I'm varying between anger and disbelief at the moment. Let me tell you a short story.
I'd gone to Surrey to renew my CBT this morning. I passed, with a lovely comment from the instructor "your riding is flawless, you should definitely go in for the test". So, departing the training centre early with new CBT in hand, I merrily made my way back in to London as I had a very, very important meeting to get to, definitely before 6pm, but ideally at 4.
Just as I'm pottering through Clapham, in filter traffic, being very sensible, a copper on a bike shouts over, "oi, take the next left, you've got a problem", or words to that effect.
I took the next left, and he then tells me my chain looks slack. Brilliant, thinks I, what a nice copper, helping out a fellow motorcyclist with some friendly advice. I told him I thought is was fine, then it had an MOT only 2 months ago, but I'll tighten it up when I get back if he thinks it's not right.
"Too late for that, I'm afraid, I'm going to have to give you a fixed penality notice for rising an unroadworthy vehicle"
So I'm having a bit of a what the **** moment now, though was very, VERY, polite throughout.
So, I've got my 3 points, my £60 fine. What else? What more could you do to a man that dares ride with a slack chain? You can revok his MOT with immediate effect, tell him he'll be arrested for trying to ride the bike, and that the only way to move it is to push it (15 miles across Central London in rush hour), or to get a tow truck to lift it. So I had to wait over two hours for a tow truck, and that made me late for a meeting, which I'm not in massive bother about.
So, £60 fine, £40 for a new MOT cert, 3 points, and hours of my time to produce documents at a police station and get another MOT. All because, in his opinion, my chain was slack.
I have lost, honestly, I mean this without exageration, any respect I had for the police. It's gone. I was innocently miding my own business, and doing no harm to anybody, and they do that to me.
How was I supposed to know the chain didn't meet VOSA tension requirements? I'm not a trained MOT tester. Is one expected to gain said training and conduct an MOT every morning, or risk falling foul of these rediculous laws?
To start off with that is totally ridiculous and he has obviously got a chip on his shoulder, maybe about young riders, maybe about dirt style bikes.
Are you going to appeal it? I didnt know that the chain tension was a part of the mot but if it is then you're kinda stuck.
Other than that the chain on a DT will appear slack until the riders full weight has been put on the bike. You'll notice this if you've ever tightened the chain and he probably has no idea about this.
How loose was it? Was it really bad? If you are going to appeal it, it might be worth pointing out that he checked the tension without you on it. He may have seen you riding and it looked slack but to test it you have to be stationary, find the tight spot and then test it with the riders full weight on the bike.
I'm varying between anger and disbelief at the moment. Let me tell you a short story.
I'd gone to Surrey to renew my CBT this morning. I passed, with a lovely comment from the instructor "your riding is flawless, you should definitely go in for the test". So, departing the training centre early with new CBT in hand, I merrily made my way back in to London as I had a very, very important meeting to get to, definitely before 6pm, but ideally at 4.
Just as I'm pottering through Clapham, in filter traffic, being very sensible, a copper on a bike shouts over, "oi, take the next left, you've got a problem", or words to that effect.
I took the next left, and he then tells me my chain looks slack. Brilliant, thinks I, what a nice copper, helping out a fellow motorcyclist with some friendly advice. I told him I thought is was fine, then it had an MOT only 2 months ago, but I'll tighten it up when I get back if he thinks it's not right.
"Too late for that, I'm afraid, I'm going to have to give you a fixed penality notice for rising an unroadworthy vehicle"
So I'm having a bit of a what the **** moment now, though was very, VERY, polite throughout.
So, I've got my 3 points, my £60 fine. What else? What more could you do to a man that dares ride with a slack chain? You can revok his MOT with immediate effect, tell him he'll be arrested for trying to ride the bike, and that the only way to move it is to push it (15 miles across Central London in rush hour), or to get a tow truck to lift it. So I had to wait over two hours for a tow truck, and that made me late for a meeting, which I'm not in massive bother about.
So, £60 fine, £40 for a new MOT cert, 3 points, and hours of my time to produce documents at a police station and get another MOT. All because, in his opinion, my chain was slack.
I have lost, honestly, I mean this without exageration, any respect I had for the police. It's gone. I was innocently miding my own business, and doing no harm to anybody, and they do that to me.
How was I supposed to know the chain didn't meet VOSA tension requirements? I'm not a trained MOT tester. Is one expected to gain said training and conduct an MOT every morning, or risk falling foul of these rediculous laws?
