part 4 i think: 20 21
Speed and load ratings
The speed rating of all tyres must be:
• a speed of at least:
for an off-road passenger vehicle – 140km/h
for another car (sedan, station wagon etc.)
up to nine adult seating positions or a car
derivative – 180km/h
for another motor vehicle – 120km/h
• the vehicle’s top speed, if lower.
Load ratings of tyres must be at least equal to those
specified by the manufacturer on the tyre placard fitted
to vehicles made after 1972. For other vehicles, the load
rating of a tyre must be capable of carrying the part of
the vehicle’s gross mass carried by the tyre.
Tyre construction
Tyre tread compounds, patterns, ply ratings and
performance characteristics vary. Tyre construction
(e.g. radial) and size must be the same on the same
axle. Although it is recommended that the tyres are
identical (e.g. same brand and tread pattern), this is
not mandatory.
Vehicle track
Track is measured at ground level from the centre of the
tyre on one side to the centre of the corresponding tyre
on the opposite side of the vehicle. Front and rear track
differs on many vehicles.
The wheel track must not be reduced to less than the
standard track specified by the vehicle manufacturer
for the particular model of vehicle.
The track of a car or car derivative may be increased
by up to 26mm beyond the maximum specified by
the vehicle manufacturer for the particular model of
vehicle. Off-road passenger vehicles fitted with front
and rear beam axles, may have an increase in track
up to 50mm beyond the maximum specified by
the vehicle manufacturer for the particular model
of vehicle.
Wheel marking
Vehicles built on or after 1 July 1985 must be fitted with
original wheels or replacement wheels which
are indelibly marked in accordance with approved
standards.
These standards include:
• Standards Australia
• Wheel Industries Association (Australia)
• Technischer Uberwachungen Verein
• Japanese Industrial Standards.
Markings must include diameter, width, offset and the
manufacturer’s trade mark or logo and be located so
that they are readily visible when the wheel is correctly
installed on the vehicle.
Composite wheels
The use of composite wheels (two or three-piece) is
permitted. They must be manufactured and marked in
accordance with the standards described above if fitted
to vehicles manufactured on or after 1 July 1985.
Front
Track
Rear
Track
Queensland Transport, All about modifications to motor vehicles, 2008
22 23
Repairs to tubeless tyres
Permanent repairs can only be made when the tyre is
removed from the rim. The tyre must be examined to
ensure it is structurally sound. The damaged area must
be prepared on the inside for a patch or mushroom
headed plug to be fitted and vulcanised into position.
Any repairs to a tyre must be sealed to prevent moisture
or contaminants from entering the tyre casing or
structure.
Caution: Plug repairs can only be made in the tread area
of the tyre and not in sidewalls or where the tread and
sidewall meet.
Punctures in tubeless tyres must not be repaired from the
outside or without removing the tyre from the rim as
this method is prone to failure.
Vehicle owners with doubts on tyre repairs should
contact a reputable tyre dealer for proper repairs.
Section 2
Complex
modifications
More complex modifications than those types already
listed in Section1must have approval. Such modifications
include replacement non-standard engines, gearboxes and
left to right hand steering conversions.
A simplified method for
obtaining approvals
While there are some modifications which still require
approval from Queensland Transport, most approvals can
be obtained through the Approved Person Scheme which
operates throughout Queensland. This scheme allows
quick and convenient evaluations and approvals.
What can Approved
Persons approve?
Many modifications can be approved by Approved
Persons, and include:
• Engine Substitution
• Turbocharger and Supercharger Installation
• Transmission Substitution
• Rear Axle Replacement
• Differential Substitution
• Brake System Substitution
• Convertible and Cabriolet Conversion
• Passenger Vehicle Extended Wheelbase Conversion
• Individual and Low Volume Vehicles
• Panel Van to Utility Conversion
• Roll Bar and Roll Cage Installation
Queensland Transport, All about modifications to motor vehicles, 2008
24 25
• Street Rod Certification
• Seating Capacity Alteration and Seat Belt Installation
• Child Restraint Anchorage Installation
• Motorbike Seating Capacity Alteration
• Fuel Tank Alteration
• Australian Design Rule (ADR) Compliance
• Pre 1972 Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance
• Personally Imported Vehicle Compliance
• Steering Conversion
• Beaming and Torsional Testing
The minimum standards for all of these modifications
are contained in the Code of Practice – Light Motor
Vehicle Modifications.
What is the Code of Practice?
The Code of Practice is a detailed manual which
prescribes the standards for vehicle modifications.
Check this Code for the standards relating to the
modifications you are thinking about.
