LED Lights, legal or no?

MechTech · L Plate Warrior Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Karma :

I have been having a discussion/argument with someone that says that LED rear lights and indicators are illegal in the UK, well i have checked this out and as far as i can see they are legal.

What i really wanted to know was if there is a minimum distance between indicators being mounted the reason being is that i have bought this LED rear stop/tail light which has LED indicators mounted right next to the rear light on each side but, quote "The precise position and angle of visibility of direction indicators are not part of this inspection, but they must be on each side of the longitudinal axis of a solo machine." It does not state that LED lights are not allowed or that lights must only use light bulbs or specify any minimum size.
Info from this site, https://www.ukmot.com/bike/1-5.asp
So, i am a happy man and this info will be going with me to the next MOT in case the tester says otherwise!
https://www.sy9apses.plus.com/light%20unit.jpg

Check out this site for more info if your building/modifying a bike, you might not care if it's legal or no but after a while it gets expensive failing MOT's and a real hassle being pulled buy plod all the time (been there done that!) armed with the right info you can keep them off your back and it's really satisfying to shut them up!

cheers MechTech.
____________________
Born again and weekend "bikers" that cause problems for us 24/7 bikers "I piss on you"

dansuresh · Scooby Slapper Joined: 26 Jan 2005 Karma :

they have to be legal since the top end BMW cars have all LED rear lights and indicators!

Ste · Not Work Safe Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :

Rear indicators are meant to be 240mm apart so thats not road legal, no idea how much you'd have to annoy a policeman for them to actually do you for it though. Laughing

binge · Emo Kiddy Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Karma :

Thats not legal. Although it would take a proper arsey / petrol head copper to do you on them.

Unless they have the E british standards mark on them, They wont get through an MOT.

Im going to have to borrow an exhaust for my MOT because decided to clean all the rust off my race pipe today and the E mark flaked off in my hand. Sad

<|Ben|>

Mik_RX125 · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 11 Apr 2005 Karma :

I'd watch out cos the plod round here are out for the kill. A mate got pulled over last year down in Rishton, where the copper took out a measuring tape for his number plate. He got fined as the characters were 2mm too small!!
And I was followed from blackburn to my front door on my DNA cos the copper thought I'd nicked it!
Not sure if coppers in your area are as bad as that.

Mik
____________________
Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2 owner
See all my Bikes

dansuresh · Scooby Slapper Joined: 26 Jan 2005 Karma :

its good in a way tht the cops are doing that.....just unlucky that they were following u!
i mean about following u cos they thought it was stolen btw!

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

They aren't legal if the original bulb had some light directed downwards for the numberplate light.

My bike has a seperate numberplate light and so LED tail lights would be legal.

A lot of bikes simply have a white/clear segment on the bottom of the taillight assembly to illuminate the numberplate. LED's only direct light in one direction and so would not allow the numberplate to be illuminated.

You need a numberplate light to be legal.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.