What are Legal Exhausts and Numberplates
Exhaust Pipes
Under
Construction and Use Regulation 57 for any motorcycle first
used on or after the 1st April 1983 an exhaust pipe must comply
with the regulations and the EC directives which form the
basis of the regulations.
In effect it says that no person may use, cause or permit
to be used a motorcycle which does not meet the noise vehicle
requirements and any part of the vehicle is not in good efficient
working order or the vehicle has been altered and that the
noise made by the vehicle would have been materially less
if all the parts of the vehicle were in good and efficient
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order.
In short, what this means is that if you have a noisy bike, even
if the pipes are legal, if you pulled the baffles out you are committing
an offence. The full rules are laid down in the Motorcycle Silencer
and Exhaust Systems Regulations 1995 which mean it is an offence
for any person to supply, offer or agree to supply a silencer for
motorcycle, motor scooter or moped use unless it meets with the
standards of the EC Directive or the British Standard or it is marked
not for road use or words to that effect, or is marked pre 1985
motorcycle only.
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In short, if your pipe isn’t completely legal, they have got you. It is also an
offence which the Magistrates don’t have very much sympathy for. If offered a
rectification notice for a noisy pipe, take it.
More on Exhausts
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Number Plates
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Small number plates
are an advert for the police to come along and tug you. It is an absolute offence
to have a number plate which does not comply with the regulations.
There are strict rules relating to spacing under the "Road Vehicles Display of
Registration Marks" Regulations 2001 which came into force on the 21st March 2001.
The registration plate must be fixed to the rear of the motorcycle, vertically,
be distinguishable in normal daylight and be properly lit.
For a motorcycle, you cannot have your registration plate on a single line, there
is a designated font and character height must be at least 64mm. If you have a
classic bike, different regulations apply.
If you put anything on your number plate which is designed to reflect flash photography
you are committing an offence. Changing a number or letter or displaying a false
number on your motorcycle is a serious offence, which is enforced by customs and
excise. This can carry a custodial sentence of up to two years.
Displaying no number at all is a non endorsable offence, as things currently stand,
but you should expect this to change. However, riding around without a number
plate is going attract a great deal of police attention. DVLA have the power to
take your registration mark away from you if you are consistently reported for
having a defective number plate, which can mean that your motorcycle would be
left with a "Q" plate substantially reducing its resale value.
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