Owners of some classic bikes will be spared the annual trip to the MoT station after the government announced plans to exempt vehicles over 40 years old from the annual MoT test.

Previously vehicles manufactured before 1960 were exempt from the annual inspection but the new rules mean some 50,000 or so more bikes do not need an MoT test.

The new rules, which come in during May 2018, bring Britain in line with most of the rest of Europe and will work on a rolling 40 year basis. As of next spring, all bikes built before 1978 will fall under the new rules, meaning that classic bikes like Triumph Bonnevilles, Honda’s iconic CB750 and the Kawasaki Z1 will, in theory, be cheaper to own and run.

The 40 year rule also applies to vehicle excise duty (road tax), which are exempt from any fees, although riders will still be required to have valid bike insurance for their classic bikes.

These new regulations also apply to classic cars and do place an emphasis on owners to ensure their vehicles are in a roadworthy state. While an MoT certificate will no longer be compulsory, drivers and riders may still present their vehicles for a voluntary MoT test and it remains their responsibility to ensure that their vehicles have no defects that would see it fail the government tests when they take to the public roads.

Get classic motorbike insurance through Carole Nash.