Drivers Licence's for Motor Bikes

[Larry Hayward]

What engine size of motor bike is a person limited to, who has only got an ordinary car licence?

 

Does it matter when you passed your test? I seem to remember reading that people who passed many years ago were not limited so much as new drivers. I passed my car test in 1982.

 

And what about the age of the rider / licence holder does that matter?

[FV601 (R.I.P.)]

I used to be of the belief that when one had reached 21 one could ride any bike. That was until i was pulled over one day whilst riding my BSA A10.

 

I was lucky enough to get a test in and pass before the court date so was lucky to have the Magistrate look upon it as a mistake on my part but I doubt they would do such these days (this was back in the 70's)

 

Not 100% sure what the law is now but it used to be up to 250cc on an ordinary licence acting as a provisional. Apparently that changed to having to be of a certain age (21 I think) to use a 250cc MC and if you were younger you were limited to a 50cc (hence all the FS1E's that were about)

 

Sorry i cant help more

[Marmite!!]

http://www.mcia.co.uk/S_Public/passtest.asp

 

MOPED: To ride a moped you must be aged 16 or older with Category P entitlement on your driving license. Mopeds have engines smaller than 50cc, their maximum speed is restricted to 30mph and they are not allowed on motorways.

 

MOTORCYCLE: To ride a motorcycle you must be aged 17 or older with Category A or A1 entitlement on your driving license. Learner riders are restricted to bikes with an engine up to 125cc and 11 kW (14.6 bhp) – although learner riders over 21 years old can ride larger bikes when supervised by a Direct Access instructor (see below).

Category A covers motorcycles of all sizes as well as mopeds - if you want to be free to ride all kinds of bike you need one of these.

 

Category A1 licenses restrict riders to machines no larger than a learner motorcycle - very few people go for an A1 license as the tests required are the same as for a Category A license which would permit them to ride any machine.

 

Have you got a valid licence to ride?

If you already have a driving licence, make sure it is valid for the class of vehicle you want to ride (Category P for mopeds, Category A or A1 for motorcycles) also, whether you have only 'provisional' entitlement to ride (ie; as a Learner rider) - provisional licences issued after 1 February 2001 are valid until the rider is aged 70, but provisional licences issued before 1 February 2001 were valid for only two years (so check to see if you need to renew it).

 

If you do not have a valid licence to ride, you need to get a provisional license for motorcycles http://www.dvla.gov.uk/forms/pdf/INF31.PDF and then complete Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/rdmcycle.htm#2 with a training body approved by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) http://www.dsa.gov.uk/ .

 

The provisional licence with CBT certificate allows you to ride on the road unaccompanied, however you must display 'L' plates on the bike and must not carry a passenger or ride on motorways until you pass the tests needed to gain a full license for motorcycles Driver Licensing for Motorcyclists - CBT certificates have a life span of just two years, so if you have not passed the tests to get a full licence by then you must re-take CBT to keep your licence valid for riding.

 

Further information about driving licences and CBT can be found

on the DVLA website http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/drivers.htm

and DSA website

 

Are there any tests?

Before taking the Practical test you must pass the Theory Test for Moped and Motorcycle Riders at a local DSA theory-testing center - even if you already hold a licence for other vehicles. This will include a number of Highway Code questions and some simulations of traffic scenes in a Hazard Perception Test.

 

The Practical Riding Test involves riding a 125cc machine, which most trainers will hire to you while you train and take the test. Good trainers can help you through the Practical and Theory tests and will often arrange appointments for testing on your behalf. (Look in your local press or directories - better still, ask friends and riders who have already passed who they would recommend). Once you have passed your test you can throw away the L-plates, but you can only ride bikes up to 25kw power for the first two years after gaining a full Category A license – after that you can ride anything larger.

 

Alternatively, Direct Access and Accelerated Access schemes allow riders aged 21 or over the option to train and take their test on a bike larger than 125cc, after which they can ride bikes of any size.

 

Full details about the Theory and Practical Tests for, including mock theory and hazard perception tests, can be found at http://www.dsa.gov.uk/cbt/cbt.htm

 

 

[ArtistsRifles]

Other info here too:

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/Motoring/LearnerAndNewDrivers/RidingMotorcyclesAndMopeds/RidingMotorcyclesAndMopedsArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4022568&chk=SQ//zi

[Richard Farrant]

Heck, what a damned performance to get a licence now.

