Legal requirements for handlebar controls?

[surfer]

Hello there,

Does anyone out there know the legal requirements for what must be on the handlebars? I would like to put my switches elsewhere - horn, lights, electric start, indicators and engine stop switch.

I'm assuming the indicators, engine stop switch and horn must be on the bars - please advise.

Cheers

Simon

[tigertim20]

Hello there,

Does anyone out there know the legal requirements for what must be on the handlebars? I would like to put my switches elsewhere - horn, lights, electric start, indicators and engine stop switch.

I'm assuming the indicators, engine stop switch and horn must be on the bars - please advise.

Cheers

Simon

cant hep, but i wanna know, where the fuck you wanna put them exactly, and why?

suicide shifters are legal though, so you should have some leeway

[ellipsis]

....generally , four bolts either end of two clamps, torqued enough so that they dont flop around...cant do fuck all about the nut holding them...

[Grumph]

The requirements are probably on line somewhere but find a suburban garage doing WOF's and ask nicely to have a look at their regs folder. They have to keep an up to date hard copy on site and my local garage is most obliging if I want to check on something.
From memory i don't think there are specific things mandatory for the bars so you may be at the mercy of the testers judgement.

And ours if reaching for a control causes an accident.....

[MSTRS:Me]

Why would you want to put the various control buttons anywhere else? They are where they are because many years experimenting has led to the best position/s = standardising.

[surfer]

Thanks people.

[bogan]

good question surfer, I been planing on moving some of mine when I put renthals on my bros. I didn't even consider that it'd be legislated, will see if I can find anything.

[bogan]

I've had a search of ltnz regs, can't find anything about handlebar controls though, my advice would be to keep it safe, so indicators and high/low beam in easy reach. Rest imo is more up to you, kill switch isn't to critical (pushbutton one to mash somewhere probly just as good anyway) horn is hard to hit in panic situation anyway.

Way to find out what you can get away with technically would be to find an MC certer, cos in my experience wof guys don't deal well with the iffy issues like this.

[AllanB]

Interesting question.

Personal preference aside I don't see them being specific where the buttons/switches 'have' to be - for a WOF you only have to show the indicators going left and right - if you so happen to turn them on with your foot then presumably they are still legal. Ditto horn.

I had a old car years ago that had a the high-beam button on the floor - stomp it on and off. Again for a WOF they are only concerned about the brightness and direction of the light.

Starter can go anywhere you desire, it has noting to do with a WOF - many cruisers have them mounted between the engines 'V'. I do not think the kill switch is a legal requirement at all.

[surfer]

Cheers Bogan and AllanB for the sensible answers.

I already had a look on the lvvta site but couldn't see anything specific. I'm going to contact lvvta direct and try to find out.

[surfer]

This is the reply I got from the lvvta forum site;

"The exact position for controls is not defined, there is just the principle that all safety-related operating systems must be able to be reached, and operated or adjusted, by a driver within an average range of height, whilst in the normal seated position.

There’s also a general principle that a vehicle should not be built such that no-one but the owner can drive or ride it, so the controls should retain a level of familiarity."

I like this, it is sensible, and vague enough to allow for some creativity. And I guess it will also depend on where you go for a wof as well.

[bogan]

very sensible answer! time for modding then