[Closed] Driving with no Tax and all that...?

I'd just ride it personally, but if you're worried can't you hire a small van for the weekend and stick it in there?

but if you're worried can't you hire a small van for the weekend and stick it in there?

I could. But that costs money......

You'll be fine. Just take insurance and proof of purchase (dated) with you. If plod stop you explain the situation.

Get the MOT paper, the insurance policy with you and don't be stupid. If you get caught (and that's a big if), unless you fall on a jackass (mind you this word is a synonym for life bullied cops) you might be able to talk your way out of this.

"that costs money"

So will the fine for driving without a MOT or tax. I've heard rumours that insurance isn't valid without a valid tax disc but I don't think this is true?

When I've been stopped for driving without tax in the past the coppers have checked the insurance and had no dramas with me carrying on, tis a matter for the DVLA.

if, and it's a big if, you get caught you will have no excuse.

can't you do it a police station? that was mentioned on here before.

PP, no you cant do anything online as your not on the logbook, but if the owner currently has insurance he could do it for you eiher at the post office or online, but without him having insurance I think your stuffed.

Maybe if you rang the Post Office, they could advise you if he had your cover note to show it was insured, then maybe that would be enough to get it tax'd.

I bought a car on a Sunday recently but couldnt get tax until the insurance details came through, wednesday, I got caught by a roadside tax camera thing on the tuesday and got fined, I explained I needed the car desperatly and i had tried to do it online to no avail but had bought tax on the thursday despite it being last day of the month, and they reduced my fine to £40.

Insurance is void without tax. Don't be daft.

Incidentally the SORN/taxy system seems to take about 2 weeks to clear changes for some reason, if you try to re-tax from sorn online it'll probably not let you (though I can't see any reason why not, all it needs is the MOT and insurance numbers, no reason to be in a post office for that.

I just taxed my SORN car over the phone last week. The only wanted to know if it was MOT'd, and they called the test centre to check.

Claim you taxed it online but it's still in the post and see if you can get a 'producer'? Would that work?

FWIW the sorn thing seemed to play no part in re taxing the car I bought.

Just that you need all the paperwork in your name before being able to do anything online.

Pauly, sound's odd as insurance has been a requirment for a tax disc since I started driving in 83.

Anyhow I doubt the Vespa is going to make that journey anyhow PP, 120miles is a ****ing long way on one, no chance of you borrowing a van of anykind or a trailer or something?

So I thought as well tinsy.
Didn't even ask about insurance over the phone. This was the DVLNI in Northern Ireland.

only if the seller has insurance for it..

I'd risk it with no tax, but only as long as it definitely had Ins' & MOT.
I asked a couple of traffic cops if Insurance is invalid if you've no Tax / MOT & they said no, as did Direct Line when I asked them.

A post like this will bring out all the pedants with nothing constructive to add.

Maybe its a bit different there...

Anyhow I would just chance it.... pay up and look big if you get caught, or try a weasely letter like i did for a reduced fine. 🙂

but if the owner currently has insurance he could do it for you eiher at the post office or online, but without him having insurance I think your stuffed.

I don't think it's been insured for quite a while TBH. Good idea though.

I just taxed my SORN car over the phone last week. The only wanted to know if it was MOT'd, and they called the test centre to check.

Is that possible on a Sunday?

I did think of getting him to post me the MoT so I could do it from this end, but I want to see the bike before I hand my cash over first..... Should be OK, but you never know...

Our local Post Office is in a Supermarket and open on Sunday, so I might get some joy at his end. (Not got the address yet though)

Pay for bike. MOT bike. Tax Bike. Wait 1 week to collect it.

If you are worried about the consequences of riding it illegally then its worth waiting to collect it when its 100% legal.

Why don't you give the DVLA a call? I had reason to do the same a few years back and they were able to clarify the 'rules' for me.

That way at least you'll know where you stand?

Shirley, you're not the first person to have this issue?

I asked a couple of traffic cops if Insurance is invalid if you've no Tax / MOT & they said no, as did Direct Line when I asked them.

Check your policy wording, mine disagrees, maybe not all do. And IME traffic cops are the last people to ask about the fine details of the law.

Threads like this will bring out people who will want you to risk your cash for the sake of picking it up when the docs aren't completed 🙄

Hire a bike trailer - £20.
Hire a van - £40.

Hardly expensive.

Put fake plates on it and ride it home.

Oh dear just found the tax disc on top of the fireplace and Mrs has taken the car today.

You'll be ok if you don't get caught.
BUT, cops can check the tax status of a vehicle automatically.
Cops don't like bikes.
You only need one pedant cop.

So it comes down to -

Do you feel lucky, punk?

I am driving around today as my Tax has run out! However did it online last night and its legal for up to five days to drive with your old disc, I have the printout as proof if I get pulled.

Just make sure you've got breakdown recovery. It being a Lambretta, its more than likely going to pack up before you get it home 🙂
If you're clever you could get them to take you nearly all the way back for free!

Anyhow I doubt the Vespa is going to make that journey anyhow PP, 120miles is a ****ing long way on one, no chance of you borrowing a van of anykind or a trailer or something?

Why not? It's a 2003 model with 11k on the clock. 200cc 4-valve, watercooled 4-stroke, cruises at 80mph whilst doing 70mpg. Big comfy seat, auto box, Lovely! 🙂

It's also Italian

Italian bikes are very economical, they don't burn petrol whilst sitting in the garage waiting for some weird shaped part to make it through the Italian postal system

Pay for bike. MOT bike. Tax Bike. Wait 1 week to collect it.

