Off to Spain in July on the bike and thought I would see when my MOT ran out on the Triumph on Friday (yesterday). Bu**er! It had ran out two months ago in April! I'm known for being a bit laid back in our club but this was definitely taking the biscuit.   Trying to make amends, I had checked the certificate at 3.00pm Friday, rang an MOT centre there and then and was having a pint at 4.30pm with a new certificate in hand. Not bad for a 17 year old Trident!   Proves, I can move when I have to and I'm over 3 times the bikes age!   Anyone else done anything similar?                                                                                                                                                                             

we used to have an MOT station near me that would pass anything, and i meen anything.   one afternoon, my XS11 needed a new MOT so off i ride, its closed, (already booked in by phone) so chain bike up, go to local bar, have a pie and a pint (when i used to drink that is) finish a bout half hour later went back to MOT station, thre the nice man produces the certificate!   i asked him how he tested it when it is still locked and in the same place i left it.   he said, `its yours init?` i said `yes its mine` noone else rides it do they?` `no` ` well then its ok then, heres your certificate`   after a few months he seemed to just disappear from the site!!now that was a bit worrying. yes true the bike was up to scratch, lowered, loud pipes, mini number plate, front tyre a bit bald, but it had got an MOT!!!Shaggy                                                                                                                                                                             

The guy who did my MOT is old school and I think he has a 'thing' for older bikes!   He did the basic checks such as brakes, lights, wheels and chain but that was about it. Nothing mentioned about the small number plate. He checks the bikes are safe but doesn't pick up on the stupid regulations that have little meaning. I have a feeling that they are timed nowadays after they log on to the 'tinternet'. It took him all of five minutes to check mine was rideable but I didn't get given the certificate for about thirty minutes afterwards.                                                                                                                                                                             

They are indeed timed and the bike is supposed to be sat in the mot bay all the time the tester is logged in (info from a mate who works for VOSA).The place I have used for the last 15 years or so used to check lights,horn etc,then ride the bike 100 yds up the road and back,that was an mot test! He's a bit more thorough now,mot passes still seem to depend on attitude,if he takes a dislike to you he'll find a reason to fail it! My old bike used to pass no probs,small plate,mini indicators etc....

thats really interesting about the test being timed, mine went back to its previous owner for its test and I thought that he spent a long time chatting and not much checking over,but he knows the bike inside out and must have been able to tell that all was as it should have been.

Personally I don't like a place that passes vehicles that either shouldn't pass or without throughly carrying out all the required checks.   Sure, I'm not happy if my vehicle fails and the associated costs in rectifying the faults but I'd rather have that then an unroadworthy vehicle. Not to mention all the other unroadworthy vehicles on the road.   There's also the fact that I'm paying for a service and I expect to receive it.                                                                                                                                                                              

I always pre MOT my bikes myself before I take them in for the actual test, so no ripping me off with faults that do not exist,
years ago at a legendary Mot garage in my town, if the tester knew you well enough, he used to conduct the Mot test over a pint of best, in the pub across the road from his workshop, guaranteed pass.......happy days 

"Personally I don't like a place that passes vehicles that either shouldn't pass or without throughly carrying out all the required checks."   Fair enough if you just use the MOT test as a yearly service to get any problems sorted.   I have a few people working on my bike throughout the year all experts in their field and I do the labouring for them to reduce costs. Any problems with my bike is picked up long before an MOT is due. I wasn't advocating the inspector passing the MOT over a pint   Where there are rules to be followed there are ways around them rules. An MOT inspector can refuse to have you in the workshop, viewing the testing being done, by quoting H&S issues. They can just give you the certificate or reasons for failing and you wouldn't have seen any of his tests. Some are more thorough than others and you only have to look at car repairs where the people have deliberately broke a part and taken it to several garages to get repairs done, to see the difference in servicing/repair standards                                                                                                                                                                             

"we used to have an MOT station near me that would pass anything, and i meen anything."

Must be the same place my zephyr was mot'd a week before i bought it