motorcycle carrier and the law....

[old'uns]

got passed by this today.....



usually passed by Sprinters with Plant on trailers so this was a surprise.

Legal in any way? or someone who doesnt know / give a s**t and just wants to make progress?

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

Well for one the speed limit for towing a trailer is 60 and for two you can't be in the outside lane of a three lane motorway with one.

[OutInTheShed]

some of those things are rigidly connected to the vehicle like a pushbike carrier, I'm not sure having a wheel or two makes them legally a trailer?

Some people carry light trials bikes on a towbar-mounted thing, no wheel, legal for 70 AIUI.
Front might go a bit light, rock'n'roll.

When I first towed trailers, there were conditions to having a '50' sticker other wise trailers were 40mph limit.
Because of that, a few characters would put substantial boats on the roof of a car to go to races around the country.

A 3 litre Granada with 150 kg of boat on the roof could be interesting.
400x 8 trailer tyres often don't like prolonged motorway abuse, 10 inch wheels are better.

Statistically, trailers are pretty benign, few people going totally OTT make a big mess.

[E-bmw]

Don't see a problem or why there would be, aside of the bit about speed (if it is true) it is a bike on a trailer, it isn't a big trailer but it isn't a big bike.

[ChevronB19]

E-bmw said:

Don't see a problem or why there would be, aside of the bit about speed (if it is true) it is a bike on a trailer, it isn't a big trailer but it isn't a big bike.

Because it’s illegal to tow in the right hand lane of a 3 lane road?

[OutInTheShed]

ChevronB19 said:

E-bmw said:

Don't see a problem or why there would be, aside of the bit about speed (if it is true) it is a bike on a trailer, it isn't a big trailer but it isn't a big bike.

Because it’s illegal to tow in the right hand lane of a 3 lane road?

It's also illegal to tow above 60mph.

The RH lane thing is also frequently broken by coaches.
Speed limits are frequently broken....

The question is, is it a trailer, legally in the UK?
It looks like a variant of this:
https://www.cruiserlifts.com/collections/swivelwhe...

A platform rigidly mounted to the read of the truck, with extra wheels taking some of the weight.

[donkmeister]

ChevronB19 said:

E-bmw said:

Don't see a problem or why there would be, aside of the bit about speed (if it is true) it is a bike on a trailer, it isn't a big trailer but it isn't a big bike.

Because it’s illegal to tow in the right hand lane of a 3 lane road?

The jury is out on whether or not the thing the bike is on is a trailer.

In France I've seen people with things that are a halfway house between a towbar mounted bike rack and a trailer. It's a small platform with caster wheels that can swivel freely, with the platform rigidly mounted to the tow ball. This outfit looks a lot like that.

So the question is when does a towbar mounted thing become a trailer? Is it when there are wheels touching the ground? Is it when the outfit is articulated? Is it both?

https://youtu.be/O7dzQ9Quyq8

Edited by donkmeister on Saturday 15th October 12:04

[Cat]

donkmeister said:

So the question is when does a towbar mounted thing become a trailer? Is it when there are wheels touching the ground? Is it when the outfit is articulated? Is it both?

Section 186 of the RTA covers this...

s186 RTA 1988 said:

For the purposes of section 185 of this Act, in a case where a motor vehicle is so constructed that a trailer may by partial super-imposition be attached to the vehicle in such a manner as to cause a substantial part of the weight of the trailer to be borne by the vehicle, that vehicle is to be deemed to be a vehicle itself constructed to carry a load

It would ultimately be a matter for a court to decide what constituted a "substantial part of the weight".

Cat

[OutInTheShed]

Cat said:

donkmeister said:

So the question is when does a towbar mounted thing become a trailer? Is it when there are wheels touching the ground? Is it when the outfit is articulated? Is it both?

Section 186 of the RTA covers this...

s186 RTA 1988 said:

For the purposes of section 185 of this Act, in a case where a motor vehicle is so constructed that a trailer may by partial super-imposition be attached to the vehicle in such a manner as to cause a substantial part of the weight of the trailer to be borne by the vehicle, that vehicle is to be deemed to be a vehicle itself constructed to carry a load

It would ultimately be a matter for a court to decide what constituted a "substantial part of the weight".

Cat

Is that not legalese for 'an artic is one vehicle, mate'?

[Jordie Barretts sock]

Matt_E_Mulsion said:

Well for one the speed limit for towing a trailer is 60 and for two you can't be in the outside lane of a three lane motorway with one.

This is the only and correct answer.

