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MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

This was announced in Whitehall today:

"The Government has decided to proceed with the exemption for all vehicles constructed or first registered more than 40 years ago, on a rolling basis, as proposed in the consultation document. Currently there are 197,000 vehicles exempt from MOT testing. By implementing this measure it is expected that around an additional 293,000 vehicles (or 1% of the total fleet) will not require an annual MOT test."
This will cover all motorcycles and cars that have not had "substantial changes" made to them since 1988, although the definition of "substantial change" is still being thrashed out.


Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

I'm curious to know what exactly the MOT testing is all about.
In Ontario Canada we only buy an annual license plate sticker.

email (option): seanmaiesciuk@gmail.com

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

I think they are going to be tax exempt as well....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

Hi Ron,
Can I pm you some pictures of the possible project I'm looking at, would value your input on what's there and is being asked?
Regards
Scott

email (option): Larkesr@gmail.com

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

Always willing to take a look Scott. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

PM sent Ron
Scott

email (option): Larkesr@gmail.com

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

Sean
I'm curious to know what exactly the MOT testing is all about.
In Ontario Canada we only buy an annual license plate sticker.


In the UK all vehicles up to 3.5 tons and over 3 years old have to be checked each year for roadworthyness buy 'Ministry of Transport' (MOT) approved garages. HGV's have a different more stringent regime.

A few years ago they allowed for all vehicles built before 1960 to be MOT exempt. They are now altering this to include all vehicles built over 40 years ago and registered as 'Historic'.....The way I read it, it will be a rolling date. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

As Ron said.....it includes brake testing, lights, tyres, and general condition of critical items like steering head and wheel bearings, throttle function, etc.. Its worth remembering, though that while MoT TESTING is not required for older vehicles, your insurance cover is conditional on your vehicle being in roadworthy condition and as you must be insured, roadworthiness remains a legal requirement. I know quite a few folk run their bikes through the MoT even though not required in law.

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

I was just about to make a post about this

Here's the Government response.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/644412/government-response-to-exempting-vehicles-of-historical-interest-from-roadworthiness.pdf

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

My reading of this is that modified vehicles built before 1988? will be exempt from the 8 point 'substantially modified' rules...

If so the Gold Star special I wanted to build is back on the cards...Any comments on that?...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

If the frame has a V5 then they have no way of knowing when it was put together, and with an engine from the same make, there would be nothing on the log book to tell them and no homologation specs to refer to anyway.

If you have to register it now then you'll be relying on how much the Owner's Club report goes to town on things.

Looking at it logically, there isn't really any reason to allow specials based on old parts to be treated as historic vehicles.

Exhaust bandage and a tractor seat should be enough to warrant loss of privileges :-)

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

A sidecar is quite a large percentage of a combination, I wonder it that counts?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

Rik
If the frame has a V5 then they have no way of knowing when it was put together, and with an engine from the same make, there would be nothing on the log book to tell them and no homologation specs to refer to anyway.

If you have to register it now then you'll be relying on how much the Owner's Club report goes to town on things.

Looking at it logically, there isn't really any reason to allow specials based on old parts to be treated as historic vehicles.

Exhaust bandage and a tractor seat should be enough to warrant loss of privileges :-)


Well there is a yes & no case for that.
We have had Historic registrations for around 40 years.
Originally it was done through the clubs and now it is done through the RMS so all plates are on the computer records thus camera detected offences can now be enforced.
In the earlier system, we all had our own unique coloured plates and each club had numbers starting from 001, thus there were dozens of 010 & 020 etc with the distinguishing feature being a club name bar that the camera could not resolve and different colour combinations which again the infra red cameras can not resolve.
So now we draw from a common pool of numbers so each number is unique.
As for safety checks, the clubs are responsible for ensuring every members vehicle is roadworthy, mainly due to things like modern mechanics inability to access if dummy rim brakes are actually working.

As for specials, our system originally was for "catalogue correct" bikes thus Tritons or Norvins were inelligible .
When the "new scheme" came in it was a bit tighter so all the Healey & MG owners were forced to take the Datsun engines out & put the Austins back in.

I personally, being the Club Registrar have removed plates from 2 members and sent several letters to the department about unsafe "specials" with the aforemantioned lagged exhausts & tractor seats.
At least one club I complained about has been excluded so self regulation does seem to work.

email (option): bsansw1@tpg.com.au

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

Here in the UK only the keeper/user of a vehicle is responsible for roadworthiness...

As far as motorcycles are concerned to retain their original registration number (if they have been off the road and don't have the latest registration document) they must have an unaltered original frame and have two of the following...original forks, original wheels, original engine, original gearbox....

So it possible to build a Triton for example, if it has an unaltered featherbed frame and two of the listed items above (which doesn't have to include the engine or gearbox...)

Generally the authorities accept engine changes even if it's a bigger engine..A friend of mine recently changed his Norton Commando from 850cc to 920cc without any problem and could have used another engine altogether..

Changes CAN be virtually unlimited but then the original registration number cannot be retained (a 'Q' plate will be issued), there will be no MOT exemption and initial registration is more complicated...

So, when it comes to building a special if you want to retain the reg.number you need a friendly/flexible inspection officer from the relevant club and you have to be mindful of what you can alter...

The main point I suppose is that (obvious) frame alterations are out...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

Ian, in the draft guidance notes for VHIs, they are suggesting that engine swaps will be allowed if no more than a 15% power to weight increase over original.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/roadworthiness-testing-for-vehicles-of-historic-interest

This is mostly car based of course and they say that bikes may differ...but Norton used identical rolling chassis from the 17 bhp Model 50 right up to the 55 bhp Atlas....and in fact changing a 350 engine to a 500 would fall foul of the guidlines.

Re: MOT exemption for 40 year old vehicles

What about chops and customs that were created over 40 years ago with altered frames, raked forks etc. The WHOLE bike has been together for 40+ years. How would that work?

email (option): stinkypete80 @hotmail.com

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