MOT & Loud Cans

[Pedro]

Had my bike MOT'ed today and while chatting to the tester, we got on to the subject of noisy cans. He said they'd received notification from the authorities that E marked cans are not essential. Providing the cans are not marked for "Race Use Only" or "Not for Road Use" they're ok.

Bike sailed through too!


Ped

[Didge]

Ped, I heard/read something about that a short while ago somewhere.
My cans are ok then. Pure black and no markings whatsoever. :)

[Tigerlily]

That's good news! I should be OK with mine too :D

Does that mean that noisy cans are no longer illegal provided they're not marked "race use only" etc? :confused:

[The Kevlar Kid]

It will be interesting to hear from a few more people that have passed MOT's with 'illegal' cans as I would have thought that you could still fail for them being 'too loud'. Being marked / not marked etc is one thing - but surely they still have to fall withtin the noise regulations.....

I'm only suspicious as I had a car, fitted with a custom made rally type exhaust, fail for exactly this reason.....

Who else has passed????

[Paranoid Dave]

I passed in September, but I put home made baffles in my pipes first.

the law as I heard it was that bike cans don't have to be e marked or kite marked, must not be marked for race or track use only - or have grinding marks obvious where a similar message once was. AND the volume was at the testers discretion, but the level was still that of a legal can! Once again any MOT inspectors waiting outside watching can do them for passing anything too noisy even though theres no actual volume figure to meet.

If you find a tester who passes loud cans then well done, but no guarentee they'll do it next year. But for people like me who have one off cans with NO markings it does make it a lot easier.

The reason they brought it in was to stop race cans having those fake kite mike bits rivetted on them and so confusing the MOT stations. Now so long as it don't say Race/Track and is quiet enough - it'll pass. :D

[Didge]

Testing for noise levels, is not actually part of the M/cycle MOT test.
My bike has ALWAYS passed it's MOT's, despite the cans. Those of you, like me, who have M900's etc with a dry and open clutch, will find that on idle, the noise from the clutch, is actually louder than the exhaust.

[stuartg]

My bike passed it's MOT yesterday whilst fitted with Remus race cans. There are no markings on them of any description. I can support previous threads that suggest that so long as the cans don't state not for road use they are not an automatic fail. However the noise level is at the testers discretion. There seems to be no hard and fast ruling to how much noise is permissable. Talking with the tester he feels VOSA have dropped a bo***ck and will alter the ruling soon.

Some people may be unaware also that there is no ruling on number plate size for bike MOT tests. The directive is that there must be a no plate. I beleive that it must be a square type with 2 rows of digits though and not a straight plate. This ruling is also under review at present.

Although both the above items would appear to be test passes it doesn't mean they are legal though and you could still get pulled for noisey cans or a small no plate.

VOSA + the police have differing views and these areas are still as grey as ever.

Bit of a joke really but at least I didn't have to change my cans + no plate for this years test, next year will probably be different

[A Yerbury]

presumably "race use only" in italian should get through.........

[DesmoDog]

Unless you're damned unlucky and the tester is bilingual

[A Yerbury]

highly likely given my lucky streak..

[Mr Cake]

Mine past with loud cans last year. New rulings sound good as my Sils don't have any markings on them either :D It always baffled me (no pun intended) that my car passed without a problem and it was louder than my bike.

Dave

[Mand]

Never had a MOT on mine. Still a newish bike. However, my bloke has a VTR with blue flames cans on which sounds very very loud and his sailed though. :)

[Rogerg]

Stuart from spareshack tells me he can sell you just the end bit that has the required E marks if your worried - bit naughty though!!

[Northman1]

Anyone with Termi race pipes may be concerned that they state Race Use Only on them. However this link may help ...

http://www.performanceracingparts.co.uk/

Look for the "ALL 'STRAPPED UP'?" link.

[Northman1]

The same place also sell "Db killers" - The Db Killer can take up to 15Db off the sound pressure level of a Race Can...

[claicerrig]

Db Killers :(

They can also affect the performance :eek: :eek:

Judging the effect it had on my m8ts Zx9r when fitted !!!

[Northman1]

Only need to fit them for the MOT though? (or possibly for the quiet track day if they don't like your loud Termis). :-)

[spacemonkey]

Great to know though that cars don't even get checked at MOT time. Nothing like good ol equality...

[Flip]

'Tis true indeed!

I spoke to my friendly (not in THAT way) MOT guy the other day and he told me the same 'if the cans are not marked then they should pass, but it is at the tester's discretion.' If he deems them too loud then he can fail it.

One bad thing though is number plates are now included in the new regs so you'll have to go get a legal size one unless the tester is open to a *ahem* drink to turn a blind eye.

