The Bikeshite Thread

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Cheers for replies. As it happens, I’ve missed out on the 1980’s parts bike I would have robbed the wheels from. Price went sky high last minute, and more than I’m prepared to pay.

To recap with my own bike - it’s a 1963 Raleigh Superbe, which was awoken from a 25 year slumber in my parents garage a few months ago. I’ve owned it since around 1990 and did a ‘resto’ on it prior to tucking it away. I’ve thought long and hard about modifying it, and have decided to bite the bullet. It’s not usable to me as it is, and I have a sentimental attachment to it, even as a bare bones frame. I want to be able to ride it properly.

I now need to work out exactly what sort of wheels I can fit on my frame without hassles.

 

Mods - would you be able to move this to the bicycle thread linked above? I thought this was the one and same, but was in a rush to be fair.

[Eddie Honda]

It’s not usable to me as it is

But braking in the wet on chrome rims is all part of the fun.

[pbottomley]

So today at BSA Air 3 world HQ, I (well i watched) converted an old Pit Bike rack to fit the trike of doom.... which means I can now become more mobile and drive around with the POS on the back of the fat slag Passat and get people pointing even more at me !!

Bike weighs 65kg, rack about 10 -15kg max tow ball 85kg, so far no headlights in the sky!!!

WP_20171105_15_15_30_Pro by paul.bottomley, on Flickr

 

WP_20171105_15_55_15_Pro by paul.bottomley, on Flickr

[hairnet]

i did a bad thing

[puddlethumper]

Lots of the unbranded ones are useless, some can even be defeated by hitting with a big hammer. Also avoid anything made by Oxford, as all their locks and chains are made of cheese.

 

Of course nothing is indefatigable - a battery powered grinder will do for pretty much anything. It's all about making the scum go and nick something less well protected than your bike.

No chance of fitting a hidden cut off switch ? Got one on my retro heap but don't know if its so easy on a bike. That and a good chain. If a scrote gets the chain off he still can't DRIVE it away.

Might be talking out of a certain orifice about this.

[Fabergé Greggs]

Help me out here. I've had a bad idea. 

 

Next to where I park my LML there's a Piaggio MP3 400ie. That's one of those gopping 3 wheelers. 

 

It's done nothing for over a year, has no number plate and a "for sale" sign saying that he's never used it and he wants £1100. There's no way I'd pay that but seeing as it hasn't moved in for ages, say I offered £300 or something..

 

1) Can I ride it? I have a full car licence obtained in 1999 and an A1 motorcyle licence restricted to 125's. As far as I know it's not the "LT" one designed for todays licences but the info is well murky. 

 

2) Why the flip hasn't got any plates? It's probably been ridden in from Europe or something and he maybe couldn't MOT it or similar. Presumably it doesn't have a NOVA and therefore registering it might be a pain. 

 

3) Would it be ULEZ compliant? It seems pretty vague if these are classed as two wheelers and therefore exempt from congestion charge, ULEZ etc. I ride in the congestion zone every day so that's a deal breaker...

 

As you can see it's a terrible idea. Help me make it happen!

[Fabergé Greggs]

Update: it’s apparently UK registered.. that’s a start!

[hairnet]

Help me out here. I've had a bad idea. 

 

Next to where I park my LML there's a Piaggio MP3 400ie. That's one of those gopping 3 wheelers. 

 

It's done nothing for over a year, has no number plate and a "for sale" sign saying that he's never used it and he wants £1100. There's no way I'd pay that but seeing as it hasn't moved in for ages, say I offered £300 or something..

 

1) Can I ride it? I have a full car licence obtained in 1999 and an A1 motorcyle licence restricted to 125's. As far as I know it's not the "LT" one designed for todays licences but the info is well murky. 

 

2) Why the flip hasn't got any plates? It's probably been ridden in from Europe or something and he maybe couldn't MOT it or similar. Presumably it doesn't have a NOVA and therefore registering it might be a pain. 

 

3) Would it be ULEZ compliant? It seems pretty vague if these are classed as two wheelers and therefore exempt from congestion charge, ULEZ etc. I ride in the congestion zone every day so that's a deal breaker...

 

As you can see it's a terrible idea. Help me make it happen!

i would say no

 

smaller engined ones yes but as its over 125 and they have power to weight rules they mention 15kw (12hp)

 

which the 400 would exceed

 

id say no

 

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q504.htm

[Dave_Q]

Conflicting info out there, I thought they were straight up motorbikes as the wheels were so close together, but the law doesn't seem to care how far apart the wheels are.

