Stopped by Police on your PCX

[jojo87]

Hey,

Just wondering if anyone else has been stopped on their Bikes yet?

I just was, went for a quick ride as the Bike wasn't used yesterday or today, so I went out, rode passed a Riot Van with 2 Officers standing outside, 1 looked at me and smiled (must of seen the mohawk on my helmet lol)
and then I went on and decided to go a different way home so kind of went back on my self but on a different road, stopped to turn, see's the Riot Van coming down the street (no lights)
and then it gets a little closer and puts it's lights on and stops infront of me asked to have a word...
obviously pulled the Bike over, on the stand, key out, got off it, they asked for my licence which I didn't have but I had photocopies of my insurance etc in my seat...
they asked when I did my CBT blah blah blah so they radioed in to check...
they said about my L Plate so I said I reversed and hit it and the plastic screws snapped but that I had it under my seat ready to put on,
and then said my Number Plate wasn't legal and that I can't have the Wales Flag on it only the Union one :-/ and that I need solid black lettering...

Then they asked the engine size and said it was big for a 125cc, and asked how much my Camera and Helmet was, then said they liked my Mirror.

Fun times, no need for the flashing lights though to make a scene.

So yeah... suppose i'll put the L Plate back on tomorrow and 100% do my full test before my CBT runs out July 2016,
and i'll look online now and purchase a 'legal' Licence Plate.

[homie]

Not since I sold my Segway and bought a fossil fuel burning scooter. Too much confusion between municipalities as to the law with electric scooters. Always sent the cops in a flurry when I would show up on a Segway and they wont be ignored even when they're wrong.

[ScooteringAbout]

Who put the Welsh style plate on your bike? I can't really see the problem with it, mines just a normal plate, no GB or anything... fitted from the dealers like that. Sounds more like they just wanted to make up their weekly requirements.

[jojo87]

I bought the Plate myself, my StepDads Car Plate has the Welsh Flag on, in fact i've seen loads of Cars with it on, hence getting it on mine, yet apparently only the Union Flag it legal...
I have my original one which was on the Bike from the Dealers.... yet i've ALWAYS bought my own Plates with my company name on and carbon or 3d lettering and they've all passed with MOT as well,
but yeah, just seemed like they were bored and wanted something to do, especially to mostly ask about the engine and comment on the size and ask costs on my helmet and camera etc.

[iceman]

Only solid black lines on number plates are legal - all those '3d' and chivelled text are illegal as they are hard to make out from a distance (why people use them to stop being photo'd, identified or caught on camera). You were lucky not to get done for illegal plates and no L plate - most police would nick you if they could be bothered with the paper work.

[Mel46]

Boy, you folks over there have a lot of rules for just riding a scooter. Over here you take your test, pick up your license, get on your bike...and ride. No "L" plates. No worry about legal or illegal plates (the D.O.T. gives you your plate after you register the bike. You don't make your own.) Each new year you pay for a new 'tag' , which is a reflective 1.5 inch piece of tape with the month, year, and license plate number on it, close to or on your birthday. That's all there is to it. Some states have laws about noise, or lights or helmets, but otherwise things are somewhat "cut and dry". You either have a license or you don't. You either have a current plate or you don't.

[jojo87]

I had the Plate on the Bike, but all my previous Bikes i've had my own Plates done with my Company Name on etc... never had a problem, even with the MOT on 1, but for some reason now they've decided to say about this one,
also the L Plates we have to have on the front and back until we do our full test (which i'm hoping to do by July 2016 when my CBT runs out) obv with a full licence you don't need them...
we did used to have Tax Discs, had to have them displayed on a certain side I believe, but now we don't have to display them anymore (obv still pay for it, £17 a year)
obviously need Insurance as well....
not too sure about Helmets as i've always had certain ones, but can't have tinted visors down in the nights (harder to see)
issues with Bikes having neon lights etc as well (for people who mod their bikes with neon strips etc)
but yeah.. laws here are a bit OTT I think.

[jojo87]

:-/ Gov website...

Says you can have the Flag of the Red Dragon, and says you can have WALES,
urmmm... I have that Red Dragon Flag, with WALES underneath it, so how is that bit illegal?
(Copper said you can only have the Union Flag)

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[jojo87]

Also on a Plate making website...

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So it says when you click road legal, it only shows the options in which are road legal,
yet it shows the carbon/3d effect as road legal,
and shows the flag as road legal....

[honkerman]

I've not been stopped on the PCX yet, though I expect it may happen at some point. I was stopped while riding my Kymco People 150 about five years ago. The officer didn't like that I had a blue LED pod on the front of the fairing because it was facing forward. Turns out, there's nothing in the PA vehicle code that prohibits such placement, so he let me go with a warning...He said he could have cited me for doing 53 in a 45, but chose not to. I've sometimes wondered if he just didn't want to get teased back at the station for pulling a scooter over.

[iceman]

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... 160914.pdf
http://www.pistonheads.com/Gassing/topi ... ber+Plates
So, it seems the Government website and sites selling some plates are wrong as the law itself says 3D/Carbon is illegal - solid characters of a standard width are the requirement. It comes down to the police stopping you and bothering to charge you. Same with the L plates - not fitted or cut down to a small size - illegal but can the police be bothered - most of the time no.
What could happen if you are involved in an accident is your insurance may refuse to pay and/or the police may prosecute as in effect you are not legal to be on the road in the 1st place.

[Bash On!]

Had a recent encounter. Was running an errand at lunch on a multi-lane road and noticed another motorcycle pacing me, slightly behind. It was a local motorcycle police officer. When I looked at him, he pulled up alongside me and said something.

Couldn't make out what he was saying at first and went through why I might be the subject of his interest. Did I stop completely at the stop sign? Did I signal the lane change?

Nope. He was just warning me of uneven pavement issues due to the high heat. Seems odd as I was already on the road and could see the pavement. I'm thinking he was going to pull me over but I got a "gray beard" pass. I also had on more protective gear than he did, which indicated to him, I think, that there was a serious rider, rather than a goof-off on the bike. We had a nice, short chat at the next red light and went on our separate ways.

[you you]

Not surprised. What were you doing on my PCX?