If you own a motorbike, one of your responsibilities is to ensure that it is in a condition regarded as roadworthy as stipulated by the law. You might want to know that it is one thing for your motorbike to be in excellent running condition but a different thing for it to be roadworthy according to the dictates of the law.
Like other vehicles like cars, vans, trucks, etc., motorbikes are also required by law to undergo the mandatory and yearly MOT before they can be legally driven on public roads. That said, if you are not very clear on the details of MOT law as it relates to motorbikes, here are all you need to learn about motorbike MOTs.
What Is A Motorbike MOT?
The MOT, also known as the Ministry of Transport test, was introduced in the 60s to ensure the driving of safe vehicles on public roads according to government-established standards. As it applies to cars, vans, trucks, etc., motorbike owners are required by law to ensure their motorbikes undergo MOT to ascertain roadworthiness unless they are less than 3 years old or MOT exempt.
An MOT involves inspecting the emission, lighting, and other roadworthiness checks as stipulated by the 1988 UK traffic act. Government-authorised MOT centres carry out these tests on all vehicles. A pass MOT certificate or a refusal is issued after the test. If your motorbike passes its MOT, the issued MOT certificate will be valid for one year from the test date. If a refusal is issued instead, the reasons for the failure must be fixed and retested before it can return to public roads.
What’s more, without a valid MOT certificate, you will not be eligible to pay the road tax for your motorbike, including the insurance needed for you to ride on a public road. Beyond safety, buyers of used motorbikes check MOT history or records to guide their decisions, as it helps to know all the previous faults that were pointed out, including pending ones in the advisory notes.
How To Check Your Motorbike’s MOT Status
Before 2012, paper MOT certificates were issued after a trained and licensed mechanic checks your motorbike, showing whether it passed or failed its MOT. The pointed-out issues will be written on the certificate if it’s a fail. However, things are a lot easier post-2012. MOT certificates no longer come in paper format from the testing garages. The whole MOT recording has been digitised, so current MOT certificates are accessed online because the testers are authorised to upload customers’ MOT certificates online and immediately after testing.
The result and status can be accessed by entering the registration number of your motorbike at MOT Reg Check, through our online MOT checker. Texts shown in green colour indicate valid, while texts in red mean an MOT certificate has expired. It will interest you to know that the DVSA website holds the records of MOT records in the UK since 2005.
What’s more, you can easily access an internet-enabled device from anywhere. You can even check the MOT records of other people’s vehicles or motorbikes, especially if you are interested in buying a motorbike from a previous user.
Is A Motorbike MOT Different To A Car MOT?
While a car and a motorbike do not have the same design, their MOT is designed to serve the same purpose, i.e., to ensure they are roadworthy. Both MOTs are very similar but also different.
In terms of similarity, the MOT of cars and motorbikes are designed to have a year’s validity. Just like cars, owners of motorbikes are responsible for ensuring their motorbikes undergo their yearly tests.
Furthermore, the MOT exempt clause is also applicable to bikes. Just as cars are exempt from MOT for the first three years, motorbike MOTs are also exempted from having MOT certificates when they are less than three years old. In addition, classic motorbikes that are over 40 years old and have not been subjected to substantial changes are also MOT exempt.
It is important to know that just because your bike may be a classic and MOT-exempt doesn’t mean it should not be roadworthy. Therefore, classic bikes or modern motorbikes are still required by law to be in safe conditions before riding on public roads.
When it comes to differences, it comes down to the actual testing at the authorised MOT garages because of the differences in features of motorbikes and cars. If you own both a car and a bike, you may have to visit a different garage for your motorbike MOT because an authorised MOT centre may not handle both services, being that they belong to different classes of vehicles/MOT. While the seat belts, windscreens, and other car-unique tests are checked for cars, drive chains, sprockets, footrests, etc., are exclusive to motorbike testing.
What MOT Class Does My Bike Need?
MOTs are divided into classes based on vehicle type. When you take your motorbike for its annual MOT check for the first time, it will be classed into one of the eight MOT classes. Note that these eight classes of MOT are not all for motorbikes, as some are for cars, trucks, and vans. The different types of motorbikes available are classed under the first four out of the eight classes of MOT, and these are:
Class 1: Motorbikes or motorcycles that have or don’t have a sidecar and an engine size of up to 200cc or less. Motorbikes without sidecars are usually done for 29.6 pounds, while the ones with sidecars can be as high as 37.80 pounds.
Class 2: The motorbikes in this class are the ones with or without a sidecar, but the unique feature is an engine size greater than 200cc.
Class 3: these are 3-wheel motor vehicles with up to 450 kg of unladen weight, but this does not include motorbikes with sidecars.
Class 4: multiple vehicle types share this class, which include three-wheel motorbikes or vehicles with an unladen weight that is over 450kg, cars, vans, etc.