Not possible. 240 mile + round trip to collect it, only one day available this month to do it.....

I do know a bloke with a bike trailer though, and we do have a tow-bar

Good idea!

It's also Italian

And? So what?

We've had 2 Ducatis, a Gilera and an Aprilia. Scare stories don't bother me, and the Italians make the best scooters you can lay your hands on by a long way. The 4-valve Piaggio 'Leader' engine in this bike is the same unit but 20cc bigger than the one I had in my Gilera Runner VXR. I bought that for £750 with 14k on the clock, took it up to 27k and sold it for £700
I had a Peugeot Elystar after that **shudders**
Last French vehicle I'll ever buy.

Personally, I wouldn't risk it. What happens if you have an accident and damage an expensive car ? Wee dings at roundabouts so easy on a bike, and one that you know might not run too well. All because you don't want to re-arrange your life and get the scooter a few weeks later, take a day off work or something.

No tax, no valid insurance, no leg to stand on. But making a risk-managed assessment you will likely get away with it.

You can probably tax it online - assuming it's a computerised MOT place (and I think they all are now), it should be up on the MOT check website straight away and if it's there, the online car tax site can verify it automatically.

I MOTed mine (it sailed through, you'll be glad to know!) last week and taxed it online same day, no problems.

Oh, actually it's probably all still in his name/address which buggers that up. Can't he just tax it for you and you reimburse him?

tbh, I'd probably not have qualms about just riding it home. Can't see the police having a big issue if you're on your way home with the remainder of the V5 and a reciept in your pocket.

until youve actually paid it, the auto reccognition system in plod cars will pick up that its sorn.

you dont have to be being silly, you just have to ride past a plod mobile with the system installed and it will flag you up.

i wouldnt be suprised if your insurance is invalid without road tax too.
it should say on the policy quite clearly?

driving without any paperwork at all is a risk assesment, as is riding without tax (and therefore potentially without insurance)

i would tow it.

Can't he just tax it for you and you reimburse him?

No. Like I said, he's got no insurance on it any more 🙂

You can probably tax it online

(This is the actual bike if anyone is interested - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130368605942&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)

If you've got your new cover note, you could send it recorded delivery to the seller and ask him to tax it using your cover note.

Had the same problem when I bought a van recently, sent a good copy of the cover note but in the end the seller decided he couldn't tax it as apparently they take the V5 at the same time so they can send it off with new owner details. He wouldn't do this as then the van was in my name before I paid for it, but he was a dealer. A private seller may be a bit more trusting?!

I'd go for the trailer option anyway, even if you get it taxed and drive it home it would be nice having the trailer following if it has any gremlims.

Edit: details...can't remember if its the cover note/policy schedule/insurance certificate you need to post...check first 🙂

you know you could have a real bike for less than that don't you?

pp, looks nice, not sure why I had an old one in my head, I might have been thinking GS rather than GT, rekon that was a good buy.

If you cant get your insurance up to him in time for taxing, then it doesnt sound like you have a great deal of choice but to ride it home, as I said I got caught in similar circumstances, and my fine was £40 after a bit of a begging letter, there was no mention in the fine of insurance being void, though I am certain insurance company's use the words on their documents (of course they would)... If anything really bad happens you will find the MIB sort out payments, at least they did when I got run down by a an uninsured drunk driver many moons ago.

You'll be able to tax it over the phone with the DVLA. They can check it's MOT'd and Taxed even if the online system is not uptodate. However it does mean that you'll be taxing his moped until you sign on the line.

You do seem to be confusing what's convenient for you with complying with the Law.

The fact that it's 120-miles away and the only day you have to collect it is a (this) Sunday does not give you exemption from the Law.

Hiring a Van for the day will be cheaper than a fine (which will be for no valid insurance and no tax). God forbid you cause an accident and you need to make an insurance claim which won't be paid out.

I've got to second whether the bike will make it as well. It has been standing for a while and even if it passes an MOT it doesn't mean that it's going to be reliable, low mileage or not.

Surely a kindly STWer can lend a van for some beer tokens??????

mk1fan... incorrect I just got done for it in similar circumstances, the fine was purely for not having TAX, nothing whatsover to do with insurance.

I do however agree that PP should be able to sort out some way of taxing the bike as he has 6 days to do it in.

On all the borrowing van ideas, you cannot just borrow a van, with comercial vehicle insurance you have to be named on the policy. FACT.

Before the yes you can if you have full comp and the van is insured blah blah blah, thats just not the case on vans.

Did someone mention Gilera's?

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"you cannot just borrow a van" aye you can, I lend people my van all the time - I either add them to my insurance as named driver or they have their own insurance which gives them third party cover with my permission to drive the vehicle.

All I ask for is that it returns clean no matter how dirty it was when I gave it them, and they put gas in it. (I am wise to this and loan it out with about enough to get to the nearest gas station)

Sorry Peter Poddy that wasn't an offer.

i pressume, as its a bike, it doesnt have any forward facing plates?
i wouldnt be suprised if average speed cameras and other cameras connected to a network rather than being stanalone, were connected to the DVLA database of untaxed vehicles.....
whats the probability it conks out on the 120 miles home?
for the sake of 20/30 quid, get a trailer/van for the day

What car do you have?

We've had (not all at the same time);

a Moto guzzi V50 mkii

Royal enfield bullet

Vellocet trials bike (50years old, air suspension, stanchions unworn, and damping still working, fox take note!)

in the back of focus and vectra estates!

He said he'd get it delivered for £150 - so no round-trip and no need to loose a days' pay - sorted.