Modifying your bike could be made illegal: New plans that could make fitting non-OEM parts a crime | MCN (motorcyclenews.com) Go here, read this and do the right thing folks. HMG is trying to bugger bikers around again. It was kicked into touch a few years ago when the EU tried and we need to do kill it with fire this time so it doesn't come lumbering back like the terrible piece of zombie legislation that it is. I am off to follow the link on MCN and see what I can do; I strongly suggest we ALL take the time and do it.
Here's the link: Introduction : Future of transport regulatory review: modernising vehicle standards (smartsurvey.co.uk) I have just completed it, takes about 20 mins. A lot of it can be skipped through. The survey expires on Nov 22nd so there is no time to waste. Get it done, help modify the proposals or repent at your leisure!
The EU tried to do this several years ago. The kill the aftermarket parts manufacturers and suppliers businesses off overnight. Andy
I recall it last time, so if you haven't got OEM tyres, brake pads, bulbs what is going to happen, how would they check?
I doubt they will check, unless there's an accident, whereupon it maybe ruled totally your fault as your bike was not standard. As using a non standard bike would be illegal, your insurance would be invalid. So you are financially exposed to an enormous risk.
What just occurred to me is, we who modify our vehicles - and keep old ones running - are perhaps the main likely holdouts to switching to electric.
Whilst I am sorry for peoples whose livelihood rests on aftermarket parts, I will admit I am much more concerned with the loss of my personal rights. "Cyber controls"? "Tampering with systems that control speed, and could affect road safety". These very clearly have the potential for Big Brother to overide controls of all vehicles imo.
Yet more scaremongering. I’ll believe it when I see it. This is a multi billion pound industry, the govt would be completely screwing themselves if this happens.
Surely this would be on new bikes only from a set date in the future. A quick search on the Internet says there were 1.1 million registered motorcycles in the UK at the end of 2016. How the hell would they check all of these and if you are buying second hand how would you know what are OEM parts and what aren't . Source: https://assets.publishing.service.g...ata/file/694965/motorcycle-use-in-england.pdf
Working in IT and knowing how rapidly obsolete technology becomes and also reading about the issues with electric car batteries that degrade so much over time I ask myself, why should someone stop me from trying to enhance obsolete technology, or introduce newer technology where the upgrade would much more friendly to the environment and my pocket and personal choice. Would you buy a 2nd hand vehicle that can only provide you with 60% of the range, but still takes the same time to charge and no cost effective options to replace motors with better performing and efficient parts? They say it for safety, but it is all about control and we should embrace innovation and not stifle it.
This is what they want, cut and pasted directly from the consultation document— “We will create new offences for tampering with a system, part or component of a vehicle intended or adapted to be used on a road. This will enable us to address existing gaps in the legislation, ensuring cleaner and safer vehicles” Think the next time that you want to tinker with your own property, and how it’ll affect your driving licence if it attract penalty points, or your insurance as they won’t insure anything illegal..
Exactly, they couldn't realistically expect me to out my 2001 996 back to standard and it would be pointless. By the time this comes in we'll probably all have been forced to go electric.
It’s all part of the scheme to keep us as poor as possible, aspire to buy stuff that we never own and only pay rent on so we die as poor as we started and they keep all the wealth
I believe they've had type approval in California for decades. Not that it stopped the MCCs. Though maybe they got fed up being fined and doing time for not paying and that's why today they apparently ride full dress Harleys. Our govt. will undoubtedly be looking there.
I don't buy into all this conspiracy stuff, too easy, too lazy, too "us and them". Remember that this stuff is written (or cut and pasted in this case) by myopic bureaucrats who have no idea about the consequences of their actions; they're just fulfilling a brief from their Ministers. I think that it is well intentioned to legislate for future technologies, how they are designed, built and regulated to keep us all safe for the future. I for one certainly don't want my family riding around in cutting edge technology that has not been properly designed, tested or certified. In saying that we must urge caution to those same bureaucrats and legislators that they must not throw the baby out with the bath water. However, in their zeal to dot the "I's" and cross the "T's" they have not fully understood the implications of their actions. It is up to us to put them right through the consultation process, raise our voices through personally completing the feedback forms, having our specialist press campaign for us, encourage the wider industry to push back and finally to contact our elected representatives to make our concerns known. That's how the system is supposed to work and we must all endeavour to help that system function efficiently. We must have faith in its efficacy as there is no other avenue for us to express our concerns. It falls to us all to tell them that this is a perfect example of two old aphorisms: 1) The road to hell is paved with good intentions. 2) the law of unintended consequences will exert itself. Stress to your representative that it is an infringement of your Human Rights, will destroy a billion pound industry and be almost impossible, and therefor hideously expensive to implement and enforce.
I can't see this happening before the ICE ban in 2035 realistically, and even if they did bring it in before then how on earth are they going to police this? MOT testers won't give two hoots if you have aftermarkets pipes etc, most police I have encountered seem pretty reasonable but even the shirty ones don't know much about bikes, even the bike cops I've encountered.
