How to ride a motorcycle while staying on the right side of the law: staying out of trouble

Riding a motorcycle can be great fun but if you aren’t clued up and careful, you can get caught out. It’s worth reading up on the things to be aware of to keep yourself out of trouble. This is doubly important when you’re learning to ride, because once you pass you have two years where you can only accrue six penalty points before you’re banned and have to take the test again…

Obviously all of the usual road laws apply to motorcyclists as well as car users, like keeping to the speed limits and not drink driving, but there are some things that at a motorcycle rider needs to be aware of in addition.

Filtering

One of the best things about motorbikes is their ability to filter through slower-moving traffic, especially if you ride in a city. In the UK it is perfectly legal to filter (or ‘lane split’) as long as you are doing so safely and considerately of other road users.

Read more about our filtering advice right here.

Wheelies

There is no legislation that specifically states that wheelies are against the law in the UK. However, Section 2 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 deals with the offence of Dangerous Driving, this is usually how a rider will end up being prosecuted. The thinking is that if the front wheel is off of the ground, the rider is not in full control of the vehicle. The below image was taken on a runway as Neevesy tested his adjustable anti-wheelie technology on the KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo.

MOT

It’s a good idea to make a note of when the MOT on your bike expires and set up a reminder in your calendar. Riding around without an MOT will void your insurance and could get you pulled over by the police if you flag up on the ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) system.

Insurance

If you plan to carry a pillion passenger you will need to ensure that your insurance policy covers you for this. Most motorcycle policies will require to you specifically add this as it will not be covered as a standard.

Get an insurance quote at MCN Compare.

Modding your motorbike

It can be tempting to customise your bike and make it your own with aftermarket modifications like exhausts, bespoke number plates or coloured levers. This is often a great way to put your personality into it but there are a few things to be aware of so that you don’t end up being pulled over by the police and fined.

Exhaust noise

Many riders will want to add an aftermarket exhaust to their motorbike to make it louder or just sound better, however you should be aware that there are restrictions on how loud your exhaust can be.

Under Euro5 rules, when big bikes leave the factory they need to meet a ride-by noise limit of 77dB(A) when measured at 50kmh +/- 1kmh. The Government says: “It’s illegal to modify the exhaust system to make a vehicle noisier after it has been ‘type approved’.”

They add that the police can act if your silencer does not work correctly or you are riding in a way that creates excessive noise. Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 (Section 42) the penalty for not complying with these rules is a £50 on the spot fine.

However, the are subtleties here. The law differs for older bikes, and your MOT tester may take exception to loud pipes too.

Number plate size

There is no specific law on the overall size of the numberplate however it does state that it needs to be rectangular. Each letter is required to be 64mm in height and 44mm in width (excluding the letter I and number 1). Each character needs to be 10mm thick and 10mm spaced from one another. The plate must also display the name and postcode of the supplier of the bike, and of course be in the right font.

Helmet

In the UK it is required by law to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle. This includes any pillion riders. Another thing to bear in mind is that not all visors are road legal; some tinted and iridescent visors are designed for race use only. A lot of riders will still ride with these types of visors but it could get you into hot water with the police if they’re looking for an excuse to pull you over.

MCN’s expert guide to buying the best motorcycle helmet