Hugues Ossent has been sleeping restlessly for several days. This is because the “pope of the solex” has nightmares about the idea of having to submit his entire collection of mopeds, which includes 600 different models, to a technical inspection (CT).
Despite the discontent of bikers who, like him, loudly demonstrated this Saturday, April 13 in Paris and in the provinces against this “useless” measure, more than 2.5 million machines will have to go on the bench this year. The measure comes into force this Monday, April 15.
Motorcycles, scooters, tricycles...
Until now confined to cars and trucks, technical inspection is now compulsory for category L vehicles: mopeds, motorcycles, scooters, motor tricycles, light and heavy quadricycles. France was one of the rare European countries not to have yet applied this European directive dating from… 2014.
During the Parisian demonstration on Saturday, we could measure the range of "bikes" which will be subject to this inspection: mopeds, some of which date from the post-war period, large Japanese cars, Mad Max-style choppers, Custom Harley…
A first check based on the registration date
A staggered implementation
If your vehicle was registered before January 1, 2017, its first inspection must be carried out no later than December 31, 2024. 2.4 million vehicles are affected by the end of the year but the Checks will be staggered according to the date of first entry into circulation of the two-wheeler.
For older vehicles, the first technical inspection must be carried out between April 15 and August 14, 2024. If your vehicle was registered between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2019, its first inspection must be carried out in 2025. If your plate is more recent (between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021), it will be 2,026. The validity period of the check is three years.
From 50 to 80 euros on average
. The cost of the inspection should range between 50 and 80 euros. “Near my house, I saw that they were selling it for 94 euros,” chokes Pierre, a biker from Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine).
Hugues, the collector of Oise, has done his accounts and is in a cold sweat. “600 solex multiplied by approximately 50 euros for the check, that’s 30,000 euros to pay and that every three years,” laments this former retired professional firefighter. I’m not a billionaire…”
While waiting to know if he will be able to turn some of his mopeds into collector's models, the “pope of solex” will undoubtedly play dead. “Even if it means paying a fine of 135 euros from time to time”, i.e. the amount of the fine for failure to present a technical inspection.
All controllers have followed specific training
78 check points
The aim is to check the brakes, the absence of polluting emissions, the condition of the handlebars, the column, the lights, the indicators, the mirrors but also the axles, wheels, tires and suspensions. Control of noise and vehicle obstruction, often bypassed by scooters, will not be effective until summer 2025.
As with cars, if the result is favorable, you leave for three years before a new inspection. “It will clean up this fleet and remove the most problematic subjects” estimates Sébastien Danvel, from the Auto Sécurité group.
3,000 controllers ready as of Monday, April 15
“Nearly half of the centers, or 3,000 controllers, are ready,” says Alexandra Herbel, president of the technical inspection branch of Mobilians (formerly the National Council of Automotive Professions) . On the Autovision side, around 350 centers are already operational.
“We are entering the spring period when professionals sell leisure motorcycles and some of our centers already have several weeks of scheduled meetings,” specifies the CEO of the network according to Bernard Bourrier.
All controllers have completed specific 33 hours of training, including 7 hours exclusively devoted to vehicle handling. The technical inspection centers have worked hard to receive their approval.
“We asked for eighteen months to organize ourselves and only had six months to do so,” laments Bernard Bourrier. But every day, new centers are approved.”