How Long Does A Motorbike MOT Take?
Motorbikes or motorcycle MOTs usually consist of 16 test checks used to ascertain roadworthiness. It can take between 30-35 minutes for a trained MOT mechanic to test your motorbike. However, it could also take more than this time, depending on your motorbike type. The checks include the following:
- Lights
- Wheels and tyres
- Steering and suspension
- Braking
- Frame
- Fuel system
- Exhaust system
- Sidecars
- Registration plates
- Seats
- Horn
- Throttle
- Drive chain and sprocket
- Wheel alignment
- Clutch lever
- Foot-rests
Does A Motorbike Need Indicators For An MOT?
The simple answer to this question is yes. Your motorbike needs to have indicators for an MOT. The indicators of your motorbike must be fitted and emit orange light. It can’t be any other colour. Furthermore, your motorbike’s indicator must flash off/on. Note that this off-and-on flash is not the same as dim and brighten. Within a minute, the off-and-on flashes must be around 60-120 times. Another thing is that it must be secure, and the indicators’ operation must not be adversely impaired by the operation of something else e.g., the horn or lamp.
What Does A Motorbike Need To Pass MOT?
The truth is that many motorbike owners fail their first MOT test. The simple reason is that they do not get their motorbikes ready before visiting the approved MOT centre. Many motorbike owners often assume that a very good running engine and an aesthetically presentable motorbike will pass its MOT test. Many times, the reverse is the case.
You might want to know that when your motorbike fails its MOT, you may not be allowed to drive away if the flagged issues that contributed to the failure are considered dangerous. So, you might want to give your motorbike a quick inspection before heading to a test centre. That said, here are some of the things to look out for to ensure your motorbike passes its MOT.
Lights
As simple as this first one is, it is one of the most common reasons many motorbikes fail MOT. From your headlights to your brake lights, rear lights, and indicators, the MOT mechanic will check that all your lights are working. All your lights must also be properly secured, and none must be broken or badly adjusted to fulfil some aesthetic appeal that impairs the illumination coverage. An MOT check won’t accommodate or overlook faulty lights, so you want to ensure your lights are fixed before visiting the MOT centre.
Horn
The horn should work well and be loud enough. It should also be the appropriate type for your motorbike. You don’t want to be caught using the horn of another vehicle because you want to make a louder noise.
Braking
This one causes % of motorbikes MOT failure. Your braking system must be in good condition, i.e., no worn-out brake pads or warped/badly scratched discs.
Suspension and Steering
Ensure your motorbike does not have worn-out bearings, rusty/cracked suspension rings, leaking fork seals, and so on.
Tyres
Your tyres should be securely fitted and not rub against any of the body of the bike. It should not be worn out, and must not have cuts, bulges, or swelling. Furthermore, to pass your MOT, your bike’s tyre depth tread should not fall below the legal limits. The tread depth is the distance between the top of a tyre to the bottom of its grooves. You should assess the tread depth from different parts of the tyre surface.
The legal requirement for a bike 50cc and over is 1 mm across 3/4 of the tread pattern. For bikes under 50cc, all the grooves of the original tread pattern must be visible. Worthy of mention is that a tyre can look new and still not be road worthy because of its age. So make sure you check the manufacture date before you buy one as a tyre should be used within five years of its manufacture date.
Plates
Your plates should not be damaged. The information should also be visibly legible and not distorted for the ANPR camera to read.
Exhaust and Fuel
Ensure that your exhaust and fuel aren’t leaking. Emissions should also be within the acceptable limit.
Chain or Sprocket
Your bike’s chain should not be dangling close to the floor or too tight that your sprocket is put under pressure. Sprockets should not have visibly significant wear.
Body or frame
For your motorbike to pass its MOT, the frame should not be severely corroded, cracked, or twisted with any sharp or pointed edge.
Sidecar
Not all motorcycles have sidecars. However, if your bike has a sidecar, there will be checks on the attachment, suspension, lights, wheel alignment, tyres, etc.
Throttle/clutch/footrest
The throttle should work properly, while the clutch lever must be easily operated and not be damaged or shortened.
Footrest
Without an MOT law, this one is also for your convenience. Your foot should securely rest on the footrest if you are going to enjoy riding your bike, so footrests should be present and firm.
Can you disagree with a failed MOT?
It’s within your right to contest the result of your MOT if you feel that the tester was not fair. You can raise a complaint within 14 days of the test at the DVSA website. The test will be repeated, but you may not be permitted to drive or alter the condition of your motorbike before the test is redone.
To Conclude
The MOT requirement is designed to ensure safety on public roads. You don’t want to make the mistake of riding your motorbike with an expired MOT. You could get fined heavily and get some points on your licence. You can check your motorbike and other vehicle’s MOT status or vehicle report with us.
