Simon's silly question of the day.
Simon's silly question of the day.
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Discussion

ferrariF50lover

Original Poster:

1,834 posts

252 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
Hi all,

I'm back!

I'm watching Road Wars (because I'm cool). The police have come across a chap riding a mini-motorbike. Now, cop number one gets out of his car and tells the geezer (nice black fella, no trouble) that the bikes aren't legal to be used on the road. He then proceeds to suggest that the rider is committing an offence by not being insured and not having a tax disc.

My question is this:

Since the mini-moto isn't road legal in it's original state (ie, it was never meant to be ridden on the road, it was designed to be used off road) and no amount of numberplates, tax disks and insurance will ever make it road legal, is the rider actually committing the offences of no tax, no insurance etc?

Simon.

ThunderSpook

3,896 posts

237 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
Yes.

TwigtheWonderkid

48,452 posts

176 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
ferrariF50lover said:
and no amount of numberplates, tax disks and insurance will ever make it road legal,
Why not. Number plates, indicators, brake lights etc. I'm sure a half decent mechanic could have one road legal pretty easily.

rigga

8,805 posts

227 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
ferrariF50lover said:
and no amount of numberplates, tax disks and insurance will ever make it road legal,
Why not. Number plates, indicators, brake lights etc. I'm sure a half decent mechanic could have one road legal pretty easily.
Doubt even then it would comply to construction and use regs

yellowjack

18,245 posts

192 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
ferrariF50lover said:
and no amount of numberplates, tax disks and insurance will ever make it road legal,
Why not. Number plates, indicators, brake lights etc. I'm sure a half decent mechanic could have one road legal pretty easily.
Because the regulatory system is framed in such a way that they will NEVER be permitted to be registered and insured for use on the road. Try it. You won't get past square one (DVLA). It's the way the authorities want it to be. And for bloody good reason. Mini-motos are toys, nothing more, nothing less. Cool toys, or silly toys, depends upon your own opinion, but big boys' toys. That is all.

Grenoble

58,537 posts

181 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
[quote=ferrariF50lover] the geezer (nice black fella, no trouble) /quote]

Out of interest, what does the colour of his skin have anything to do with it?

monthefish

20,467 posts

257 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
Grenoble said:
ferrariF50lover said:
the geezer (nice black fella, no trouble)
Out of interest, what does the colour of his skin have anything to do with it?
Oh don't start.

SimonMaidenhead

2,643 posts

229 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
monthefish said:
Grenoble said:
ferrariF50lover said:
the geezer (nice black fella, no trouble)
Out of interest, what does the colour of his skin have anything to do with it?
Oh don't start.
Why mention the gender too, what difference does it make rolleyes

TwigtheWonderkid

48,452 posts

176 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
yellowjack said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
ferrariF50lover said:
and no amount of numberplates, tax disks and insurance will ever make it road legal,
Why not. Number plates, indicators, brake lights etc. I'm sure a half decent mechanic could have one road legal pretty easily.
Because the regulatory system is framed in such a way that they will NEVER be permitted to be registered and insured for use on the road. Try it. You won't get past square one (DVLA). It's the way the authorities want it to be. And for bloody good reason. Mini-motos are toys, nothing more, nothing less. Cool toys, or silly toys, depends upon your own opinion, but big boys' toys. That is all.
If Edd China can get a double bed thru the regs, I'm sure he could sort out a mini moto.

Pontoneer

3,643 posts

212 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
yellowjack said:
Because the regulatory system is framed in such a way that they will NEVER be permitted to be registered and insured for use on the road. Try it. You won't get past square one (DVLA). It's the way the authorities want it to be. And for bloody good reason. Mini-motos are toys, nothing more, nothing less. Cool toys, or silly toys, depends upon your own opinion, but big boys' toys. That is all.
I'm curious : what , specifically , would prevent one of these machines from being made road legal ?

ferrariF50lover

Original Poster:

1,834 posts

252 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
Grenoble]errariF50lover said:
the geezer (nice black fella, no trouble) /quote]

Out of interest, what does the colour of his skin have anything to do with it?
I was describing the person who was riding the mini-motorcycle. He was a chap, he was perfectly nice to the policemen who stopped him and he was black. What don't you understand?

