Flipping hot!

[bikerbob]

One thing to bear in mind about the MOT is it only proves that the bike was up to the correct standard on the day it was tested, weeks or months later things can be a lot different.

[icarus001]

I think it would be fair to say that all my bikes are in tip top condition, the youngest is 28yrs old and the MOT guy has a very easy time passing them. I've seen much younger vehicles in a shocking state.

The attraction for me with pre-1960 vehicles (other than the looks and ride) is that I don't have to remember to schedule them in for an MOT, which is very handy as I'm often working away from home and it's jolly inconvenient when you have a few bikes to rotate and not much time to do it.

Personally I wouldn't be keen to MOT a pre-60's bike for insurance purposes unless I was prepared to do it each and every year - if you don't do it one year and need to claim, then the insurance company might be mischievous and suggest you didn't MOT it because it wasn't road worthy, so I wouldn't want to set a precedent.
If the law does not require it, then I won't do it.

By the way, it was high 40's over here today in the UAE, the ice in my gin melted far too soon 

[morris]

I'm still wondering: Does (did) MOT  check for oil leaks?

Richard L.

Makes me think of the time I drove an old Volvo about 30-odd years ago. On the previous MOT it got a remark for an oil leak. When the time came up for a new check, I jacked the car up a bit and cleaned the sump with a rag and threw some sand at it. At next day's MOT, I'll never forget the MOT'ers grin when he came out of the pit and said; cleaning it off and throwing some sand at it never cured an oil leak son, and thicked the box on his report where it said "Recheck in 3 weeks time".
One of life's lessons I guess...

[Topdad]

Being involved with various types of insurance being part of my job you do become a little cynical re insurance companies so when the exemption first came in I called most of the main providers including my own company. There stance ,in every case, was that as far as they concerned no MOT was required by law and they were happy with that situation,so I too don't get my bike tested.

[Slippery Sam]

Being involved with various types of insurance being part of my job you do become a little cynical re insurance companies so when the exemption first came in I called most of the main providers including my own company. There stance ,in every case, was that as far as they concerned no MOT was required by law and they were happy with that situation,so I too don't get my bike tested.

Bob, I love it when a bit of real research or analysis can kill off an anecdote.  I will do a quick check when insuring my A10 by the way of making sure they know it's MOT exempt - at the point of taking out the policy.  I will be shopping round in the next couple of weeks in any case (have been with MCE for a couple of years because they were the only company that would insure my Ducati on go compare).  I do think their prices are think of a number and double it though.
Thanks for clarifying.
Raymond.