 

You should be OK on it with a car test passed pre 2013, which should also come with category A with a note 79(tri) on it saying you're all good for tricycles.

 

However, if you have had your licence renewed/updated since 2013, you probably won't have cat A 79(tri) on it, but that doesn't mean that you can't ride it as they can't change the law retrospectively.

 

What it does mean is you'll have to have a conversation containing a version of this post if you ever get stopped on it...

[Cavcraft]

Cheers for replies. As it happens, I’ve missed out on the 1980’s parts bike I would have robbed the wheels from. Price went sky high last minute, and more than I’m prepared to pay.

To recap with my own bike - it’s a 1963 Raleigh Superbe, which was awoken from a 25 year slumber in my parents garage a few months ago. I’ve owned it since around 1990 and did a ‘resto’ on it prior to tucking it away. I’ve thought long and hard about modifying it, and have decided to bite the bullet. It’s not usable to me as it is, and I have a sentimental attachment to it, even as a bare bones frame. I want to be able to ride it properly.

I now need to work out exactly what sort of wheels I can fit on my frame without hassles.

 

Mods - would you be able to move this to the bicycle thread linked above? I thought this was the one and same, but was in a rush to be fair.

 

I don't think we can, sorry, as it'll merge both threads and go haywire

 

Ps. ref the tyres I think the Superbe will have 26" wheels so 700C out of the question.

[Dave_Q]

Just checked a random mp3 400 (2007 reg) for ULEZ and it's OK.

 

I think you have to pay congestion charge for them though!

[Guest Hooli]

Well there are two sides to it,

 

a) you'll look a twat riding it

2) I see a bloke regularly power slide one off a set of lights with a big slide slope in weather where real bikes are tip toeing about

iii) I thought there were a wide & thin version for each licence class?

[pbottomley]

If you want to look a twat on a trike (a real trike) then look no further than the humble BSA Ariel 3 

 

BSA_Ariel_3 by paul.bottomley, on Flickr

 

legally if its under 460mm wide and 50cc or less then its is classed as a moped (class 1 mot) and one can ride it on car licence if pre 2001 test. with L plates post that date. more than 50cc I haven't got a clue, as i don't care for big boys and toys...

 

[strangeangel]

Well there are two sides to it,

 

a) you'll look a twat riding it

2) I see a bloke regularly power slide one off a set of lights with a big slide slope in weather where real bikes are tip toeing about

iii) I thought there were a wide & thin version for each licence class?

 

a) Only to Real Bikers, but most of these are nobheads anyway so who cares?

b ) Yes, I've tried one in shitty riding conditions, and can confirm that it was entirely big and clever.

c) Pretty sure you can only ride the LT version on a car licence, but that's just from memory, and Mr_Q's opinion may be worth more than mine. Either way, as he says, you might expect to have some interesting conversations with the equally uninformed constabulary, should they decide to call you out on it.

[Dave_Q]

My opinion is based on 5 mins googlage and on further checking relates to the LT version, not the ie that Jacky was asking about.

 

So:

 

MP3 ie model is a motorbike by law, bike licence needed as per engine size

MP3 LT model is slightly wider, and a trike by law, legal situation is as per my previous post. 

 

For ULEZ probably best to check on reg once you have one. 

 

For congestion charge, technically the LT should pay it, but have seen a post saying this is unenforcable due to the way the cameras point? Are they forward facing?

 

 

To further add to the confusion, the track difference between ie and LT is so small it's down to a couple of spacers and longer wheel bolts, this could be a feasible DIY, you can then apparently send off to the DVLA to re-register as a trike.

 

http://mp3scooterclub.co.uk/cgi-bin/topic_show.pl?tid=2927

[hairnet]

just buy a c90 ffs

[strangeangel]

just buy a c90 ffs

 

Sadly only Shoreditch beards can afford luxuries like a C90 nowadays.

[strangeangel]

To further add to the confusion, the track difference between ie and LT is so small it's down to a couple of spacers and longer wheel bolts, this could be a feasible DIY, you can then apparently send off to the DVLA to re-register as a trike.

 

 

Indeed. But presumably then you get rogered by the insurance company when they ask if it's modified in any way?

