Exhaust and Number Plates - Police view

Wot about the anti-flash plates?has any 1 ever heard of them?r NO someone who has used them ????and got away without a ticket for speeding...

Originally Posted by dowdy01

Wot about the anti-flash plates?has any 1 ever heard of them?r NO someone who has used them ????and got away without a ticket for speeding...

There's so many pit falls with this type of stuff that it's generally not worth it.

They either don't work as adverstised period, or they do, and the first cop car to follow you with a video camera will spot it.

So why is it that Harleys are legal yet probably the loudest standard production bike on earth? All a little unfair is not not? And why is it that a Chav mobile can have a bored out family sized baked bean can as an exhaust and that is 'legal'. Well maybe the last example is not legal but they are everywhere where I live and the plods' don't ever pull them for being 'too loud'. I got pulled once and was told that it was too loud, I asked him to quantify his statement and nearly got cautioned. Apparently he needed a Thesaurus. His mate was laughing behind his back though which made it all worth while. Most coppers in my area are fine though, funnily enough it's the bike coppers that tend to be a bit........jobsworth like. Bless 'em.

heh.. well that took me the majority of the day to read through.. Kwakadan did you get a fine?

BTW flash plates don't comply to the regs apparently and it is debatable whether they really work enough to stop you from getting a ticket. Again as stated all the way through this thred. either do it legal (stay to the speed limit) or dont and risk a slap on the hand. Personally if you get done by a camera you must either be lost or enjoying yourself too much. they are easy to see and you cant even get done for the forward facing ones!

Originally Posted by thebluelion

Let me get this right, i have an Art can on my bike with "Not for road use"stamped on it so if i get this removed and the cops or the MOT can't see it i'm legal?

As far as I know it should have the relevent BS or EU stamp on it. You can get dodgy plates with it stamped on to be riveted on but I reckon a copper in the know would get it sound tested or something similar.

Regarding number plates, I read in Bike or Ride very recently that the old bill have had new advise from er...whoever edvises them that if a number plate is legible at 20 metres not to take further action if it is small. Just had a look but can't find the article. Will update if I do!

Originally Posted by fullstop102

heh.. well that took me the majority of the day to read through.. Kwakadan did you get a fine?

BTW flash plates don't comply to the regs apparently and it is debatable whether they really work enough to stop you from getting a ticket. Again as stated all the way through this thred. either do it legal (stay to the speed limit) or dont and risk a slap on the hand. Personally if you get done by a camera you must either be lost or enjoying yourself too much. they are easy to see and you cant even get done for the forward facing ones!

You say they're easy to see but I saw one the other day that must be new. It was tiny! Can't for the life of me remember where cos I'm a mobile engineer.

Anyone else seen them? (It wasn't the small, high mounted gatso or a traffic light camera-before anyone jumps in but similar to the high ones but curved.)

Another view on this, I've seen a couple of bikes with larger plates on, but at more of an angle, thus making them more aerodynamic, but also less visible. Quiff's bike is a good example of this IMO. Following him on the North Wales ride, I could see the plate on the bike in front of him, but couldn't read his!

I've also seen a bike with the plate pretty much strapped to the rear shock, under the seat, in front of the rear wheel. I couldn't see the last 3 letters due to the wheel!!

In my experience the noise issue is mostly boils down to the opinion of the copper who pulls you. I have mates with race cans on Gixers and R1s etc who get pulled and a couple have been given rectification notices. Checking the number of the copper who pulled them shows it's the same one who pulled me when an indicator was hanging off my Triumph (I clouted it while filtering in town). My Triumph is most definitely louder than mate's Gixers etc, but I didn't get a ticket. Triumph's original high-level race cans have the 'for race use only' stamped on the heel plate, but I've polished that part out.

I kinda know the copper in question, so next time I saw him I flagged him down and asked what the score was with race cans etc. He told me it boils down to how obnoxious the noise is - V-twins and triples sound fine, but the high pitched scream from an IL4 gets on his and other folks tits, which is why he didn't give me a ticket. He actually commented that he quite likes the noise Vs and Triumphs make.

When I dropped in a question about plates he said "If I can read it from 20 yards away, and the lettering isn't in a stupid slanty swoopy font then it's ok. Keep it looking somewhere near legal and you'll be fine". I did a bit more research with coppers who come into the shop and they al say pretty much the same thing.

Trouble with overloud exhausts is that they screw it for those of us whose genitalia are big enough. I'll get my coat

Well, I looked it up.....

Blackstones Police Manual - Road Traffic.

Number Plates:
There are lots of do's and dont's on registration plates but in a nutshell, the plate must comply with the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 which in English says:

No stylised lettering (which used to be legal) must be used

Registration plates fixed to vehicles first registered on or after 1 Sept 2001 must have characters in the prescribed font only and that plates on other vehicles must be in a fot or style which is 'substantially similar' to that font and are easily distinguishable.

Characters must not be formed:
In Italic script

In a font which is not vertical

Using multiple or broken strokes

In such a way to make a character appear like a different character

Additionally.....

~reg 11 prohibits the use of bolts and screws or fixing devices which have the effect of changing the appearance or legibility of any characters.....
this is also the same regulation that prohibits the use of reflex-reflecting material, retro-reflective characters and any other treatment of the number plate which renders the characters less distinguishable to the eye or would impair the making of a true photographic image of the plate (this regulation is designed to prevent the proliferation...... -yes thats what it says...proliferation ...of plates that cannot be picked up by traffic regulation cameras.....!

The permitted layout, spacing and required characters sizes are set out in ~reg14 section 3, these are very detailed and make fine distinctions between types of vehicle, eg: size of characters on the number plates of motor cycles, motor tricycles and quadricycles is different to that of cars...
~reg 16 prohibits the display of an material other than a registration mark on a number plate other than its international distinguishing marks (GB), but have been amended to allow for national flags ie Union flag , st Georges flag, Scottish saltire and the Welsh dragon with the relevant intitals eg: cym etc.

Noise:

Regulations 54 and 57 regulate the fitting and use of silencers (including the rather sad attempts of some to increase the sound of their mopeds).....and yes it does say that in the police manual....honest...!
While regs 37 and 99 apply to the types of audible warning instruments which are allowed on certain vehicles.

Hope this makes it clear as mud ....and just thought I would pop this one in too....

Motor Cycle Helmets:
The motor cycles (eye protectors) Regulations 1999 create an offence of using non-prescribed eye protectors when driving or riding on a motor cycle.
The empose standards on those appliances which motor cyclists choose to use.
The definition of eye protector includes any appliance placed on the head intended for the protection of the eyes (WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE SUNGLASSES)
....Oh and if you are straddling your cycle and pushing it along with your feet, even if it ISNT TURNED ON....you are considered RIDING.. you need to be wearing a helmet...(which if you are a Sikh and wearing a turban you are exempt from by the way)