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Photo by Sean Howman, The Pamir highway in an unseasonably cold late October, Tajikistan

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Sean Howman,
The Pamir highway in an unseasonably
cold late October, Tajikistan



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  #1  
Old 16 Mar 2009
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Tyres & MOTs
Hello People

Is it still 1mm for bikes across ¾ of the tyre on an MOT?

I think I’m probably going to get it through on an advisory, it has about 1.5 still on the middle part of the tyre, or I could change it.

At the moment it’s got Pirelli MT70 front and back, the spare rear I have is a Michelin Cross Competition S12.

Do Tyres have to be correctly matched with regard to manufacture? The Michelin doesn’t say “not for road use” on the side so, that’s good I guess?

Would you change it or leave it?

Shaun
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  #2  
Old 16 Mar 2009
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Yes, it's 1mm.

The only requirement on pairing is the construction. You get onto dodgy ground if you mix radials, belted bias, X-ply etc. in the wrong places. Two tyres from the same range give the tester a warmer feeling.

The usual hassle isn't the tyre inspection it's inspectors that can't work their roller brake testers. Knobblies as a whole don't get on with roller testers as the low contact area doesn't get chance to flatten out on what amounts to a slick metal surface. The lock up is so quick the tester reads "no test", which some MOT techs take as a fail. Other testers take the bike outside, do a couple of stoppies and print off your next 12 months ticket!

Best way to get an MOT is to just present it and see what mood your testers in. I'd leave it alone and go for it.

Andy
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  #3  
Old 16 Mar 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie View Post
Yes, it's 1mm.
Best way to get an MOT is to just present it and see what mood your testers in.
Hope he's in a better mood than my one last year. I took one of my classic bikes in for an mot with a rear tyre just about on the limit - I'd measured it at 1.5mm. He measured it at 1.5mm as well but then went round the tyre measuring inch by inch until he found a bit 5mm long at 1.00mm and failed it.
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  #4  
Old 16 Mar 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by backofbeyond View Post
Hope he's in a better mood than my one last year. I took one of my classic bikes in for an mot with a rear tyre just about on the limit - I'd measured it at 1.5mm. He measured it at 1.5mm as well but then went round the tyre measuring inch by inch until he found a bit 5mm long at 1.00mm and failed it.
Dear Mr Back of Beyond,

HM Vehicle Inspectorate is sorry to hear of your dissatisfation with the MOT test procedure. If you would be so kind as to the preserve the vehicle in the exact condition in which you presented it for test we will be happy investigate the matter within the next twenty-one working days.

Up your bum with the knobs on, we didn't get our legs over last night either and have a stinking hangover to boot.

The Government

PS: Please pay your test fee again on the way out

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  #5  
Old 17 Mar 2009
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turned up for the MOT on the cub90, everything was going great until the brake test, it went like this:

MOT man:
The front brake isn't working well enough on the rolling road, not producing enough braking effort.
Me:
It's got leading links, annually rebuilt brakes and road legal tyres, they work fine, they lock the front wheel on dry tarmac.
MOT Man,
Still not enough effort produced,
Me:
What am i supposed to do then?
MOT Man:
Try cleaning the shoes and tightening the brake cable
Me:
WTF? they are newly rebuilt, and they lock the front wheel, what difference is adjusting them going to make??
MOT man:
oh. dunno, It'll do i suppose......
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Old 17 Mar 2009
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I turned up at a MOT station in scotland with my old Kwaka 100, no rolling road just a spring gauge. Dragged the old drum braked thing across the, painted and oily, concrete floor with the wheels locked, but at least the tester didn't try arguing as the problem was the co-efficient of friction was his floor not my tyres or brakes.
How much oil and grease gets wheeled from the workshop onto the rolling road?
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  #7  
Old 17 Mar 2009
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I don't want to sound like some sort of miserable old git but do you really want to be riding around on tyres that are on the last bit of tread before they become illegal/go bald?
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  #8  
Old 17 Mar 2009
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Here is the MOT testers manual index for motorcycles.
MOT Testers Manual
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