SideLights & MOT

[fiatpandaman]

Hi All,

Just after a bit of friendly advice here, I have passed my MOT but have a night time restriction due to lack of side lights?

The bike doesn't have any? Its a Yamaha Xj550 maxim (81) I dont ride a lot at night but would like to have that option.

What is the requirement for side lights? I was going to take it apart tonight and wire something up but I wanted to check if it needs to be ignition independent and if I need to light up the rear as well as the front?

I was thinking of just running a fused 12v up though the HL and using a LED with a simple switch mounted somewhere?

Thanks All

Sam
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XJ550

[_matt]

side lights? what?

I have:
headlights
Indicators
rear/brake light

No dashboard lights, no other lights.

and this has never been mentioned?
what do they actually mean by Sidelights
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1990 Yamaha XV 535 (Alive Again!) / 2007 Jinlun Texan 125-11 (formerly 2k3, wrong details, now going rusty in the back garden )

[MarJay]

It'll fail an MOT without sidelights. You can't get a daytime MOT unless it has NO lights fitted at all (except maybe a brake light).

How has your bike passed an MOT in the past if it is from 1981?
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Matt-]

Low beam ?
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RIP jack (wheelie king), you will never be forgotten.
Current Bike's - Road Legal TZR 125 Pitbike, Aprilia SR50R 2010

[fiatpandaman]

When the ignition is switched on I have the front light come on and the rear light.

When the ignition is off, no lights. There is nothing on the barrel for any kind of park situation.

I was failed on

1.1 front and rear position lamps

This inspection applies to : all machines, except those which have neither front nor rear position lamps or have suck lamps permanently disconnected, painted over or masked that are only used during day light hours and not at times of seriously reduced viability.

if this situation occurs the machine presenter should be issued with a VT32

He said that I should be able to put the key in park and pull it out, this should leave the side lights on if I need to leave it at the side of the road at night.

He said he can see that they were never fitted to the bike so I need to mount a forward facing LED or bulb and have a switch so I can switch it on independently of having ignition off.

The bike was in the test centre for over a hour and a half....it got a proper going over
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XJ550

[P.]

I put my CBR in for the MOT. It had only switch gear for main/dipped. The rest was removed, lights wired to be on with the ignition and fitted a set of dominator lights.

No side lights to test Passed fine.

[fozzym]

New bikes have no on/off switch so lights are permanently on dipped main beam with permanent rear.

Older bikes used to have switchable lights. First click was small front bulb (possibly called side lights...like a car) with rear too. Then second click for main beam, the little bulb stays on too as does rear light.

I guessing that its the small bulb light at the front thats missing possibly because its an import or been modded.

I'd just ask the mot place what is required and then rig something up.

[Daytona Paul]

Take it elsewhere.

When it passes complain to VOSA?
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[fiatpandaman]

There are no holders or wiring for additional lights in the HL unit, and I have lock, off, on on the ignition.

I know what he is refuring to, on my last bikes I had a 3rd position which lit a bulb in the HL unit and I could pull the key out.

I just wanted to know if its front and rear that need to be front and rear or just front.

As to how it passed a MOT over the last 20 years? not a clue!
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XJ550

[P.]

Parking lights...?

[Kickstart]

Hi

Parking light is irrelevant. There are a load of bikes that do not have a parking light setup (eg, my RS125).

Side light is a bit more dubious. However the MOT manual says:-

Front position lamps and headlamps
A motor bicycle (with or without a side car) fitted with a headlamp need not have a front position lamp (but must have one on the side car, if a side car is fitted).

So you can quite happily have no side light.

All the best

Keith
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