The handlebars thing depends on whether or not they allowed full lock to be achieved without fouling anything - such as clouting the tank.
The new computerised version of the MoT won't allow a ticket to be closed within a certain time of the test starting - something like 20 or 30 minutes. This they reckon is how long a test should take - so you spend the time with your 'local' man talking about what you've done, what works, the weather..... The same man has tested my last bike six times. In his words you can tell from the owner and the state of the bike how it is maintained and looked after.
A quick look over of safety-critical items is often done for their benefit as much as yours, but in most cases I think any potential fails are more likely to result in an advisory notice for you to rectify later, with the knowledge that you are the type of person that would do it.
I go to the same place to test my cars that my dad used for years when in the business. It 'helps' but if something is worthy of a failure it gets one; they don't just cast a blind eye. And that's quite how I like it, to be honest. I'd like to know that something needed doing and I don't have all the facilities to check a car from end to end, top to bottom. But for something fairly minor or easily rectified, I'd rather get an advisory and do it anyway. Actually, my car's due a test this week - hope it passes.
, the results are tied in with the brake test.
