In the process of getting my James ready for the dreaded m.o.t. as the Scottish i rapidly approaching

So is there anything i need to do or make sure of as i have never m.o.t. d a trials bike before.

Do i need a horn? reflector ? speedo?

All advice appreciated

If you are registering it as an original James and have a log book, all you need is a horn (no requirement for reflector, speedo or lights)

as a special, I dont know what the requirements are

Dave

Can i use a bulb horn or does it need to be constant tone? The m.o.t. tester didnt seem to know. Anybody had any problems with tyres? whats the rule on chain guards? What about tank and engine breathers?

Am i worrying about nothing

Can i use a bulb horn or does it need to be constant tone? The m.o.t. tester didnt seem to know. Anybody had any problems with tyres? whats the rule on chain guards? What about tank and engine breathers?

Am i worrying about nothing

Why not ask your tester to have a quick look at his testers manual, and clarify anything he isnt sure of? Better still find a tester who knows what they are doing, and may be sympathetic toward special class bikes?

i am an mot tester,you must have a continuos sounding horn,get one from push bike shop with its own battery.you will need a speedo just make it look like it works as it is not tested.chain gaurd not needed for mot,if you have no lights make sure you dont have a switch.reflector the book says you need one,so while you are at push bike shop get a simple bolt on one.tank must not leak petrol,any breathers are ok but make sure not spraying on back tyre easy to put to drive chain.richard

i am an mot tester,you must have a continuos sounding horn,get one from push bike shop with its own battery.you will need a speedo just make it look like it works as it is not tested.chain gaurd not needed for mot,if you have no lights make sure you dont have a switch.reflector the book says you need one,so while you are at push bike shop get a simple bolt on one.tank must not leak petrol,any breathers are ok but make sure not spraying on back tyre easy to put to drive chain.richard

Thanks mate just what i needed. Had a feeling the horn needed to be continious. All the rest is ok too.

The local m.o.t. man is nice but dim He is quite a reasonable bloke but he was busy and didnt have chance to check his computer.

Just didnt want to waste his or my time.

He did say if i didnt have an engine number, engine built from nos cases and as it's Villiers the plate is missing from the primary case, then for the m.o.t. it's not a problem ?

Thanks for the input chaps

rubbish

for your p65 bike a continuos horn is not a requirement a bulb horn will suffice

for your 'daylight' p65 mot a reflector is not needed

you do not need a speedo to pass an mot, just illegal to ride on the road without one

engine and frame no.s not a problem use a marker pen if you want but they must be the same as on the v5

Edited March 16, 200818 yr by totalshell

rubbish

for your p65 bike a continuos horn is not a requirement a bulb horn will suffice

for your 'daylight' p65 mot a reflector is not needed

you do not need a speedo to pass an mot, just illegal to ride on the road without one

engine and frame no.s not a problem use a marker pen if you want but they must be the same as on the v5

Wonder if you have taken a look at the online info regards bike MOT testing? Pretty helpful, and can save the hassle of needing to return bike for a retest, due to a few small things not being up to standard.

thankyou for the advice

i did just as you said and ...... who was right??..

reflectors

''This inspection applies to: all machines except those which either have no front or rear position lamps or have such lamps permanently disconnected, painted over or masked that are

. only used during daylight hours, and

. not used at times of seriously reduced visibility''

horns

''A motor bicycle first used before

1 August 1973 may be fitted with a bulb

horn.''

speedo

no mention of speedo in entire mot regulations

Extracts reproduced from the MOT Inspection Manual

by kind permission of THE VEHICLE INSPECTORATE.

and for Max from the same source

''The chain/belt must not have excessive slack and be in good condition, the guard must be secure and not fouling''

Edited March 16, 200818 yr by totalshell

There does seem to be confusion amongst testers as to whether the horn needs to be continuous tone - my local guy said this was definitley the case and he has several old bikes. However as noted above the regs do say that pre 73 bikes can use a bulb horn. I got a bicycle horn from www.chainreactioncycles.com in any case so I used that. Speedos have to be fitted but don't need to work. Rear reflectors are not needed pre 73 but seem to suffer from similar confusion so I fit one to be in the safe side

regarding speedos ( odometers not swimming trunks!) i have never in 15 years of 'mot-ing' p65 (and a 1972) bikes and pre-war cars for that matter, all without speedo's at 5 different garages over those years have i ever had the lack of speedo queried ( nor have i seen it mentioned on the test form)

now it certainly is against the law to drive any vehicle on the road without a working odometer.

my favourite MOt story was returning home 15 years ago in my 1927 trials Austin 7 with the ticket tucked in my barbour and been stopped by plod, who questioned if such a thing was road legal..... to whit i pulled out my 'ink still wet' ticket much to his surprise.. unconvinced as to the safety of a car with cable brakes and 'wobbly' wheels as he put it, he followed me home at a safe distance with his blue lights on as protection..

Edited March 18, 200818 yr by totalshell