MOT questions - LOOK HERE FIRST

I decided to add this as a sticky, then any MOT related questions can be answered here and looked up in this thread.


Tyres:

Must be inflated, must have tread showing across the face (<50cc) or must have at least 1mm tread (>50cc), Must not have slices or be excessively perished


Bearings

Must not have ANY play (very slight movement in the engine mounting bushes is usually allowed)


Mirrors

Are not a requirement on motorcycles of any sort (however if fitted, must be secure)


Engine

As long as it runs and revs they aren't bothered


Exhaust

Must be sealed at the manifold and any linkages (eg between pipe and can)

Must not be excessively loud (usually down to the MOT tester's discretion)


Emissions

Are not tested on motorcycles


Lighting - Full MOT

Moped (<50cc) must have:

headlights (often just a single beam without dip/main switch)

Rear lights - Brake and tail lights, must show red, and brake must be brighter than tail. Brake lights must work from BOTH levers

Indicators - Must show orange and flash at approximate correct rate

Dashboard - Blue Main beam (if fitted) and indicator repeater light MUST work

NOTE: Numberplate lights ARE NOT NECESSARY on mopeds


Motorcycle (>50cc) Must have:

Side lights (or parking lights)

headlights - dip and main beam, with the dip beam being set correctly.

Rear lights - Brake and tail lights, must show red, and brake must be brighter than tail. Brake lights must work from BOTH levers

Indicators - Must show orange and flash at approximate correct rate

Dashboard - Blue Main beam and indicator repeater light MUST work


Horn

Must be fitted and functional (not forced to be electric)


switches

Kill switch - If fitted, must work

Ignition switch - must be fitted but not necessarily a key operated one

light switches - Must work


Wheel alignment

Wheels must be in line and true


Chain and sprockets

Sprockets must not be "hooked" or missing teeth

Cush Drives must not have play


Forks

Must not be leaking oil (many testers will fail badly pitted forks too)

Must not have back/forward ore side to side play

must not be seized


Rear shock

Must not be leaking

Must still have good damping action

must not have broken spring

must not be bent


Seat

Must be secure - (seat lock/catch broken counts as insecure


Brakes

Both front and rear must be fitted and work

Must not be sticking

Must pass either the rolling road test or the 40 degree ramp test (older test centres)

must not be metal-on-metal

handlebar Levers must not have excessive up and down movement


Steering

Must not be obstructed by anything

must be free


Nuts/bolts etc...

Castle nuts and split pins or Lock nuts must be fitted to wheel spindles/rear wheel and anywhere else which is supposed to have them (sometimes suspension linkages etc...)


Reflectors

ALL motorcycles must be fitted with a rear reflector (no mater how small)


Bodywork

Must not have any sharp protruding parts which could cause injury


I'm sure i've missed loads out, post it and i'll add it.

 

Seat latch not working counts as "seat insecure", but putting a bungee across it for the test will usually get you through.

Good guide BTW

 

ta, edited slightly. yeah i know someone who just puts a cargo net over theirs every year. its been knackered since it was a month old, now its 8 years old and still the same.

 

nice one, will help lots of people out including mee

 

Sorry to keep adding, but my memory needs kickstarting sometimes!Another thing they check for is "dangerous protrusions" in other words, sharp sticky out bits which could injure pedestrians in a crash.

In the past I've had bikes fail on:

Bajaj-No floor mats (cover the edge of the footboard)

Yam Slider- Buzzetti sidestand sticking out too much when folded.

 

Done

and

Done


I was trying to do an MOT in my head when I was writing it and some things you think are so obvious that you don't think to write them down.

 

does this count if there wasnt a latch fitted at standard i have had a few old scoots which dont have them at all

 

I think all bikes have to have a way to stop the seat tipping up. if its not fited from new then its not necessary though.

 

If the seat lifts up it will have a latch as standard, even one without a key (like a Honda 50)

The only bike i ever saw with no seat latch was a Suzuki FZ50 moped. That had two rubber suckers which stuck the seat down to the fuel tank.

 

wow looking at this im now getting nervous lol my sr wasnt even fitted with a high beam as standard im having to wire it in lol

 

nah if its registered as a moped then don't worry.

 

is a 125?

 

it should have dip and main beam then. all my SR125s have. theres a switch on the right, thats off, side lights, headlights, then one on the left that toggles between main and dip beam.

 

yea it never existed thers 2 wires which had never been attached to anything though so im guessin thats the highbeam switch wires but i dno for definate i guess it had a 50 clock pannel on it when i got it

 

yeah it sounds like it.

 

[quote="wobbly_trials]

Motorcycle (>50cc) Must have:

Ignition switch - must be fitted but not necessarily a key operated one


[be]Seat[/be]

Must be secure - (seat lock/catch broken counts as insecure

[/quote]

you dont need a ignition to pass, aslong as you can turn it off,
think of the keyless road legal crossers out there etc!

seat doesnt need a lock, it can flip up with no catch, just aslong as the whole thing wouldnt fly off in a crash is okay! ( ie: 2 screws at the front is okay, yes my bike did pass like this!)

you dont need a stand,

everyting needs a working horn, of appropriate sound levels to be heard above then noise of the engine! ( a push bike squeezy aaaa--hugh horn will suffice for most peds! note NOT a bell)

 

a method of turning the bike's power off is an ignition switch, yeah road legal crossers have kill switches, what do they do, cut the ignition, therefore are a form of ignition switch.

your bike shouldn't have passed with a seat that isn't secured down at the back and the front.

yeah horn is something i missed out, will add now. thanks.

 

I once walked into a bicycle shop carrying my crash helmet, and asked for a squeezy bicycle horn. The bloke grinned all over his face and said "Ah yes, sir, MOT time is it?" :w00t:

 

i got a few questions about mot
for the numberplate light on my sr would it be ok if i just wire a bulb 2 a switch with some batteries as i cant see where one would go on an sr as this is yet another thing that didnt come on my bike...which i bought from a bike shop lol and would my light on/off switch (not the high beam low beam one) have to be on show or can i just switch it to on and leave it in the pannel (as on the switch gear ive bought theres no lighs on off switch) cant think of anything else atm but im sure i will do
any help would be appreciated