Hitchcocks Forum

DVLA and LVLA strangeness (inc. insurance get out’s).



Here’s to a couple of just strange things to find on V5 documents, Plus how the police can sometimes be ‘unhelpful’.



First up- The Aprilia red rose 125 custom. Or rather it wasn’t. It said that on the V5C thing, but was actually an Aprilia RS 125. It was the forth owner that was the first to query it.



It seems that if there is any error on your V5C concerning your bike (or other vehicle) details, then your insurance company will not pay out.



Second up- My old Honda CB125S. Whilst understanding that RE made twins as well, Many of us are fond of their ‘singles’. Well, a good friend sold me for near nothing, a Honda CB125S that he had owned for many years and not used. It was the terrible ‘Mustard and white’ paint scheme, which was one of three available along with red/white and blue/white.




This is not my bike, but shows the “NO DAD” paint colour plus same type number plate! (Somebody actually wanted a Raleigh chopper?!)



I do remember some time before this that the DVLA had advertised something along the lines of computerisation of their records, and if you had a vehicle off road for more than a few years, to contact them. Obviously, Nick never bothered. I loved the little Honda, complete with modern front number plate (white, Black letters), Got it MOT’ed and taxed using the existing V5 and some other form from the post office.



All was well for a few weeks until the letter from DVLA popped up at breakfast. “Dear Sir, your reg number MGL 554 L is no longer available, please contact your local office at Maidstone for a replacement.” (something like that but on two to three pages of paper!)



I send a letter to Maidstone requesting a “K” (1970) reg, so I could be sure to have black and white plates, and a week later, I get a surprising affirmative response, as long as I can prove the vehicles age. Nicely, Honda send me a very nice official thing which I sent off, and then I get a further communication.



Dear Sir, All is in order, please arrange an appointment for an overworked official to come and see the vehicle.



It was explained that they wanted to make sure that the vehicle existed and I was not trying to pull a fast one, of some type or another. A guy came, spent a few minutes and gratefully accepted a cup of tea, before saying that he was satisfied and going away again.



One evening that week, went with a friend to a local pub, and spent some time explaining about the strange fact that the DVLA had stated that my reg was invalid, but that I was ok to ride my bike until a new one was issued, when a voice from over my shoulder said, “I couldn’t help hearing that, but if I see you, then I will stop you!” Seems the pub was well used by the the police, as the local station was only three hundred yards away. Funny how my intended thought of, “Thank you for that informative information” seemed to get screwed into, “F***ing, B**tard, Nosey Jobs-worth C**t!” Which even at that tender age, taught me a lesson about not discussing things in pubs!



A week later, a new V5 arrived, with either a new tax disc, or some authority to have it changed. (Don’t remember now!). Insurance companies back then, did not seem to be so PATHETIC as they do now, so I never did query the entry that my little CB125S was apparently classed as a “scooter-combination” !



Can anyone imagine a Honda CB125S pulling a chair???



I unriveted the front plates which were simply put over the (Supplied?) plate, same with the rear, old style plate underneath. two coats black smoothrite, plastic sticky numbers/letters and some spray clearcote varnish stuff and I was away!



Anybody else come across strangeness on those V5 or V5C forms?



P.S. Loved the little bike, HATED the colour. Within two years, I had the whole thing down to component level, with every painted surface sent away for British racing green powder coating and/or painting (Centre stand and also rear light bracket were redone but remained black). It looked fabulous, but the first name had stuck and the bike was still called ‘Rusty’ ever after that. I guess I had it about 10 years. I dearly wanted to keep it, but my life was dealt a blow and I had to sell it, the meagre amount bought me food, until my luck hit in again. It was the only bike that was stable enough for me to ride down Worships hill, Riverhead near Sevenoaks, doing about 30 MPH, whilst standing straight up on the footpegs, Steering with my legs via the tank, with my arms out straight! So wish somebody had taken a picture of that!



Here’s the strange bit… I kept the same paint scheme, just altered the colour, and imagined that I was unique in doing that. But I found the pic below on the net. Full chain guard is different, plus added back-rack and a few paint details on the engine, so it’s not my old bike, but other than that…






I guess it's probably gone now, which is a pity, as I really did love this bike. I looked it up on DVLA, but has not been taxed since 1996.



EKO 312 K... If you know what happened to 'Rusty', Please let me know!!!

An interesting tale to which I can add nothing on the registration document front! However, a bike just like that (although in the flat light brown finish unlike the smoked orange metallic in your pics,) was used by our mob as a "float" whenever we were off the road. I well remember Gilbert and me going to the Pioneer run one freezing Sunday on it (me, plunger A10 not well, Gilbert, Triumph T120 sick,) and having the best of times on it. It had a real lionheart that little thing. It taught me never to overlook a bike because of perceived faults like size, colour or style and I've had some real surprises over the years as a result. Mind you, the Honda CB250N was s%&t!
REgards, Mark

Very clever man Mr Honda. A friend of mine bought a real barn find CB 100 a while back. It had been parked up in 1980 after five short years of motoring and never touched since. Beautiful little ohc motor with five speed box painted in the sunset orange colours straight off the front of a Beach Boys album. He said he only bought it for scrap as it would never go but I said bring it round and I bet I can get it to run. 15 mins later it was ticking over, charging the battery I'd stolen out of the Bullet and twenty minutes after that showering rust out of the muffler I took it road the block. Goes like a charm and subject to a bit of fettling it will be road legal again. Made me think that one of those 305cc Dreams would be a fun bike to restore.

Hi Simon back in the late sixties from memory we used to hang out at a cafe, could rock up there any time of the night and there was always bikes there. One day a bloke rocked up on a new Honda Dream and he wanted to hang out at the cafe. He was quickly told to park his Japper around the corner because it was only Brit bikes out front. Hippy Honda kept coming for years and always parked around the corner

Hi matey !! ----------- I also have had a CB125S and a later CG125 K3 ( Home market, NOT a Brasil-built job !!)....BLOODY MARVELOUS !!.......The simple yet effective layout of the CG push-rod engine in particular meant it could rev almost as freely as the OHC model but was a piece of cake to do a top overhaul on at any time......Alas, I also had to sell mine and here's the killer}--- if you have a word with the guys in the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club ( http://www.vjmc.com/ ) you'll find that the early ones--epecially in their original colours---- are fetching some serious money now....... With regards to the DVLA, et al--- par for the course, wouldn't you say ??

A Grand to 1400 quid???



Well, I suppose that I should not be surprised, as Mark said, it was a real lionheart, always started, never went wrong, easy to work on.



Sorely missed!

Norm, I remember my older brother coming home from Uni very glum over a trashing that a T500 Suzuki Titan handed out to a brand new 650 Boneville. Sign of things to come!

Simon, a similar thing happened when a distributor here put out a challenge to anybody with Brit bikes to come down to Fishermans Bend a disused airfield, now sort of drag strip, for the launch of the new Bridgestone, some crappy little Japper that everybody thought was a joke. Lot of shattered egos that day. lol