All Approved Persons have the Code of Practice. Copies
of the Code of Practice are also available through
GoPrint retail outlets.
How do Approved Persons
approve modifications?
They inspect the modified vehicle to ensure it complies
with the Code of Practice. The Approved Person will give
you a Certificate of Modification and fit a modification
plate to the vehicle if the changes meet the required
standards.
How much do approvals cost?
A fee will normally be charged by Approved Persons for
any vehicle inspection and approval. This fee is not set
by Queensland Transport. Approved Persons set their
own fees, which may vary depending on the
modifications and the time involved in the inspection.
Who are Approved Persons
and where do I find one?
Approved Persons are employed by private industry and
authorised by Queensland Transport to approve vehicle
modifications.
Automotive businesses throughout Queensland, including
most service stations which issue Safety Certificates,
have Approved Persons. The names and addresses of
Approved Persons are available at Queensland Transport
Customer Service Centres.
Do Approved Persons have to
modify my car?
No. You can still do the modifications yourself or
have them done for you. However, it is strongly
suggested that an Approved Person is consulted prior
to commencement of any modification to find out the
relevant standards for approval.
The scheme allows Approved Persons to approve
modifications done by others provided the modifications
meet the standards set by the Code of Practice.
Queensland Transport, All about modifications to motor vehicles, 2008
26 27
Why do I need proof of a
modification?
Driving a vehicle with non-approved modifications is
illegal. A non-approved modified vehicle can be put off
the road immediately by Police or Queensland Transport
Inspectors. Drivers may also find that they are not
covered by insurance.
The Approved Person Scheme provides a quick and easy
way to have most modifications approved and reduces
the chance of a costly traffic fine or having your vehicle
ordered off the road.
Before you start
Before you modify your vehicle, contact an Approved
Person and make sure the modifications can be
approved. Don’t risk disappointment by spending a lot of
valuable time and money altering your vehicle only to
find it cannot be approved and driven on the road.
Section 3
Specific
modifications
Modifications which are not covered by this booklet or
the Approved Persons Scheme, or modifications which
involve substantial structural changes to the body or
chassis of a vehicle, require a written submission. A fee
is payable for the evaluation of plans. Send submissions
prior to commencing any modifications or alterations to:
Policy Advice
PO Box 673
Fortitude Valley, Qld 4006.
Applicants should supply as much detail as possible.
Incomplete submissions, insufficient details or poor
drawings will delay processing of submissions. As a
guide, submissions should contain:
• a completed ‘Motor Vehicle Modification Application’
(Form No. F1854 available at Queensland Transport
Customer Service Centres) and
• drafted plans for any modifications or alterations
involving structural changes. Plans, on A3 size
drafting paper, should include dimensions, plan,
elevation, end elevation and sections (where
necessary), material description, and welding and
machining details.
A word of caution
Modifying a vehicle for use on a road without obtaining
prior approval, or permitting the use of a modified vehicle
without approval, is a breach of Queensland legislation.
If you modify a vehicle without the necessary approval,
you could void your vehicle insurance and may be liable
for prosecution.
The permissible modifications outlined in this brochure
have been developed in consultation with the vehicle
manufacturers and industry.
Queensland Transport, All about modifications to motor vehicles, 2008
28 29
Engine replacements
Many manufacturers produce a series of models with the
same basic frame fitted with engines of differing
capacity. No approval is required if the smaller capacity
engine is replaced by a larger capacity engine from the
same series provided the brakes and suspension from the
larger capacity motorbike are fitted and no modification
is required to the frame.
The fitting of any other alternative replacement engine,
superchargers or turbochargers will require individual
approval in accordance with Section 3.
Steering gear and handle bars
The handle bars of a motorbike must extend at least
250mm, but not over 450mm, on each side of the
longitudinal axis of the motorbike. This measurement
does not include mirrors and lights.
The lowest part of the hand grip on the handle bars
must not be higher than 380mm above the attachment
point of the handle bars to the motorbike. Hand grips on
the handle bars must be fitted symmetrically.
If the motorbike has the head stem as the steering pivot
point, the horizontal distance from the midpoint between
the head stem bearings to the centre of the front wheel
must not be over 550mm.
Offset triple clamps are often fitted to provide the
motorbike with ‘a raked out’ appearance without the
need to modify the frame. These are acceptable provided
the trail measurement is not less than 75mm.
Section 4
Motorbike
modifications
Frame and suspension
alterations
Motorbike design is a complex task. Before modifications
are made to a motorbike’s frame or suspension, you
should be aware that structural changes to the frame,
steering head, front forks, suspension, brakes or wheels
may load vital components well beyond the limits for
which they were originally designed. This may increase
the probability of failure and may be a danger to the
rider and other road users.
