Bike seized as it was modified. What does this mean for the modifiers out there?

[Rtech]

Read in todays Mid-day.

Mumbai's only modified Bullet 350 bike — nicknamed 'Chopper' and 'Sportstar' — will go off the roads and straight into a junkyard. The Regional Transport Authorities (RTA) seized the bike — worth Rs 1.5 lakh — near Airoli as it did not have a number plate. The RTA now wants to cancel the registration of the bike, which was modified around three weeks ago by its owner, Akshai Varde (26).

He purchased the bike for Rs 90,000 and modified it without permission from the makers and the RTA. According to RTA rules, a person cannot modify a vehicle without a no-objection certificate from the makers and the RTA.
"We stopped the bike because it did not have a number plate. Later, we came to know that the biker didn't have permission to modify the bike. He made many changes in the chassis, which is against motor vehicle rules. We will cancel the registration of the bike," explained an RTA official.

Incidentally, this is the second modified vehicle the RTA has seized in less than a month. The first one was a Hyundai Sonata Limo, which was confiscated for design modification without permission. Owned by an Andheri-based businessman, Pradeep Thambi, the 20-foot white stretch limousine is India's longest.

Read the complete story Here

You mean to tell me that every one of DC's designs had an NOC from the manufacturer and RTA?

Just another thing to be added to the list of the most useless ways to usurp their limited power on small things like this while letting the main offenders and rolling safety hazards - Taxis, off without any problems.

[Psycho]

Well a few things here:

The RTO very critically says that no modification can be done to the Chassis, the Wheelbase of a vehicle and neither can the engine be changed without prior permission and certification from the RTA post the changes made.

I just hope that the consumers are aware of this and the modifiers do educate their customers on the same.

[sandeep108]

This has led to lot of problems for the 'speed runs' held by autocar and others. Actually at times in Mumbai if they are in nasty mood, they will catch you for free flow also.

[pdev29]

I have faced the same problem with my P150 which was modified i paid 500 for Free flow as fine and once they were ready to seize my bike as it was modified without permission but then i had to use my contacts but i paid 1200rs at that time. ( no modifcation with Chassis)

i have seen that sonata there was not jazzy work done on that car just converted to limo..
poor fellows.

[sumitkalindi]

See if you want to run your modded vehicle in a private place/race track no one is going to object, however to run any modded vehicle on public road you need the permision of the rto, to mod it

[moralfibre]

Just a question: Your tyre sizes are mentioned on the RC book.. Is it illegal to use oversize tyres? Do oversize tyres harm safety? ***!!!

What about buses / rickshaws / taxis trucks which drive without tail lamps, mud flaps in the rain. WHat about the modified wide fairing Fiero's the cops use... changing the paint is also against the law. What colour are the Fiero's registered as? I will use the RTI to know this.

[sandeep108]

Originally Posted by sumitkalindi

See if you want to run your modded vehicle in a private place/race track no one is going to object, however to run any modded vehicle on public road you need the permision of the rto, to mod it

QFT
Actually even maybe pete's tuning, chip reprogram, etc. is illegal?

Who can elaborate?

[islero]

Originally Posted by Psycho

The RTO very critically says that no modification can be done to the Chassis, the Wheelbase of a vehicle and neither can the engine be changed without prior permission and certification from the RTA post the changes made.

By engine change, you mean an entire engine transplant right?

[condor]

AFAIK, change of engine type will need RTA approval, but not sure if before or after. Most times one would escape since the engine is under the hood. But in case of changes between diesel and petrol, the emissions test will be the tricky part unless the RC book shows the change.

[Jaggu]

rule says you have to pay the charges for mods after informing rto before u set out modding, then afetr the mod. vehicle is checked and endorsed by rta in the rc book, yes if engine number changes it has to be notified

[ranjan united]

I always thought that only replacing the engine in a bike was not allowed. But chasis ?! *** ?? I bought the bike and I'm gonna do whatever I fell like pleases me.

[adya33]

Funny as even after following rules police get bashed.
Man its difficult being Police man

Do your job, get bashed
Don't do your job, get bashed.

What is poor fellow suppose to do ?

[abhijit 2284]

I really doubt that DC gets all the changes on the mod's endorsed .

I personally am not a fan of DC work and think most of his designs are mainly pointless.
I think people just have a " the emporers new clothes syndrome" when it comes to his designs , if its DC its got to be good ????

And yes I agree that if you intend to make any mods it has to permitted by the manufacturer as its a safety related issue

[condor]

Originally Posted by abhijit 2284

I personally am not a fan of DC work and think most of his designs are mainly pointless.

. But then, I dont think all of DC's mod's are structural mods. Lot of what I see are, IMO, more like add-on's, style [ ] over substance.
Ranjan United, remember the chassis number is also used for identificaion of the vehicle.
Also, chassis modifications shouldnt be at the cost of structural strength.

[sumitkalindi]

See when ever a vehicle hits Indian roads, it is homologued by RTO and Transport authorities, where it has to paas some safety parameters. So any mechanical change done to it, is going to change the equation. So they are all illegal, unless authorised by RTO. When you modify anything you have to get that approved by RTO. But in India, if the change can not be heard ( Free Flow), out of sight ( Petes ) or is unoffensive (Colour) no issues, as no one is going to catch you.

It is different issue that actually by rule book you need all the lights to be working, endrose the colour change by RTO.

The name of the game is if it can not be seen you are safe. We in travel industry sometimes go for a engine transplant with out RTO approval. We know people who erase the actual engine number on the new engine block and engrave the engine no with which the car was registered. Saves a lot of visist to RTO office, and money. And never get caught.

So I thing all the users get the idea, how these things work in India.

About DC designs, they will never need to get approval from the RTO, unless they want to run it on road, which is the headache of the owner not the designer. So there you go.