I had somting similer happen to me i got pulled over for a slack chain but i got a rectifacation ticket i had to tighten my chain & take my bike to an mot station and have the it checked and then have the ticket stamped and then post it off and my chain was only a couple off mm out from the manuels specs was it traffic polise because thats who pulled me over
was he actual police or vosa? never heard of an mot being revoked at the side of the road?!?!? think i would be putting in a complaint if it was me (the way gooner was treated is the correct way to deal with it)
was he actual police or vosa? never heard of an mot being revoked at the side of the road?!?!? think i would be putting in a complaint if it was me (the way gooner was treated is the correct way to deal with it)
I think I would too, but I cant help but think they will stick by it and not give a hoot.
i really would kick up as much of a fuss as possible (solicitor,local paper,MAG,local MP the works) if only because of the short time between cbt pass and the pull. well out of order
+1 with a soliciter, go for one who specialise with motoring stuff too, citizen advice will find you one, thats absolutely fooking ridiculous that, was he a young or old copper? as most old school boys will tell you to get it sorted asap, not do that ****e, absolutely crazy that.
been reading up and the most they can do is prohibit your vehicle (same as gooner got,inspection and stamp) they can only revoke mot's on lgv's,hgv's,busses etc and it has to be vosa. something's not right
been reading up and the most they can do is prohibit your vehicle (same as gooner got,inspection and stamp) they can only revoke mot's on lgv's,hgv's,busses etc and it has to be vosa. something's not right
There ya go Nathan, get a brief onto it , clear them 3 points , get yer £60 back plus claim for a good days pay costs too when it gets to court,
Thinking about it, another thing that you should have done, and I'm guessing you're a member of either AA, RAC or Green Flag, would have been to ring the breakdown services up, while the copper was stood next to you, and got them to come out and tighten up your chain, if your not a member, you can join up there and then, slightly inflated membership cost but cheaper than the fixed penalty fine, the copper imposed on you.
Speaking to a biker copper friend on another forum, that's almost unenforceable, the chain could have gotten slack while riding that day. He'll have to prove it wasnt which he can't.
That's like fining someone when they lose a headlight bulb, without a warning it easily gets thrown out of court.
yeah you should and could 100% appeal this .... did he do or take any tests of the chain at the side of the road ? but like said above the chain could have become lose or stretched with in the ride ... also sure they stretch or shrink with heat or cold ..
I would love to know how they spot a lose chain ... 1 wilst some one is sat on the bike and 2 wilst its moveing or even in gear .
fact is they are just filling the quota for that days fixed fines ..they do have a target to meet
Are you riding with 'L' plates on? Some coppers think they can take the p!ss when they see a 'learner' on a bike. Used to get it all the time on my moped (and that was nearly 30 years ago - stop laughing)
Are you riding with 'L' plates on? Some coppers think they can take the p!ss when they see a 'learner' on a bike. Used to get it all the time on my moped (and that was nearly 30 years ago - stop laughing)
Yeah, was on L's. Just so annoying man. It wasn't like I was riding a neglected bike. I didn't knowingly ride it thinking the chain was incorrect. I was just minding my own business, and riding dead sensibly, and because of some unreasonable prick, my whole life has been altered. It had a major impact on work, I can't do my test next week now, I can't ride my bike this weekend, and I have a hundred quid or so to pay out, for what? Minding my own business, and riding a bike that had nothing wrong with it at all except and alledged loose chain which I could have sorted by the roadside within 30 minutes, after finding some tools.
I've been advised that I'll probably lose if it goes to court as if the copper managed to get the chain off by hand, even if he did it whilst the bike was off the floor, then I'm going to struggle to prove his decision was wrong, and reasonable behaviour doesn't come in to it, as he was legally allowed to do what he did to me.
Seriously, if a guy randomly smacked me in the face in a pub, I'd think that was a better deal than what this guy has done to me. Couldn't have happened at a worse time.
What a ****! Really boils my blood when I hear **** like this. You got a pic of the chain out of interest?
I've had my MOT revoked on my old punto (or a probition notice, so I couldn't drive it without getting it re-MOTed, so same thing really) but tbf I was driving at night with only a single fog light for lights and bits hanging off my car lol, no points though...
I've been advised that I'll probably lose if it goes to court as if the copper managed to get the chain off by hand, even if he did it whilst the bike was off the floor, then I'm going to struggle to prove his decision was wrong, and reasonable behaviour doesn't come in to it, as he was legally allowed to do what he did to me.
how exactly did he get the chain off? if he just lifted it off,then fair enough. if he pulled it on to the stand,and pulled the chain to the side while spinning the wheel.....
Bloody sad tbh - he could have advised and educated you leaving you respecting the law but instead your just pissed off at them
That's what wrong with the system, terrible way to handle it cops just get on a power trip half the time
Punishment seems WAY harsher than the crime, see the cop programs where bloody people hijack cars and then crash them but get let off because of lack of evidence and all sorts of bull!
It's unlikely, but hope you get some justice about it.
as far as im aware the only time the police can stop you riding/driving an unsafe vehicle away is by a trained officer with regard to mechanical defects. I remember on the normal police documentries a traffic officer had stopped a car with bold tyres no mot for 5 years or insurance but he had to wait for a trained officer to stop the vehicle from being moved.
To add to my point as well, was watching road wars last night some guy threatened police with a knife - had loads of riot vans and only gave in just before they were going to taser him and got off lighter than you!
as far as im aware the only time the police can stop you riding/driving an unsafe vehicle away is by a trained officer with regard to mechanical defects. I remember on the normal police documentries a traffic officer had stopped a car with bold tyres no mot for 5 years or insurance but he had to wait for a trained officer to stop the vehicle from being moved.
