Can I ride to the garage without an MOT?

I moved house recently and so didn’t receive a MOT reminder like I used to.  I recently discovered that my MOT expired in late September and I’ve been riding around without it since then. Will my insurance cover me if I am involved in an accident riding my bike to the MOT testing station? I have done some online searches and there seems to be conflicting information. I can always borrow a trailer form a friend if I need to. What is the law on this please as I don’t want to run the risk of riding uninsured again and being fined or banned?

Jake, by e-mail

Answer

If you have a valid insurance certificate you are permitted to ride your motorcycle to a pre-booked MOT test as long as your bike is in a roadworthy condition without dangerous defects. Carry confirmation of the test booking with you in case you are stopped by the police. You can also ride your bike without road tax if you can prove you are on the way to a booked MOT test. Having a valid insurance policy is compulsory.

There is no specific guidance on how close the MOT test centre needs to be, but I would recommend that you find a local test centre. Also, go directly there and don’t, for example, stop at a shop on the way. You could telephone your insurer before leaving for the test centre to ask for confirmation that you are indeed insured for the trip. Ask them to send you an email confirming this then you will have peace of mind.