Motorbikes with properly designed custom frames,
extended forks, hard tail conversions and structural
modifications are acceptable, but require specific
approval as explained in Section 3. A report will be
required from a Registered Professional Engineer
detailing the changes and certifying that the motorbike
is safe.
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30 31
Seat reduction
Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance premiums on
motorbikes are determined by the seating capacity of the
motorbike. Conversion of a motorbike from a
two-seater to a single-seater, or vice versa, can be
certified by an Approved Person as detailed in Section 2.
For two-seats to single-seat conversion the maximum
length of the upholstered section of the seat must be
500mm or less, and the pillion foot pegs must be
removed with any associated brackets and threaded
holes drilled out. You are not permitted to use a
removable cowl or other structure fitted over the seat
to reduce the length of the seat. You should seek advice
from an Approved Person before performing a seat
reduction modification.
Wheels and tyres
On all wheels (including any side-car wheel), the tyre
size must be suitable for the rim. Each tyre and rim must
be strong enough to support the machine when it is fully
loaded. Most major motorbike tyre specialists can tell
you the right tyre and rim for your motorbike and the
appropriate tyre speed rating.
Chain guards
If the motorbike has a chain drive, the driver and any
passenger must be protected from the front sprocket
and at least the upper part of the chain by the frame
or equipment of the motorbike, or by a chain guard.
A chain guard must cover the chain to a point at least
300mm to the rear of the rearmost foot rest or above the
centre of the rear drive sprocket.
Motorbikes must be fitted with footrests for the rider,
and for any passenger for whom a seating position is
provided.
Exhausts
Motorbikes manufactured from 1 July 1975 are subject
to ADR requirements for noise.
Any replacement exhaust system must be as near as
practicable to the original component specification
and/or comply with ADR noise requirements.
If you modify or replace an exhaust system on a
pre-1975 motorbike, you must remember that the
law prohibits all motor vehicles from causing excessive
noise due to the condition or construction of the vehicle,
or the manner in which it is operated.
Motorbikes manufactured from 1 July 1988 have all
components of the silencing system marked with the
name or trade name of the manufacturer.
These motorbikes carry information of the Stationary
Noise Test in the following format:
STATIONARY NOISE TEST INFORMATION
Tested at............. dB(A) at........... r/min
Silencing System: (manufacturer’s name)
Identification: (trade description)
Any replacement part of the silencing system must show
the trademark or the name of the original manufacturer
of the system.
Queensland Transport, All about modifications to motor vehicles, 2008
Mudguards
Mudguards must be fitted to all wheels (including the
sidecar wheel). Each mudguard must be at least as wide,
over its entire length, as its respective tyre.
A front mudguard must cover the rearward section of
the wheel through the area between two lines, one
vertical and the other horizontal, both drawn through
the centre of the wheel. If suitable protection is afforded
by the frame or construction of the motorbike, the front
guard need only cover the unprotected area.
The mudguard provided for the rear wheel and for the
wheel of any sidecar must extend not less than from a
point vertically above the foremost part of the wheel
rearward to a point not higher than the intersection of
the arc of the wheel guard with a line through the centre
of the wheel at 45 degrees to a horizontal plane through
the centre of the wheel.
Indicators
Indicators are required on all motorbikes manufactured
after 30 June 1975.
Sidecars
Sidecars must be fitted to the left hand side of a
motorbike. This does not apply to a motorbike and
sidecar combination greater than 30 years of age.
When a sidecar or side-box is attached to a motorbike
manufactured after February 1976, a mechanical parking
brake must be fitted.
The maximum width of the combination, including any
load and equipment, must not exceed 1.85m.
Motortrikes
Motortrikes that are constructed by removing the rear
swing arm and substituting a suitable after market or
self-constructed rear axle assembly and body work are
considered to be a modified motorbike, if the motorbike is
substantially unmodified forward of the swing arm pivot.
The vehicle does not need to be updated to comply
with current ADRs apart from those required as part
of the trike conversion. For example, if the motorbike
was not required to operate on unleaded fuel when
manufactured, then it would not be required to be
converted to run on unleaded fuel as part of the
trike modification.
The kit or owner designed and/or constructed assembly
must be examined by an Approved Person with code
LO1 to ensure it is suitable for the motorbike.
You should contact an Approved Person as detailed in
Section 2 about obtaining approval for this modification.
32 33
Queensland Transport, All about modifications to motor vehicles, 2008
hope this helps mate