Registration-number

[Assen]

Sorry, silly question perhaps; what could be a reason for a change of registration-number on a motorbike, as at the same time the bike didn't change the owner.
Where i live, in the Netherlands, a motorbike gets a registration-number for live. If a bike has had 10 owners in 10 year,s all the owners would have had the same numberplate on the bike. We do have a possibility of temporarily suspension, but after that it goes further with the original number.
My bike, imported from the UK has had the first 5 year aonother reg.number than the following 26 year. And this doesn't coincide with a change of owner, as stated.
So, any idea's.

Thanks, Jannes

[Richard Negus]

Jannes,
In the UK, the original registration number is related to the year of first registration and the area where it was first registered.
After that, the owner can ask for a different number which may mean something to him personally (such as JPS 588 for an F1) or, if following the year/area series, cannot suggest the bike is newer than it actually is.

I have no record of your bike's original number, or even the newer one, but believe the previous owner changed it to suit his fantasy that the Classic was a BSA design stolen by Norton.
R.

[Assen]

Richard,
I follow your info, exept for the word "cannot", should that not be "can" ? The old number is E731-UWD, and the new number is NOA-343P
This numberchange was in 1993 with the old, first owner Alan Watts.
Bil Hignett, second and last owner, got the bike in 2009 according to the paperwork i have.
1993 was also the year that the tranformation to a BSA-look took place according to the MOT papers.
But i don't see the link between being a BSA with the new reg.number. On the V5 is still says Norton!!
If the reg.number would say BSA-343P that would have perhaps made sence....
If you move from Lancanshire to Kent for instance, would that change the reg.number? Or is it simply up to the owner, what he wants?

Thanks, Jannes

[kanonkopdrinker]

Hi Jannes,

No, if the owner moved from one county to another (eg Essex to Devon), or even from England to Scotland, the registration number would not necessarily change.

Maybe the owner was a Mr Norbert Oswald Atkinson?

David

[Richard Negus]

Jannes,
UK vehicle registration series have changed several times over the years.
The oldest system was six, or less, characters such a LG9899, my first car and AUJ800, my first bike.
Then to promote annual sales, the manufacturers requested a year code resulting in GWD607D, a 1966 T100, my first new bike.
When that series of year codes was exhausted, the year code was changed to a prefix letter giving, for example , F750FEA my favourite rotary.
After that, it got too complicated to explain here. My current bike, for example, is GN12GYP first registered in Kent in 2012.

Your original registration, E731UWD, was carried out by Norton via the Dudley office of DVLA in 1988 (I think). An owner can request a different number but it must be of an earlier period, D****** for example. A later number such as H****** is not permitted.

NOA343P is a 1975 number originally issued from the Birmingham office of DVLA. It may have had some particular significance to Bill, a cherished bike that had been written off perhaps, or he just wanted a Birmingham registration for what he believed was a Birmingham product.

Although LE044 carries a BSA badge, DVLA will always recognise it as a Norton. You can change the engine number, but the chassis number remains attached to the registration number. I've seen a few hybrid bikes, modern chassis with a Norton rotary engine installed. Whilst they all say 'Norton' on the tank, they are registered as Yamaha, Kawasaki, or Aprilia.

Sorry to be so long-winded, but it is Sunday morning!
R.

[Assen]

Much learned!!

Thanks!!

[johnbirchjar]

"E"*** JAR was the Chelmsford,Essex registration for 1988 (my Classic was first registered by me in 1999,but the bike was manufactured in 1988)but the Chelmsford registration office closed a good many years ago,and I believe that all registrations are now only done by the DVLA.but I could be wrong ,J.B.