car registration plate when transporting bike

[RickH]

I don't need a lighting board because I can carry the bike without obscuring the lights.
Thanks for the replies, I had not thought about the light requirement.

Unless your numberplate is in a really odd place I would have thought that it is very difficult to fit bikes that obscure the plate & not the lights, at least partially (& AFAIK partially does matter legally).

A high level rear window/hatch carrier may do the opposite but those, to me, seem the worst of all worlds.

[mattsccm]

As the OP said in his original post that he didn't need lights, why all the fuss? People are beginning to jump to conclusions nowadsys or just ignore the question.
Apart from a possible number plate he doesn't need lights.

[Mick F]

............... but he needs a numberplate light, not necessarily rear lights or indicators.

[whiskywheels]

Hello all, perhaps someone can help me with this query.
I need to fit a registration plate to my bike when transporting it by car. I do not need a lighting board just a method of strapping the licence plate to the bike, googling licence plate holders just results in holders designed to fit the car, bike rack licence plate holder searches only show lighting boards, so what have other cyclists who did not require a lighting board do? Just drill holes in the plate and use plastic ties?

Just obtain a number plate from Halfords, online, or whatever, drill a couple of holes each end and tie it on with string, cable ties.........
The number plate is strong and fairly rigid in it's own right, so it doesn't need a holder.

Having said that, I'm not quite sure I understand what your set up is. It obscures the number plate, but not the lights? Don't get it.

[ukpacker]

Here are a couple of solutions to carrying a bike with small car, may suit some.

Saris Solo
this works fine but only if an extra strap is added to keep the bike from swaying back and forth, oh and another short strap to keep the from wheel from turning. But only works if the lights on the car are low down, worked fine with my old Ford KA and should work ok with an older Nissan Micra or such like but most modern cars have lights higher up so the bike would obscure them.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bmdhwdf7bnrxs ... D.jpg?dl=0

so with next car I did this, saves having to remove front wheel and works fine, the hook holding the strap to door top came from the Saris Solo.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5qzmoshpgc7lq ... D.jpg?dl=0

[whiskywheels]

Here are a couple of solutions to carrying a bike with small car, may suit some.

Saris Solo
this works fine but only if an extra strap is added to keep the bike from swaying back and forth, oh and another short strap to keep the from wheel from turning. But only works if the lights on the car are low down, worked fine with my old Ford KA and should work ok with an older Nissan Micra or such like but most modern cars have lights higher up so the bike would obscure them.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bmdhwdf7bnrxs ... D.jpg?dl=0

so with next car I did this, saves having to remove front wheel and works fine, the hook holding the strap to door top came from the Saris Solo.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5qzmoshpgc7lq ... D.jpg?dl=0

You asked about how to attach a license plate, and now you're telling us how to carry a bike on a small car?
What a waste of the time of everybody who bothered to reply to your post with suggestions to which you made no response.

[rmurphy195]

Can I ask why you don't need a lighting board? Does your light obscure the lights?

I echo this - if you are obscuring the rear number plate, you are obscuring at least one rear lamp, and a sustantially sized one at that - the number plate lamp which illuminates a big piece of yellow!

I haven't seen a vehicle yet where you obstruct the number plate but not the indicators/brakelights/rear running lights (except a commercial vehicle with the number plate high up!)

Unless that is you are carrying the bike vertically rather than across the back of the car.

What sort of car is it?

[simonhill]

As the initial query has been satisfied.....

Just for the record, as far as I understand it, obscured lights don't have to be totally covered. I remember an ancient article probably in Cycle by CJ that said even a spoke could be deemed to obscure a light. It went on to say that a bike could easily 'obscure' every light on the back of a car, each one of which would be a separate offence. The total possible fine was about £1,000.

Obviously a worst case situation, but more importantly any obscured light, particularly an indicator could affect any insurance claim.

