London ULEZ

It looks like Motorcycles are included in the new TFL Ultra Low Emission Zone scheme announced today. It will start from 8 April 2019.

Basically if your bike is not Euro 4 compliant you will need to pay a daily fee to enter central London of £12.50 (same as cars). As far as I know bikes made before 2007 are unlikely to be compliant although a few might be. You can tell from your V5C apparently.

I think, similar to Paris that there might be a scheme for historical vehicles, but I don’t know how that will work.

The zone will be the same as the current congestion zone.

I guess this may not be a big issue for most people, but the issue will be if other cities follow suit, then we will have a problem (imagine trying to organise the Bristol Italia!)

Euro 3 for motorcycles, it sez 'ere:

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/check-your-vehicle?intcmp=32646

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Yet another reason to avoid the stinking overcrowded sh1t hole.
I rejoice. Instant glass car parking is too good for it.
Do you like my fence, I sit on it all the time.

Sorry, yes, you are right. Any bikes first registered after July 1st 2007 had to be compliant with Euro 3 so no problem, but if your bikes was registered before then you have to check with the manufacturer to see if it was Euro 3. Some will be, but if course the further back you go in time the less likely it would be. I just checked the V5C on my (wrecked) 1200 Sport and it was registered 1 9 07 and therefore would be OK, by 2 months. The Le Mans definitely isn’t and I suspect any bikes without a Cat would not meet Euro 3. The V5 didn’t say anything about the Euro class or emissions though.

Ian, I would only go into central London if I had to as well, and have used a bike for this on occasion, but of course many don’t have a choice. Would you not be affected of they did the same for Oxford though? Very much on the cards.

Sorry Ian, I forgot, you only have shiny new Euro 3 compliant bikes in your mews garage these days, so you can continue as you are.

This might be a useful loophole - particularly for loops!

From the website:

"Historic vehicles

All vehicles that have a ‘historic’ vehicle tax class will be exempt from the ULEZ. This tax class excludes any vehicle used commercially.

Vehicles built before 1 January 1973 will also be exempt from ULEZ. These vehicles were built
before emissions standards came into force and are exempted because of their unsuitability for
engine conversion or replacement."

Thanks for that, at least they are being consistent. Strikes me though that it is a bit of a cynical sop to the Classic brigade, whereas the people that will be hit by this are ordinary working types who can’t afford a recent vehicle.

Plus I was under the impression that the NOX they are concerned about was produced in the greatest quantities in the high compression diesel engines and I don’t see how banning a few old petrol engine cars and bikes is going to make much difference to air quality.

To be honest Jim I will be going into Oxford on Tuesday to get the lil’Breva MoT’d.
The last and next time I go in will be to get the Bellagio MoT’d.
If I could get myself and friends out of the way then draw two lines from the Oxford ring road to the M25 and nuke everything inside the country would be better off.
Only (half) joking.
I do fully understand the SNP’s hatred of the Westminster, bbc bubble.

Might be getting boringly political here but it does strike me that if we want the Union to survive, and the country to be better run (and I want both), that maybe some of the large departments of state should be relocated to Edinburgh. How would it be if the MoD, DoT and Defra were all in Edinburgh say? Better I think (boring, sorry, I know). Of course then you could get into the argument of some MPs being in two places like the EU Strasbourg charade, but it wouldn’t be as bad as that as it would only be a couple of departments worth of ministers.

Large part of the BBC is in Salford now of course

Jim, that sort of thinking has been needed for a long time.
The referendum didn’t divide the country, it showed the splits that were already there.

Nice!
I live in a fairly nice part of London thank you. So what are your thoughts about the residents who live here and own a sub euro 3/4 bike and might have to pay for it every time they use it.

Take my posts as fairly tongue in cheek.
I have never lived in an urban environment and wouldn’t want to.
Mag and the bmf will make noises but especially with the new London Mayor I suspect you will have to put up with it.
Private transport will be a rich kids toy in 15 years anyway.

MAG are trying to do something about it…I personally believe that no motorcycle should be subject ti this levy…for obvious reasons…ditto road tax…

Agree with that.

We’ll all be in self drive pods by then. Manually controlled vehicles will have been banned and motorcycling, beyond displays and parades in off road areas, will be dead.

Remember leg protectors and Peter Bottomley in the late 80’s? I went on a couple of protest gatherings then on my then new Le Mans 4. At that time I thought we would be off the road within 20 years, yet we are still here, partly through the work of MAG and BMF and their overseas equivalents, but also because we do actually live in a liberal democracy. And strangely while we might not think so politicians do listen to their voters occasionally. Contrary to expectations we still have the TT, and a rich plethora of other motorsport as well.
So whilst we will see a lot of change, and we might have to be on electric bikes in 15 years, I am more optimistic than you. As I have said before I wish Guzzi would revert to its innovative roots and come up with a plugin hybrid bike or two.

Lets hope so Jim…

There are a paltry amount of the biking community who can be bothered to join MAG and an excessive amount who complain when we get shat upon!

Yep…

+1 Jim
Maybe it’s just me but I do see young enthusiastic people riding scooters and bikes with L plates on. Not the swarms of my youth but then few things are the same.
All the best
Steve