Hi to all,
its my first post, I have just done 1350 miles from South Derbyshire to pembroke - Rosslare (Ireland) x6 bikes, we travelled arround the south coast lines, Stopping in Inche near Waterford, then onto Killarney doing the rings of Kerry & Dingle, we then headed backm across to Dublin as we were going back to Holyhead to meet up with other friends (Bikers) who could not join us for the whole week in Llangollen, we stayed over night & went for a ride on Sunday Morning to Balla, the scenic route through the mountains. Parked up at the vistors centre for a walk around, came back to the bikes about 1hr later, & theres a Cop on a Motorbike standing by our bikes, i went over & politely said hi officer is there a problem. there was no politeness back, he sasid my plate was misrepresenting, as it looked like my name CARBY plate C7 RBY, he started writing the ticket after telling me that the numbers, borders & no kite mark were incorrect, i said to him to measure them he never, then he said the screws were in the wrong place & colour, he then said they had been sent out looking for Bikes, there were x3 cars we counted on the car-park with a damn sight worse plates than mine, he said ile give you a tip face your bike the other way hiding your plate in future ao we cant see it when searching the car-parks. CAN THEY TICKET US ON PRIVATE CAR_PARKS ?
Unless you can prove you put it on the car park in a van or low-loader and were never going to ride it on the road, ever, probably yes:w00t:
Cheers M8, dunna think that one will wash with the Welsh Police. :crazy::
I can’t see anything in the relevant legislation that says anything about a vehicle being on the public road. As far as I can see, subject to certain exemptions that don’t appear to apply here, a registered vehicle has to display its mark, and the plate can’t be altered from the standard specification. Altering a plate to change the appearence of the characters is a specific offence as is displaying a plate that doesn’t have the contact sdetails of the company that created the plate.
Firstly, welcome to the forum mate! 
Ok, to start off, the car park you were in, although Private Land, is actually classed as a public place as it is open to the public on payment or otherwise. So, you won’t be able to pull the “Private Property” defence as it is an implied public parking situation. If the car park had a barrier to stop the general public using it, and a sign saying “Private Property” or something along those lines, you might have had a case.
Next, the reason he probably didn’t bother measuring the size of the lettering is that it didn’t conform in all the other aspects. Again, you’ll just have to take it on the chin and use this as a lesson to park with your plate away from the eyes of sneaky traffic officers! 
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s no point fighting it if you’re caught bang to rights. 
Hope this info clears up a few questions for you mate. Enjoy the forum! 
If the vehicle is parked on private land I don’t see how he can ticket you like that!
Because that land belongs the company and it’s not public highway. The officer had no business there.
Why don’t motorcycle dealers get tickets on their unregistered bikes park out the front of their store?
Unless he’s seen you on public highway with that plate then I say the ticket can be squashed.
I’m a trained vehicle immobilizer.
Welsh police.
That’s the only reason
So if you were to kill someone on private land would the police not be able to prosecute you? 
No because that’s a ‘criminal offence’ (arrestable).
The situation here is claimed to be a ‘civil offence’.
The fact is that there is nothing to stop you putting a custom plate on while on parked on private land and then switching it back to the original plate before hitting the road.
This MP had an invalid tax disk and he acknowledges that it’s ok to keep it parked on private land outside his office.
http://menmedia.co.uk/news/s/1107503_mps_tax_disc_error
A couple of tips.
When in wales make sure you have a legal no plate.
Llangollen and Balla are the biking hot spots in North Wales and always attract the police
If the land is open to the public it is not private
If you are messing around with the letters and spacing of your no plate it’s your own fault
If you were in the car park at Bala lake you are about 100 yds away from the entrance to the most biker unfriendly police station on the planit.
[quote]
Premises187 (23/06/2010)
No because that’s a ‘criminal offence’ (arrestable).
The situation here is claimed to be a ‘civil offence’.
The fact is that there is nothing to stop you putting a custom plate on while on parked on private land and then switching it back to the original plate before hitting the road.
This MP had an invalid tax disk and he acknowledges that it’s ok to keep it parked on private land outside his office.
http://menmedia.co.uk/news/s/1107503_mps_tax_disc_error[/quote]
But it was a car park so he must have been on the road to get there, the Welsh police have a real hate for small plates, seems funny that they’d be searching car parks for them though, not much going on there obviously 
[quote]
Premises187 (23/06/2010)
This MP had an invalid tax disk and he acknowledges that it’s ok to keep it parked on private land outside his office.
http://menmedia.co.uk/news/s/1107503_mps_tax_disc_error[/quote]
That is because the law is different. You only need display a valid tax disc when on the public road. The law on registration markings doesn’t make that distinction.
Because they are unregistered?
Thanks all, i suppose im gunna afta take it on the chin & pay the Welsh Sheep Sh-----g Pigs
Well that’s just asking for trouble and I bet it was all on a one liner matchbox plate?
Take it on the chin, you sinned, got done now you just want to moan…
I got done last year for my 7.5 x 5 two liner, standard size letters BUT the plate wasn’t the legal size in Llangollen. North Wales Police have had ‘Bumstrom’ up their behinds for years and drummed into them, nick drivers for ANY motoring infringement-no warnings.
I spoke to an ex police sergeant today about this. He said “Providing he is correct about it being private land (fence or no fence) he should appeal the ticket because no road traffic acts have been violated.”
He then rambled that
“If the officer suspected the bike looked stolen then he could do a plate check by checking the tax disk but no fines should of been issued because it’s not on public highway” (like I said)
The point is, (as mentioned above in a couple of posts) there is a distinction between what is a private car park & what is a public one. If the public normally have access to it either free - e.g. Sainsburys, or by paying a charge e.g. an NCP one, then even though it’s technically private land, it’s deemed a public road & the the normal traffic laws apply. however, if they don’t - e.g. your house drive or your office car park, it’s not in anyway public so the laws don’t.
This was all set down in the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Thankx all especially GSXRAng & Premises187 for your input,
i am gunna challenge them on the Private carpark issue, nothing to lose there.
Also Ang my Plate is 11.5 x 4.5 inches with correct size Fonts & Spaces
Also i only have X5 Digits to display
I wonder if they have ever nicked a Rover 75 for having an incorrect size plate :w00t:
If it’s the one in your pic, then it makes no odds about fonts & sizes, one line plates on bikes are illegal no matter what size they are.
Hi Pat,
nowhere does it say they must be a two liner except for those registered before 1 September 2001 which if you read it, it makes no sense. It sounds like they are refering to a two liner front number plate;)
These are the Regulations from Directgov (DVLA)
Motorcycles and tricycles
Motorcycles registered from 1 September 2001 must only display a number plate at the rear of the vehicle.
Motorcycles registered before 1 September 2001 can display a number plate at the front, but do not have to. The number plate must be a ‘two-line’ number plate.
Motorcycle number plates should have a:
- character height - 64 millimetres
- character width - 44 millimetres (except the figure 1 or letter I)
- character stroke - 10 millimetres
- space between characters - 10 millimetres
- space between groups - 30 millimetres
- top, bottom and side margins - 11 millimetres (minimum)
- vertical space between groups - 13 millimetres
Tricycles made from motorcycles must meet the number plate requirements for motorcycles.
Tricycles made from four-wheeled vehicles, such as saloon cars and quad bikes must meet the same number plate requirements as all other vehicles.