For Work Or Road Use?
Traditionally
"Quad bikes" have always been considered to be agricultural vehicles
(although there are many that are used for leisure on land to which
the public does not have general access) and should only have been
able to be registered as agricultural vehicles used for the purposes
of agriculture, horticulture or forestry. During the course of this
use there may be a small amount of road use in much the same way
as a farmer uses an agricultural tractor and whilst on the road,
the vehicles would have to meet the on-road requirements for an
agricultural vehicle given in The Road Vehicles (Construction and
Use) Regulations 1986, as amended (C&U) and The Road Vehicles Lighting
Regulations 1989, as amended (RVLR). Use as a normal road-going
vehicle for everyday transport would be unlikely to be permitted
as these vehicles are unlikely to meet the technical construction
requirements that apply to a four wheel road vehicle, that is, a
car. Particular areas of concern would be the tyres, braking system,
seat belt requirements and so on. |
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Since
June 17 2003 the situation has changed due to the introduction of another form
of ECWVTA to cover powered two and three-wheeled vehicles including two categories
of small, low performance, four-wheel vehicles referred to as “Quadricycles”.
Typically these “Quadricycles” have been bodied vehicles of French origin manufactured
by companies such as Ligier, Aixam, Erad, Microcar and so on and have 300cc, 400cc
or 500cc diesel engines. However, we are aware that some manufacturers, for example,
Bombardier of Canada, have obtained type approval for what can only be described
as a four-wheel motorcycle (to all intents and purposes a “Quad Bike") and provided
that such a vehicle has ECWVTA and has a Certificate of Conformity issued by the
manufacturer to signify that fact, then it can be registered and legally used
as a normal everyday vehicle.
For vehicles that do not have type approval but that owners wish to use as normal
vehicles, there is the possibility, following extensive modification, that they
could be submitted to the Single Vehicle Approval scheme directly aimed at powered
two and three-wheeled vehicles and quadricycles.
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The
definitions for quadricycles are:
Category L6e – Light quadricycle – Four wheels, with
a maximum unladen mass of 350kg (not including the mass of the
batteries in an electrically powered vehicle), a maximum speed
of 45km/h, a maximum spark ignition internal combustion engine
capacity of 50cm3, or maximum power of any other internal combustion
engine of 4kW or maximum electric motor continuous rated power
of 4kW. The construction requirements are those for a three
wheel moped unless otherwise specified in a particular Directive.
Category L7e – Quadricycle - Four wheels, with a maximum unladen mass of
400kg or 550kg for a goods carrying vehicle (not including the mass of the batteries
in an electrically powered vehicle) and a maximum net power, whatever the type
of engine or motor, of 15kW. The construction requirements are those for a motor
tricycle unless otherwise specified in a particular Directive.
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