From: ant@galadriel.bt.co.uk (Antony Espindola)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles
Subject: Re: X-reg in the UK?
Date: 4 Sep 92 09:01:59 GMT
Organization: Data and Business Comms, BT Labs, Martlesham, Ipswich, UK.

From article <1992Sep3.172407.16295@microunity.com>, by ericm@microunity.com (Eric Murray):
> 
> Would someone from the UK please tell me what 'J-reg', 'D-reg', etc. means?
> Does it have something to do with the tiered liscensing system?
> 
> 
> --
> Eric Murray   ericm@microunity.com   Ride fast, die young, wear black leather

Well, here goes...... 
	Basically, in the UK the car license plate (or number plate as
	they are known here) is made us of 4 parts:
	eg...
			J100 PPW
    The prefix letter (in this case 'J') is used to denote the year in
	which the car was registered. The registration year runs from
	August the first to July 31. So, for example, a car (or any other
	vehicle) which is made then registered in June 1992 would be a J
	registration car (J-reg). A car registered in sept 1992 would be a
	K-reg and so on....

	Next, the number (in this case 100)...this is simply increased for
	each car that is registered...so the next car registered would be
	J101 PPW etc. (simple huh?)

	The last 3 letters is a mixture of area code and another simple
	counter... the first P is increased (so when the reg. is J999 PPW,
	the next number is J1 RPW (there are some characters not used))
	and the second two letters (PW) stand for area code (in this case
	Norwich Registration).

	What happens when you get J999 YPW (we don't use Z) I hear you
	cry?
	Well, the office uses it's next two letter, eg. NG, and the whole
	thing starts again !
	eg. J1 ANG

	Simple isn't it ?

	When cars first used this system, the locations of the
	letters/numbers was different... for example, the Lotus Esprit car
	used in James Bond's From Russia With Love was PPW 306R.
	The PPW is the same (PW the code) and then the number and lastly
	the year registration (1976-77 for R)

	The letters unused are : I (looks like a 1), O (again) Q (reserved
	for cars of unknown origin or parts from more than one year - used
	for kits cars/bikes and rebuilds etc.) U and Z.
	
	I hope this sheds some light....
	
	The License system is even worse.....
	
	At 16 years of age, your are permitted to ride a moped (a
	motorcycle which has a design speed of 30 mph and no greater than
	50cc). BUT you have to take a Compulsory Basic Training Course
	(CBT) organised by a Driving Instruction School. This is basically
	a license to print money - there is no set fee and you are trained
	to put the bike on a stand *properly* and safe riding practises
	(snore) - for a person who has ridden before it could take about
	half an hour and costs #75 (seventy five pounds !!), but you are
	trained until you get it right - this is where first timers save
	money 'cos it takes 'em about 8 hours !!
	
	At 17 years of age, you are permitted to ride a motorcycle with an
	engine size no greater than 125cc and no more than 12hp (*SNORE*).
	
	To progress onto bigger bikes, you must take your test (formerly
	the Part 2 ( the CBT replaced the Part 1)). So now instead of
	taking your part 1 test (to allow you to ride with 'L' Plates -
	The big red L letter on a white background to warn other drivers
	that you are a 'learner') and then take your part 2 test, you now
	have to do your CBT then take your Part 2.
	
	There are all sorts of silly rules and stuff which are too deep to
	go into here (mind you, so was the number plates stuff etc.).
	
	Hope this is of help...
	
	If anyone comes to the UK (or you can get it in the States... )
	buy the magazine called 'Performance Bikes'. It's the best there
	is.
	
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 Antony Espindola               | 'Bollocks Reg.' - Big Vern
 BT Development & Procurement   |-----------------------------------------
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 Data & Business Communications | of any company at all.
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