[E-bmw]

ChevronB19 said:

E-bmw said:

Don't see a problem or why there would be, aside of the bit about speed (if it is true) it is a bike on a trailer, it isn't a big trailer but it isn't a big bike.

Because it’s illegal to tow in the right hand lane of a 3 lane road?

I was inferring the right-hand lane in my comment about the speed, otherwise why would he be there.

[E-bmw]

OutInTheShed said:

ChevronB19 said:

E-bmw said:

Don't see a problem or why there would be, aside of the bit about speed (if it is true) it is a bike on a trailer, it isn't a big trailer but it isn't a big bike.

Because it’s illegal to tow in the right hand lane of a 3 lane road?

It's also illegal to tow above 60mph.

The RH lane thing is also frequently broken by coaches.

And HGVs

[anonymous-user]

Implying

[Cat]

OutInTheShed said:

Is that not legalese for 'an artic is one vehicle, mate'?

Nope, section 187 of the RTA deals with articulated vehicles.

You might be thinking of the C&U definition of an articulated vehicle.

Cat

[E-bmw]

donkmeister said:

ChevronB19 said:

E-bmw said:

Don't see a problem or why there would be, aside of the bit about speed (if it is true) it is a bike on a trailer, it isn't a big trailer but it isn't a big bike.

Because it’s illegal to tow in the right hand lane of a 3 lane road?

The jury is out on whether or not the thing the bike is on is a trailer.


https://youtu.be/O7dzQ9Quyq8

Edited by donkmeister on Saturday 15th October 12:04

Don't see how it can be a fixed carrier, as with wheels on it would be bouncing all over the place when turning surely?

[Cliftonite]

E-bmw said:

OutInTheShed said:

ChevronB19 said:

E-bmw said:

Don't see a problem or why there would be, aside of the bit about speed (if it is true) it is a bike on a trailer, it isn't a big trailer but it isn't a big bike.

Because it’s illegal to tow in the right hand lane of a 3 lane road?

It's also illegal to tow above 60mph.

The RH lane thing is also frequently broken by coaches.

And HGVs

There is no restriction to prevent HGVs (and presumably coaches and possibly even trailers) from using lane 3 on roads (i.e. other than motorways) unless signs say otherwise. A stretch of the dual-carriageway A23 in West Sussex is a case in point.

[OutInTheShed]

Cat said:

Nope, section 187 of the RTA deals with articulated vehicles.

You might be thinking of the C&U definition of an articulated vehicle.

Cat

No I was thinking " a motor vehicle is so constructed that a trailer may by partial super-imposition be attached to the vehicle in such a manner as to cause a substantial part of the weight of the trailer to be borne by the vehicle" is a clumsy description of a 5th wheel trailer.

[E-bmw]

Cliftonite said:

E-bmw said:

OutInTheShed said:

ChevronB19 said:

E-bmw said:

Don't see a problem or why there would be, aside of the bit about speed (if it is true) it is a bike on a trailer, it isn't a big trailer but it isn't a big bike.

Because it’s illegal to tow in the right hand lane of a 3 lane road?

It's also illegal to tow above 60mph.

The RH lane thing is also frequently broken by coaches.

And HGVs

There is no restriction to prevent HGVs (and presumably coaches and possibly even trailers) from using lane 3 on roads (i.e. other than motorways) unless signs say otherwise. A stretch of the dual-carriageway A23 in West Sussex is a case in point.

Just leaving this here.

[donkmeister]

E-bmw said:

donkmeister said:

ChevronB19 said:

E-bmw said:

Don't see a problem or why there would be, aside of the bit about speed (if it is true) it is a bike on a trailer, it isn't a big trailer but it isn't a big bike.

Because it’s illegal to tow in the right hand lane of a 3 lane road?

The jury is out on whether or not the thing the bike is on is a trailer.


https://youtu.be/O7dzQ9Quyq8

Edited by donkmeister on Saturday 15th October 12:04

Don't see how it can be a fixed carrier, as with wheels on it would be bouncing all over the place when turning surely?

Yes, on that one the wheels dont look like they can swivel so presumably it would scrub a fair bit unless there's some limited movement we can't see in the video, even if they aren't carrying much weight.

The ones I've seen people use in France for general load lugging are essentially a very large swivel-wheeled dolly that rigidly clamps the towball like a bike rack. The idea for those ones is more about it being easy to drive with for people who haven't towed before, especially with reversing.

[trashbat]

E-bmw said:

Just leaving this here.

The poster you've quoted is correct, and the image you've posted demonstrates it. It's only applicable to motorways.