A few weeks ago Rover, my Sportster 883, went to the shop for some minor upgrades. Today I visited in order to deliver my paperwork for a repeat TÜV approval. Why again? you might wonder.
Because in Germany pretty much every single change in the build of the motorcycle will have to be documented in the papers, or else… Imagine getting stopped in a traffic control, and not being able to present a valid operating permit for your vehicle. The PTB (powers that be) will likely consider your bike unsafe for riding, put it out of service immediately to be towed away, and it goes without saying that you'll be getting fined.
Rover meanwhile is in the midst of its cosmetic surgery, and currently stripped to the guts. It was almost heartbreaking to see my bike unprotected and defenseless like this. There is some rewiring to do, and some minor tinkering planned with the front and the rear end. More on this soon… provided that TÜV is going to approve of it.
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Rover kommt "unter's Messer"
Vor ein paar Wochen habe ich Rover, meine Harley Davidson Sportster 883, für einige Anpassungen in die Werkstatt gebracht. Heute lieferte ich meine Zulassungspapiere ab. Warum, das weiß der deutsche Bürger (die Bürgerin) nur zu genau… damit nämlich die baulichen Veränderungen eingetragen werden können. Ansonsten sieht man nämlich bei der Polizeikontrolle ganz blass aus. Meine Sportster ist inzwischen auf dem Seziertisch gelandet. Was genau verändert wird, verrate ich noch nicht, solange der TÜV dazu nicht seinen Segen gegeben hat.
All I can say is OUCH! Too much government oversight...
ReplyDeleteIn the name of road safety...
Deleteooooooooooh! i cant wait to see/hear about what rover is going through now! :)
ReplyDeleteI am excited myself. All parts ordered are in, and it should not be long (if approval isn't going to delay things…)
DeleteI'm looking forward to post-surgery and hopefully a short P.T. period. At least it's the right time of year.
ReplyDeleteThat's for sure. I wouldn't want to have it in the shop come riding season.
DeleteOoooh how exciting. Looking forward to seeing what he's having done.
ReplyDeleteWill be be bionic with parts replaced/updated or is he just getting a face-lift?
A bit of a face-ift (the bionic part would be me…)
DeleteGovernment control and it's increase is always done in the name of public safety....I empathize with you, I did like seeing Valencia under a tarp outside the shed where the dealer does his work.
ReplyDeleteI've been used to it for a very long time. The more government control the less responsibility people take for their actions. Lots of "it's not my fault" attitude.
DeleteYou scared me for a moment. I was relieved to find out it was "cosmetic" surgery. May it all go well and the powers that be deem them acceptable.
ReplyDeleteNo mechanical issues, Keith. No worries. Just a few upgrades I had planned a long time ago.
DeleteI'm glad that I can rely on you to explain what an ABE is!
ReplyDeleteYeah, and that, too.
DeleteOh he looks naked!! Poor Rover .. the things we go thru to look beautiful eh :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your paperwork Sonja :)
Thanks, Brenda. It's likely a matter of standing in line and pay the fees… I don't expect major resistance from the authorities.
DeleteGemein, einen so auf die Folter zu spannen :)
ReplyDeleteHe he. Nur noch ein bißchen Geduld.
DeleteThere is something anti-thetical about deep government scrutiny of the innermost workings of a Harley. It's like fooling around with anti-matter. Are you sensing any disturbances in the matrix? Do neighboring buildings, normally immovable, seem briefly to shimmer or flutter? The sooner Rover is out of the clutches of bureaucracy, the safer we'll all be!
ReplyDeletePS: my capcha for that last post came up, in part, "6666..."
ReplyDeleteWell, the weather pattern has changed already. It is way too warm for the time of the year…
Delete6666 (a demon with a stutter perhaps?)
Can't wait to see the new look!
ReplyDelete