Honda-SOHC
Other Stuff => Misc / Open => Topic started by: hairygit on October 26, 2014, 11:34:22 AM
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Just found this survey the Dept for Transport are doing, asking opinions on E.U. proposals that vehicles 30 or more years old should be exempt from M.O.T. testing and road tax. It's obviously been kept hush hush, as you only have until the end of this month to respond! http://www.dft.gov.uk/classic-mot/survey-classic-vehicle-exemption/ While free road tax is a great idea, I'm not too sure about M.O.T. exemption, I mean, can you imagine the wrecks suddenly coming out of scrapyards and back on the road? :o While most of us on here can and do keep our bikes in fine roadworthy condition, imagine a car or van driver, say for example Mr "I will get round to sorting those spongy brakes and dodgy steering when I can afford it", crashing into your prized sandcast, or any of our bikes? His insurer would want proof of when the vehicle was last serviced/checked over, and it would be an easy way for the insurers to avoid paying out, so you lose your ncb, or worse if you have third party fire& theft, you lose everything you have toiled over. I do feel we should all put our views across, before the Govt close the door on this one! ???
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Thank you for the above post, I have completed the survey. I think the current MOT system is the best way to prove that the vehicle has been serviced or checked over for roadworthiness.
Alan
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Same here, just in case I've overlooked something, it's peace of mind for me when travelling at high velocity! :-X
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There is already an MOT exemption for anything before 1960 and this seems to work OK on the reasoning that anybody running something that old will want it in good nick.
Also any exemption does not over ride the construction and use and/or insurance regulation that the vehicle must be in a safe roadworthy condition at all times so I am in favour to be honest
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It would be good to have a rolling date - I voted for 40 years (so anything before 1974) :)
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reading the small print,the survey close on friday the 24th,
not sure any late submissions will be counted,hope so,so carry on voting !!
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I am not overly concerned about badly maintained old bangers, use a classic every day without doing regular maintenence and it will not last a year. Especially cars. Never mind the mot test, just keeping them running at 30 years old. Police would quickly knock out anything that shouldn't be on the road I would reacon. I started out as a classic owner on the 550 and 500cc sohc hondas back when they were just the cheapest old hunck of junk bangers I could get having passed my direct access test and 3 years allowed to me on cbt. I rapidly went from the cheap old banger to this is a classic worth looking after camp, reliability inproved for the extra bit of attention lavished. The only other way I could have gone is buy a newer machine. Running a banger to avoid mot would simply be a road to nowhere, as parts on classics are so often more, as are the vehicles. Set at 30 years rolling I would think would be safe.
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I'm with Matthew... Generally we folk are fastidious about our 'old' machines... especially when they're a motorcycle. It's just not in our personal interests to 'buck the system' / flout the law... whatever.
A 30yr old Motorcycle / car had little street cred; and as such will not appeal to the younger folk trying to save a few bob.
And as Matthew has pointed out; a 30yr old machine also consumes more cash to keep it roadworthy than a MOT Test... and so the 'canny type' will be ruled out.
So... I personally don't want an MOT., particularly as I ride like an old granny & keep my machines fit.
And presumably, for a fee, I could always submit my machine anyways for the occasional MOT / peace of mind...
S
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I would love to comment on this but, I can not >:(
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I would like to see the MOT test remain for any vehicle of any age for my peace of mind and the safety other road users. But, I would happily not pay for RFL, every time I go down a pot hole or get the wheels stuck in the rut where there has been a temporary patch I do wonder what my money has gone towards !! :-*
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I say scrap the MOT it doesn't tell you if a vehicle is safe or not it only tells you its safe at that moment in time.I have had the brakes on my van fail as I was leaving an MOT after a pass.If you can't keep a vehicle in a passable condition than you shouldn't be on the road let alone your vehicle.
I have never had a van or bike fail as they only check basics.
All my vans have made it to at least 200k
Mick
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Hi,
By all means lower the tax free age, but I have reservations regarding the MOT, enthusiasts may be on top of maintenance, but it other people,s attitude to safety that would worry me.
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I think the 30 year tax exemption is a good thing, but I don't mind someone looking over my cars and bikes to make sure I haven't missed something. That could be done every 2 years on classics. Having said all of that, if we took a straw poll of all of our acquaintances collectively, how many have had an accident which could TRUTHFULLY be attributed to vehicle failure. I've bought many accident damaged vehicles where the cause of the so called accident was a NUT loose on the controls. It's driver education that needs improving.
All this elf an safety bullspit is having a bad effect on the gene pool - the ones who would have previously killed themselves through stupidity are now surviving and producing more idiots.
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You get vehicles driven around for any part of the year up till the mot and then fails, but the fault could have been there for ages without the owner aware or caring.
People I think are confusing the two things, maintenance and the intent to carry it out are what keeps the vehicle working properly.......and should also easily pass the mot at any point during the year. If you don't carry that out yourself or use a good mechanic to do it then you or anyone else is at risk from faults that could affect safe use.
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Here in France there is no mots on bikes of any description.The police are your testers when they pull you over and find any problems you are fined there and then.Seems to work as older bikes are on the whole well looked after but the peds another ball game.
Cheers
Bitsa
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Small problem with this Bitsa. A cop is no mechanic. See this problem across many country's in europe.
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Trig
Thats true but people like me, you and others would not have a problem would we?
Cheers
Bitsa
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True Bitsa but, unfair.
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I think the 30 year tax exemption is a good thing, but I don't mind someone looking over my cars and bikes to make sure I haven't missed something. That could be done every 2 years on classics. Having said all of that, if we took a straw poll of all of our acquaintances collectively, how many have had an accident which could TRUTHFULLY be attributed to vehicle failure. I've bought many accident damaged vehicles where the cause of the so called accident was a NUT loose on the controls. It's driver education that needs improving.
