Periodical Technical Inspections PTI

vibrac

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I think I keep my ear close to the ground but I missed this latest plan by the EU to put in a EU wide MOT test (PTI). As becomes that undemocratic body of bureaucratic bunglers they slipped it out for 'consultation' without making a fuss and gave a couple of weeks to comment ending at the end of September.How you could comment even if you knew about it when the details are not known beats me.
However a supposed summary is it would be strict and come down hard on 'modifications from standard' and after '60 years on' one can only guess where that would leave the Vincent let alone the Egli.
(Remember 1% of accidents are down to mechanical defects and many of those are inflation of tyre errors)
Does anyone have news of this? (For one of your BMF reps to ask this shows how we have been duped)
 

vince998

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I think I keep my ear close to the ground but I missed this latest plan by the EU to put in a EU wide MOT test (PTI). As becomes that undemocratic body of bureaucratic bunglers they slipped it out for 'consultation' without making a fuss and gave a couple of weeks to comment ending at the end of September.How you could comment even if you knew about it when the details are not known beats me.
However a supposed summary is it would be strict and come down hard on 'modifications from standard' and after '60 years on' one can only guess where that would leave the Vincent let alone the Egli.
(Remember 1% of accidents are down to mechanical defects and many of those are inflation of tyre errors)
Does anyone have news of this? (For one of your BMF reps to ask this shows how we have been duped)

Welcome to the world of TUV (here in Germany anyway)
Luckily, none of them know what a vincent is, and all they want to do is have a ride to "test the brakes"
If you ride a modern bike then it´s not so easy.
You´re only allowed to fit manufacturer approved parts. You´re even told which tires you´re allowed to ride with!!
This gives special builders a really hard time as all mods have to be approved by the TUV and can run into the 1000s (also for private mod freaks)
I also ride a 1990 FJ1200, and i´ve found that the older these "youngtimers" are becoming and the harder parts are to source, the more forgiving the inspectors are becoming. (i can no longer buy the 16" Metzeler tyres stated in my vehicle docs, so they have had to give me a free card to ride whatever i can get. I´ve converted to 17" and now can ride modern rubber :D)
It sounds like you guys have got it all coming your way, but i wouldn´t worry about the older bikes. what do they want to do, ban anything thats not standard? This would cost them way to much in lost revenue (tax on fuel, tax on parts, tax on insurance etc).
Apart from that, what is a standard Vin? Is there any such thing?
If it does ever come into force, then from a relatively recent point in time methinks.
 

John Appleton

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Speaking as an M.O.T. tester, I can only see the good in this proposal. If you could see some of the "improvements" that the Gary Boy fans of "top gear" carry out, you would see the need for some sort of legislation. This legislation should only affect "type approved" vehicles, and as most of the bikes we ride were pre type approval, there is no cause for concern about a modified Vincent.
John
 

John Cone

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I understand from a friend at VOSA that there are plans to go onto 2 yearly MOT's for light motor vehicles. We do need a change in legislation in regards the free movement of people and vehicles in europe. The law still stands that you can temporarily import a vehicle in to this country for a perid of 6 months without the need to register it. I recently asked my local bobby if this still stood because in our village we have a large bus company who employs foriegne (spelling) nationals. One of which has worked there for 2>3 yrs and has still got his car on Romanian plates. Apparently some european countries you can still insure a vehicle without an MOT, which this guy MAY do, but there is no way of the authorities checking whether the vehicle in question has been out of the country or not after the 6 month preiod as passports are no longer stamped. So are these vehicles safe to be on our roads?
 

vibrac

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
[QUOTE=John Appleton; I can only see the good in this proposal.
Its a rare thing when the EU does anything good. The current MOT is sufficient if a little too frequent the trouble with all this 'Elf and safety' is that they are climbing up the last 5% (In the case of MOT the last 1%) NOTHING can be 100% when it comes to accidents no mater how draconian it becomes.Look at the crap about plumbers not able to connect electrical plugs all that expense and bureaucracy and how many died from electrocution in employment the UK the year before?-11, less than died setting up Christmas trees.and the legislation has done nothing to change that.
And don't think the Vincent is safe (even John put 'should') that really is head in the sand,Oh and modification could be fitting a winker set-or re-registering because you are fitting a sidecar and just imagine getting a set of bits back on the road.
I also think that we are motorcyclists first and Vincent owners second. I have a Yamaha serrow and I am dammed if I see why I have to ride 300 miles on the standard seat so I have changed it to something softer, that would be banned . Summing it up I would not be seen dead on a chopper but I defend the current right to build them to the current standards.
 

Bill Thomas

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Hello Tim, I have this friend, I have, I have, Who moved to sunny Dorset, He took his slightly non standard twin to the MOT bloke down here, And he only put on the MOT sheet ( Vincent Special ) Now He is stuffed for life !! I blame these magic boxes, It sounds to me like 1984 all over again. Keep your head down, Bill.
 

John Appleton

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Tim, for the word "should" read would. The only way in which anyone can test a vehicle for conformity is to set the standard at the outset and this is where type approval comes in. The manufacturer submit his product for inspection, and all subsequent vehicle production of that model must conform. If you wish to build a "one off", this is catered for under the SVA (single vehicle approval) scheme to ensure it meets current legislation. I quite agree that it would be great if all special builders were competant to produce a machine that met all the requirements, but they aren't. I agree it would be good if all car "customisers" were to be trusted to be sensible, but they aren't. Witness the Astra that was presented to us for test, having had its rear suspension lowered by removing the rear springs altogether and running on the bump stop rubbers.
There is discusion going on at the moment to extend the testing period to two years. I can quite see the logic in this apart from the fact that we still get a disturbing number of vehicles presented that have tyres that look like a steel wool scouring pad. We also get a disturbing number of vehicles that have had short springs fitted and that are not located in the cups on full extension.
When all of this stops, and please remember these are only examples of a much wider range of faults, then I agree further legislation would be unwarranted. As it is we do not live in an ideal word and there has to be some mechanism for ensuring that, at some time period, vehicles are checked. Obviously regular servicing was intended to pick up on these routine inspection items, but we now have extended service periods and after the first three years of its life many vehicles dont even get those.
We still get wives creeping in to us saying "the car is wandering, and it did not used to do that, my husband says there is nothing wrong, could you check please" and we find a front swivel about to pop out. It is all of these things that make me say "that I can only see the good in it", even though, like you, I find further legislation distasteful and I too do not fully trust the legislators to get it right.

John
 

John Cone

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Go on John you have to admit it "thar's nowt worse than a mechanics car". After 35 yrs of preping HGV's, trailers,cars and vans for MOT it's not what I need to go clambering under my own vehicles at weekends but it has to be done. Talking tyres, I think the manufactures of cars need to spend more time on assembly checking the front and rear tracking. I have 2 Fords a Focus & Mondeo and both cars had shown unusual tyre wear patterns, I borrowed some laser tracking gauges and spent a whole day tracking the back and front wheels, wow what a differance to the handling on both cars.
 

vibrac

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
"road side checks specifically for motorcycles are under consideration" that doesent sound like extending it for two years
and while we are on motorcycle legislation I see that the M4 bus lane is to be closed for 18 months for motorcycles then reopened for that 'oilylimpics' we cant afford, then closed for ever
Sombody going to work on his bike must have upset some government pratt in his government limo stuck in a jam because he was still moving-so much for saving the environment
 

John Appleton

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Go on John you have to admit it "thar's nowt worse than a mechanics car".

My point exactly John, no legislation, who checks the checkers?
icon7.gif

John
 
Top