Board logo

To Sorn or not to Sorn
johnemms - 12/9/13 at 12:00 PM

Ok October nearly here my insurance & Tax are due..
Do I shell out the dosh or mothball & sorn it till next April?
Will I regret not being able to drive it over the next 6 months??
This is my first year - any thoughts welcome
Cheers
Jon

TrophyJem - 12/9/13 at 12:06 PM

I sorn mine from the end of October for 6 months. I didn't for the first couple of years but found I just didn't use it enough.
You have to keep up the insurance even on a sorn though.

steve m - 12/9/13 at 12:08 PM

"You have to keep up the insurance even on a sorn though"

are you sure, as I have never done so

steve m - 12/9/13 at 12:14 PM

Taken from https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/uninsured-vehicles


4. Uninsured vehicles

Rules in England, Wales and Scotland

The rules for insuring vehicles are called ‘continuous insurance enforcement’. They mean that if you’re the registered keeper of a vehicle it must be insured or declared as off the road (SORN).


it must be insured or declared as off the road (SORN).

TrophyJem - 12/9/13 at 12:21 PM

In that case I stand corrected. I honestly thought it had to be continuously insured.

johnny chimpo - 12/9/13 at 12:56 PM

I normally SORN at the end of September until the first of April, but I was a month late this year and didnt get the car tax'd until 1st May. I doubt very much I will get any use out of the car in October but its not worth the hassle cashing in the tax for one months money, its only gona be about a tenner you would get back.

loggyboy - 12/9/13 at 01:06 PM

quote:
Originally posted by TrophyJem
In that case I stand corrected. I honestly thought it had to be continuously insured.


yeah its the over way round, its continous as long as its on the road, so if you take it off the road and cancel the insurance, you have to sorn it, you cant have a car that is taxed but uninsured anymore.

Back to the OP, ive spent 8K on my car so far and its not even on the road, will be another 2-3k before it is, so I plan on using it when ever I can, sun, rain, snow or hail, i dont care if I have to pay an extra £100 a year to keep it taxed, I want to use it whenever! Even if you only use the car on sunny days, theres a few of them over winter you can make use of.

[Edited on 12-9-13 by loggyboy]

johnemms - 12/9/13 at 01:40 PM

Yeah its been a good summer ..
maybe we might get some good weather over the winter period..
Suppose i can drag out the old flying jacket

britishtrident - 12/9/13 at 01:57 PM

Change the oil before laying the car up to prevent the acids tat collect in used oil attacking the rubbing surfaces.
Don't wash the car immediately before laying up, take it for a short drive first.
On the last drive warm up the brakes to get any dampness off the brakes.
Store the car with chocks under the wheels so you can leave the handbrake off.
If you start the car up over the winter run the engine for 20 minutes minimum.
Keep the battery fully charged.

britishtrident - 12/9/13 at 02:03 PM

quote:
Originally posted by TrophyJem
In that case I stand corrected. I honestly thought it had to be continuously insured.


Actually a very understandable mistake that was the impression given when it was carried in the media.
I remember reading the stories in the press and double checking the actual law and it struck me at the time as deliberate misinformation to maximise income for the insurance industry and DVLA.

kj - 12/9/13 at 02:20 PM

I thought sorn had been scrapped?

loggyboy - 12/9/13 at 02:42 PM

quote:
Originally posted by kj
I thought sorn had been scrapped?


Nope, its still the same annual declaration. However there was a change proposed in the Budget that would mean once you have declared SORN you wont need to renew it. However no fixed date as to when this will be introduced as been announced.

Slimy38 - 12/9/13 at 03:03 PM

I know that insurance isn't needed when SORN'ed, but to be honest it's still a good idea. Even if it's only for theft or damage. You wouldn't want it going up in flames and uninsured. OK, the risk isn't huge, but the premium shouldn't be either.

I don't SORN my bike despite it not being on the road for large portions of the year, but it's mainly because I don't want the headache of having to get it back on the road. And occasionally there have been days where I've thought 'f*** it, it's 10 below but it's dry and sunny, I'm outta here!'.

Then again, bike tax is £50, insurance is the same, MOT is £40. So not exactly a huge outlay.

emlyno - 12/9/13 at 09:46 PM

Don't Sorn it, just drive it.
There's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing!

emlyno - 12/9/13 at 09:46 PM

Don't Sorn it, just drive it.
There's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing!

DIY Si - 13/9/13 at 07:23 AM

Just keep it going all year. 7's are fun in the snow!!

greenwood03 - 13/9/13 at 09:30 AM

keep it on the road and use it. wrap up with the right gear and get out there.

coyoteboy - 13/9/13 at 12:23 PM

Most folk will want to keep it insured for theft purposes, so you might as well keep it on the road too for those clear, crisp winter days.

How does everyone doing 6 monthly trips pay for the insurance, at 6 months a cancellation of my tin tip insurance is somewhere around 90% of the years premium?

swanny - 13/9/13 at 01:29 PM

quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
Most folk will want to keep it insured for theft purposes, so you might as well keep it on the road too for those clear, crisp winter days.
?


i agree, some of the best driving days are when its a bit chilly and you have to head back home for a coffee and a warm up afterwards.

me and my dad always use to try and get the kit cars out on christmas day for a blat once the turkey is in the oven!