MOT Test Report

As everyone on this side of the Pond knows, every motor-vehicle here has to have an annual safety check at a designated garage and without it the vehicle is not allowed to be on the road.

The first is when the vehicle is three years old.

I took the 'Stone Lion' in on Friday for its first test and was relieved to be given an MOT Certificate as it was up to standard.

I went to a garage about 10 minutes' drive away and was treated in a friendly and efficient manner.
The name of said garage is VP Motorcycles and I shamelessly recommend them to anyone with a motorbike living in the area.
The tester, the owner, was very interested in the Silverwing, was impressed I knew the actual engine-size and laughed with me when I said people ask about my 'ped' and I tell them it's very good up to about 115 MPH.
I think he was quite impressed as well as showing genuine interest as I said before.
I shall go there again.

VP Motorcycles are on Facebook.

Mike, it's always good to hear of someone getting good service.
My local m/c dealer is much the same, a smallish operation, but efficient, professional, and fair with his charges. So fair, in fact, that I don't think I've ever paid full price for anything I've bought there!
I will always return, and recommend, anywhere, if I get good, fair service.
My local man is LMT Motorcycles.

Graham

I'm sure the independents are often better than most of the dealers Graham.
I used to take my cars to a local garage in London and they were excellent.

In fact I've just remembered I took my car to a 'back-street' garage in Salisbury to have the CD player fixed and they charged me a ludicrously small amount but were again both friendly and efficient.

I'm very relieved that it got a clean bill of health, Mike:)  Mind you, I'd have been surprised if it hadn't.

My dealer is good and not too pricey but I think that servicing and parts is where they make their money.  The other Honda dealer near me has several glossy showrooms, guess who's paying for that !!

Interesting, I just looked over the MOT handbook for motorcycles and it's pretty close to the Texas state safety inspection.

Makes sense I guess.
When the Test was first introduced here it was just Brakes, Lights and Steering but it's grown over the years and even includes 'Advisories', things which could develop into problems but are not serious enough to warrant failure.
I had one Advisory for a little sharp stone embedded in the rear tyre which could conceivably work its way through and cause a puncture.

A lot of time advisories aren't anything to do with the MOT checks so they can't fail you on them. Usually it is things that the tester has seen whilst inspecting the vehicle. As an example I had an 'advisory' telling me that my power steering fluid level was low. Other times they are to warn you of things that would be a fail - tyre tread near the limit etc.

Cheers,

Holy moses, ive looked everywhere and cant find a power steering fluid reservoir on the swing anywhere! Anyone know where it is ??  

European model not US. US model has to have a cupholder fitted!

Cheers,

The MOT also ensures we're not fitting illegal stuff like car tyres, headlight modulators, flashing LED rear light displays, horns that play "I wish I was in Dixie", assault rifle holders etc, and a beverage holder is a definite fail! 

I understand now. Just to be clear its the fjs model not the fsc model that has got the ps!

Meldrew for a guy that dont like "junk" (your words) thats a pretty long list of add ons in your signature area!

I suppose it is but isn't listing all that stuff what you do on US based forums, and of course the dummy lunchbox fuel tank doesn't exist.   Apart from the Airflow and Givi rack specific to the Silver Wing and the Dennis B sat nav mount, it's mainly all the junk I used on previous maxi scooters and motorcycles. I just fit what I need for a particular purpose and I bought the Ortlieb bags over 20 years ago. Other stuff I can easily remove when I sell the Silver Wing. The exceptions are of course the intercom system and the Garmin sat nav. It came in very handy when fitted with a micro SD card with USA mapping when we were in the Southwest last month.

Thankfully I've stopped drinking cold tea out of jam jars since returning home.