Accident damage

Theo Bekkers is of the opinion:

For a bike, essentially, yes. Cars they get a little more picky about,
because the RTA won't accept a pink slip without a brake test report
printout.

Indeed, although I'm not sure whether they'd work for you or against you --
if they fail you, they'll see you again because you have to go back there
for the recheck, which just costs them more money...

- Matt

 

And the RAC/NMRA charge $150 odd to inspect a car you want to buy? What kind
of check will you get for $25? Hmmm, tyres... yes, four. Lights work ... OK.
And most importantly "Does this guy regularly buy his petrol from us"?

Theo

 

So it's not in their interest to fail anyone?

Theo

 

In aus.motorcycles on Fri, 4 Feb 2005 12:31:43 +0800

The check for bikes is lights work, tyres are legal, it's not pissing
oil, horn works. A thorough inspector who has a clue about bikes will
also check the suspension goes up and down and the front brake can hold
the bike still when they push on the front forks.

The check for cars includes a brake test machine, I'm not sure about
emissions testing.

IT takes a mech at least half an hour to inspect and do paperwork, often
longer, so it's a losing proposition for them.

Zebee

 

Theo Bekkers is of the opinion:

More or less.

They can get in a bit of shit if they pass vehicles that are totally shot,
though, which is the only thing stopping them from rubber stamping anything
that comes along, though.

Our local (specialist VW dealer) has to be really picky, because they
specialise in old vehicles -- apparently the RTA is a harder on the
specialists because of the likelihood of older cars being crapboxes. The
local petrol station mechanic, on the other hand, has passed my bike despite
a lack of working horn, and just said "if the cops stop you, just tell them
it was working when it got registered".

- Matt

 

In aus.motorcycles on Fri, 4 Feb 2005 12:54:24 +0800

They have to be careful, there are checks.

The more usual scam is to say it needs work and offer to do said work.

I've had that from a bike shop, I declined. The one time I had a bike
fail, it was cos the tester said "Oh come on, you don't really expect me
to pass that front tyre do you?" and I agreed it was a bit dodgy.

He hadn't started to fill in the form though, so it wasn't officially a
fail.

Zebee

 

Which is why I never take a bike to a bike shop for a pink slip.

JL
(then again I seem to get blue slips more often than pink slips anyway)

 

Ya reckon ? The last car pink slip I got took under 10 mins ? Probably
closer to 5. One guy filled in the paper work while the other was doing
the block for the brake test. 10 man-minutes.

At the statutory $22 per, that 6x$22= $132 per hr, that's probably
double what most mechanics are charging out for.

The last bike BLUE slip took under 10mins (most of which was spent
trying to eyeball the engine and chassis numbers with a torch). A pink
slip where it's a cursory check that the numbers look vaguely the same
(as opposed to "I really do have to check the numbers are right" for a
blue slip) would be well under that.

JL

 

I (officially) paid $18 for the bike and $28 for the car
last month.

G, told him to make like a duck and shove his bill up his
arse... and since he's my little brother, he could hardly
argue, could he!

 

Yesm there are, but said checks cut both ways. Apparently
the RTA says that there shouldn't be too few fails, but
there shouldn't be too many fails either.

Apparently the RTA counsels the inspectors to the effect
that they should be firm but fair - not complete bastards
about it. Failing people left, right, and centre will get
them every bit as busted as letting obvious pieces of shit
past all the time.

G

 

There's no emissions test. There's a magic brake test machine
that measures pedal pressure wrt G's pulled while stopping. That's
the brake test.

With respect Zebee, wrong, wrong, wrong. It takes about 15
mins to do it all, less if the other mechanic isn't busy
and one checks the lights and the seatbelts while the other
makes a start on the paperwork.

In recent times, the requirements for 'rego' checks have
actually become, er, lesser. There's not the requirement to
invoke pedant-week wrt cancer in panels and stuff, and now
it's a more 'safety' oriented check. On a car, bearings and
tie-rod-ends, lights, leaks, horn/washer/wipers, tread on
tyres, stops within reasonable distance and has seatbelts
that work.

Inspector has lee-way to exercise discretion wrt general
safety and such - so the inspectors I know will generally
fail anything 4wd with ridiculously raised suspension, give
a "I don't want to see that next year" to any family sedan
with a bullbar, but fail in a screaming fit the pigeon-
pair of wankers with matching commodore utes who both
thought it would be cool to cut off the rear muffler and
have the exhaust exit under the body somewhere.


WRT to 'losing proposition', no. If you can set up a steady
stream, and do four regos an hour (or more) (which isn't at
all a stretch), then it's actually quite reasonable money for
people who usually charge $65-$75 per hour for labour.

They say it's a perfectly reasonable earner.


G

 

Charge out at $65-$75/hour, do four (car) regos in an hour
at $28 a pop, and you're well in front.

A minor leak isn't a safety issue. The inspections have become
re-oriented towards safety in recent times. People don't get
knocked back for cancer in panels and minor leaks anymore.

As it should have done.


G

 

ROOT! That's a killer!
Clem

 

Yep.
Clem

 

And not such an interesting shape!
Clem
(but we've got apples)

 

ah yeh , i go to the guy who does the 'on bench' brake test

 

Argue? Wouldn't he just bite your knee?

Gary

 

You get 12 months to re-register, without an inspection, after the
rego lapses, in the ACT.

Gary

--

Mark Latham, former Leader of the Alternative Liberal Party: "My
message
to the business community is that Labor is pro-growth and
pro-productivity."

 

Closest I came to a slippery end was a cow truck going around a sharp bend
on Cambewarra mountain (Heading south towards Nowra). Truck tipped left and
a huge gush of crap etc spewed out of the back forming a huge slick across
a hairpin turn.

I went through it at snails pace and it was still very, very slippery.

-bcg

 

bcg wrote:

Gawd, you've just reminded me.

Travelling on the Monash Freeway (Melb) outbound, and kept getting hit
on the chest and visor by some spray. Slippery too, the front end kept
wiggling. See a semi way up front, and accelerated to warn him that he
was leaking hydraulic fluid, good deed for the day. Traffic was heavy
so took several minutes, meanwhile the leathers and visor are getting
covered by the fluid.

Finally get up close. No, it wasn't hydraulic fluid that was pouring
out; yes, it was a cattle truck with p** and sh** streaming out the
back, that had covered the front of the bike, my leathers and my
helmet. Lucky I had the visor down!

Turned around and went home to spend the afternoon cleaning up,
including standing in the back garden fully dressed in the leathers
with the hose as a shower.

Since then, have not liked cattle trucks...