CLASSIC Pressed Motorcycle number plate

To my knowledge the registration regulations havenât changed

dan

Vehicles that can display black and silver plates

Since April 2015 vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1975 can display the older style plates. You must:

• have applied to DVLA, and
• be registered within the âhistoric vehiclesâ tax class.

This allows your vehicle to retain its authenticity and be in keeping with its age.

Vehicles constructed 40 or more years ago are exempt from vehicle tax.

The 40 year exemption date rolls forward automatically each year on 1 April.

So from that as long as your bike is Historic and made before 1st Jan 1975 you can fit Black/Silver plates, very clear. But its very unclear as to whether this is rolling like Historic or fixed at 1st Jan 1975. No wonder their staff get all confused and get it wrong, the advice is rubbish to start with.

Presumably you just want to fit the old style plates out of choice. The reflective plate came in around mid 1967 and virtually every new car/bike sold after this date was fitted with the reflective plate. (you didn't want the neighbours to think it was an old vehicle). I think the fitting of the reflective plate was compulsory on a new vehicle from about 1972.

So if you want concours the reflective plate could be correct -depending on the year first registered.

Patrick

I stand corrected! Iâve not seen that publicised. Not that it worries me unduly.

Related question (idle curiosity): when did front number plates cease to be compulsory on motor cycles? (My recollection is sometime in the early '70s.)

Related, related question: the old-fashioned type of front number plate on the front mudguard clearly wouldn't be allowed (would it?) on a new machine now -- so what's the position regarding these on older machines?

Previously Julian Wells wrote:

Related question (idle curiosity): when did front number plates cease to be compulsory on motor cycles? (My recollection is sometime in the early '70s.)

It is illegal to fit the old fashioned type of front number plate on a machine manufactured after 1st September 2001. The requirement to display a front number plate was officially abolished in 1975.