No More MOTs!

Jim Richardson

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Most people I spoke to voted to keep the MOT, wonder what the Insurance companies will do to prove you haven't properly maintained your vehicle.
JimR
 

miked

Active Forum User
VOC Member
Personally I think its a very bad idea... and speaking as someone with 4 cars and 2 bikes directly affected by this legislation I have more to gain from it than most.

Firstly, I actually appreciate a second pair of eyes having a look over my vehicles once a year. Like many, I don't do many miles in each of them (in fact one recorded just 44 miles last year - its 22 to the MOT station) and as we all know actually not using a vehicle can be worse than using one - so the comment of only doing a few hundred miles a year is no excuse not to test.
I plan to continue to have a yearly inspection on the anniversary of each MOT just for my own piece of mind as much as anything.

Secondly, its a misconception that all pre 72 vehicles are kept in tip top condition, polished every Sunday and only brought out when the sun is shining - they are not.
A lot are run on a shoestring, by people with little or no expertise in maintaining them. With cars in particular modifying is a big thing these days, and some peoples imagination (& stupidity) seems only limited by what they can get past the MOT man... I shudder to think what we're going to be allowing on to the roads now!

Thirdly, if I'm looking at a vehicle to buy I'd like to think that a valid MOT does at least mean it is fit for the road (not always the case I know) and it's not going to kill me on the way home.
The current MOT at least stops unscrupulous vendors tarting up old bangers and flogging them on as "restored" - not everyone buying classics these days is technically minded, knows what to look for or are equipped to check - they may be persuaded that vague handling was "the way they used to be" when it could be something serious about to fail.

and... As touched on above, this will mean Insurance premiums going up!

Mike
 

vibrac

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Lets face it an MOT is NO insurance that what you are buying is OK and as far as a bike goes doing a MOT style check would only take the owner 20 minutes at least at the start of the season.
Remember for bikes made before 1960 its only business as before as the MOT (the "10 year test") was introduced in 1960
Perhaps its a good idea for a club inspection night -"you show me yours and I show you mine" but it would have to be informal because an official club check is out,-look at the banbury run TAX and horn is all they can check otherwise they may be liable for any accidents if they miss something or the scrutineer may take the personal blame-what a joke!
There are a few loose ends
You would still need an MOT on the frame if you are seeking a age related number or if you are re-registering a bike with proof of its original registration number but knowing computer systems as soon as you put in the date of registration as pre 1960 you just know what will happen.
Also there is nowhere on the new V5 that says date of manufacture although I swear I have seen the words "Declared manufactured etc" somewhere. So I wonder if the cut off date is "first registered" or "manufactured"
 

roy the mechanic

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
For my money this can only be a retrograde step. I have been building + racing all sorts since the sixties. Whilst others baulked at meeting the "scrutineer bloke" I was always happy to have my latest creation passed to race. One day it may save someone less skilled from at best a big bill, at worst serious personal injury! Never mind the unfortunate passer by.
 

deejay499

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I feel a bi-annual test is the minimum required, as it is people's nature to not put things right if they do not have to. I know that if I have something a little doubtful of passing an MOT, I will correct it and make sure it does. Will this happen in the future? If there is a little wear in fork bushes, will people just say it is ok for now and not bother renewing them, and likewise anything that may be a bit involved, may get left until it is really dangerous. I know we should celebrate, but I am not so sure.
 

vibrac

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
What on earth did we do before big brother ?
come on now I know we are unused to taking responsibility for our own actions nowadays but really....
Do you want to spend £30 pounds to do what you can do yourself?
Thats what the nanny state is doing to us seat belts helmets drinking and driving, plumbers that are not allowed to wire a three pin plug. we KNEW it made sense before they made us. 90% wore helmets before it was made compulsory
The men who built and rode the beasts in the forties and early fifties would not begin to understand this attitude
 

roy the mechanic

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Vibrac, unless you are a time served motorcycle engineer, shut ****************

Roy. Vibrac is entitled to be wrong without suffering this sort of abuse... Moderator
 
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Len Matthews

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I'm in favour of having my machine examined by someone qualified to do so. For example, I hadn't noticed that my outfit had four broken spokes in the front wheel until the MOT Tester pointed it out. That saved me from a potential disaster.
 
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