RIGHT-HAND SIDECARS: BUYER BEWARE
ANYONE TEMPTED BY the idea of owning an imported motorbike and sidecar combination has been warned to be extremely careful or they could end up the unhappy owner of an unusable machine.
The rules surrounding the use of combinations are complex, but the most significant is where the sidecar is attached. Many Soviet-era combinations making their way to the UK today would be illegal on British roads. This is because the machine often has the sidecar mounted on the right, rather than the left. While machines are imported with the appropriate paperwork and NOVA forms, and can in fact be registered in the UK, they still would not be legal to use on the road. David Angel from F2 Motorcycles has produced detailed guidance for those tempted to buy an imported combination.
He advised: “If the motorcycle is registered in the UK before August 1, 1981, or the motorcycle is permanently registered to you in another country and you are visiting the UK on holiday, you can use it. If neither of these apply you cannot.”
The confusion has arisen because the law states that any bike of any age can be registered in the UK, and the V55/5 used to register a previously used vehicle in the UK does not actually ask if there is a sidecar or which side it is fitted to.
However, Regulation 93 of The
Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 states: ‘No person shall use or cause or permit to be used on a road any two-wheeled motor cycle registered on or after August 1, 1981, not being a motorcycle brought temporarily into Great Britain by a person resident abroad, if there is a sidecar attached to the right (or off) side of the motorcycle.’
So, while the paperwork might look good, the use of a newly registered right-hand sidecar is illegal and would render your insurance invalid, even if it was made prior to August 1981.
David advises buyers: “If it is already road registered in the UK, simply look at the V5C. The only section you need to worry about is the date of registration. If this date is on or after August 1, 1981, riding it on the road will contravene The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.” For more information, visit simplysidecars.co.uk and follow the links to Sidecar Law.