Information

Method of Inspection

Reason for rejection

This Section should be read in conjunction with Section 3 of this Manual.

If an antilock braking system is fitted, it must be tested as described in Section 3.4 of this Manual, with the exception of the sequence of operation.

A type of parking brake may be fitted to some type approved machines which does not fully meet the requirements at Section 3.1. These include:

. a handlebar mounted over-centre lever

. a gear lever which, when moved into the park position, operates a cable via a linkage attached to the lever

. a transmission lock by selecting the ‘P’ position on machines with CVT transmission.

Testers should not fail these parking brakes under Section 3.1 RfR 6a (when knocked, the lever is not held in the ‘on’ position), or RfR 6b (when the brake is fully applied there is no possibility of further travel).

Additionally, parking brakes that use the ‘P’ position on the gearbox are not suitable for dynamic efficiency testing. The tester must therefore make the best assessment possible. This could include parking on a gradient (ideally 16%), or if no suitable gradient is available, by attempting to push the machine when ‘P’ is selected.

The over-centre lever type can be brake tested as normal using one of the approved test methods.

1.
Check the service brake controls and mountings.

Note: This Method of Inspection is specific to vehicles with hand operated service brake controls. Foot controls should be inspected in accordance with Section 3.3.

1.
A service brake control:
a.
missing

b.
or mounting insecure

c.
or mounting retaining or locking device missing or insecure

Note: It is not always possible to determine the presence and effectiveness of certain types of locking devices e.g. locking fluid or ‘nyloc’ nuts.

d.
or mounting cracked or fractured

e.
lever pivot excessively tight or worn

f.
has inadequate reserve lever travel

g.
inoperative or so damaged, positioned, bent or shortened that the brake cannot be readily applied

h.
which cannot be applied and released smoothly

i.
or mounting excessively corroded

j.
or mounting inappropriately repaired or modified.

Brake Performance Requirements

Where a linked system is operated by one control, the retarding force used in the efficiency calculation is the total from all wheels when operated by that control only.

When roller brake testing vehicles of an unknown brake weight, use the locked wheel criteria explained in the notes in Section 3.7, page 4. If the vehicle does not meet this standard then a further brake test using a decelerometer may be conducted in order to assess the brake efficiency only where it is safe to do so.

If it is not safe, then the presenter should be asked to provide evidence of the unladen weight of the vehicle and the efficiencies should be calculated using the unladen weight plus 140kg (300lbs).

For the method of calculating brake performance see Section 3.8.

A quadricycle with a single service brake control that operates the brakes on all wheels

A tricycle with a single service brake control that operates the brakes on all wheels first used on or after 1 January 1968

A tricycle with a single service brake control that operates the brakes on all wheels first used before 1 January 1968

A three wheeled moped or light quadricycle with a single service brake control that operates the brakes on all wheels

Any tricycle, three wheeled moped, quadricycle or light quadricycle with two service brake systems each having a separate means of operation

Issue Date: 01 January 2012