Exhaust and Number Plates - Police view

A 7x5 plate will cost you £30 when stopped by the law.

A second stop with the same plate on, and they can confiscate your plate, or take you to court, because you've had time to rectify it.

HTH.

EDIT: Also, officers in a car are not the one's who decide if a persuit is a go, regardless of who they are persuing. That's the job of someone in the control room. A car can happily persue a motorcycle, however, the second that a biker removes their helmet, general concencus is to terminate the persuit on the grounds of safety.

Apparently on 2 Oct new rule in MOT says that number plate must also contain the details of the supplier name and address along the bottom of the plate. Colleagues's Son's car just failed because of it so had to buy new plates. Assume this is to curb use of show/mini plates etc and will also apply to bikes? Suppose it will call for a quick change back to original plate when MOT comes around.

What, you mean like the baffle accidentally falls out the second you get the bike home, the plate will now run off & hide in your garage?

The MOT is effectivley invalid the moment you ride away from the test centre anyway.

Originally Posted by Baph

What, you mean like the baffle accidentally falls out the second you get the bike home, the plate will now run off & hide in your garage? - not sure what you are getting at. I have kept original (legal with suppliers details on bottom line etc) plates but always passed MOT with small plates previously. All I'm saying is that I'll need to remember to put proper plate back on for MOT to save failure and additional cost/hassle on the day.

The MOT is effectivley invalid the moment you ride away from the test centre anyway.

Indeed, but you still need to get through at that moment.

in my friends example he had the plates supplied when he bought the car secondhand. he didn't relaise that the plate wouldn't get through the MOT as it all other aspects the plate looked legal and was sold through a car dealer that way. Nothing mysterious just heard about it and thought I'd let others know. tis all.

Originally Posted by Baph

The MOT is effectivley invalid the moment you ride away from the test centre anyway.

This is not true, the MOT is valid for a year and states that a vehicles roadworthiness (now including a plate) at the time that it was tested. A small plate fitted afterwards will not invalidate it any more than a worne tyre months later or a fruity pipe (re)fitted afterwards.

The law on plates has been clear for some time, the inclusion in the MOT has just made it checkable once a year. Saves plod checking it all the time. You cannot buy a legal plate without proof of ID and ownership I believe.

Originally Posted by Beenz

This is not true, the MOT is valid for a year and states that a vehicles roadworthiness (now including a plate) at the time that it was tested. A small plate fitted afterwards will not invalidate it any more than a worne tyre months later or a fruity pipe (re)fitted afterwards.

OK, an example for you.

You go for an MOT on the bike, the rear is well worn, but is still legally OK. You pass the MOT. The tyre then goes downhill over the next two days (as I've seen happen with a couple of Z6 rears), and quickly becomes illegal.

You get pulled over by Plod because they've had reports of a stolen bike matching yours in the area (but it's not yours, just a vague description has been given, and it's same model/colour). Whilst they're looking at the bike, they notice the now illegal tyre.

Can the MOT centre be held accountable, despite it only being two days prior that they passed the bike? No.

The MOT states that the vehicle is roadworthy at the time it is inspected, and nothing more.

[Stu]

Have you read the back of the MOT? it says how to complain within 1 or 2 months if you think it was unreasonably issued.

but agreed it is obviously not carte blanche that your bike will remain legal for 12 mths.

Originally Posted by Baph

OK, an example for you.

You go for an MOT on the bike, the rear is well worn, but is still legally OK. You pass the MOT. The tyre then goes downhill over the next two days (as I've seen happen with a couple of Z6 rears), and quickly becomes illegal.

You get pulled over by Plod because they've had reports of a stolen bike matching yours in the area (but it's not yours, just a vague description has been given, and it's same model/colour). Whilst they're looking at the bike, they notice the now illegal tyre.

Can the MOT centre be held accountable, despite it only being two days prior that they passed the bike? No.

The MOT states that the vehicle is roadworthy at the time it is inspected, and nothing more.

You stated that the certificate becomes invalid. The MOT certificate remains valid for a period of one year, it proved the road worthiness of the machine at the time of inspection. It is your duty to make sure that it is safe during that year.

The bike may fall to bits during that year but the MOT certificate is still valid.

Originally Posted by Beenz

You stated that the certificate becomes invalid. The MOT certificate remains valid for a period of one year, it proved the road worthiness of the machine at the time of inspection. It is your duty to make sure that it is safe during that year.

The bike may fall to bits during that year but the MOT certificate is still valid.

Sorry to be pedantic, but I didn't state the certificate is invalid. I actually said the "The MOT is effectivley invalid." That in itself does not even imply that the certificate is called into question. Merely that the MOT itself no longer really counts. As you said yourself, the certificate is issued for road worthiness at the time of inspection and nothing more.

We basically have the same point, but hey, I'm bored.

Originally Posted by Baph

"The MOT is effectivley invalid."

No it is not.