If I remove my mirrors and indicators is my bike road legal?
Discussion
I'm looking at a track day and incase I bin it I want to remove my front indicators and mirrors.
I'd rather do this at home as the indicators especially are a pain in the arse to remove, and if they hit the ground they'll shatter the front fairing regardless of speed.
Where do I stand legally if I remove? I mean you don't need them for an MOT...
I'd rather do this at home as the indicators especially are a pain in the arse to remove, and if they hit the ground they'll shatter the front fairing regardless of speed.
Where do I stand legally if I remove? I mean you don't need them for an MOT...
Surely an MOT is just proof that on the day of testing it was fine. You can modify your vehicle in numerous ways between MOTs and it's not illegal as long as it's still road-worthy? All the MOT does is mention the lack of lights on the advisory sheet. It's not an exemption or certification as I understand it?
So a car needs to have 2 mirrors by law and a bike is OK with none? Same goes for indicators. Car needs 4 functioning indicators, bike needs none?
I guess my question becomes, "is a bike considered road worthy with no front indicators or mirrors"?
So a car needs to have 2 mirrors by law and a bike is OK with none? Same goes for indicators. Car needs 4 functioning indicators, bike needs none?
I guess my question becomes, "is a bike considered road worthy with no front indicators or mirrors"?
Edited by Prof Prolapse on Thursday 16th May 11:42
moanthebairns said:
lets face it if you come off next thursday at speed the fact you have indicators there or not wont make much of a difference to how smashed your fairings get. Or at least id think so.
The indicators on the early CBRs break the front fairings if you drop them. Replacement second hand front fairings seem to be a b
d to get hold of presumably for this reason. I've come off on it before and the indicator bent in and, true to form, shattered the front fairing, I painstaking repaired it for the third time last weekend. I did properly this time and I don't want to do it again.
The reason I want my mirrors off is because they're cheap s
tty aftermarkets and they need to be re-tightened every time I fold them in or out. There's method to the madness.
Just as a bit of an update to anybody who wants to go down this road.
You have an exemption with lights under the 1989 vehicle lighting regulations (or similar) when it comes to removing lights regardless of year of manufacture. You are exempted on the basis that the vehicle is primarily not used for the road in this instance it would be the track i.e. it is an off-road bike, and it is for a sole person only. You must therefore remove the pegs. (I wrongly dismissed this earlier)
Obviously you want to declare this with your insurer since you've massively increased your risk of getting stopped in the first place. I had a chat with my insurers who (like many) will only cover you if you have a "daylight MOT" (i.e. an MOT with a VT20 advisory) to accompany your "adaptations". This unsurprisingly states you cannot use the the bike at night or times of limited visibility.
So then you need a daylight MOT. The interpretation of the guidance, varies from station to station. The local station here will pass a bike as long as all directional indicators are removed, the headlamp is completely taped over, and the wiring for the running lights removed. You can't just remove the indicators, it is all or nothing.
After this declared, it's costing me nothing. Insurers are not even arsed that I'm fitting a performance exhaust and taking the mirrors off at the same time.
So after MOT no need to replace damaged fairings and wiring. I just hope you don't get caught out in the dark!
You have an exemption with lights under the 1989 vehicle lighting regulations (or similar) when it comes to removing lights regardless of year of manufacture. You are exempted on the basis that the vehicle is primarily not used for the road in this instance it would be the track i.e. it is an off-road bike, and it is for a sole person only. You must therefore remove the pegs. (I wrongly dismissed this earlier)
Obviously you want to declare this with your insurer since you've massively increased your risk of getting stopped in the first place. I had a chat with my insurers who (like many) will only cover you if you have a "daylight MOT" (i.e. an MOT with a VT20 advisory) to accompany your "adaptations". This unsurprisingly states you cannot use the the bike at night or times of limited visibility.
So then you need a daylight MOT. The interpretation of the guidance, varies from station to station. The local station here will pass a bike as long as all directional indicators are removed, the headlamp is completely taped over, and the wiring for the running lights removed. You can't just remove the indicators, it is all or nothing.
After this declared, it's costing me nothing. Insurers are not even arsed that I'm fitting a performance exhaust and taking the mirrors off at the same time.
So after MOT no need to replace damaged fairings and wiring. I just hope you don't get caught out in the dark!
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