Out of hibernation
Tax and MOT test exemption lure a rattly ‘classic’ back into action
THE ROLLING 40-YEAR exemption from MOT tests and road tax for classics means that my 1978 registered Moto Morini 3½ Sport no longer requires an MOT test (previously £29.65) and road tax is free (previously £42 for bikes of 151-400cc). Some people in the classic world reckon that removing the MOT test requirement from older vehicles is irresponsible and may have insurance repercussions if your brakes fail and you mow down a gaggle of nuns. They may have a point, but I spent part of my youth sneaking misassembled motorcycles past blasé MOT testers so it’d be churlish to look this particular gift horse in the mouth. Last used in 2014, the 3½ fires up after a few kicks. As a further bonus, the lights work and the horn emits a feeble parp. It needs air in the tyres. It deserves fresh oil and brake fluid, a carb balance and a new cambelt too, but first I want to take a cobweb-clearing ride.
At the Post Office I hand over the logbook and the appropriate form (V112). The log book goes to the DVLA to change the taxation class from ‘Bicycle’ to the equally quaint ‘Historic’. And then it’s ‘taxed’ – you’ve got to go through the process every year, even though no money changes hands. Next, to the garage to brim the tank with premium unleaded.
Battling 21st century traffic on a 30bhp bike is a challenge. Briskly driven family cars waste it for speed and overtakes need tactical planning. The brakes are weedy and the ride quality worse than a farm trailer. On the plus side, the 72° V-twin sounds crisp. On the right day and on the right road it’s still good fun. Plus, as Andy Gurski observed in our June issue, there’s massive satisfaction in long-term ownership. I’ve been encumbered by this thing since 1982. I know every scratch and every rattle. That feels good. And so does not having to pay for an MOT or road tax.