Legal exhaust

[baben 11,703]

If my bike has a silencer which does not carry any markings on it to declare it is road legal, is it illegal? Not a loud exhaust, nice and quiet in fact. What happens at MOT time? The reason I ask is that I have found a small bespoke silencer maker who does race exhausts. - MHP. They are known for being really quiet despite being a race pipe but he has not got the capacity or time to jump through the regulatory hoops in order to get a label on his cans.

[alhendo1 3,031]

I found this from January 2018...you can scroll down to the exhaust bit...hopefully this answers your question. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/advice/biking-tips/how-to-avoid-an-mot-fail&ved=2ahUKEwiQ76SDvOrdAhUGJcAKHd21DWMQFjABegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw1PNq3f0vjRSrNUSIWsgaSF

I think there may be a difference for Construction & Use regs...ie if stopped by the police...but if it's inoffensive I doubt they'd take much notice.

[alhendo1 3,031]

Playing Devils Advocate here....technically ...and hopefully some others will be along with their views....for the can to be road legal...surely it must have some BS markings ie have passed noise tests...assuming this one hasn't then I suppose it's illegal....now , as I posted above the police are unlikely to get bent out of shape if it's inoffensive but for insurance purposes it should be declared to your insurer as an aftermarket mod incase of theft or accident ...for me this is where the difficulty lies....could they be sticky about the fact it isn't Road legal...ie a recognised aftermarket ie Fuel (road legal version). ..

[embee 7,288]

I have had a quick look through some of the MOT sections here https://www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/documents/manuals/class12/index.html 

but can't find specific reference. I have a feeling the rules were changed a while ago, now I think (stand to be corrected) as long as it doesn't state "NOT FOR ROAD USE" , "TRACK USE ONLY" or similar on it then it's simply a noise assessment not being "unreasonably" louder than a standard machine (as per Alhendo1's link). You insurance company might have different requirements.

As stated in the link, the requirements for Construction&Use are not the same as for an MOT. OE parts do have to carry approvals marked into them (we may or may not be using CE approvals in future, who knows?)

Edited October 3, 2018 by embee

[Andy m 23,473]

An utter mine field because C&U, MOT and EU regs never matched. 

 

To sell a new motorcycle the silencer must be to EU standards and E marked. This would also meet C&U. 

An aftermarket part should be marked E or "not for road use" but if the maker thinks its close enough, they needn't bother and won't be pursued. 

Using the unmarked silencer is not an MOT fail, but if tested by DVSA and failed lacks the defence that the markings say it once passed. 

Your sewer ants may thank you for inattention by ****ing on your chips if you ever claim. They may do that anyway. 

 

It's a job creation scheme for lawyers and members of quangos (there has to be a British Exhaust and Silencer Trade Association) who need a committee to sit on so they get a trip to London every few months. 

 

There is no enforcement, so do what you like except go past yellow boxes fast enough to make them flash. 

 

Andy

Edited October 3, 2018 by Andy m

[embee 7,288]

2 minutes ago, Andy m said:

……. (there has to be a British Exhaust and Silencer Trade Association) …..

 

British United Legislature Limiting Silencer Harmonisation In Transport.