Went to getthe SOBeemer Motted this a.m. Bad news ! Rapide Motorcycles (Bexleyheath) don't *do* Mots anymore. Poor old Ken is retiring. (Another loss to the industry of a great geezer) Recommendation of Mays in Crayford. <fx...... 1960 mode on> Shop.......straight out of a set on Heartbeat. Assistant...... Extremely pleasant grandma type lady in late 60s serving behind a counter that must be pre-war, from a wooden till and a book of bookings in a shop with old Oxo cube tins full of pre war 2 stroke parts that will *never* be used ever again and parts from bikes that have loooooong since died. Enter Mr May..........5'6. Glasses, Trilbly hat, carrying a set of 1950 brake scales............ He's 93 FFS ! Told to take my bike around the back to the *garage* (3 brick walls and a corrugated asbestos roof at the end of the garden type) and wait for Mr May (Reverence ensues here) Ride in and set onto centre stand. Vis check of tyres and disks C/w the obligatory torch (For better viewing) and a scissor jack under the edge of the axle to allow rotation and check of disc warpage. Ditto to rear wheel. (Much puffing and blowing with creaking of joints.....His not mine!) Brake Test: Spring balance precariously hooked to a lump of 3x3 upright (Part of the garage) Front brake applied and the winch hand turned to 250tf lbs. Ditto to the rear brake. Shuffle the SOBeemer to the other side of the garage for the beam test. Height stick applied to the headlamp, and the beam test board adjusted from behind by Mr May for the correct hieght (Much puffing and heaving *backstage* from him) Lump of wood with a strip of steel to one edge for wheel alignment check. (More puffing and blowing) Horn, Indicators and all the other odds and sods. Cursorary glance at the overal condition. PASS ! <Fx 1960 mode OFF> In all my years of car, bike and other vehicle testing I have never seen it done as *basically* as this but all within the requirements and so exact. 15 mins end to end. £15.20. Feckin marvelous! -- -- - - Robbo 1500GL 1988 Goldwing (Rebuild in process) BMW K100 RS 1984 BotaFOF #19 E.O.S.M 2001/2002/2003 B.O.S.M 2003 FURSWB#1 KotL YTC449 PM#7 \= /= \= / /= \ \= / /= \\\' , / // \\\//, / //, \_-//' / / /<, \ /// <//` / >> \\\`__/ /,)-^>> _\` \\\ (/ \\ //\\ // _//\\\\ (( ((
That's pretty much how the place I have mine done do it, well except they've recently bought some electic thingumy to replace the beam test board.
I used to go to a place years back that used a winch to test the brakes. I would sit on the bike on the examiner would operate the winch as follows: Mot man: right, put the front brake on. Me: <applies both brakes> Ok. Mot man. Right, now put the back brake on. Me: <applies both brakes> Ok. Mot man. Blimey, they're good brakes. If it had failed I would have got a twenty stone stand in to sit on the bike for me.
Used to go to Walkers at Walpole Cross Keys near Sutton Bridge for very similar treatment. They kept photos on their walls of all the rare and unusual bikes and cars they had tested. Lovely guys, hope they're still going. -- Lucretia________(...=^¬¬^=________---<, ,,'> Yamaha XJR1300, RoadBouncers RC Midlands. BROATS (pl. n.) A pair of trousers with a career behind them. Broats are most commonly seen on elderly retired army officers. Originally the broats were part of their best suit back in the thirties; then in the fifties they were demoted and used for gardening. Recently pensions not being what they were, the broats have been called out of retirement and reinstated as part of the best suit again.
Oddly enough, the Wimbledon VRO does that, presumably of vehicles that have been re-registered there. Old Yank cars and the like. Nice, in a government department.
Robbo said... <more snippage> Sounds like Davis Brothers in Wilstead, Bedfordshire. They don't do the scales thing on the brakes, you have to manhandle the bike backwards up a steep ramp and apply each brake in turn. If the bike stays put, it passes
Andy Bonwick said... Dave Barnett and then became Links M/cs, they've closed down now. I never had a bike fail at Davis Bros, but then, I've only ever had one bike fail an MOT in 25 years.
Sounds so like the late Bob Hoyle who used to have a place in Blackpool about 25 years ago. Top bloke would pass anything if 'the winkers worked' or 'eh, that's a grand bike'. Don't make 'em like that any more :-(
Also sounds like Mac Motors in Tooting. If they know you it takes about 5 mins to get an MOT (assuming your bike is safe) My mate that has two old Triumphs literally rides in, gets handed an MOT and rides out again.
What's Crayford like these days? It used to be a right pikey shithole[1][2] but I heard that there's been a load of development and stuff. [1] Except maybe for some of the bits along Iron Mill Lane near St Paulinus church [2] Particularly around Ridgeway, Ridge Avenue, Heath Road, etc. ZK
Oddly enough, the Wimbledon VRO does that, presumably of vehicles that have been re-registered there. Old Yank cars and the like. Nice, in a government department.[/QUOTE] Banjax took a piccie of my Kwak when I took it in. -- | ___ Salad Dodger |/ \ _/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/KH500A8/TS250C |_\_____/_| ..62661../..14297.../..3157./.19406 (>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4 PM#5 |__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11 WG* \ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4 \|^|/ ANORAK#17 '^'
