Motorcyclists are the worst offenders at failing to tax and MoT their vehicles, according to new Department for Transport figures. The proportion of motorcycles in traffic with no MoT last year was higher than that of any other vehicle type according to the report. It puts the rate of non-compliance for bikes at an estimated 4.7% compared to 2.9% for all vehicles. In 2007 the rate for bikes was 8.5% compared to 3.1% for all vehicles, the report says. Separate new DfT figures suggest we’re also most likely to evade road tax, with 3.2% of motorcycles in traffic untaxed in 2009 compared to 0.5% of all vehicles. Last year the DfT was forced to admit it had published "erroneously inflated" claims over the proportion of untaxed motorcycles after its official figure dropped from 38% to 6.5% in a year. The department blamed the discrepancy on mistakes by researchers while writing number plates down at the roadside.                                                                                                                                                                              

I find that all the  motorcyclists i know  that don't have current  tax  have SORN'ed their bikes for the winter  (my brother is guilty of this being a fair weather biker !)                                                                                                                                                                               

Does make you wonder, following the lies they published last year, how accurate the stats are.   And, as said, many folk have multiple bikes, not necessarily on the road, which haven't been sorn'd and thus showing as untaxed. That happens far less with cars.                                                                                                                                                                             

whats that old saying...

lies, damn lies and statistics  ??

Think i have that right.
                                                                                                                                                                             

I dont think there are many bikers these days compared to 10+ years ago that actually take there bikes off road for winter.... we do not get the proper seasons now ie winter, summer etc so there is always an opertunity to go for a ride out jan-dec....... Take this wkend for example,,,nearly mid december and i'll be clocking a couple of hundred miles up somewhere?? Never heard or read of many bikes been stopped and taken away where you do with cars............so dont know how they get these figures or is the reason just to give bikers even more bad press!!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

So we are the worse offenders????? Lets just put it into real world stats for one sec!!!   We make up 1% of the population so there for we are the least offending per head of population! Don't you just love putting a positive spin on stats?                                                                                                                                                                             

as you put it that way  YES  load  of  bowlacks  shame on the DOT                                                                                                                                                                             

I know my big bike is SORN'd at the moment as there is no point in taxing it as I cannot ride it ... my lil bike is fully done tho.   I think its mainly cos a lot of bikes are off the road for 6 months of a year, not that people cannot be bothered taxing them                                                                                                                                                                              

Couldn't be anything to do with them not sending out reminders to renew the tax but a month later sending ya a nice letter with a £40 fine n back tax to pay could it???                                                                                                                                                                             

I disagree with cw there are alot of people who take there bikes of the road in winter, i do and most of my friends do                                                                                                                                                                               

Sorn figures donot relete to the number of people with bikes of the road, i have 3 bikes on sorn and know there's others with more, so the 1% that Hull quotes would probably be much less.                                                                                                                                                                             

I now take my bikes of the road for the winter but at one time i never did.......old age i think.

This DTI thing popped up a while ago said we are the worst offenders because we don't tax our bikes for road use.....lies all lies.

 The truth is yes mopeds and small scooters, rev and rips and 125's mainly have been found to have no road tax disc compared to motorcycles from 500cc  to 2100.

What owners are doing is getting  insurance  then a tax disc for 6 months then cancelling the insurance but keeping the certificate. But when they get pulled it shows on the data base they have no insurance.

This figure has been put together with the figure for motorcycles that only only have a tax disc for 6 months of the year because owners take them off the road and that's how come we are the worst.

The government has change the road tax category so that anything under 600cc cant have a 6 month tax disc. But every year they repress the same crap, to make us feel bad and make people hate us even more.  Its what i call MOTIST racism against motorcyclist.
 Have fun boys and girls while we can. 

Have fun boys and girls while we can   Your right there mate. Lets face it doing the ton is not a phrase ya hear of much these days lol                                                                                                                                                                             

Can't do a ton anymore, because.. 1.  Road is blocked due to too many vehicles on it   2. Road is blocked due to roadworks.   3. Road is blocked due to both of above and an accident.   4. Road works and average speed camera's (new ones facing rear of vehicle).   5. Road is blocked due to snow and no snow ploughs and or grit lol.   6. Some twat has nicked your bike.... and police cant get to catch him because theyare attending all of above......   Ha ha, happy motoring all....Just observations from my last trip up to scotland and back....                                                                                                                                                                             

The truth is stranger than fiction johnnytb.... well spotted.