 

When I took my test in the late 1960's, the examiner walked around the streets and told you to do a circuit, stopping you every so often at different places. I noticed him go into a bakery on one of my circuits, next time around he was still in the queue. Those were the days ;-)

 

Richard

[FV601 (R.I.P.)]

Heck, what a damned performance to get a licence now.

 

When I took my test in the late 1960's, the examiner walked around the streets and told you to do a circuit, stopping you every so often at different places. I noticed him go into a bakery on one of my circuits, next time around he was still in the queue. Those were the days ;-)

 

Richard

 

 

Those were the days indeed Richard, Examiners were a different breed then as well especially the one who I took my test with.

 

The emergency stop was a particularly "hairy" experience as he literally leapt from the pavement in front of me. Nearly got him :-o :-D

 

Best test I took though was my RAF driving test when I was a cadet at 614 Gliding School RAF Debden. 15 at the time, up through the gears and down, twice round the perimeter track and then back to the MT section for a cup of tea. I think about 15 minutes in all and then emerged as a fully qualified driver. (was a bugger when i took my civvy test though as I had developed too many bad habits by the time I was old enough to drive legally) :-D

[AlienFTM]

I used to be of the belief that when one had reached 21 one could ride any bike. That was until i was pulled over one day whilst riding my BSA A10.

 

I was lucky enough to get a test in and pass before the court date so was lucky to have the Magistrate look upon it as a mistake on my part but I doubt they would do such these days (this was back in the 70's)

 

Not 100% sure what the law is now but it used to be up to 250cc on an ordinary licence acting as a provisional. Apparently that changed to having to be of a certain age (21 I think) to use a 250cc MC and if you were younger you were limited to a 50cc (hence all the FS1E's that were about)

 

Sorry i cant help more

 

 

In the days of the Fizzy (FS1E) and the Bloop (B100P), they were mopeds by vitue of being under 50cc and having pedals (not that the pedals were a reasonable method of propulsion: they just got the vehicle into the moped bracket). That's why they changed the rules. A moped was all that was available to a 16-year-old.

 

At 17 they could ride anything up to 250cc (and they were getting rather powerful. In Germany, bikes were insurance-rated on their horse power, so the engines in bikes exported there from Japan were less powerful than those exported to the UK. Thus my Yamaha XS20 put out the same power as the German equivalent XS400, which surprised an awful lot of Germans when I left them at the lights. Of course my ex-Para insurance broker didn't want to listen when I tried to correct him over the BHP of my UK-spec bike). Again, that's why they changed the rules.

[ArtistsRifles]

Those were the days indeed Richard, Examiners were a different breed then as well especially the one who I took my test with.

 

The emergency stop was a particularly "hairy" experience as he literally leapt from the pavement in front of me. Nearly got him :-o :-D

 

Best test I took though was my RAF driving test when I was a cadet at 614 Gliding School RAF Debden. 15 at the time, up through the gears and down, twice round the perimeter track and then back to the MT section for a cup of tea. I think about 15 minutes in all and then emerged as a fully qualified driver. (was a bugger when i took my civvy test though as I had developed too many bad habits by the time I was old enough to drive legally) :-D

 

 

When were you at Debden John??? I was there in 1971 or '72 gettting my gliding wings with the ATC. (Apologies for the off topic bit here...)

[FV601 (R.I.P.)]

I was there at that time Neil , finally left in 74 but used to drop back from time to time to keep up my hours, left with a "C" license and held the record for a while for length of flight after a day of exceptionally good thermals.

 

Good times and a great place

 

Which squadron ATC were you with? Mine was 1147 (Barking) Flt Lt. J. Jopson as CO

[ArtistsRifles]

We were neighbours then - 2048 (Dagenham) Sqdn, Flt Lt Jessop was the C/O :-D

 

'72 was my final year as I hit 16 so had to leave. Thats when the old man talked me into joining 215 Sqdn RCT (VR) - "C" Troop, based up in the Mile End road opposite the tube station.