Two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles: maximum dimensions, masses and loads

1) OBJECTIVE

To harmonize the masses and dimensions of two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles.

2) ACT

Council Directive 93/93/EEC of 29 October 1993 on the masses and dimensions of two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles [Official Journal L 311 of 14.12.1993].

Amended by Commission Directive 2004/86/EC of 5 July 2004 [Official Journal L 236 of 07.07.2004].

3) SUMMARY

This Directive comes under the - type-approval procedure for two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles, initially put in place by Directive 92/61/EEC, which was repealed and replaced by Directive 2002/24/EC.

The vehicles covered by the Directive are as follows:

• mopeds: two- or three-wheeled vehicles fitted with an engine having a cylinder capacity not exceeding 50 cm3 and a maximum design speed of not more than 45 km/h;
• motorcycles: two-wheeled vehicles with or without a sidecar, fitted with an engine having a cylinder capacity of more than 50 cm3 and/or having a maximum design speed of more than 45 km/h;
• motor tricycles: vehicles with three symmetrically arranged wheels fitted with an engine having a cylinder capacity of more than 50 cm3 and/or a maximum design speed of more than 45 km/h;
• quadricycles: four-wheeled vehicles whose engine cylinder capacity does not exceed 50 cm3, whose maximum design speed is not more than 45 km/h and whose unladen mass is less than 350 kg are considered to be mopeds;
• other quadricycles are classed as motor tricycles.

Establishment of maximum authorized dimensions, masses and loads:

• dimensions: length 4 m, width 2 m and height 2.50 m;
• masses:

- two-wheeled vehicles: technically permissible mass declared by manufacturer;

- three-wheeled vehicles: 1 000 kg;

- the towable mass of two- or three-wheeled vehicles shall not exceed 50 % of the mass of the vehicle in running order;

• loads: the maximum load to be borne by three-wheeled mopeds is 800 kg and that of tricycles 1 500 kg.

Laying down the conditions for checking the masses and dimensions of the vehicles concerned.

Procedure for the adaptation of the requirements to technical progress.

Procedure for the granting of component type-approval:

• the application for component type-approval is lodged with the competent authority within a Member State by the manufacturer or assembler;
• the competent authority component type-approves the masses and dimensions of the vehicles concerned if these meet the technical requirements of this Directive and are in line with the information provided by their manufacturer;
• to that end that same authority fills out the component type-approval certificate annexed to this Directive.

The requirements concerning masses and dimensions form part of a body of 47 characteristics required by Council framework Directive 92/61/EEC, all of which must be supplied by manufacturers at one and the same time if two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles are to be able to be type-approved and placed on the Community market.

Last updated: 10.08.2006