Bike + tax disc = fail

PardonTheWait · 17 Aug 2009 at 12:43

I hate tax discs. There is not one single way to mount them on a bike that doesn't spoil it in some way or damage whatever you're attaching it to.

Tried a sticky holder today to put it inside the screen. Piece of poo. Looked stupid, didn't stick properly.

AAAAAAARGH some little Italian man spent months designing my bike to be beautiful and I have to stick a stupid bit of purple paper to it in a mobile safe so some scrote doesn't steal it!

*fumes*

ITT: Tax Disc hatred

PardonTheWait · 17 Aug 2009 at 12:45

Seriously though.

a) Why do they have to be displayed, the police can check in seconds if a vehicle's taxed or not.

b) Why do motorcycles have to have the same stupid big disc... in fact, why do cars? Why does it have to be so enormous and ugly? Why are they stupid colours? If you're lucky it might match once every few years.

c) Why does it have to be in front of the rider? I've never had a bike with the tax disc in front of me, ALL THAT'S IN FRONT OF ME IS THE WHEEL! In fairness, no one's ever complained about it being behind me.

d) Why can't it just be a little square doofer that sits on or under the number plate?

e) Why, if I pay road tax, and so does everyone else, are all our roads full of ****ing potholes, and why are the roads filled with government designed traps to kill or maim bikers? Slippery manhole covers, slippery paint... Would it cost that much to put a handful of sand in every pot of road paint? Honestly? I think that's why it's cheaper for bikers, they know we're subsidising our own horrible deaths on killer manhole covers.

Grr. I shall fix this when I become the King.

Bat · 17 Aug 2009 at 12:46

I know guys who just keep their tax disc in their wallet and it's never been an issue. Those who have been questioned explain to the copper that they have had discs nicked when they've displayed them on the bike.

PardonTheWait · 17 Aug 2009 at 12:48

I've been thinking of doing that, I might keep it under the seat possibly. Just bothers me that if they wanted to do me for not displaying, they could :/

Bat · 17 Aug 2009 at 12:52

PardonTheWait said:
I've been thinking of doing that, I might keep it under the seat possibly. Just bothers me that if they wanted to do me for not displaying, they could :/

Yeah I can understand the worry, but I've never known "I used to display it, but it kept getting nicked" not to work.

Considering I have reported a vehicle for no tax before and the DVLA didn't care as it was taxed on the system, I suspect you'll be absolutely fine.

Liquidfox · 17 Aug 2009 at 12:53

My dad's is sitting beside his legs... looks alright and it's out the way, i thought all discs went there?

Cuchulain · 17 Aug 2009 at 12:56

PardonTheWait said:
e) Why, if I pay road tax, and so does everyone else, are all our roads full of ****ing potholes, and why are the roads filled with government designed traps to kill or maim bikers? Slippery manhole covers, slippery paint... Would it cost that much to put a handful of sand in every pot of road paint? Honestly? I think that's why it's cheaper for bikers, they know we're subsidising our own horrible deaths on killer manhole covers.

Because (yet again), 'road tax' (Vehicle Excise Duty, it's not 'road tax', that's paid for in council tax etc) has nothing to do with repairing roads.

PardonTheWait · 17 Aug 2009 at 12:56

Liquidfox said:
My dad's is sitting beside his legs... looks alright and it's out the way, i thought all discs went there?

Depends what bike it is, no bikes (that I've seen) have a specific tax disc holder holder. You just need to find somewhere it'll fit, and that has a bolt to attach it to. On some bikes there's loads of places, but on some there's hardly any. Only place I could find on my Mille was behind the passenger footpeg. Everywhere else would interfere with something or other. The previous owner had it down by the front brake which is common but there's a small crack on the fender from where it's been attached. It *may* have come from me doing it up again when I put the new disc in, but I think it was there before. Either way it had to move.

It's done now, and it's fine, I just wish it wasn't such a pain in the arse

Cuchulain said:
Because (yet again), 'road tax' (Vehicle Excise Duty, it's not 'road tax', that's paid for in council tax etc) has nothing to do with repairing roads.

Ever so sorry for my unacceptable ignorance

Shoei · 17 Aug 2009 at 12:58

used to have my tax disk holder secured to the exhaust/footpeg hanger on the left hand side. Same on my NC30, it was fastened to the exhaust hanger as shown below.

Tucked away out of the rain and spray.

Snaggle · 17 Aug 2009 at 13:03

Best solution i found for looks/security . Can get them at busters /M&P etc

Persil

daz · 17 Aug 2009 at 13:08

Still don't understand why the offence is failure to display.

With modern technology, it's so easy to check whether a car is taxed or not - getting someone to look over a vehicle to see that a little disc of paper is displayed seems a waste of time.

Snaggle · 17 Aug 2009 at 13:11

daz said:
Still don't understand why the offence is failure to display.

With modern technology, it's so easy to check whether a car is taxed or not - getting someone to look over a vehicle to see that a little disc of paper is displayed seems a waste of time.

Cause traffic wardens/d0-gooders etc etc cant see it.. Its a silly old law and for years i kept my disc under the seat . It depends on the copper tbh .

Now that i only use the bike for pleasure i have it displayed .

Persil

Flukester · 17 Aug 2009 at 14:04

keep mine in wallet, always have... whenever pulled for anything I always pull it out of wallet and say 'saves it getting nicked by scroats' ..seems to work

isset · 17 Aug 2009 at 14:07

I keep my tax disc in my wallet

bledd · 17 Aug 2009 at 15:16

keep it in your wallet, and say "my last one was stolen" etc if questioned

Django x2 · 17 Aug 2009 at 15:19

Front fork tbh. I've seen loads of bikes with them down there. And its out of the way too.

Of course, the ideal solution is to buy a car.

Captain_Slick · 17 Aug 2009 at 15:35

Lucero said:
Of course, the ideal solution is to buy a car.

[TW]Fox · 17 Aug 2009 at 15:44

See if anyone listened to my numberplate rant we could have taxation status on the plate. Or in a small sticker in the top of the window like... everyone else in the world.

markweatherill · 17 Aug 2009 at 15:56

Take a colour photocopy of the disc and display that, marking it as such round the edge or something (or maybe not), keeping the original safe for production if needed, that should satisfy all.
It isn't (exactly) failure to display, anyone who needs to can check it, ANPR isn't affected, nobody will steal it.

PardonTheWait · 17 Aug 2009 at 16:11

Lucero said:
Front fork tbh. I've seen loads of bikes with them down there. And its out of the way too.

Of course, the ideal solution is to buy a car.

It looks properly toilet down there, and as I said above the previous guy had it there and it's put a little crack in the fender.

Plus it'd get in the way of people seeing my brembos - this is very important.