Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Registration plates

Because there is a lot of confusion about trikes and reverse trikes [to be pedantic], I'm not sure that the bib actually know what is correct, and if they do, and get difficult, the worst that happens is a fine of £30. I would suggest that if the driver who gets 'spoken to' does not argue, they will only correct him/her in the error of their ways. Most traffic cops are car enthusiasts and will want to talk about the car.

I did put on a plate when travelling through Austria/Italy, would also put some on in Switzerland/Spain and of course in the scandinavian countries
some police are more severe than others
here in .BE: forget it!!!!!!!

You might be surprised: in Switzerland (where I've just registered my own M3W), you only need a rear motorbike plate. At least for locally-registered vehicles, although I can't imagine the rules being different for people passing through.

The local dealer mounted a stainless steel tube instead of the front plate holder, which looks rather nice:

http://skyautomobiles.ch/fr/morgan-accessoires.html

I did not like the look of my car from the front with original new UK plates. John MacDonald from Beamish sold me his own old plate on retention and I put it straight on after visiting DVLA. I temporarily left the front off but so as not to draw too much attention from the Police replaced it with a Black and Silver age related plate. A full size one on the rear looked terrible and caught the wind so the plate I now have on is barely legal and about the size of the rear plate bracket, slightly over. It looks great in Black and silver, but my car is black. Just uploaded pics to the gallery. If I get chastised at MOT (a while away) or by Police I really think they have more important business to take care of! Not sure of the true legality of black and silver UK plates on a new car but so! I started with pressed alloy plates but the new plastic ones I sourced off "fleabay" are excellent.
Interestingly quite a few people seem to think that my car was a newly renovated one! Even an experienced mechanic of around 60 said "Those are not the brakes this originally came with"!!

Yup donaldosaurus I go with that and have done the same except, for the time being, I still retain the front plate. But having re-read this thread and 'The Bulletin' I think I will remove the front plate as it seems, at the moment, we are more bike than car but the word is that it is being reviewed currently including the new idiotic driving licence regulations.

But thinking about it, seems to be a good position to be in as no one knows where we stand and the regs from officialdom are contradictory to say the least.

In the current round of consultation I did suggest to Whitehall (tongue in cheek) that they need to find a motorcyclist in their midst, who does not drive, speak to Morgan and arrange for him to take the bureaucrat drafting the regs. for a run round the Malverns in a 3W. They will soon see what we are on about! Motor cycle test and licence only to drive a M3W ... I just can't believe it. Now we can see why this place is in such a b----y mess if this is the calibre of detail/research that is done when drafting legislation.

The black & silver plates are only legal on vehicls registered before August 1973, so that could give you a problem.
Also small plates are illegal; unless they still comply with font sizes, gaps and borders. (Possible on rear bike type plates with fewer letters/numbers)
Whether you get nicked depends on the discretion of your local plod.


Bud
__________
2003 - 4/4

£60 fine and no points for black plates.

I've been told twice by different sources that the 3w doesn't need a front plate and these were only fitted for type approval. Not required for MOT so I suppose it'll be a year or so before we find out. Seen a factory test mule and this is missing a front plate, and mine fell off, promise officer

Lastly the 3w also doesn't need front mud guards, I'm still debating if I'm going to remove mine.

Please see this thread and post for driving licence and vehicle types.

The information I've given is ahead of the Bulletin; I converse with like minded souls elsewhere!

It is quite possible a fourth European driving licence directive will emerge, and undo the nonsense the third has caused. Eventually...

With respect to number plate sizes, I've always thought car sized numbers were needed. But the legislation is a mess and if you take it to court, you could end up spending a fortune proving officialdom is clueless! And you could easily be right or wrong. Safest bet is to stick with car sized plates front and rear. Most dodgy would be one black and white plate of motorbike size at the rear as the colour of the plate needed does not change. First registered 1 Jan 1973 - reflective needed regardless of class of vehicle.

The 5 speeder is taxed as a car, but needs a bike licence to drive, unless you passed your car test prior to 19 January of this year. It will need a class 4 (car) MOT as it's overweight for class 3. And class 4 MOT test centres don't usually have the needed tray to support the back wheel so unless they also do class 3 MOTs, won't be able to do it.

And you ask if they know what they are doing?

I understood that if a test centre couldn't use their rolling brake tester for some reason, like a limited slip diff. or permanent 4 wheel drive or a 3rd wheel in a strange place, they could use their Tapley meter placed in the passenger footwell. Is that wrong?

Yes, as far as I understand it, a Tapley brake meter can still be used where brake rollers can't be used for technical reasons.

My favoured test centre has one, but I don't know if having one is a general requirement to be a test centre.

If the five speed trike would do roller testing on the front, I'd still want it done as you get proper brake balance information of side to side issues.

Part of the MOT test though involves jacking up and testing the suspension, hence the need for a tray to support the rear wheel on a normal ramp lift.