Public enemy no 1!

Keninsussex · 03 Jul 09, 06:53 PM

Right then. Before I start. I will. Breath. B-R-E-A-T-H
OK now I'll begin.

Just been stopped 25 yds from home by plod accompanied by some VOSA jobsworth due my 5x7 number plate.
Have to put the legal one back on, get it verified and all that stuff.
No fine.

In 35 years of riding I'd been given a ticket once - in about 1980.
I've now been stopped twice in the last 6 weeks.
Once for speeding (points and fine) and again today for me number plate.
2 mates of mine have been fined for their plates within the last 3 months.

I can't argue that you're either breaking the law / regulations or not, and that any people doing so must accept there may be consequences.
But really - you have to ask yourself what is going on. Big flamin' brother.

Please don't start lecturing about why people bother putting smaller plates on etc etc. Not really in the mood.

If living in or visiting Sussex - please watch out guys n gals.
The compliance friggin' gestapo are out to get you.

brian91cfr · 03 Jul 09, 07:14 PM

V.O.S.A. land no bike,car,truck or vehicle is safe.

brian.

Fridgeman · 03 Jul 09, 07:21 PM

i know what you mean ken, i have ended up putting my normal sized plate on, got a warning, makes me grimmace when you see all these boy racers with reg plates on that have joined up swervy letters on them, and altering the lettering with strategically placed yellow and black bolts.

dangerousdave · 03 Jul 09, 07:21 PM

Is ther still an issue with plate size? I thought i read somewhere recently that it had been dropped in favour of can it be read from x distance, although i accept i could be barking up the wrong tree.

Denzil the Ducati · 03 Jul 09, 07:39 PM

Ken, a small number plate is like a beacon if the plods are out on a safety standards campaign (or for that matter simply bored). It is an immediate excuse to pull you over. This is one modification that for me at least is to be avoided to minimize the risk of an unwanted chat about the bike/speeding.

mpk1967 · 03 Jul 09, 07:44 PM

Policies

Check out the one concerning bikers. Small number plates are specifically mentioned.

Individual coppers don't shape policies and it seems it's a wider campaign to aid automatic number plate recognition which has to be a good thing.

As Denzil suggests- Its a fair expectation to get pulled if you have a small plate. Each to their own though.

General Zod · 03 Jul 09, 07:48 PM

If your going to get a smaller plate than ones allowed then why not go down to 2 inches x 1 inch, ok you get a fine,the same fine as a 5" x 7".

dangerousdave · 03 Jul 09, 07:50 PM

That's cool, I must have been thinking about MOT rules which I accept are differnt, same as noisy cans.

Douglas · 03 Jul 09, 07:53 PM

Ken

I think you are being a bit harsh with the title of this thread. Of course riding with a small plate is a pretty serious matter, but I think you are being a bit hard labelling yourself as "Public Enemy no1"!

Douglas

Mr.R · 03 Jul 09, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denzil the Ducati

Ken, a small number plate is like a beacon if the plods are out on a safety standards campaign (or for that matter simply bored). It is an immediate excuse to pull you over. This is one modification that for me at least is to be avoided to minimize the risk of an unwanted chat about the bike/speeding.

I've run my old Bevel for over 30 years now (130,00+miles) with a number plate not much bigger than a Beer mat and I've ran them on many bikes over the years.
I've Never been pulled for the plate but...
I've had lots of 'Plod' admire the bike/bikes, even when they've handed me a ticket for speeding!
Only my commuter MZ carries a legal plate, I don't fit silly single line plates rather I use small but easily read plates.
Result as I stated before has been No bother from the boys in Blue..

Steve R

Oldie · 03 Jul 09, 08:44 PM

Ken getting caught for speeding, well I suppose that's fair enough. So far I have been lucky but the number plate issue I have always thought to be a bit daft as long as it is legible that is -where's me magnifier. Though I was told a while ago that mine whilst legal, is now illegal, as the suppliers blurb at the bottom is too close to the registration letters.
This is because of big brothers new cameras that are/maybe/ will come out soon. Don't ask more 'cos I've forgotten about them.

Rick

Denzil the Ducati · 03 Jul 09, 08:52 PM

Hi Steve, I think it depends where you are and whether the Chief constable is against bikes or not. We have recently seen non e mark pipes getting defect tickets, a fetish for ridding N Wales of carbon pipes and a series of vehicle defect notices applied during campaigns in Scotland. Even so a small plate is surely an indicator to a policeman looking for a reason to stop you. If they are on a bike campaign you can bet they will pull the noisy bike with the barely legal plate instead of the upright shiny BMW with a rider in matching leathers. I just try to stay under the radar and not attract that kind of attention (I want to keep my noisy exhausts), but good luck to you if you have managed to keep them at bay for so long.

Murfdog · 03 Jul 09, 10:15 PM

We all know that a small number plate may get you pulled by plod, and may result in a fine/pts. If you ride with a small plate you accept the risk. Why complain when the risk is realised? I have a standard sized plate, it looks okay - I do not want to take the risk so I will not get pulled, for a plate size violation anyway.

Mr.R · 03 Jul 09, 10:52 PM

Hi Denzil and the rest of you,

I'll put my hand up here, I put the small number plate on my old Bevel all those years ago to make it harder for the plod to catch my reg' when I thundered by!
They didn't have anything fast enough to catch me back then, I doubt that they've got anything fast enough these days, short of a Helicopter??
I would outrun the police and behave like a total hooligan back then, even testing race bikes on the road but...
I'm a lot older (maybe wiser) now and don't do that sort of thing these days.

I'll be 52 in a couple of days time and most of the coppers that I meet are young enough to be children of mine...

Steve R

Keninsussex · 03 Jul 09, 10:56 PM

Calmed down now so life is looking a tad better. Had some dinner too which always helps.

I suppose the point I was trying to make (badly) was that there seems to be a greater focus on stuff right now.

Compared to being stopped once in 35 years, I've now been stopped twice in 6 weeks. Maybe I was lucky before - who knows. This is just based on my experience and that of some mates as well.

Anyway, I've finished moaning (for now) as I'm off to the Festival of Speed at Goodwood tomorrow in a fully legal and compliant stylie.