 

While I can often be found riding things that don't require one, it must be said that having a bike licence makes life a lot less complicated sometimes

[Eddie Honda]

I don't think we can, sorry, as it'll merge both threads and go haywire

 

I would have thought it possible to move individual posts to another thread without doing a wholesale thread merge. If it isn't possible then this must be the most wank forum software ever...

[Fabergé Greggs]

Thank you all for confirming for me that it’s a royal minefield!

 

Just to clear things up even further, it shouldn’t be an LT version but does seem to come up as one on the DVLA vehicle info page- Reg AU09FDF.

 

Whilst that does maybe mean I could ride it and avoid congestion cameras, it apparently means I couldn’t legally park in a motorcycle bay or ride in the bus lanes, making it more useless than a car in central London. Maybe that’s why it’s parked in a motorcycle bay without a plate on. Also, MOT history says unused for two years now.

 

I didn’t know it was going to be this much of a terrible idea..

[Fabergé Greggs]

just buy a c90 ffs

I commuted for ages on an old 6 Volt C90. I can confirm that my fuel bills were way under half of what they are on the LML.

[Dave_Q]

AU09FDF does come up as a 3 wheeler on gov.uk vehicle enquiry.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the exact model recorded as it's down to what tne dealer put in at first registration.

 

As such I think you can definitely ride it legally, parking and congestion charge is a bit more dubious, although I would have thought that unless the parking wardens are super clued up and have either an online checker or a tape measure there's no way they can tell which is which?

 

Maybe keep an eye out for them or ask on an owners forum for advice from people who actually ride one in that there London.

 

I didn’t know it was going to be this much of a terrible idea..

I assume you've already put in an offer?

[Jerzy Woking]

Congestion Charge cameras are forward facing. Motorbikes and MP3's (even the LT car licence models) do not have front number plates), and so are exempt from the charge. My brother worked for Piaggio when the LT was coming to the UK market, and so they viewed it as a massive victory over tfl.

 

They are good to ride (as any big engined scooter at least) but they can still be crashed! Panels are expensive to replace, but gaffa tape is cheap. Never owned one, but if one came up cheap enough I could be tempted

 

And on another matter, the Congestion Charge cameras only get the front view of vehicles. When the Toxicity Charge comes in for bikes in 2018/2019, I presume tfl will have to install rear facing cameras too. How much will this cost, and how long will it take to recoup this figure before they are "in profit" and can spend the money they collect to spend on reducing pollution? I doubt that will be within my lifetime.

[strangeangel]

 if one came up cheap enough I could be tempted

 

 

Definitely! Based on the above I'd be getting in there with a derisory offer, Mr twoshoes!

[andy18s]

Get the cheque book out......

15k which is comparable to most current superiors I guess

Oh,it's a non runner too

[warren t claim]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUZUKI-GSX600F-1994-HPI-CLEAR-PART-X-CLEARANCE-12-MNTS-MOT-READY-2-RIDE-/122798705589

 

My old GSX600 is for sale. I'm so tempted to buy it back.

 

[LostnotFound]

The MOT on the unsellable TDR was due so thought I should get it done before the insurance runs out so it'll have enough to maybe sell it in the spring.

 

Sailed through with only one fail, can't really argue with it either....

 

I'd already picked up some pads as I knew they were worn just hadn't bothered to check how much by and had got distracted by having another bike 

 

 

Lesson learnt and pads to be ordered for the VFR pronto as it doesn't stop as well as the TDR did before it's pad change so will get them refreshed and give the calipers a bit of a clean and some fresh fluid. On that note what is the Autoshite feeling on braided brakelines? Noticeable difference or the stopping equivalent of the cone filter discussion?

 

 

 

[Guest Hooli]

Depends how good your current lines are. I've not noticed any difference on 14s with & without, but on a Harley I tried before & after it was a lot better with.

[Aston Martin]

Following on...

 

I’m picking the bike up tomorrow and by picking up, I mean I’m paying a man. Who is delivering it to my secret storage unit... wait, it’s a Treg, is this exempt next year?

 

When’s the cut off month?

 

...

 

Ok, DVLA

“year of manufacture 1977”

“First registration Nov 1997”

 

And it’s been sorn since 1999.

One former keeper.

 

Fuck knows where this immigrant has been hiding, or from where his origin is.

[LostnotFound]

Depends how good your current lines are. I've not noticed any difference on 14s with & without, but on a Harley I tried before & after it was a lot better with.

 

Ta, I'm probably falling down a rabbit hole of infinite wisdom where the VFR is under braked / heavy so every little helps.