Have I done a bad thing??!! (Wanted / For Sale / Interesting Stories)

[beezermacc]

Not sure if this post should be in Wanted - For Sale or interesting stories..... anyway.......
A guy who lives near us made a fortune in the 1990's buying vintage cars and bikes, robbing the registration numbers off them and selling them. Some museums and collections were completely wiped out because owners had never attached any value to the registration numbers and were surprised at how much they were being offered for the vehicles. Some historically important vehicles lost their registration numbers this way. I thought this behaviour was quite mercenary and despicable! Starnge isn't it how principles go out of the window when there's money involved!
About seven or eight years ago I bought a basket case A10 Super Rocket which had been seriously abused nad had been lying in bits for over 30 years. It wasn't until I got it home and looked at the paperwork that I saw the registration number.... '911 ED' Somebody with a Porsche, somebody whose birthday is 9th November might consider paying a serious amount of money for the plate. I built the Super Rocket as my 'wet weather' bike and I've used it for the past six years but now the garage is full and I have another project to do this year I've decided to move the Super Rocket on. I've taken the plate off the bike because, if I didn't, somebody else would! Have I done a terrible thing??!!

[Swarfcut]

Does that mean you have kept the plate yourself, and will sell the bike with a new DVLA registration mark, and you now have a plate which some may consider of value?

 The only downside is that the history of the bike is slightly altered in that it no longer carries its original registration mark.

 Otherwise retaining the plate for the future will eventually put money in your pocket, and then produce happiness in the eyes of someone who needs  to demonstrate to the world how rich, affluent and well bred he is, how this status allows him or her to afford the monthly contract hire payments on some foreign produced exotic vehicle which will be changed every 53 weeks or so, thus providing revenue and constant employment for the powers that be. Local dining solutions, sporting venues, travel and leisure industries will all benefit as the registration is proudly displayed for all to view and marvel. Body repairers and valet companies will be on call to provide services to maintain the coachwork in unmarked condition.

 So a good thing.

 Swarfy.

 Additional.....Reaching for the Flack Jacket and Tin Hat.

 

 

[Rex]

The hard truth is 911 ED is worth money, and if you hadn't sold it the next owner would have. Seems a shame, but it would then become just another bike on an age-related plate, just like five of my six are. They ride the same as a bike with the original plate though.
{And no, I never sold the plates}

[berger]

this brings back unhappy memories, I sold my mate? a tiger cub in the 80's for £70 I think with reg either 333 RRR or maybe RRR 333 long time ago. he came to work on it with a Q plate, apparently he got £500 for the plate

[beezermacc]

Does that mean you have kept the plate yourself, and will sell the bike with a new DVLA registration mark, and you now have a plate which some may consider of value?

 The only downside is that the history of the bike is slightly altered in that it no longer carries its original registration mark.

 Otherwise retaining the plate for the future will eventually put money in your pocket, and then produce happiness in the eyes of someone who needs  to demonstrate to the world how rich, affluent and well bred he is, how this status allows him or her to afford the monthly contract hire payments on some foreign produced exotic vehicle which will be changed every 53 weeks or so, thus providing revenue and constant employment for the powers that be. Local dining solutions, sporting venues, travel and leisure industries will all benefit as the registration is proudly displayed for all to view and marvel. Body repairers and valet companies will be on call to provide services to maintain the coachwork in unmarked condition.

 So a good thing.

 Swarfy.

 Additional.....Reaching for the Flack Jacket and Tin Hat.

No need for the flack jacket, I agree with all the above. I can see why some people have personalised plates - some can be quite funny, but beyond that I can't see the point. The number plate is a mere administrative necessity. In some countries (e.g. Germany) the plate applies to the owner, not the vehicle, so its a shame that the value of the vehicle is somewhat influenced by the value of the plate.

DVLA sent me an age-related number and 911 ED is on retention, so it is technically mine to sell if I want to. DVLA charged me £80 for the privilege - I dare say I'll get a bit more than that for it!

[Alex kettle]

No bad thing. Why is it some number plates are non transferable?

[beezermacc]

The DVLA has rules about the ownership of registration numbers. From what I can tell the rules are usually applied fairly but sometimes can appear a bit subjective. Normally a registration number is applied to a vehicle when new and it lives with that vehicle all its life, regardless of how many times the vehicle changes hands. Basically, if a vehicle has had the same registration number all its life (as is usual) the owner can apply to 'claim' the registration number. This costs £80 and the number is then declared 'personalised'. The DVLA will supply another registration number (age-related) for the vehicle if the owner chooses to retain the personalised number when the vehicle is sold or if the owner chooses to remove the number for personal retention. If the DVLA supplies a registration number for a vehicle other than when new the DVLA usually declares that number 'non-transferrable' as the DVLA is not in the business of supplying registration numbers for individuals to sell on at a profit! The same non-transferrable status applies to built-up and restored vehicles where the DVLA has provided an age-related number so that a vehicle can go on the road when its original number is not known or has been lost from the DVLA's database. There are all sorts of anomalies due to the various types of vehicle and their history but I think I've got it about right.

[Alex kettle]

That sounds about right. My 1960 A10 which used to be my dads has “first registered in 1982 “ on the v5 even though my dad owned and rode it well before then. I still have all the original logbooks from when it was first sold which shows the same registration/ engine and frame numbers. It does also state manufactured in 1960 or something along those lines on the v5. Think my dad said it was something to do with dvla introducing a new system whilst the bike was sorn or something. Never really understood it.

[morris]

In some countries (e.g. Germany) the plate applies to the owner, not the vehicle

Same in Belgium. Buy another vehicle, screw off the plates from the old one, screw them on the new, get the paperwork done and you're on the road. You just can't put motorcycle plates on a car or vice versa.
€1000 gets you personalized plates. You can put anything on it as long as it's not insulting or sexual.
Seen people running around with "KONIJNTJE" (dutch for "little rabbit") or "FILOU"  (French for "naughty boy")...
Some have something like "STEVE123" or "FERRARI 785", running around perfectly happy to be the 123th Steve with a Steve plate or the 785th having a Ferrari plate...
While on the subject, I saw a picture in a magazine some time ago from a car in the London area registered PEN15 

[Greybeard]

I used to see a Range Rover driven by a woman. The reg was B1TCH

[Bsareg]

I saw a london cab with FU 2.

[muskrat]

G'day fellas.
Down here I had my 51 plunger first registered with the plate BSA51. Later on it went onto "club" rego and I hid the plate, saying it was lost! That plate cannot be re-issued. My thought was at a later date I'd "find" it and put it back on the Beeza. BUGGA, it went with everything else in the fire.
Cheers

[edboy]

when it comes to selling,   a bike  genuine history with original registration could mean £2-3,000 price difference to one with age related etc. even the v5 document changes to the date it was registered with its new number. however i think it was the manic value of the registration plates that drove up the prices in the 80s and emptied the roads of any bsa as a cheap old banger status.
keep the plate with the bike and sell for a good price.

[Rex]

I think you'd be very lucky to get that sort of price differential on most old bikes. Vincent or Brough maybe, but never any A7 or A10 that's for sure.

[Rocket Racer]

a few years back a mate found a battered car number plate by the roadside and noticing the reference gave it to me . I removed the last (third) digit and cleaned it up and now have a wall hanging BSA63