Ref Vibrac's comments on fitting a sidecar. I recently fitted a sidecar to my Rapide. I sent the V5C to the DVLA to be amended. I included a covering letter explaining that the machine was now a 'motorcycle combination' as it had been fitted with a sidecar. Foolishly I filled in the box covering 'wheel plan' by putting 3. Four weeks later - Nothing. Five weeks later - Nothing. Six weeks later the beginning of a series of phone calls, each more stressed than the one before. Finally I receive a letter and a form demanding to know how I had converted said motorcycle into a trike. Was it a kit or personally modified? It then demanded that the said trike should be made available for a detailed inspecion by a vehicle examiner. More phone calls followed by another letter. This time I explained in pedantic detail that that I had merely fitted a sidecar as per original factory recommendations, that the wheel plan was two in line and one to the side and that the motorcycle had not been modified in any way from the original works specification for sidecar application. Results - a long silence. Then Eight weeks later a new and amended V5C dropped through the letter box. I scanned it feverishly. Hurray! It said 'motorcycle combination'. Then I noticed something else. Under the heading wheel plan it read '2'.
Periodical Technical Inspections PTI
- Thread starter vibrac
- Start date
Does this mean every time you fit or remove a sidecar you have to get the V5C ammended? Just curious as I have no intention of fitting a sidecar and so have never thought about it. What if you only want to fit it for one trip ie: a month on the continent?
Cheers,
Simon
Cheers,
Simon
Hugo. A sidecar is treated as an accessory, the same as a top box etc. When a sidecar is fitted to a solo already MOT'd, there is no need to re MOT it. It will cost more to MOT an outfit because of the extra checking of wheel, tyre, bearings,lights etc and that there is toe in. The problem with having 'motorcycle combination' on your V5C is that if you take the sidecar off, you have to apply for another V5C - do you really want that anytime that you might take the chair off. Incidentally, in a lot of Europe, us 'amateurs' are not allowed to fit sidecars to their bikes and can only be done by approved dealers. lets hope it does not come to that as it is half the fun - the other half can be a headache.
Cheers, Dave
Cheers, Dave
Hello Dave, So do you take the chair off every year and MOT it solo ? On another thread I said they have put my bike down as a special, God knows what he would do if I went there with a chair. Have been thinking some time about going back to an outfit, Mine had one when I was a little lad, With L plates !! Cheers Bill.
Hi Bill. No, I don't remove my chair for MOTs, it's not worth the hassle, but you can if you wanted. Just looked at my reg docs. The Shadow outfit has 'm/c combination' and the Prince has just 'motorcycle'. The MOTs just give the bike details which is how it should be, with no mention of the sidecar. My first bike, a Rapide and Steib also had 'L' plates on it and it frightened the life out of me!
Cheers, Dave
Cheers, Dave
Hi Dave,
Is this definitive as my MOT bloke seems to disagree? I also advised my insurance company as otherwise the cover may be invalid. The sidecar that I have fitted to the Rapide was actually transferred from my Comet, which has tugged it for the last three years. The Comet V5C states 'motorcycle combination' and the wheel plan '3'. I must have re-registered it at the time but without any difficulty. Since then it has always been MOT'd as a combination. Now I have to re-register that as a solo and MOT again. That will be fun!
Now then, if the sidecar is merely an accessory fitted to a solo does this mean that I can use bus and m/c lanes and park in solo m/c parking bays? Somehow I don't think I would get away with that.
All the best,
Hugo.
Does anyone actually have problems MoTing a Vin anyway?
The 12 year old that MoTs mine usually asks me if clearances etc are right. I answer with comments like "Oh yes, 10 thou clearance in the steering head bearings - as per the book", and he's quite happy because "the book" that he's never seen says it's right.
H
ps if he finds anything like this I do put it right when I've got the cert.
The 12 year old that MoTs mine usually asks me if clearances etc are right. I answer with comments like "Oh yes, 10 thou clearance in the steering head bearings - as per the book", and he's quite happy because "the book" that he's never seen says it's right.
H
ps if he finds anything like this I do put it right when I've got the cert.
Hi Hugo.
The MOT certificate should only show the bike details and does not mention a sidecar. This certificate must then be valid for both. Is your MOt station going to put something else on the certificate? I had not realised that one of my reg docs showed M/C combination but generally they only show motorcycle. ( it has been an outfit since we bought it in 1968) There has always been a grey area concerning outfits and I went to the local ministry MOT depot and was told a motorcycle is defined as a motorcycle with or without a sidecar.
I have often thought about the bus lane bit, but the sign may say solo or show a picture of one, so I am not going to chance it. Dartford crossing is free for motorcycles which includes sidecars. Like I said, a grey area.
Cheers, Dave
The MOT certificate should only show the bike details and does not mention a sidecar. This certificate must then be valid for both. Is your MOt station going to put something else on the certificate? I had not realised that one of my reg docs showed M/C combination but generally they only show motorcycle. ( it has been an outfit since we bought it in 1968) There has always been a grey area concerning outfits and I went to the local ministry MOT depot and was told a motorcycle is defined as a motorcycle with or without a sidecar.
I have often thought about the bus lane bit, but the sign may say solo or show a picture of one, so I am not going to chance it. Dartford crossing is free for motorcycles which includes sidecars. Like I said, a grey area.
Cheers, Dave
Hello H, I had one of those in befor I moved, It didn't have to be the right bike !! But we do things right down south. All the best Bill.
You see thats what I was saying and is just one of the things that will come with that PTI. it WILL affect Vincents we should never stop defending all moves that affect all motorcycles its no good saying "We have Vincents it wont affect us"
Incidentally all the years I changed back and forth between trials sidecar and solos I never needed to do anything with the V5 or the MOT the MOT's I have re-read them all and it never mentions the sidecar and as for the v5 description the best I have is "2 wheeled articulated vehicle" Finally when stuck and calling the Aa or RAc (use little letters they are no longer clubs or associations just comercial firms) dont say "my motorcycle and sidecar" say "trike" otherwise the call center operatives who have not got a box to tick on their screens will do the obvious and you will get a van for a solo I know and I know otheres who have suffered as well it can be a long night....