All this elf an safety bullspit is having a bad effect on the gene pool - the ones who would have previously killed themselves through stupidity are now surviving and producing more idiots.
So true!
Judging by the number of cars driving around with one or more failed lights - if they weren't tested once a year and had to fix the lights, I reckon there would soon be cars out there with no working lights at all.
No road tax has got to be good though. :)
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I would love to comment on this but, I can not >:(
Ok Trig... you got me! Are you a secret DVLA agent / Rozzer in our midst!!!
S
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Two comments, if you can remember the old handwritten failure tickets I had a moped come and even writing 3 to a line I ran out of space and the little Herbert tried to tell me it had to be OK cos it passed last year------ even though he ha twisted the frame and fitted completely different model forks BACKWARDS
Did you know that a plod has to have written authority from his Chief Constabule to carry out roadside inspections and you are entiteled to ask to see it before he starts------but if he has one by god are you in the shite for asking!!!
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Thing is, just try to search out a 30+year old banger that will go halfway reliably without the know how of enthusiasts. Setting points is a black art to most these days to most. In countries where no mot applies to old vehicles they don't get piles of accidents, and I am not hearing of a lot from the 1960 mot cut off that came in next year. From what I have heard the decision has alrady been taken at a higher level, the consultation is just a PR exercise. It is to do with new Mot test or so I have heard. Rather than allow the examiner freedom to pass if it met the standard of the day it was built, the latest EU reformed Mot test headed our way will be further computerised even more, old stuff will never pass so rather than have a less complex mot for old stuff it just gets exemption. Crazy if true. On the other hand insurance companies may be asking for an mot type test if it doesn't work out -ie if it does lead to a spate of accidents. I doubt it will, classics genrally cost more to start with and aren't exacly renowned for their economy and need more dad to day maintenance. Hardly worthwhile seeking one out just to dogde mots. The folk who routinely run around with blown lights are just not the motivated folk who want the extra work of adjusting the brakes every 1500 miles with a spanner.
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Hi
Interesting subject but I agree with all vehicles having a M.O.T of some kind. The only issue I have with the scrapping of M.O.T's for older vehicles is that due to E.U legislation, there are now fewer and fewer people qualified or able to actually do any work on these vehicles. If it wasn't for computers and the equipment now needed older bikes will be an issue in the future. I have had experience with a mechanic who didn't even know what a strobe light was (it was a classic car) Also as another thought, if you are riding your prized classic and the local traffic police pull you up and find a fault, will you have a set time to repair it? Will you have to have it scrapped or sorned as a matter of course? and if there is no such thing as a M.O.T, where do you take it to have it checked and passed as fit. Or at worst will you have to have it impounded and crushed? The E.U. (bless their little cotton socks :P) don't want older vehicles on the road in any country so maybe it is just another ploy to rid the world of what they consider as old, gas guzzling, non compliant vehicles.
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... slightly off topic...my CB750 is classed 'Historic'... Ie no road tax to pay. With this new 'no tax disc' system, do I have to still 'apply' each year for er... the Historic 'disc'.... or the fact that its MOT is current & the bike insured enough for them?
I bet I can guess the answer, (!) but just hoping.... Anyone enlighten me?
Ta.
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Yep still have to apply.
Theirs no getting out of it.
Mick
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Judging by the number of cars driving around with one or more failed lights - if they weren't tested once a year and had to fix the lights, I reckon there would soon be cars out there with no working lights at all.
No road tax has got to be good though. :)
But how many of them are 30 years old if they have made it this far than they are fairly well looked after already.
Mick
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Do test a fair few older cars and bikes, and to be honest, a good few classic owners try to justify excessive wear on the fact that it is an old vehicle. I have worked on/ owned lots of old vehicles and know what is correct. This is not often true of the classic vehicle owner. Again a good few experts can quote lots of facts and figures for their respective vehicles, but would not have a clue how to balance carbs, set tappets etc.
Generally bikes are better, because they are less complicated, but I do test a few old ones just for peace of mind for the owners.
As for 30 year old vehicles, can you imagin how many Capri 2.8i's alfa's, fiats etc, could reappear if they were mot exempt. Those rotten monocoque designs were more than slightly prone to rust. The running gear was pretty reliable though. Could actually see a small market for older vehicles that did not need testing.
Not sure how well the tax/mot/insurance system will be policed as the police forces have drastically cut back in terms of manpower and will probably rely on cameras. How often do you see a police car these days.
I also believe the survey is plausible as the uk often goes its own way on mot. For example the mot was kept as an annual event and not every two years as recommended by the EU.
The "new" mot is not a change to the test regime, but only the admin side as Vosa has lost the franchise and the new system is migrating to a web based system. No changes to the test at all.
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Hi
I have had experience with a mechanic who didn't even know what a strobe light was (it was a classic car)
I have noticed in the last couple of years that a lot of mechanics have no clue what a strobe light is, no idea what points are and one bike shop were 3 mechanics had never heard of a floating caliper and no idea on how to set the brake on a 400f.
Today i see a couple of so called professional mechanics scratching there head at the sight of a carb.
There is a lot of people in the business that do not understand the workings of anything before 1980. They only understand to plug a computer in to the ECU and let the vehicle tell you its problems. 7 out of 10 times the computer is giving the wrong code.
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How right you are Trig even when the frackin thing tells them whats wrong they still cant fix it shaft rubbers the lot of them ;D ;D
Cheers
Bitsa