector.

tbh, with modern number plates being made of retro-reflecftive material i'm not concerned about the absence of a reflector on my bike from a safety point of view, only from a legal one

[yorkie_chris]

You can get the proper prism type reflectors in stick-on form though.

[the_lone_wolf]

You can get the proper prism type reflectors in stick-on form though.
yes, i assumed by sticker he meant the type that came with my R&G one

a prism type one might work, but the manual also states that the reflector must be positioned to reflect "squarely to the rear" - which one on a plate won't without some jiggery-pokery - i reckon you'd have to be visiting a fairly anal tester to fail it for that though...

[neilhatch]

Okay, question time.

Here are a couple of bad pictures with it fitted to my bike and a link from which I bought it showing it a little beter.

Question1 - wat make is it?
Question2 - I didn't remove the original undertray (couldn't see how the battery would have fitted otherwise). Is this right?
Question3 - How could you fit a plate light to it? Original post picture has no light????

2612

2611

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=114544

Cheers.
Neil

[the_lone_wolf]

Question3 - How could you fit a plate light to it? Original post picture has no light????
http://www.busters-accessories.co.uk/productinfo.aspx?catRef=MAP539151

drill a hole in the frame of the hanger and fit one of these with a washer or similar...

[simesb]

That's why the highway code says not to park facing the wrong direction.

Unless in a recognised parking space. Section 248 (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069860)