Help & FAQs    Search BCF    Members    Groups    Events Calendar
Resend my activation email : Register : Log in 
BCF: Bike Chat Forums


MOT and Center Stand

 Reply to topic
Bike Chat Forums Index -> General Bike Chat
View previous topic : View next topic  
Author Message

sweetleaf
Nitrous Nuisance



Joined: 22 Apr 2010
Karma :
PostPosted: 14:14 - 30 Jul 2010    Post subject: MOT and Center Stand Reply with quote
I recently brought myself my first bike - a little SR125. No MOT or Tax but seemed clean enough ...

Stuck it in the local Yamaha garage and initial quote was £500 to get it through the MOT. Anyway, after a bit of negotiation, they're just going to sort out the clutch and carb for me and I'll do the rest (interesting as I've not worked on a bike before).

One thing that's knackered is the center stand. I can get one off eBay cheaply enough, but I was wondering if I really need to replace it for the bike to pass the MOT or can I just remove it?
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

Ol
World Chat Champion



Joined: 07 Aug 2009
Karma :
PostPosted: 14:15 - 30 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Centre stand isn't needed for the MOT.

They're handy to have for when working on the bike, and certainely handy for lubing the chain etc.. but any cheapy paddock stand will do you as well.
____________________
Previous: Cub50, NRG50, TS50, YB100, CB125, NSR125, ZZR600, CBF1000, SV650s, ZX6R B1H, XT250, Mito Powered Crosser, WRF450, , FZ600, VN800, GSXR600 - Currently CB1000R
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail You must be logged in to rate posts

Ciar?n
World Chat Champion



Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Karma :
PostPosted: 14:16 - 30 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Bikes doesn't need a stand for MOT.
____________________
22/8/08 A2 Passed! Full License Biatch!
Past: Suzuki CS50, Gilera Ice 50, Gilera Runner 125SP, CBR 600 F2, CBR600 F4i, CBR 600RR5,
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

pa_broon74
World Chat Champion



Joined: 28 Mar 2006
Karma :
PostPosted: 14:21 - 30 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Obviously not to the extent where the bike would be unsafe, but I've found generic garages who have someone who's qualified to do bikes are far less picky with MOT's than bike dealership garages.

I've had bikes MOT'd at a Honda shop and while there were no serious points it did need some work. I took it away did some of it then stuck it in a local MOT centre which does everything (vans cars bikes etc) and they passed it without any problems.

Most recently, I stuck my BMW in there with a chain well past its sell by date and they passed it. Admittedly they were going to fail it because the horn didn't work, I had to hide behind the bike and make honking noises. I'm joking, they let me fix it there and then and it eventually passed.

Don't automatically go to dealerships, I use them for parts but thats about it.

Thumbs Up
____________________
Didn't catch anything.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

sweetleaf
Nitrous Nuisance



Joined: 22 Apr 2010
Karma :
PostPosted: 14:31 - 30 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Cheers guys - saved me a few much needed pennies. Thumbs Up

A friend of mine works in the shop attached to the garage, so while it's probably not the cheapest place to go, I thought it might be the best place for me at the moment.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

gooner
Two Stroke Sniffer



Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Karma :
PostPosted: 10:00 - 31 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
pa_broon74 wrote:
Obviously not to the extent where the bike would be unsafe, but I've found generic garages who have someone who's qualified to do bikes are far less picky with MOT's than bike dealership garages.Thumbs Up


In forty odd years of riding I've always found that a dedicated bike shop is better than a generic garage that happens to do bikes as well. The guys in the bike shop usually know all the wrinkles associated with your bike - often before you do. They are invariably bikers themselves and understand how to look after a bike. They also have limited budgets and will usually advise you along lines of "the gizmo will need changing soon, but it's ok for another xxxx miles" whereas a generic tester will only test and take your cash - bike specific advice is usually extra and usually unavailable.
There are other advantages to a bike shop too - there is usually a small crowd in the shop who are happy to talk bikes with you - really useful if you are a relatively new biker I should think, but enjoyable even when you're an old fart like me. You can look around whilst you're there - you might be tempted to part with some cash for those nice new boots, or you might just look, but at least you'll know they are there when you do want new boots. And of course any decent bike shop will lend you a bike whilst yours is in their garage - great if you want to test ride a particular model and essential if you want to drop your bike off in the morning on the way to work and pick it up on the way home.
Now, remind me again why you would even think of taking the old girl down to the local Nissan dealer??????
____________________
Better to be scared to death than bored to death!
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

Pie-Roe
World Chat Champion



Joined: 05 Feb 2007
Karma :
PostPosted: 11:05 - 31 Jul 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
gooner wrote:

Now, remind me again why you would even think of taking the old girl down to the local Nissan dealer??????


