Fitting an exhaust - the legal bit!

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Information provided by Gary..

Just incase you were a bit patchy on the legal requirements for silencers ive added this guide,not that i give a feck the louder the better!!!!

SILENCERS

IN BRIEF:

If your bike is registered before 1 May 1985 your silencer does not need a BS stamp.

After that date the exhaust must be either an original fitment type for the motorcycle or carry a BS kite mark.

IN DETAIL:

Regulation 57(A)(1or4) of Road vehicles (Construction & Use) Regs 1986 and Section 42 of the Road traffic Act 1988 (amended 1991)

Silencer of a motorcycle (or moped) first used on or after 1/1/85 shall be either

1. the original as fitted by the manufacturer

2. a replacement marked with an approved British standard (e.g. BS AU193/T2 or similar)

A motorcycle shall not be used on a road if fitted with an exhaust/silencer marked not for road use.

Basically you can get done on the above and/or for excessive noise (depending on how loud it is).

Unless it's outrageous you would be unlucky

to get done for that alone - they might stick it in as an additional charge if you get done for speeding etc.

If it's the exhaust alone you are more likely to get a verbal warning or a VDRS (vehicle defect rectification scheme) -

anyone who hasn't heard of that - it involves issuing you with a ticket requiring you to get it fixed within 14days and then checked at an MOT centre

who will stamp the ticket. As long as you send the ticket back within 14 days nothing else is done - don't and you'll get summonsed. (even if you don't,

they often don't bother unless for example you didn't have any silencer fitted) So make sure you keep your old exhaust - may come in handy!.

If you did get done - plead guilty and get a (very!) small fine - no points. It's a level 1 fine - up to £200 -

(plead guilty and say sorry people get away with no fine and £10 costs!!)