BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Today I was obliged to sit in and wait for a delivery, so I sat looking at some old photos on my phone of previous well-loved bikes through the years.

As an example a Honda Blackbird that I put in on part-ex for a Honda ST1300 in May 2009, it was in great nick with Ohlins suspension front and rear, and lots of the usual goodies fit to serve in the years to come. An MOT check reveals that it never had another MOT or tax after that date! Why? It was pristine ffs!

Not to be disheartened, I tried my old Job bike from 1978, an R800 with an Avon fairing, that surely should be still around… nope, last MOT 2009.

The same for an R800RT a couple of years later. This is getting depressing, no trace after 2007. I now sound like the great destroyer of bikes!

Anyone else tried this out?

They could have been fitted with personalised registrations, which would make them hard to track

Sullivj wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:42 pm They could have been fitted with personalised registrations, which would make them hard to track

Doing that just comes up vehicle not found

I have tried with the wife's car that has a private plate on

I often wonder whats going on with my old bikes! then I remember my brother has one and is under the thumb so he's not allowed out and his bollocks are in his missus purse

Stu wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:48 pm Doing that just comes up vehicle not found

I have tried with the wife's car that has a private plate on

I often wonder whats going on with my old bikes! then I remember my brother has one and is under the thumb so he's not allowed out and his bollocks are in his missus purse

I’m the owner of a Suzuki T500 1972 and back in August, I had a PM from a guy I didn’t know, I was away touring at the time, and forgot all about it till I got home.
When I read it, he had got my name off the previous owner, and was enquiring if I still had it, I was a little suspicious, but I spoke to the previous owner, and he confirmed he was the original owner long story short, we met up in late September and had a lovely two hours, and I introduced him back to the bike he hadn’t seen for 50 years !!

Steve398 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:27 pmAn MOT check reveals.

Is the GOV.UK site, https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ the one being used to check MOT status.

Using this link, two cars and one motorcycle, all with personalised registration numbers appear on the system.

In October 2004, I purchased a new Honda VFR800. Following an accident and before the first MOT was due, it was written off. The MOT history shows that in October 2007, it was back on the road. To date, there have been a few year gaps in the MOT history but the motorcycle is currently taxed and has a valid MOT until July 2025.

Before being written off, the VFR had a personalised number. This was retained, put on a car, then the plate was sold to a.n.other VFR owner. On checking the reg., it now appears on the other motorcycle which has a valid MOT.

David. wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2024 8:31 am Is the GOV.UK site, https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ the one being used to check MOT status.

Using this link, two cars and one motorcycle, all with personalised registration numbers appear on the system.

You have miss read!

With a private plate the original reg shows this below

Sorry Stu, thank you for clearing that one up.

I did that for my RT and got the same result. My car was registered from new with a personalised number.

I'd guess there are a lot of bikes languishing in the back of shed waiting for the owner "to get back into biking", which i 90% of the cases will never happen

I also suspect with the costs of repairs these days, many which get stolen or involved in an accident never see the road again

I bought a Suzuki SV1000S back in 2003 and kept it for 10 years. I paid £6k for it new and sold it for 3k when I traded it in for a new Gsx 1250fa for a trip to France with the missus. I often wished I'd kept it and did see it up for sale on ebay a couple of times and thought about buying it back, but after owning an R1 for a couple of years I went down the RT route instead.

I think that's when I got old

When I worked for Honda in 1998-2003 I bought a Russell Savory Anniversary VFR800 which I had to sell on a marriage break-up. It was one of a limited edition of 50, in fact #1 of the 50 with an engraved plaque on the bar mount. I even bought the S1VFR number plate to go with it, It also adorned the advertising for RoSPA at the time.


Over the years I made a couple of enquiries trying to trace it without success and also heard it had been down the road a couple of times, and at that time was SORN’ed, so I decided it was never going to be the bike I had, and let it go.

Shame that Steve,very nice H

Still got my old bike, a 1980 Yamaha XJ650 which I've owned from new.