Useful Information

[Calum]

Originally Posted by Nev on our old site, I am reposting as it may still be of use!

Found this useful info on another site, and thought some members in here might find it beneficial.

Mock Motorbike theory test

HELMET LAW

Just thought I would post this as its interesting to see what you can and cant have on the road + to watch for inferior helmets that you may think comply.

When riding a moped or motorbike, we all know that a safety helmet must be worn but there's a little bit more than that. Legally :-
1 The strap must be done up.
2 It must fit properly. How many times have you seen a kiddie riding pillion with granddad's helmet on!
3 It must be an approved safety helmet. It'll either display a BS6658 sticker on the outside, or an EC approval mark somewhere inside. Only BS 6658 types A & B or EC Regulation 22 type 05 series are legal in the UK.

The new EC marks have caused a bit of confusion. These are now sewn inside the helmet (often to the strap) The EC mark is a circle with an E inside and number giving the country of origin (for example E6 is Belgium) then you'll se a long number which must begin with 05
We've seen 04 and 03 series in the UK already. Not only are they illegal but they're not good enough, so don't be ripped off.

Remember, not complying with the above is the same offence as not wearing one.

VISOR LAW

A visor (or goggles) aren't a legal requirement but if you do have them, then the law applies. Legally :-

1 It must be an approved visor / goggle It'll either have a BS4110 mark or the new EC Regulation 22 type 05 mark (see helmet law for details on EC marks).
The EC visors often have a removable sticker showing the approval and of course you'll peel it off. So how're the plod going to deal with that then?

2 It may also be tinted and will be marked something like CP50. That's a 50% tint and is the darkest you're allowed by law. Even then, it'll be marked "for daylight use only" and is a nick-able offence after lighting up time.

Lets settle this once and for all Dark, mirrored etc. visors are illegal, wear sunglasses instead. Anyone caught selling them risks a £1000 fine for each one in his stock.

TYRE LAW

General Rules for Tyre Safety

Whatever your bike the first rule has to be fit the right tyres, they're the single most important part of your bike.

Make sure they're fitted properly check the direction of rotation arrow on the tyre, bike shops have been known to fit them the wrong way round !

Have them balanced they're big heavy and go round, so they should be balanced. If your fitter disagrees, it's because they don't have a balancer or can't be bothered.

Make sure the pressures are right More about this later, this is crucial stuff.

Fit the right sizes (that fat oversize rear is upsetting the steering geometry and won't really give more grip). Oversizing the front can be even worse.

Match your tyres not all tyres work together. Radial and cross-ply mixes can be downright dangerous. Different tyre constructions won't always work together. Only follow recommended combinations and, whatever else, keep the best / stickiest tyre on the front.

Worn Tyres

Motorcycle tyres must legally have at least 1mm of tread depth, continuously across 75% of the tyre. That's pretty silly though; the minimum recommended is 2mm. Would you believe that there is no minimum tread for a moped tyre, only that it's visible ! Shall we just say that's a health risk.

So what's the tread for ? it's not for grip; after all racers have slicks (but watch them dive into the pits at even a hint of moisture), tread clears the water away. Think about a tyre with a contact patch say 75mm wide, doing 60mph (say 27 metres per second) over only 3mm of water.
That's 7.5cm x 2700cm x 0.3cm per second. (6075cc). Hold on, over 6 litres, nearly I ½ gallons per second has to be moved away by the tyre!, it can't come out of a bath tap that fast (it's more alike to quickly emptying a bucket). Your tyres have to clear all that through a few grooves (and they do, look at the dry strip a modern tyre leaves on a wet road).

A nice new tyre with, say 5mm of tread does that, when you're down to 2mm then (logically) it can't clear half as much water. So what chance do you have with 1mm., let alone "visible" tread. Don't go there.

Tyre Repairs

There seems to be a bit of confusion about what can and can't be repaired. Overall I'd back the dealers, if its arguable then err on the side of caution. However, if you think you're being seen off here's an extract of BS. AU 159

No tyre may be repaired if it has any of the following :-
Damage larger than 6mm in tyres up to J speed rating; 3mm in tyres above J, up to and including V and not at all if the speed rating is above V.
Damage not reasonably perpendicular to the casing.
Ply separation or local removal of the inner lining and/or ply cutting by penetrating object.
Tread separation.
Broken or damaged bead.
Damage due to under inflation in service.
Sidewall damage.
A penetration occurring outside the central 50% area of the tread.

Tyres up to J rating can have a max 2 repairs, which mustn't overlap. Only 1 repair in tyres above J up to V rating (and none in tyres above V).

NUMBER PLATE LAW

From time to time police forces around the UK have a crackdown on illegal motorcycle number plates, what are the regulations and how do you stand if you should be stopped.

All vehicles have to display the correct number plates in accordance to The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001.

The Regulations specify the typeface, the size, colouring and the British Standards that number plates must conform to in order for the vehicle to be legal.

Motorcycles registered after 1.9.2001 must only display a number plate at the rear of the vehicle. Motorcycles registered before 1.9.2001 can display a number plate at the front but are not required to.

It is an offence to alter, rearrange or misrepresent letters or numbers in order to form names or words or in such a way that makes it difficult to read the registration number. Characters must not be moved from one block to the other e.g. AB51 DVL must not be displayed as AB5 1DVL or AB 51DVL. Vehicles with illegal displayed number plates may FAIL the MoT test. The police can also issue a fixed penalty fine for illegally displayed number plates. Offenders are liable to a MAXIMUM FINE of £1,000 and in some cases the mark may be withdrawn.

This page only contains a summary of the main regulations for number plates. The full regulations for number plates can be found on the DVLA website.