Annual MOT Test - Ducati.ms

Duccout · Apr 16th, 2011, 1:19 pm

Took my 900 bevel in for its yearly MOT today - what a hassle! I moved house last year, so was not able to go to my usual testing station. The place that I went to was a nightmare; I was kept hanging around, then the tester said that the headlight was tilted to one side (this has never come up before in 27 years of testing) then he said that the chain was knackered, so I pointed out that the chain is very flimsy compared to a modern 'o' ring chain, then finally he failed it because I had forgotten to fit the pillion footrests, which I don't use normally, so I had to return home, fit them and go back, a return trip of an hour, in awful Saturday afternoon traffic. I was well p****d off.

I know that the pillion footrests was my fault, but the other items were ridiculous. My bike is in superb condition, and my old testing station never found any faults. I think that testers try to apply modern rules to old bikes, which is just not on. Do other countries have this test? And do the riders have the same problems?

crm114 · Apr 17th, 2011, 12:24 pm

Swine ! Only one fault though, you should try getting a german test they would love you. To be fair to your tester though the requirements are pretty much the same everywhere, the vehicle has to be safe to use and that goes equally for old bikes as well as new, how many times have you been dazzled by poorly adjusted car lights ? and if your lucky a broken chain is just some junk on the road for the next vehicle to avoid. I always thought though that the uk testing was pretty relaxed compared to Germany, nobody in the uk ever tested bike brakes on a rolling road, or did an exhaust noise test, or checked that the tyres were approved pairings, that the stands had sufficient return springs, that everything fitted to the bike not supplied by the manufacturer needed the appropriate certificate for use and that all these certificates are entered in the log book. I had to completely remove and junk a 3 disc Goodridge hosed system
because the UK hoses do not have the heat shrink id tube to satisfy the testers. The components are identical apart from the tag and the document. Regards footrests, well that smacks of gotcha, I was told recently that the reason that the likes of some MHRs and S2s have their own Conti mounting brackets is because ducati were forced to modify the inter footrest distance, pillion to rider in order to satisfy the requirements of TÜV. Sounds like you will be heading back to your usual tester next year.

Duccout · Apr 17th, 2011, 1:48 pm

That makes sense regarding the footrest position change. I could never figure out why Ducati changed it for the later models. The trouble with the MOT test is that a few garages understand old bikes and test accordingly, and then others...................

machten · Apr 17th, 2011, 9:26 pm

We don't have road worthiness tests in Western Australia except when you license a bike. They used to ride them for the test, but they seem to have changed the policy now for older bikes - probably some liability issue, particularly with right root gear changes.

The last registration test I did basically they counted the mirrors (1 for a pre 1975 bike), checked the lights, looked for indicators (not required on a 74 Sport), checked for oil leaks, glanced at tread depth, and we're done in 5 minutes. Didn't even have to start it.

I've always found it very much depends of the individual examiner.

The last time they rode one of mine was about 5 years ago - and I saw the inspectors toss a coin to see which of them was going to ride it! When I went inside to do the paperwork the office girl asked me "Was that your bike? It's very loud." to which the inspector piped up from behind the counter "It's a bevel Ducati. It's allowed to be loud."! Now that's the sort of examiner you want!

Kev

Duccout · Apr 18th, 2011, 12:29 am

You are a lucky man! We are caught in a web of bureaucracy called the European Union, which is obsessed with 'harmonisation', which basically means that whatever member state has the strictest regulations, then all others must 'harmonise' at that level. Freedom is a distant memory.

Ventodue · Apr 18th, 2011, 6:12 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duccout

You are a lucky man! We are caught in a web of bureaucracy called the European Union, which is obsessed with 'harmonisation', which basically means that whatever member state has the strictest regulations, then all others must 'harmonise' at that level. Freedom is a distant memory.

Row back a bit there, Duccout

! You can't blame everything on the EU, you know

For example, we don't even have MOTs for bikes here in France

(altho' their introduction is always being threatened ...)

As to your MOT: next year, go somewhere else. I suspect the guy was just over-interpreting his job. .. which I can kinda understand, if what he's used to is modern stuff. And also he doesn't know if you're a ringer from the DOT, does he?

In contrast, the bike shop I used to use in Eltham was owned by a well-known regular participant in the Moto Giro D'Italia. So the guys knew how it is with older Italian stuff - and knew me.

The one time I had to go somewhere else, I got a twit like yours. I watched him performing all kinds of gymnastics in an effort to find a fault with my Laverda 750 Formula. Did he find anything? No, just took a load of time to make himself all sweaty and look like a total prat ...

Ciao

Craig

Duccout · Apr 18th, 2011, 1:07 pm

Crikey! how did you get away with no MOT test in France? Still, it won't last, the Eurocrats will not tolerate non-harmonisation on this scale.

Ventodue · Apr 19th, 2011, 3:53 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duccout

Crikey! how did you get away with no MOT test in France?

And, just to make you even more jealous: no annual road tax, either !

Amicalement

Craig