I do not rant very often until today. Took my Harley for MOT last week and it failed on handle bar loose ok fair enough and horn not loud enough, I use a bicycle type battery horn which I think is well loud. So told to return bike following Thursday for faults corrected. So what I did before was wire in new standard Harley horn. Produced the bike for the corrected faults and was then told that the horn button has to be on the handlebars, which I know this is not the case as I know the MOT manual fairly well. So I asked when I could bring it back, was told two weeks time 'how long' I asked that means I have to pay again, 'yes we are very busy at the moment and you should have corrected the fault properly' !!! So I have sold the bike and the chap is picking up this saturday, get on the internet and found another tester nearby who got me in at 2pm today so frantic re-wiring again just make sure it will pass, well it did and the tester agreed with me on the horn button location. Get this the other Harley I have also does not have the horn button on the handlebars did that pass last month, yes it did, go figure that one out.Rant over.
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Took the Queens Shilling and disappeared for 23 Years !!
Doug its down to the man on the day no tester will pick on the same things some have a love of floppy swing arm's and so on thank God for the 20th of this month no more MOT for pre 78 an as luck my Harleys due on the 30th no swapping the open pipes number plate bulb horn anymore.
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04 250 TTR 1960 Harley panhead 84 Honda xr 250/cb250rs Hybrid plus the new Montesa 4Ride
Yep, you are always on a loser with MOT testers Doug, even if you're pretty sure you're in the right.
Unfortunatley, with this one there is an element of subjective judgement as to whether the horn button was 'readily accessible'.
2.
Check the accessibility and operation of the horn
control.
2.
A horn control
a. defective or not readily accessible
Of course, you could always appeal to DVSA within 14 days, wait 5 days for them to get back to you and then pay a full retest fee to them anyway for the privilege
Reminds me of when I took my GS550E to Greens in Newton Abbot for it's MOT test only to be told the headlamp lens did not have the correct dip beam pattern, although they had passed it seven years in a row previously. I was livid but couldn't be bothered to go through the rigmarole of appeal with a full retest fee so I simply took it elsewhere and stopped using the shop completely. Trust is important and they lost mine.
The same headlamp lens has since passed the MOT test 15 years in a row on my CRM250 without any problems.
A very old friend of mine, no longer present, was being inspected by the Ministry re correct MOT procedure.
"What is the first thing you check re headlights?" the opening question.
"That the light shines when switched on" - No, Mr Harrison. You must check the beam pattern etc on the glass.
We all know where he was coming from, different era.
The same man had a customer in to collect his car, which he had dropped in knowing it was just a formality.
It was absolutely rotten!
Customer was indignant, to which George replied "Sir, your car is f*****d!"
Customer replied, "Thats not a very professional term of phrase for a mechanic"
"Sorry, Sir, but I think it sums the situation up perfectly!"
Re MOT tester, although frustrating, he has a lifetime to p**s one off, you have 1 sec.
My personal take, smile all the while, dont contradict, do exactly what he wants and ask him for his version. - Doesnt matter if hes right or wrong, within reason.
Same mindframe for Building Inspector, H & S jobsworth and all the other mindless representatives for whatever tick boxing profession they come from.
Tee hee.
TRF weekend was BRILLIANT, good giggle.
Story of my life, "Wish I could get out more!"