Oh and don't forget a rear reflector either!

[marchesini]

my 996 with Termi cans is due an MOT so anyone know of a place near to Bexleyheath (Dartford area) I can take it. I may need a minor service so if I could combine the two, it would be groovy. Nearest dealer to me now is Ducati Ashford or Pro Twins in Godstone so a smaller (re cheaper) place would be handy where I could wait and have a kip.

Best regards

simon

[Mr Cake]

One bad thing though is number plates are now included in the new regs so you'll have to go get a legal size one unless the tester is open to a *ahem* drink to turn a blind eye.

They're just gay anyway. I mean you're asking for to be stopped if you've got a silly sized plate.

Dave

[SazzaG]

I agree about "silly" sized plates, but mine is slightly small (6x4), perfectly readable, but still illegal.

By all means, silly unreadable plates should be illegal, but I think there are bad double standards about where cars with silly plates (anti-camera, stupid lettering, bad spacing, etc) don't get done, but a bike with a perfectly good plate that doesn't quite conform gets done.

Don't get me started!

Saz

[A Yerbury]

I agree about "silly" sized plates, but mine is slightly small (6x4), perfectly readable, but still illegal.

By all means, silly unreadable plates should be illegal, but I think there are bad double standards about where cars with silly plates (anti-camera, stupid lettering, bad spacing, etc) don't get done, but a bike with a perfectly good plate that doesn't quite conform gets done.

Don't get me started!

Saz

yes! don't get her started.....ok so 1.sonically it's all at the testers discretion 2.don't have "race use only" and 3.plate regulations getting tighter. that's all there is to say surely?!

[Monkey Boy]

Hi guys and gals,

Just noticed the Arrow hi-level CF cans on my M600 have 'Not For Road Use' on the end metal bracket round each can. :look:

Although the MOT is not due till August, I was wondering if there is any way round this - failing that - I can fit the originals back on for the MOT.

Also, after reading this thread, I notice that you need a rear reflector and a 9x7 plate to sail through the MOT too? Have a 7x5.5 and no reflector (tail chop).

Unless anyone knows a 'bike-friendly' MOT station in Cheshire/Leeds/Manchester area, I'll just have to nick a reflector off a pedal cycle and bunk the 9x7 plate back on......

Cheers.

Iain

[zaker]

Noise levels shoudnt come into it to much anyway, cos some of those older harleys sound like an earthquake and all perfectly legal because there 20 or so years old

[DesmoDog]

Noise levels at the moment are at the discretion of the tester. However, if you have not for road use stamped on them you have a fail, end of.

One set I had had that polished out, another set had a strategically placed sticker over them and they both passed with my grease monkey, but he's a star! He also ignored the small plate and lack of reflector, but he did warn that the plate might be a problem next MOT, which is soon.

[norrie]

The Monster sailed through when I took it for an MOT last year and it had a full race system and small plate with Italian flag reflector.
There is no legal requirment for a 9x7 plate however the numbers must be the proper size with the proper spacing.

Norrie.

[Lona]

My bike sailed through its MOT on Saturday with Termis on. I always thought they had "not for road use" stamped on them, but when I checked there was no sign of it (the tester confirmed that he could not have passed the bike if it had been) The MOT man was also about to test a Buell, a Ferrari, a Suburu Impreza and a Ford Skyline, so it would have been unfair to pick on my poor wee M900 on the grounds of noise alone.

[Pugi]

The MOT man was also about to test a Buell, a Ferrari, a Suburu Impreza and a Ford Skyline, so it would have been unfair to pick on my poor wee M900 on the grounds of noise alone.

Where the heck do you go to get an MOT!? :hail:

[Lona]

A wee place called Stoneyburn, between Edinburgh and Glasgow. We're right posh up here in Bonnie Scotland, no Ford Fiestas for the likes of us!!

[Macca]

One set I had had that polished out, another set had a strategically placed sticker over them and they both passed with my grease monkey, but he's a star! He also ignored the small plate and lack of reflector, but he did warn that the plate might be a problem next MOT, which is soon.

How did you manage to polish the "FOR RACE USE ONLY" out? I've tried several times but just end up with a nice shiny can :(

Cheers

Macca

[Monkey Boy]

Found this on FleaBay....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/L-K-EXHAUST-CAN-LEGAL-MARKING-PLATE-BSAU-gsxr-r1-cbr_W0QQitemZ8061481679QQcategoryZ25623QQrdZ1QQcmd ZViewItem

What do you think? Stick them on with epoxy, hmm.

Iain

[DesmoDog]

I didn't someone else did, but it involved a great deal of care and a dremel. I'd warn against it if I were thee.

The plates are a posher version of the decals I have.