Simon.

ferrariF50lover

Original Poster:

1,834 posts

252 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
I see, so, it's possible for something to be a mechanically propelled vehicle (and thus be required to be insured/taxed etc if used on the road) while simultaneously not being road legal. If, for example, I fit a simple engine/driveshaft system to a shopping trolley such that it moves under its own power, then drive it on the road, I am driving with no tax/insurance, despite the fact that the "vehicle" I'm driving isn't really a vehicle at all (by which I mean it isn't a Ford Focus, or some other car as we ordinarily understand the term)?

This is interesting.

Simon.

deeen

6,343 posts

271 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
ferrariF50lover said:
I was describing the person who was riding the mini-motorcycle. He was a chap, he was perfectly nice to the policemen who stopped him and he was black. What don't you understand?

Simon.
The relevance?

Grenoble

58,537 posts

181 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
ferrariF50lover said:
I see, so, it's possible for something to be a mechanically propelled vehicle (and thus be required to be insured/taxed etc if used on the road) while simultaneously not being road legal. If, for example, I fit a simple engine/driveshaft system to a shopping trolley such that it moves under its own power, then drive it on the road, I am driving with no tax/insurance, despite the fact that the "vehicle" I'm driving isn't really a vehicle at all (by which I mean it isn't a Ford Focus, or some other car as we ordinarily understand the term)?

This is interesting.

Simon.
Not really. The definition is set in law. The fact that it is a very broad term allows such loopholes to be avoided, and people to exploit them.

Grenoble

58,537 posts

181 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
ferrariF50lover said:
I was describing the person who was riding the mini-motorcycle. He was a chap, he was perfectly nice to the policemen who stopped him and he was black. What don't you understand?

Simon.
The relevance of his skin colour to any part of the statement or discussion. I doubt that you would have said, "white chap, nice", etc....

Marvib

528 posts

172 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
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Grenoble said:
The relevance of his skin colour to any part of the statement or discussion. I doubt that you would have said, "white chap, nice", etc....
How do you know he wouldn't have said that? There is enough racism about as it is, please don't look for it where there wasn't any intended.

deeen

6,343 posts

271 months

Thursday 23rd May 2013
quotequote all
Marvib said:
How do you know he wouldn't have said that? There is enough racism about as it is, please don't look for it where there wasn't any intended.
Absolutely. By the way, what colour was the policeman?

ferrariF50lover

Original Poster:

1,834 posts

252 months

Friday 24th May 2013
quotequote all
The policeman was white. They're all white on that show, never seen a black copper on there. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a black policeman anywhere.

There is no direct relevance. However, being black is a significant distinguishing feature. England is a white country, we have no native black population. I wouldn't have mentioned it had the guy been white because that is what one would reasonably expect an Englishman to be. Equally, if I was talking about a man from Ghana, I would not make specific mention of a black man, but I would make mention of a white man, because it would not be the norm. I'd also have mentioned it if he had been Down's Syndrome, a dwarf, Rastafarian, or dressed in women's clothing.

Simon.

Pip1968

1,389 posts

230 months

Friday 24th May 2013
quotequote all
ferrariF50lover said:
The policeman was white. They're all white on that show, never seen a black copper on there. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a black policeman anywhere.

There is no direct relevance. However, being black is a significant distinguishing feature. England is a white country, we have no native black population. I wouldn't have mentioned it had the guy been white because that is what one would reasonably expect an Englishman to be. Equally, if I was talking about a man from Ghana, I would not make specific mention of a black man, but I would make mention of a white man, because it would not be the norm. I'd also have mentioned it if he had been Down's Syndrome, a dwarf, Rastafarian, or dressed in women's clothing.

Simon.
Here we go a can of worms and all unneccessary. Genoble and deeen get over it. I am 'brown' and have been called a spick, wog, and pakki (should that be with a 'y'?) amongst other things. He was black. People draw all sorts of stereotypes from colour rightly or wrongly. It sets the scene. Perhaps they should pixellate out his colour.

Pip

New POD

3,851 posts

176 months

Friday 24th May 2013
quotequote all
rigga said:
Doubt even then it would comply to construction and use regs
I have a mate who is building a road legal electric bike, from the remains of a road legal TZ250. He is doing this to avoid having to go through a IVA or SVA or whatever it is now.

IIRC he has a target of 100 mph top speed and a 160 mile range.