Bike test - Speedo in km/h?

[Tyre Smoke]

A bloke who works for me has imported a bike into the UK and is riding it around quite legally (taxed, insured,etc) and is about to take his test.

He turned up at the testing centre and was told that he couldn't use his bike because the speedo was only calibrated in km/h. He explained that he knew what all the conversion speeds were from 20-70mph and knew he wasn't breaking the law, but the examiner told him that legally he has to have a speedo in mph.

Is that right?

It's a three year old import only model 125cc Suzuki.

[mandat]

A km/h speedo won't pass the MOT, however you can make it legal by using stickers with mph figures stuck onto the speedo over the appropriate km/h figures.

[Tyre Smoke]

mandat said:

A km/h speedo won't pass the MOT, however you can make it legal by using stickers with mph figures stuck onto the speedo over the appropriate km/h figures.

Forgot to put in my original post that he was told this too was unacceptable.

[WildCat]

mandat said:

A km/h speedo won't pass the MOT, however you can make it legal by using stickers with mph figures stuck onto the speedo over the appropriate km/h figures.

I am aware of this .. as had to do this with import from Germany. (ist a lovely FAST little beauty too I only ride him on track .. he ist too much of an animal

But mandat.. what might happen if UK go metric? Completely metric?

I was brought up in Switzerland und my mind's "eye" does think "metric". You say kilo of apples to me.. my brain will automatically "see" the number of apples which make a kilo of apples. I halve it for an imperial pound... und my everthings-in-law will automatically say how many apples (roughly) in a pound but struggle to say in "kilo" (about 4 medium apples make a UK pound und 8 "normal size" tomatoes make a UK pound. )

My speed skating/ice hockey competition past und ski-ing give me a "feel" of speed und also I grew up watching my own Papa und my many Onkel on rally und F3 races. This also give me an idea of "speed" from an early age .. und I think I am very lucky und privileged to have seen this und been encouraged to do so.. und shown und taught to understand cars.. performance.. handling.. mechanics.. from a very early age too.

But my mind think first in km/h und then in mph. Ist why I like my useful gadgets to be honest. Ist my reassurance if you like that am feeling correct speed in your language as even after years of living in Cumbria .. I still think as brought up.

I think this ist why UK public (especially older generations) have such issues with "metric". Human mind will envisage a weight/measure per "tangible or habitual experience".. or "what one ist used to"

[catso]

mandat said:

A km/h speedo won't pass the MOT, however you can make it legal by using stickers with mph figures stuck onto the speedo over the appropriate km/h figures.

My Bike had a KMH speedo when I bought it, with a stick-on overlay to make it legal, what is wrong with a stick-on overlay? as long as it shows the MPH correctly it must be legal, surely?

BTW my bike passed 3 MOT tests with a KMH speedo and no MPH overlay

[turbobloke]

Bike MoT must be different to car then - speedo need not be working to pass MoT, and if it's working it can be in km/h iirc.

[WildCat]

catso said:

mandat said:

A km/h speedo won't pass the MOT, however you can make it legal by using stickers with mph figures stuck onto the speedo over the appropriate km/h figures.

My Bike had a KMH speedo when I bought it, with a stick-on overlay to make it legal, what is wrong with a stick-on overlay? as long as it shows the MPH correctly it must be legal, surely?

BTW my bike passed 3 MOT tests with a KMH speedo and no MPH overlay

I think ist an anomaly which depend on how tester interpret the small print. Imported animal passed one station und yet failed the other..I did zero work on him.. he passed without a quibble..

I have since equipped with useful gadget which will give both currencies

I use the gadgets for accuracy... fact they bleep at "hazards - including personal hazards" ist "bonus point"

[catso]

turbobloke said:

Bike MoT must be different to car then - speedo need not be working to pass MoT, and if it's working it can be in km/h iirc.

During the MOT test the speedo is not tested, the bike is not ridden so they have no way of knowing if it works or if it reads correctly either in KMH or MPH as an example one can buy 'converters' that alter the input to a speedo so that a KMH speedo will actually show MPH but the MOT tester would have no way of knowing this.

As I said my bike has passed 3 MOTs with a KMH speedo.

[turbobloke]

catso said:

turbobloke said:

Bike MoT must be different to car then - speedo need not be working to pass MoT, and if it's working it can be in km/h iirc.

During the MOT test the speedo is not tested, the bike is not ridden so they have no way of knowing if it works or if it reads correctly either in KMH or MPH as an example one can buy 'converters' that alter the input to a speedo so that a KMH speedo will actually show MPH but the MOT tester would have no way of knowing this.

As I said my bike has passed 3 MOTs with a KMH speedo.

OK - not a biker as you will have guessed! My experience is simlar to yours but with four wheels. The idea of a converter makes sense but I now got so used to doing the conversion 'at a glance' that there's no need.

[Richard C]

If you convert a Japanese imported car for SVA then all you need to do is convert the km/h input to mile/h ( 1.6:1) and stick a MPH or mile/h label over the kph or km/k one. This is for C&U complinace and should be the same for a bike too.

[Dwight VanDriver]

All that Reg 35 Con and Use 84 states is that for vehicles first used after 1.4.84 to be fitted with a speedo capable of indicating mph or kph either simultaneously or by the operation of a seperate switch. There are exemptions - none applicable in this case.

If there is a stick on that shows mph in 1,2,5,or 10 mph and n/e 20 AND IS ACCURATE
then it appears law complied with.

dvd

[Tyre Smoke]

Thanks DVD.