MOT Question - Headlights

[mikeycee]

Hi All,

Hope your all doing good!

I’ve got a S1000RR that I use on the road and also on the track, to protect the expensive OE Fairing I’ve replaced with a cheap Chinese track fairing kit which to be fair is great. When it’s not on track and I want to do a few road miles I pop the original tail piece on with the indicator and number plate mount, stick the indicators back on the front and change the nose fairing back to the original one with the headlights on.

Just wondering however if I can get away without actually swapping the nose over (It’s a bit of a faff) and just leave the track item on which has no headlights. I don’t use the bike in the dark at all, and the bike has brake lights, indicators and everything else essential when on the road.

Question is, will running it without the headlights invalidate my MOT, and as a result of that, my insurance?

Do I need to get a specific Daytime MOT or something?

Thanks for any guidance you can provide

[Horse]

IIRC All of the MoT requirements are on .gov.uk

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Interesting one, you don't need to have any lights for a bike MOT, but whether having lights at the MOT and then removing them later invalidates that MOT is something I don't know, but surely it's not much different to the headlight bulbs blowing?

[KungFooBob]

IIRC there's no such thing as a daytime MOT.

An MOT is an MOT.

If the bike doesn't have lights fitted when presented for MOT it will be noted on the MOT itself.

If the bike has lights and they don't work, that's a fail.

[JackyJoll]

IIRC All of the MoT requirements are on .gov.uk

It’s hard not to find it!

“Headlamps are not needed on motorcycles that:

-are not fitted with front and rear position lamps

-have had their front and rear position lamps permanently disconnected, painted over or masked.”

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspect ... -equipment

[Mr. Dazzle]

"Headlights are not needed on bikes which don't have lights"

Helpful

[iansoady]

Maybe not well worded but it is indeed helpful. Essentially if any lights at all are fitted it must have everything and it must all work. So you'd have to remove sidelights etc - not just disconnect them. As for invalidating MoT - as has been said many times the MoT is only relevant immediately after it's been issued.

[DefTrap]

If the bike has lights and they don't work, that's a fail.

Is it like the rule about indicators "if it's fitted it needs to work" ? I seem to recall that from my rat bike days.

[JackyJoll]

"Headlights are not needed on bikes which don't have lights"

Helpful

It’s the law they wrote, so it’s the law we have to try to comply with.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

If the bike has lights and they don't work, that's a fail.

Is it like the rule about indicators "if it's fitted it needs to work" ? I seem to recall that from my rat bike days.

Depends on the date the bike was built, from about 1985 bikes with pillion provision are supposed to have indicators, but this might be construction and use rather than MOT.

[Big Red]

For an mot, lights have to all be there and working as they should, or all removed. If no lights fitted at time of test it will be advised on the test certificate.
There is no "daytime mot".
You may run into problems with cops if they stop you with some lights fitted and some missing if there isn't anything advised on your last test certificate about bike not having any lights fitted.
This is easily checked online now by anybody.
Don't really know what legal route would be to charge you as I don't think it could be under failing to adhere to construction and use regulation as its legal to have all lights removed.
Tricky one to figure out. problem is a lot of cops will not know themselves and will just issue tickets for your bike not being road legal.

here is a link to the current regulations
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspect ... 1646128324

[mikeycee]

Thanks for all of your responses, Its appreciated!

To be honest, I did take a look on Gov.uk but I was struggling a little with the interpretation of it hence my post here.... But seems that it certainly is not that clear cut as I thought it might be.

Think I will just get off my ass and put the lights on, as its a very grey area I don't really want to get pulled on

Thanks all!

[Noggin]

I turned a road bike into a track bike, so no lights. The guy that MOTd it just noted 'no lights' - or something like that. I only rode it to the cafe of a morning and back by afternoon, so not far or late. But I did use the M32, M4, normal Bristol roads and roads from Chepstow to near Abergavenny. So plenty of opportunity for the police to take an interest! No one ever did

[BBB]

Is the brake light classed as a light? As in if you have one you technically have to have all the other lights or does it fall under a different category?

All the 'track' bikes I've seen on the road still kept the brake light

[v8-powered]

Is the brake light classed as a light? As in if you have one you technically have to have all the other lights or does it fall under a different category?

All the 'track' bikes I've seen on the road still kept the brake light

Had to remove or cover brake light on my road level track bikes before but refitted post-MOT as never fancied getting shunted up the rear!

[iansoady]

It's in a different cateory but most bikes have the brake & tail light as a single unit so you couldn't have the brake light on its own without fitting something discrete.

[Bigyin]

Iirc you need a brake light for MOT but other lights are not required. If fitted they need to work but if completely removed its noted.

I currently have a student with an MX bike with a valid mot that has a small led brake light above the number plate but no other lights.

[wull]

Iirc you need a brake light for MOT but other lights are not required. If fitted they need to work but if completely removed its noted.

I currently have a student with an MX bike with a valid mot that has a small led brake light above the number plate but no other lights.

Pretty sure it’s the same with the brake light, if fully removed then it’s the same as any other lights that are fully removed and can’t be tested. They become an advisory.

[Big Red]

Same as other lamps.
here is the regulation

4. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment






4.3. Stop lamps
,

4.3.1. Presence, condition and operation
All stop lamps must be inspected. If you do not think the stop lamp is connected, you do not need to test it.

Stop lamps are not needed for motorcycles that:

do not have front and rear position lamps
have had front and rear position lamps permanently disconnected, painted over or masked
cannot exceed 25mph
was first used before 1 January 1936
was first used before 1 April 1986 and has an engine capacity of less than 50cc

[derek badger]

Be aware that if you remove the lights, but it still has the switchgear it may fail depending on how the tester interprets the rules.