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Do you live in the UK? Then you should know that getting an MOT is easy – at least if you’re a cager.
Most of the information about how to book an MOT is cage-centric – a simple search for “how to get an MOT” on Google, and you have a seemingly infinite supply of knowledge.
But what are you supposed to do if the vehicle that’s due for its MOT is a motorcycle?
Not every garage service motorcycles, and to complicate things even further, there are 6 MOT classes.
Tune in to learn:
- The 6 MOT classes – and the 4 that are relevant for motorcycles
- How you can find the garages in your local area that service motorcycles – without making a single phone call
- The 5 grades of the MOT test
Transcript
Hello and welcome to 30 min motorcycling – a podcast for new, aspiring, and returning riders where you’ll learn more about motorcycles and other two-wheelers in 30 Minutes or less.
And this week, I have a special treat for those of you who are tuning in from the United Kingdom – because in this episode, we’re talking about the MOT inspection.
Now, there’s a lot of information about the MOT inspection already, but most of it is car-centric and doesn’t cover motorcycles at all.
But just because a garage has the MOT symbol out front doesn’t mean that they’ll work on every kind of vehicle?
So with this in mind – how can you find a garage that does inspections for motorcycles?
In this episode, we’re talking all about how to find a garage that does MOT inspections for motorcycles – whether it’s a 100 or 1000cc machine and about the 5 grades of the MOT test.
First and foremost, it’s important to note that the MOT inspection is divided into six different classes.
The most common ones are Class 4 and 7 – which are for cars and commercial vehicles, respectively.
And before you ask – no, I haven’t miscounted – for some reason, there’s no class 6.
If you have a motorcycle, the classes you want to keep an eye out for are:
- Class 1
- Class 2
- Class 3
- Class 4
Class 1 is for motorcycles with an engine size of up to 200 ccs – this class also covers 50cc scooters and mopeds
Class 2 is for motorcycles with an engine size of more than 200 ccs
Class 3 is for three-wheelers with an unladen weight of below 450 kilos – which includes the Reliant Robin.
Yes, it’s not really a motorcycle, but it is a three-wheeler which weighs less than 450 kilos
Therefore, it’s on the list.
Finally, as I mentioned earlier, Class 4 is cars – but it also covers three-wheelers with an unladen weight of more than 450 kilos, which include three-wheelers from Can-Am for example.
So now that you know more about the different classes, how can you determine which garages do MOT inspections for classes 1,2, 3 and 4?
There are two ways – one is to call up every garage in your local area and ask them “do you do MOTs for motorbikes” – but that’s very time-consuming, not to mention tiring.
And odds are that you’ll have to call scores of garages before you finally find one that you want.
The second one is to use Motcheck.net [http://motcheck.net/]]. All you have to do is enter your postal code, and you’ll get the address to every MOT authorized garage in your area.
Most importantly though – you can see which classes the garage services. This means that you can rule out those who only do MOTs for cars and vans.
But before you run out and book your MOT, you need to know about the 5 different grades.
When your motorcycle has its MOT inspection, the examiners will inspect things like steering, the frame, and even the seat.
Each part can get one of 5 grades:
- Dangerous
- Major
- Minor
- Advisory
- Pass
Dangerous is more or less a black flag – if your motorcycle gets a “Dangerous” grade, it’s not considered roadworthy, and you’re not allowed to ride it.
Major is similar – except that the fault in question must be repaired immediately before you’re allowed to ride your motorcycle again.
Minor means that the issue should be repaired as soon as possible
An advisory rating means that the issue isn’t really an issue – but it’s advised that you get it sorted out when necessary.
And finally, a Pass is – well, a pass – nothing’s wrong at all – your motorcycle has reached the minimum road safety standards.
And that’s how you get your motorcycle ready for an MOT.
If you’re interested in knowing more about what the MOT inspection is, why you need to get one, and how much it costs, I’ve written a blog post about it which I’ll link to in the show notes. I’ve also included a link to MotCheck.net, which I talked about earlier.
I hope you enjoyed listening and that you learned something new.
Until next time, keep your helmet on and your eyes on the road. Bye!
