Good news for UK classic riders

[Anorak_ian]

I just spotted this on the Yahoo website:

CLASSIC and historic vehicles are to be exempted from the annual MoT test, the Government announced today.

From November 18 this year, owners of vehicles manufactured before 1960 will not have to have to take them in for an MoT, Roads Minister Mike Penning said.

Pre-1960 licensed vehicles make up about 0.6% of the total number of licensed vehicles in Britain, but are involved in just 0.03% of road casualties and accidents.

Mr Penning said: "We are committed to cutting out red tape which costs motorists money without providing significant overall benefits.

"Owners of classic cars and motorbikes tend to be enthusiasts who maintain their vehicles well - they don't need to be told to look after them, they're out there in all weathers checking the condition of the engine, tyres and bodywork."

He added: "Owners of classic vehicles will still be legally required to ensure that they are safe and in a proper condition to be on the road, but scrapping the MoT test for these vehicles will save motorists money."

The decision follows a campaign by the All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group, led by East Yorkshire MP Greg Knight, its chairman.

Mr Knight said today: "I am delighted by this announcement. Accidents involving historic vehicles are extremely rare and the majority of owners are meticulous in keeping their vehicles in good condition. Having to have an annual MoT test for a vehicle which may only travel a few hundred miles in a year was costly and absurd."

AA president Edmund King said: "Cutting the red tape of an MoT requirement for classic pre-1960 cars is a victory for common sense."...

Sorry guys I guess you miss out on this one.
Well this will be the last mot for my 1948 Ariel, I can't wait to get the five others built up now. No tax and no mot, oh yes way to go!

[Benzine]

This is the first thread on all the forums I use that see this as positive. Most people seem very skeptical and are worried about it being a small step towards bringing everything in line with europe. Concerns I've read about are people worrying that insurance will go up, worries that insurers might demand expensive engineers reports (or won't insure without an MOT anyway) or that special MOTs may have to be issued from special facilites (not just any old MOT station), forms of restriction of use coming in (e.g. when and how older vehicles can be used), increase in pre 1950 vehicle ringing etc

Paranoia? Hopefully

[Anorak_ian]

I have looked on the Enfield forum to see what they have to say, and yes you may well be right.
But, I did find this entry by Dennis C that gave me some hope:

I have to confess that at this time I am unsure about this, but it was a difficult situation, the MOT test has been getting more stringent and in real terms most early bikes are unable to meet the standard, (when do you find a pre 60 bike with a sealed petrol cap for instance), I went on the government web site and filled in the survey after carefully reading the reasons it had been proposed, 1/ mile per mile pre 60 vehicles are involved in very few accidents and those that are almost non are related to vehicle faults, 2/ very few pre 60 vehicles presented for test fail and in almost all cases the faults are minor, 3/ it would mean bring in a multi level test to cater for different age vehicles, to name but three reasons. Also early commercial vehicles have been exempt for a number of years now and no increase in accidents has been reported in this category, nor have they been put under any use restriction. Only time will tell but if a safety issue does arise the powers that be will soon withdraw this concession.

I can't see a special mot station opening up just for the 0.6% of vehicles on our roads. The government are trying to save money not spend it alienating a few old timers.

No, no, the only problem I can see may come from Insurance companies, some of them. But they may just surprise you, and only ask for a mot testers report like some of them already have done (as in our case). Or just demand you have a mot.
Restrictions on use, well lets face it, the lights on the old bikes are well dim compared with modern vehicles, and with old electrics, say no more. So a restriction on riding at night, understandable. Slow and hard to stop ect ect. But there again, insurance companies know this already, and I'm sure they also know that the owner of a lovely old bike isn't going to be reckless with his pride and joy for a moment.