SORN Con

[Lucky_Lou]

I did not get a renewal notice for the tax on my bike but renewed it on time, my brother had forgotten about  his as he works away most of the time and he has received a fine which amounts to more than the years tax for not putting it on SORN,
 I wonder how many others have been caught out by this. I will  put all my vehicle renewals in my diary from now on.
Lou

[Barry]

I've always had a reminder and renewed the tax online. I've now manged to get the MOT moved until after the tax is due so that's one less impediment to getting the tax sorted.

For members around the world we have this wonderful system where you can't pay the road fund tax unless the vehicle is insured and MOT'd and if you don't get all the ducks in row at the right time they fine you unless the vehicle has been SORN'd (Statutaory Off Road Notification).

[montmil]

Let me see if I understand this...

Your motorcycle is taxed if you ride on the public roads. OK, same as us here in the Colonies and Texas.

PLUS...

Your motorcycle is taxed if you don't ride it on the public roads or ride it at all?

What's wrong with this picture?

[Lucky_Lou]

Let me see if I understand this...

Your motorcycle is taxed if you ride on the public roads. OK, same as us here in the Colonies and Texas.

PLUS...

Your motorcycle is taxed if you don't ride it on the public roads or ride it at all?

What's wrong with this picture?

You don't pay tax if the bike is SORN,d but you have to renew that every year, that said if they are not sending out reminders a lot of folk are in for a nasty surprise. Seems strange that both of use did not get reminders I have always had them in the past.
Lou

[nhmaf]

In our state, we have to pay a registration fee and a tax on every vehicle to register it for on the road use.  It then has to be safety inspected each year, which does generally require the inspector views the paid-up registration form before you pass the inspection and get the sticker to put on the vehicle which is color matched to the sticker that comes from the updated registration that is affixed to your registration plate.

All these have to be done each year during the month of the birthday of the person who is the primary owner of record/registered owner.   Except, all motorcycles inspections are due in June, regardless of your birthday.

Several of our neighboring states have similar, but not exactly the same sort of system.   At least in Vermont, one doesn't have to pay a tax on the value of the vehicle each year - only the first year in which the vehicle is sold to a new owner (this tax which does of course decline over the years, still  adds up the first several years).

[Barry]

All these have to be done each year during the month of the birthday of the person who is the primary owner of record/registered owner. Except, all motorcycles inspections are due in June, regardless of your birthday.

How do they manage to inspect all motorcycles in 1 month !  
Fact is stranger than fiction. You couldn't make this up.

[steve hawkins]

Sometimes a letter of apology with some form of excuse can get you out of it.  Don't tell me how I know.... but I have run out of grandmothers!

Cheers

Rev. Light

[Bob_Roller]

Don't know what the penalty is if you let your registration expire here in Aridzona, but, it's assessed on a monthly basis .

You can sign up for online renewal remimder, or a form is mailed to you by US Postal Service .

The need for exhaust emissions for motorcycles as part of the registration process has been eliminated in the Phoenix and Tucson areas .

Now you can get registration good for 5 years, no inspection of the vehicle is required .

[Luca]

How do they manage to inspect all motorcycles in 1 month !

In RI they inspect em all in June as well.  How do they do that, you ask?  Well, various local, private garages are certified as state inspection sites, so you can get your sticker in several places.

Then there is the "rigorous" testing.  No emissions, no wheel bearing checks, no steering head bearing checks, nothing that requires a shake.  It is a completely visual test... pretty much a check on all the lights and a glance at the tires, rotors, brake wear indicators, fork seals, and fuel lines.  I've passed with a wheezing horn and a zip tie over the top of my MC reservoir!

Needless to say, I'm done paying the state $13 a year to do a lousier inspection than I do myself.  It's gonna stay that way unless they link the inspection to the registrations like with OBDII cars.  Cops don't seem to bother looking for the stickers, either.  Heck, I forgot to put my license plate on once and was passed by a State Trooper who didn't seem to mind!

[Lucky_Lou]

 Cops don't seem to bother looking for the stickers, either.  Heck, I forgot to put my license plate on once and was passed by a State Trooper who didn't seem to mind!

You would not get away with it here as there are ANPR cameras (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) on all motorways and all major routes in and out of citys. We had an incident the other day when a car was pulled in Wakefield and the occupants arrested  only 20 minutes after the car was stolen from a garage forecourt in Leeds (12 miles away) the car was flagged up as soon as it entered Wakefield.
Lou

[k_enn]

All these have to be done each year during the month of the birthday of the person who is the primary owner of record/registered owner. Except, all motorcycles inspections are due in June, regardless of your birthday.

How do they manage to inspect all motorcycles in 1 month !  
Fact is stranger than fiction. You couldn't make this up.

It used to be that way in NJ back in the 1980's.  In those days, you were required to go to a state-run inspection agency (and there were not a lot them - maybe 3 within 20 miles of me).  At that time, you took the motorcycle through the regular inspection line cars went through.  They inspected lights, horn, and tires.  They looked for any fluid leaks that might hit the exhaust, and they checked your helmet to make sure it was DOT approved and had enough reflective area.  They also made you stop suddenly on brake plates that they used to check brake balance on cars.  It was an indoor facility, so they would fail the bikes with loud pipes.  They never did check emissions.  Even though they did all motorcycles in one month back then, it never seemed create a bigger problem than other months in terms of lines and waiting.  

Later on, the inspections became a joke.  You no longer went through with the cars for inspection.  You just pulled up to the exit of the inspection line where a guy would check to see that the brake light worked, the bike was not smoking, or too loud, and then they gave you the inspection sticker.

I guess the State finally realized what a joke motorcycle inspection had become, and now they have done away with it completely.  But they make sure they get their money when you register the motorcycle for road use (with my 31 year old motorcycle paying only a few dollars less than my 2 year old SUV).

k_enn

[clonmore1]

I have just written to the DVLA asking about the SORN reminders for my bike.

This is ahead of returning it to the road in the new year

I have had no reminders at all, I guess I need to find the kids money box again, shame its almost Xmas but the bike needs to take priority, they will understand... 8-)

[Lucky_Lou]

I have just written to the DVLA asking about the SORN reminders for my bike.

This is ahead of returning it to the road in the new year

I have had no reminders at all, I guess I need to find the kids money box again, shame its almost Xmas but the bike needs to take priority, they will understand... 8-)

Interesting you have had no reminders as well, they will probably hit you with a fine for not reminding them  [smiley=grin.gif].
Look forward to seeing you on the road
Ps brother could not SORN BSA on line he has had to ring DVLA for a "special" form as its a classic ? you could not make this stuff up.
Lou

[clonmore1]

No doubt Lou

How is the leg after the BSA incident?

[Dizerens5]

To continue with this fascinating topic (!) there are growing problems here with the  automatic number plate reading system (ANPR) fitted to many police cars. In this country, number plates are not issued by the registering authority, they are produced by car/motorcycle dealers who have to be licensed, have the correct stamping equipment and must put their name, in small print, on the plate. The problem is that many of them have criminal associates and will make illegal plates, usually simply showing a number copied from a similar make/type/colour seen around. The owner of the legit vehicle then gets stopped all the time and has a hard time explaining why it was not him that did the bank robbery/rape/car theft or whatever. You get grilled under hot lamps!