[thirdcrank]

The only thing I can find about obscuring lights doesn't seem to say that:-

Restrictions on the obscuration of certain obligatory lamps and reflectors

19. Every vehicle shall be so constructed that at least part of the apparent surface of any–
(a)front and rear position lamp,
(b)front and rear direction indicator, and
(c)rear retro reflector,
which is required by these Regulations to be fitted to a vehicle is visible when the vehicle is viewed from any point directly in front of or behind the lamp or reflector, as appropriate, when every door, tailgate, boot lid, engine cover, cab or other movable part of the vehicle is in a fixed open position.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/198 ... on/19/made

Lamps obscured by muck are dealt with here

Maintenance of lamps, reflectors, rear markings and devices

23.—(1) No person shall use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a vehicle unless every lamp, reflector, rear marking and device to which this paragraph applies is in good working order and, in the case of a lamp, clean. (A long list follows)

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/198 ... on/23/made

Odd that reflectors have to be in good working order but only lamps have to be clean

[rmurphy195]

As the initial query has been satisfied.....

Just for the record, as far as I understand it, obscured lights don't have to be totally covered. I remember an ancient article probably in Cycle by CJ that said even a spoke could be deemed to obscure a light. It went on to say that a bike could easily 'obscure' every light on the back of a car, each one of which would be a separate offence. The total possible fine was about £1,000.

Obviously a worst case situation, but more importantly any obscured light, particularly an indicator could affect any insurance claim.

And cause an accident.

Obviously you haven't travelled up the motorway to Scotalnd in the middle of the night! I've had some interesting moments following cars carrying bikes on the unlit sections - poorly seen esp in the rain, indicators obscured from some angle by the bike wheels (nearly hit that one when he moved over without reason while I was overtaking it in the next lane!) so on and so forth.

Have I carried bikes on the back - yup, still do. Trailer board every time. Most was travelling to Donegal from Brum, 3 adult/teenager bikes, plus a small toddler bike! Be safe, be seen.

PS the first of thridcrank's quotes covers-off manufactruers who might be tempted to, say, put all the vehicle lamps at the rear on a tailgate so when it is opened the lamps would not be seen.

[simonhill]

As the initial query has been satisfied.....

Just for the record, as far as I understand it, obscured lights don't have to be totally covered. I remember an ancient article probably in Cycle by CJ that said even a spoke could be deemed to obscure a light. It went on to say that a bike could easily 'obscure' every light on the back of a car, each one of which would be a separate offence. The total possible fine was about £1,000.

I did say as far as I understand it. The 2nd rule quoted by thirdcrank only says it should be clean, etc. This could mean you can have it clean, then cover it up. Obviously not.

There must be some rules re obscuring lights - or maybe not. Help!

I'm not trying to argue a point, I just want info or clarification. I remember ditching my strap rack for an expensive solid one after reading the article (plus the French Police dislike of strap racks).

[mjr]

Unless that is you are carrying the bike vertically rather than across the back of the car.

What sort of car is it?

Saris make a rear-mounted vertical bike carrier which could easily obscure any mid-height number plate. Others may be available.

[thirdcrank]

... I did say as far as I understand it. The 2nd rule quoted by thirdcrank only says it should be clean, etc. This could mean you can have it clean, then cover it up. Obviously not.

There must be some rules re obscuring lights - or maybe not. Help!

The first rule I quoted deals with the "obscuration" of lamps and reflectors which I think may be as close as it gets, although if you have correctly remembered CJ then I'm sure he will have been correct based on some other regs. Somebody like gaz may well dig it out or CJ may post.

It's worth noting that my link deals with the construction of the vehicle itself eg we used to have a Toyota RAV4 whose rear door could not be opened far enough to obstruct the lights. There was a Land Rover model (Freelander?) which had a supplementary rear lamp on a boom which popped out when the door was opened. ie That's not the same as hanging something extra on a vehicle

[fastpedaller]

If it was me I'd just fit a lighting board anyway, because if the OP is pulled by Police it's likely their stance will be "you need a lighting board" whether the lights are being obscured or not. It's also easy to think "that's not being obscured" when looking at a light .... by way of explanation, the RH rear indicator on a car has to be visible from certain angles (construction and use regs list these), and some people may be surprised to find this includes being able to see the RH indicator when the observer is to the left of the car

[thirdcrank]

I'm sorry to be tedious but have you a link to that? I'd look it up myself but the Con & Use regs seem to be all over the place. Your info is a significant addition to the thread.

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PS Are you sure you are not referring to my link to the RVLR above which is the requirement for a rear door etc not to obscure lights when open?