I picked up a really nice looking 2003 1000SSie DS last week. The seller had it MOT'd a few days before I picked it up, and checking the MOT cert against the recorded mileage he rode it home and parked it up until I collected it. the bike is almost standard, but has horrid little (bulb) indicators and a tacky Red plastic undertray that the number plate and rear indicators are fitted to. I have plans for it, so the above doesn't matter. I went to collect it knowing about two faults, the High beam and indicator warning LEDs on the dash don't work. In itself I'm not bothered that they don't work, the price was right and it's fixable one way or another. But I was a little surprised that it had passed an MOT like it. The High beam warning light wasn't mentioned, and the Indicator warning light was a minor. However tonight I'm even more surprised it passed as I decided to have a better scoot around it and removed the tacky undertray to see what I need to do to make a new indicator and number plate mount when I bin said tacky Red plastic undertray. It was only when I took the undertray off that I realised there was no form of number plate illumination on the bike at all, and no indication it had any since the undertray was fitted. The wires were tucked up underneath, and dirt etc suggests the undertray hasn't been removed in quite some time. So, surely number plate illumination is an MOT requirement, as is a High Beam warning light. Or perhaps somebody can put me right. Not much I can do about it now, and it is easily fixed, but it does put the rest of the MOT into doubt. Nasher.
I have no number plate light on my Streetfighter 848 and it passes its MOT. I therefore don’t believe the light is a requirement for an MOT. If there is a light it must work, but if there is no light that is ok.
Number plate light is not an MOT requirement as far as I know for a bike. Edit: ignore this, it is totally wrong.
If you put duct tape over your headlight/ lamp then its not considered to be operational & part of the test. So presumably the highbeam wouldn't be necessary either?
And indicator tell-tale is also a requirement unless the indicators can be seen from the riding position.
Taken from the MOT inspection manual: motorcycles https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-motorcycles 4.7. Rear registration plate lamp 4.7.1. Presence, condition and operation You must inspect all motorcycles fitted with front and rear position lamps. The rear registration plate must be lit. Most motorcycles will light the registration plate with a rear position lamp, but some will use a separate registration plate lamp. Some registration plate lamps may be fitted behind the number plate. Some mopeds might not have a registration plate lamp. (a) A rear registration plate lamp throwing direct white light to the rear - MINOR (b) A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative: (i) when rear registration plate has 2 or more lamps or light sources - MINOR (ii) when rear registration plate has only one lamp or all lamps not working - MAJOR (c) A registration plate lamp: (i) not securely attached - MINOR (ii) likely to become detached - MAJOR 4.7.2. Compliance with requirements You must inspect all motorcycles fitted with front and rear position lamps. Registration plate lamps must switch on at the same time with the position lamps. (a) Rear registration plate lamp does not illuminate simultaneously with the position lamps - MAJOR
It would therefore appear that my MOT tester is not particularly thorough in his testing. He passes my baffled “not for road use” marked exhaust, but he did fail my integrated tail light and indicators.
Judging by the state of some of the scooters I see on the roads in Nantes I’m not sure that is necessarily a good thing. ;-)
Number plate light is required Main beam light tell tale is not. Only way to get round passing a bike with dodgy lights is to tape them all up you don't need anything then.
Don't judge the lack of an MOT by scooters that you see, judge it by accident statistics from mechanical failures. There is no real need for an MOT.
To be honest most of the dodgy scooters I see are ridden by people without helmets or gloves and probably aren’t insured or registered so wouldn’t be MOT’d even if they had to be. I suspect that any accidents they are involved in are primarily due to their highly dangerous style of riding. Any mechanical failures appear to be resolved by depositing the bike by the side of the road and setting it alight.
So funny, the view from here is very different. Helmets and gloves are a legal requirement as is continuous insurance, and that makes it very difficult to have a bike that is not registered. I watch UK TV and see many youngsters there riding around parks with totally illegal vehicles, so perhaps you are thinking about somewhere else. I'll back off an bow to your superior knowledge of this country.
I live in an ex council flat near to some rather dodgy parts of Nantes. From my experience what I have seen here is not a common occurrence across France, but can probably be found in certain parts of the largest cities, just like in the U.K.
