Half an hour in the garage the weekend before the test will catch most of what a bike fails on. Work through it in this order, which is roughly the order a tester works in, and you will not waste a booking on a blown bulb.

You need a torch, a tyre depth gauge, a tape measure and somebody to sit on the bike or work the brakes while you look.

1. Read last year's advisories first

Before you start any of this, pull up the previous test. Whatever was flagged as an advisory twelve months ago has had a year to get worse, and it is the most likely thing to fail this time.

That is the single most efficient five minutes in this whole process, and most people skip it.

2. Lights and signalling

Accounts for a large share of failures and takes four minutes.

Headlight on both dip and main beam, with a clean lens and correct alignment. A cracked lens fails, and so does one that has fogged badly enough to scatter the beam.

Tail light and brake light. Check the brake light comes on from both controls. The rear brake switch is the one that dies quietly, because nobody notices their own brake light.

Indicators, all four, flashing at a sensible rate. A fast flash usually means a bulb has gone somewhere or an LED has been fitted without the right resistor.

Number plate light, the single most forgotten item on this list.

Reflectors. Rear reflector present and secure. It is a small red plastic thing that falls off and nobody notices for two years.

Have somebody stand behind the bike while you work the controls rather than trying to check it in a wall reflection.

3. Tyres and wheels

Tread depth. For machines over 50cc the requirement is 1mm across three-quarters of the tread breadth, with visible tread on the remainder. Under 50cc, the original pattern must be clearly visible. Measure across the width rather than in one groove, because bikes wear in the middle.

Condition. Cuts, bulges, exposed cords, perishing and sidewall cracking all fail. Check the sidewalls properly, including the side you cannot see without turning the wheel.

Correct fitment. Right size, right type, and fitted the correct way round. Directional tyres fitted backwards happen more often than you would think.

Wheels. Buckles, cracks, loose or missing spokes. Spin each wheel and watch the rim against a fixed point.

Wheel bearings. Grip the wheel top and bottom and rock it. Any play needs looking at.

4. Brakes

Pad thickness on all discs, front and rear. Look through the caliper with a torch.

Disc condition. Scoring, cracks, and the wear lip at the outer edge. If you can catch a fingernail on the lip, the disc has done work.

Lever and pedal feel. Firm, not spongy. A lever that comes back to the bar is a fail and often a fluid or seal problem rather than pads.

Fluid level and colour. Dark brown fluid needs changing regardless of the test.

Hoses. Perishing, chafing, weeping at the unions.

Rear brake. Easy to neglect on bikes because most braking is done at the front. Testers do not skip it.

5. Steering and suspension

Head bearings. On the centre stand or a paddock stand with the front wheel off the ground, turn the bars slowly lock to lock. Any notchiness, tight spots or grinding is a fail. Then pull and push the forks fore and aft for play.

Fork seals. Oil on the stanchion below the seal, or a wet dust seal. A weeping seal fails and it also ruins a front tyre and a brake pad if left.

Stanchion pitting. Corrosion above the seal will destroy the new seal within a fortnight.

Rear shock. Leaks, and whether it still damps. Push down hard on the seat and watch how it returns.

Swingarm bearings. With the rear wheel off the ground, grip it side to side and feel for movement at the pivot.

Handlebars. Secure, not bent, with clear steering movement and no fouling cables at full lock.

6. Chain, sprockets and final drive

Chain slack within the range in the manual, measured at the tightest point. Turn the wheel and find the tight spot rather than measuring wherever it happens to sit.

Tight spots, which mean a worn chain regardless of the adjustment.

Sprocket teeth. Hooked, pointed or asymmetric teeth mean the set needs replacing.

Chain guard present and secure where the bike came with one.

Belt or shaft drive: condition, cracking, leaks at the final drive.

7. The registration plate

Bikes fail on plates far more than cars do, and it is entirely avoidable.

Two lines. Bikes first registered on or after 1 September 2001 must display the plate in two lines. A single-line plate on a modern bike is a failure.

Character sizes. The standard applies: character height, width, stroke, spacing between characters and between groups, and the margins. Novelty spacing, moved-up characters and squeezed layouts all fail.

Font. The mandatory typeface only. Italic, 3D, shadowed and script fonts fail.

Condition. Secure, clean, legible, and not obscured by a tinted cover, a rack, luggage or a mudguard extension.

No front plate needed. Motorcycles are not required to display one.

8. The frame number

It must be present and legible. Corroded, painted over or unreadable is a failure on its own.

Find it before the test rather than at it.

9. Everything else

Horn. Works, and is loud enough to be a horn.

Speedometer. Present and working on most machines.

Exhaust. Secure, no blowing at the joints, and not excessively noisy. A race can with the baffle removed is a fail.

Seat. Secure to the frame.

Footrests. Both present and secure, including the pillion pair if the bike has them.

Mirrors. If fitted, secure and undamaged.

Frame. Corrosion, cracks and crash damage, particularly around the headstock.

Fluid leaks. Anything dripping.

Chain guard, mudguards and bodywork secure, with nothing sharp or hanging.

FAQs

How long before expiry can I take the test?

Up to a month minus a day, and the anniversary date is preserved. Earlier than that and you lose the remaining time.

Can I ride to the test without a valid MOT?

Yes, to a pre-booked appointment. Also to a garage for repairs after a failure. Not otherwise.

What if it fails?

You can have it repaired at the centre, or ride it to a booked repair appointment. A retest within ten working days is often free or reduced depending on circumstances, so ask before you leave.