M3W Headlights Not in Compliance with US Laws

[It was brought to my attention by Lance Lipscomb that the US DOT has denied a petition by the MMC concerning the position of the headlights on all new Three Wheelers.  It seems that they are too far apart and fail to comply with current Motorcycle laws.   Mark]

The issue appears to be that the headlights are too far apart and don’t comply with current motorcycle regulations.

This denial of petition would result in new M3Ws having their headlights repositioned to comply with US Motorcycle laws.

If I am reading this correctly, the logic is one of safety, as motorcycles are smaller than cars and can be better identified at night with a single headlight or headlights that are closer together.  If the headlights are too far apart, the ‘motorcycle’ might be mistaken for a larger vehicle like a car or truck.

Morgan attempted to fight this change in design, arguing that the headlight positioning was inconsequential to safety, however the courts did not accept the argument.   This should mean a repositioning of the headlights for new cars, however something else may occur, e.g. legal appeals, etc.  We need to watch for this.

Older M3Ws (post 1998) already in the US, would get a recall notice but owners are not required to make the change.

Read the text here – https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/04/12/2016-08360/morgan-3-wheeler-limited-denial-of-petition-for-decision-of-inconsequential-noncompliance