MOT & Lights
 

I know its possible to get a dayligt MOT but can someone tell if it is necessary to have indicators on a bike to get a normal MOT or can I leave these off. The bike has headlight, brake and plate lights.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

If you have the indicator 'switch' physically usable on the switchgear then you must have indicators fitted. Break the toggle off the switch or open the switchgear and remove it and you are ok - I think im 99% right there but happy to be corrected.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

If it's a road bike post 1986 (I think, or about then) then it has to have indicators if it is required to comply with lighting regulations, ie: it has a front or rear position lamp. If on the other hand it is a bike designed or intended for off road use and only has a single seat (no pillion) then it is not required to have indicators. My local MOT tester takes a liberal view on the "off road use" clause and says that my track bike is clearly adapted for off road, ie: a race track, and lets me get away without indicators.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

I think you will find that this is a run on from the bit of legislation that says something like "every part of each system required to be fitted must be maintained so as to be in good working order...." etc etc. It came about because some bright spark argued that when he was prosecuted for having a defective lamp because it didn't work there was in fact nothing wrong with the lamp, only the switch that operated it! It just makes it easier to prosecute a defective lamp, if it won't go on it's broken, the police don't have to prove why.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

Ah ok - Im in a grey area similar to yoursefl then. I take it your track bike has a headlight and brake light too?

Re: MOT & Lights
 

My trackbike has absolutely no lights at all. If I was to put even a brake light on, then I would have to put all lights back on - this includes indicators. You either have none at all, or all of them in working condition. I went so far as to remove the left switchgear on my CBR600, and fitted a simple cheap horn button in its place and the choke cable from an Austin Metro attached to the top yoke. I've also removed the lights on/off switch mech from the right hand switch block and painted over the markings with touch up paint. If you have no lights you are also required to remove the reflector, it's part of the lighting section in the MOT manual.

When it came to MOT time I took the CBR to a very strict MOT tester to be absolutely certain I was within the law - it passed with no problems once I stuck my SV's Akrapovic can on with legal baffle fitted. Then I discovered that my CBR's Akrapovic full system is actually quieter than a GSXR600 K8's in standard trim.

Nowadays I ride the CBR with the unsilenced Akrapovic can with a piece of insulating tape over the 'Not for road use' markings.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

My track bike has just a brake light. As long as you don't have a front or rear position light you are exempt the lighting regulations, and a brake light made sense. I did have to modify the dual element standard light so the position light was removed though.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

Hmmm ok. I guess I will have to go the full monty with lights and indis then as I dont really want the daylight only MOT.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

A "daylight only" is exactly the same piece of paper as a "normal" MOT, it's just you get an advice slip to the effect that the vehicle should only be used during daylight hours. There is nothing to stop you going home and putting the headlights back on (like i do for trips to Germany etc) and then riding around after dark, although if you do get pulled by a particularly switched on copper they would probably be able to spot the "no indicators" offence (should be dealt with by way of Vehicle rectification). It doesn't mean you have no MOT if riding after dark.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

You can have a brake light, my TL track bike has one and runs on a daylight MOT (it has no other lights/indicators).

The thing to remember is, if you have switch then you must have a light that works and if you have a light/lense you must have a switch that works it.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

You sure? You can have as many switches as you like, if you are not required to have a light then it doesn't have to be fitted just because you have a switch on the handlebar. Likewise a light doesn't have to have a switch (I can't turn the headlight off on my K5), unless it is a light that must be controlled, for example a high beam, but even then it doesn't specify a switch.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

They TL failed because of a switch, well it would have failed if I didn't know the bloke.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

Which switch, and what didn't it operate?

Re: MOT & Lights
 

Headlights, still had the OEM switch gear fitted on the right.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

Did you have a rear position lamp?

Re: MOT & Lights
 

No, all I have is a brake light (only operates with the brake using a pressure switch).

Re: MOT & Lights
 

Yeah, there's a fair amount of silliness in the MOT regs. Like, my bike has no front position light, it's not a requirement. But if it did have one, and it didn't work, that's a fail. Every year, I nearly fail for this, and have to tell the tester that it's not a blown bulb, it just doesn't exist (he always thinks the position light is in the headlight). And because the rules are so daft, lots of people get passed when they shouldn't, or told "I shouldn't pass that but I will" when actually there's no choice, and then go on the internet and say "This is the law because my MOT tester said so" ;) and THEN, they post that 10-year-old document off the internet and say "Look, here's all the MOT stuff" when you can tell at a glance it wasn't even complete when it was current, and now it's incomplete and ancient.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

Correct, I have the same problem every year....

Re: MOT & Lights
 

Sorry to digress but I thought I'd tell you what I saw on telly the other night.

On a road wars or some such program a copper pulled a track bike for no lights etc. The copper and fella had to wait for a vehicle inspector to get there who then had to read through his rulebook to find that it was ok as it was on a daylight MOT. He said it was a blo*dy stupid law and by the time they were done the biker had to wait for a mate with a trailer to collect him as it'd gone dark!

Re: MOT & Lights
 

Very old repeat that...

Yes the rules are stupid and complex, even the coppers do not know them because it is not something they deal with often (or even once a year). I have nothing fitted to the TL, including switches, except a brake light. This has never caused any problems, I went for a brake light for safety more than anything when taking it for a quick trundle along the public roads. All I do is pull the box connector out from the wiring and the light is disabled and ready for track use.

Re: MOT & Lights
 

There is something in the lighting rules that says a headlight on a motorcycle is the front position lamp, ie: they don't need a front position lamp if fitted with a headlight (for example Trail or Enduro bikes).

Re: MOT & Lights
 

I'm not sure about that, all the modern bikes and cars now come with sidelights and on the bikes you sidelight most always be on (after a certain year).