Modern Vespa

So a year off the road as I couldn't be arsed finally got my motovespa xl to the MOT centre. So this is a 1987 scoot complete with its original factory fitted duck fart horn . Scoot sails through until the horn is sounded , more of a strangled fart noise in a clowns circus car, as it should be . So my scoot not a battery model , horns pitch is consistent increased with revs. Now bare in mind it passed at another garage over a year ago the guy starts to say the law is horn should be heard over engine. I say they were all like that , it's normal . I also say PX have batteries so like a car horn but these smallies are normal . I could hear the horn over engine when revved up and maybe my BGM box pipe overwhelmed the tester with its uzi sub machine gun acoustic characteristics. Anyways he passes me and says to get a new 12v horn . Well I explain it is a 12v horn and if he would like to do it for me be my guest . The xl horn has a different mount pop welded onto rear . My question is surely a vehicle should be judged on MOT tests based on its original equipment , it's like him saying my ABS isn't working when never fitted originally . Where do you stand on this ? He was a bit of a pain last year failing my px as said brake disc pads low and when taken off they were barely worn. So are you guys replacing your duck fart horns with something else , have you been bought up on it by tester and failed inspection . A small frame without the duck fart horn is a travesty imo. I can always yell something like are you blind you mother f*****. Honestly , peeps don't get Vespas in general motorcycle garages . P.s. my new speed mod worked , lost 7lb in personal weight over year and finally breached the 50mph gps top end , not bad for 74cc

According to the mot manual:

An audible warning must be loud enough to be heard by other road users.

It must not be:

gong
bell
siren
more than one tone
Motorcycles first used on or after 1 August 1973 must emit a continuous or uniform sound that is not harsh or grating.



So how does that fit with the horn changing tone with the engine speed? Should it have been an MOT failure even when it was new?

I'd either take it somewhere else next year, or make some sort of bullshit contraption out of a car battery, 12v air horn, duct tape and cable ties and then argue the toss that it satisfies the MOT criteria.

I think I'd rig something up for inspection and then get back to my usual horn after.

Old horn didn't work, so I drilled it out and got an aftermarket horn to go into the chrome housing. The scoot was 6 volt and I converted it to 12 volt. The 6 volt horn is loud on 12 volt.

I also got a little USB charging electric horn for my bicycle. I considered putting it on the scooter for inspection before I rewired/converted the scooter. So an option like that could do for inspection.

All of that said, having a loud, working horn sure beats trying to let vehicles know I am in their blindspot by telepathy or curse words.

I think yes they should have never passed mot in first place , my first scoot was a 1978 v100 and every body had v50s new all of which same characteristics of the horn , is more of a klaxon isn't it rather than horn . All non battery models horn pitch would increase with revs. Agree the horn is shite , but it's how they were made .

Get a RWAL horn, hide battery in side glovebox... charge every few days.

Remember to use a 15amp fuse

Funny how inspections vary so much by region and even individual inspectors. When I lived in Montréal, they went over my US market car with a fine tooth comb, but never again after as Quebec does not have yearly inspections. Inspections in northern New York are a joke; lights and one wheel pulled to check brakes. The Stella was just electrics and tires, the engine wasn't even running.

We have the best MOT here. They only check the VIN…

Mine are registered as antiques so I don't need an inspection. That may change if I transfer them over to PA though.

Fit an extra horn for MOT

Nope, thats no good, amusing, but has to be one continuous tone.