Because I know exactly what is wrong with my bike, and don't want to fix it just yet. It might be something simple like the indicators don't flash at the correct rate, or the tyre that could do with changing but still has a couple of weeks off gentle commuting til payday...


Pyro
____________________
Previous: GSF600, FZR600 x2, ZXR750, XT600 Tenere, CB125, CZ125, ETZ 250, ER5, CCM R30, DRZ400, RF600x4, RF900x2, GS500, VTR1000F, 640 SMC, CB250 NIGHTHAWK, GT550x3, GPX750 TE610, CB500, X11x2, SV650, ZING 125, TL1000R,CB250 Superdream, CBR1100XX
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

pa_broon74
World Chat Champion



Joined: 28 Mar 2006
Karma :
PostPosted: 11:26 - 02 Aug 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
gooner wrote:

In forty odd years of riding I've always found that a dedicated bike shop is better than a generic garage that happens to do bikes as well. The guys in the bike shop usually know all the wrinkles associated with your bike - often before you do. They are invariably bikers themselves and understand how to look after a bike. They also have limited budgets and will usually advise you along lines of "the gizmo will need changing soon, but it's ok for another xxxx miles" whereas a generic tester will only test and take your cash - bike specific advice is usually extra and usually unavailable.
There are other advantages to a bike shop too - there is usually a small crowd in the shop who are happy to talk bikes with you - really useful if you are a relatively new biker I should think, but enjoyable even when you're an old fart like me. You can look around whilst you're there - you might be tempted to part with some cash for those nice new boots, or you might just look, but at least you'll know they are there when you do want new boots. And of course any decent bike shop will lend you a bike whilst yours is in their garage - great if you want to test ride a particular model and essential if you want to drop your bike off in the morning on the way to work and pick it up on the way home.
Now, remind me again why you would even think of taking the old girl down to the local Nissan dealer??????


If all you want is an MOT certificate, I still maintain a generic MOT test station is a better bet. I don't know what bike dealerships round your gaff are like, but if I asked for a loan bike while mine was in having something done to it, they'd smile benignly and tell me to come back in a hour after a nice walk.

As to the rest, I wouldn't trust a dealership to tell me what needed replaced, they're a business and as I see it: the opposition. Its their job to take as much of my money from me as they can and its my job to see that they don't. To blithely and blindly trust the advice of a dealership because you get some good chat in the shop is a bit naive.

But as I say, that might just be the dealerships round my way. Of course they're not all like that, the Suzuki dealership in Edinburgh gets a good press. On the other hand, the Honda dealership while good for parts, everything else is strictly by the book, if they judge something to be at the end of its life they'll tell you to replace it, even if it has thousands of miles still left in it. (Although in their defence, they did let me fix my REG/REC with a bit of wire and polo wrapper when it failed to start during an MOT.)

Also as pyro points out, knowing your way round your bike can save you hundreds of pounds. I just did the water pump and cylinder head gasket on my BMW, that lot would've cost more than the bikes worth to get done in a workshop, fair enough if you've got the money but not so much so if you don't.

(Although I will admit, several times, usually in between streams of invective I did mutter to myself; 'I should've just paid some bugger to do this...' It was a bastard of a job.)

Thumbs Up
____________________
Didn't catch anything.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

hmmmnz
Super Spammer



Joined: 22 Aug 2006
Karma :
PostPosted: 12:14 - 02 Aug 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
^^^
i can't be arsed reading all of the post, but i'd have to agree with above, normal bike shops see an opportunity to make money on top of the mot costs, if they fail the bike, a car mechanic, well he usually doesnt have a clue Very Happy
____________________
the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts

radical
Spanner Monkey



Joined: 02 Jul 2010
Karma :
PostPosted: 14:16 - 02 Aug 2010    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here in N.I we dont have a choice as to were we get our mot testing done as all mot centres are goverment run and all the testers are civil servants with even minor faults requiring a retest and an extra retest fee, this system has its advantages and disadvantages such as long waiting times (up to 2 months) and we are also required to display an mot disc but the centres cannot have any other financial gain other than the test fee.
 Back to top
View user's profile Send private message You must be logged in to rate posts
Old Thread Alert!

The last post was made 14 years, 353 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful?
  Display posts from previous:   
This page may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set.

Post new topic   Reply to topic    Bike Chat Forums Index -> General Bike Chat All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
 You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum

Read the Terms of Use! - Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group
 
Debug Mode: ON - Server: birks (www) - Page Generation Time: 0.10 Sec - Server Load: 2.47 - MySQL Queries: 13 - Page Size: 69.6 Kb