First MOT

[TruckerJoe 20]

Right guys and gals my NC750X is coming up for its first MOT.

 

As I have never had a bike this long from new to put it through myself what sort of things do they look for. I know on a car its normally quite simply to look out for stuff that could fail but on the bike Im not so sure where to start looking. Off course there is lights, tires and brakes but what else after that.

 

Cheers fr the heads up 

[Grumpy old man 4,682]

Wheel bearings, head bearings, swing arm bearings, chain alignment and tension, nothing catches on lock to lock on steering and don't forget brake light. Good luck.

[Tex 36,817]

Add headlight alignment to Lloyd’s list. Most testers seem reasonably tolerant of an aftermarket pipe unless it’s marked ‘Not for road use’ which is/should be an automatic fail. 

[Rev Ken 6,345]

Look up the MOT manual on the DVSA site. (and if you have fitted after-market HID light adaption, replace them with candles as the last revision has made them an MOT fail item, even where they meet all the headlight beam pattern MOT regs).

[TruckerJoe 20]

Nice one thanks for the heads up. 

 

Mine has the standard LED lights all round except indicators so that shouldn't be a problem. 

 

Everything else looks solid enough for its small millage I do. 

[Slowboy 20,560]

2 hours ago, Rev Ken said:

Look up the MOT manual on the DVSA site. (and if you have fitted after-market HID light adaption, replace them with candles as the last revision has made them an MOT fail item, even where they meet all the headlight beam pattern MOT regs).

 

Rev, the rules are really clear, HID lights must be accompanied by self levelling suspension. They are not permitted with out it. They should not be retro fitted to vehicles that don't comply. I have them on my Volvo, self adjusting rear end and all, you'd not be at all happy facing a badly adjusted set, you really wouldn't.

 

Beam pattern is only part of the issue.

 

Simples.

Edited February 15, 2020 by slowboy

[MikeBike 5,006]

1 hour ago, slowboy said:

 

Rev, the rules are really clear, HID lights must be accompanied by self levelling suspension. They are not permitted with out it. They should not be retro fitted to vehicles that don't comply. I have them on my Volvo, self adjusting rear end and all, you'd not be at all happy facing a badly adjusted set, you really wouldn't.

 

Beam pattern is only part of the issue.

 

Simples.

Do you mean suspension rather than headlights? My previous BMW had headlights that used to do an up /down routine when starting so I suppose they were self levelling but the car didn't have self levelling suspension. If the headlights are level I suppose it doesn't matter for the lights if the rest of the car is pointing skywards.

[DaveM59 1,605]

Zenons have auto levelling headlights using a load detector on the suspension. They also have to have washers.

Do bikes have true zenons, not zenon gassed H1/H7/H4 incandescent bulbs which aren't the same?

[Slowboy 20,560]

2 hours ago, DaveM59 said:

Zenons have auto levelling headlights using a load detector on the suspension. They also have to have washers.

Do bikes have true zenons, not zenon gassed H1/H7/H4 incandescent bulbs which aren't the same?

 

Bikes are specifically excluded from having HID lighting.

 

2 hours ago, MikeBike said:

Do you mean suspension rather than headlights? My previous BMW had headlights that used to do an up /down routine when starting so I suppose they were self levelling but the car didn't have self levelling suspension. If the headlights are level I suppose it doesn't matter for the lights if the rest of the car is pointing skywards.

 

Sort of, the lights on my Volvo do the same thing as you describe, and are self levelling. It also has self levelling rear suspension, it may be that I have misunderstood the linkage between the two. It wouldn't be the first time........

It may be that there is some sort of linkage. I ought to look it up really....

[Rev Ken 6,345]

On 15/02/2020 at 16:32, slowboy said:

 

Rev, the rules are really clear, HID lights must be accompanied by self levelling suspension. They are not permitted with out it. They should not be retro fitted to vehicles that don't comply. I have them on my Volvo, self adjusting rear end and all, you'd not be at all happy facing a badly adjusted set, you really wouldn't.

 

Beam pattern is only part of the issue.

 

Simples.

It is illegal to fit a 100w 'normal' bulb, but it won't fail an MOT. The MOT is not a type approval examination and until this last revision HID conversions that met all MOT criteria were accepted (I've had them for over 7 years and very rarely been flashed by any vehicle). There are exemptions for 'self levelling', but can't recite them from memory. To drive along our country roads, with frequent bends and hills, is highly dangerous when confronted with 'self levelling' High Intensity lights of any description. For my own safety I need to have more than a candle for a light.

 

Strangely LED conversions are not a fail item on the MOTif they can meet the beam pattern. They are far brighter than 'normal' bulbs so why the discrimination?

 

There are bikes with high intensity lights that don't have 'self levelling' and washers, which pass all type approvals here and on the Continent, hence there are exceptions!

 

At the end of the day lighting regs need a fundamental revision. Until then my safety is more important than this particular reg, so long as my HID conversion meets all other MOT requirements. 

[Andy m 23,609]

49 minutes ago, Rev Ken said:

 at the end of the day lighting regs need a fundamental revision. Until then my safety is more important than this particular reg, so long as my HID conversion meets all other MOT requirements. 

 

Couldn't agree more. The insanity surrounding marker lights used with reversing systems must result in crushed pedestrians more than once. The settings on brake lights and hazards with regard to automated braking and emergency functions is made up as they go along. Then there are all the European vehicles with different settings again. 

 

Andy

[Tex 36,817]

Ken, I think you’re either missing the point or misunderstanding the self levelling bit. Self levelling suspensions keep the vehicle attitude the same whatever the load, that’s why they can have the HID without dazzling oncoming traffic. Your GT doesn’t have self levelling suspension, so if you put a passenger on the back you’re going to dazzle everyone.

 

“Ah” I hear you say “I never carry passengers”

 

So maybe the MOT regs should say “No HID conversions unless it’s on a F800GT ridden by an elderly gentleman who never carries passengers”. Yeah, that’ll do it.