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UK Motorbike Legislation |
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Current motorcycle legislation is complex, but here is a summary of requirements to help you see what you need in place before riding.
As a fully approved Driving Standards Agency Trainer, all you need to comply with the law is understood and taught on our courses. This gives you supreme confidence that you are getting the best attention to both skilled riding and also important law compliance.
Motorcycle Licence Requirements
If you have a provisional motorcycle licence, you MUST satisfactorily complete a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course. You can then ride on the public road, with L plates for up to two years.
To obtain your full licence you MUST pass a motorcylce theory test and then a practical test.
If you have a full car licence you may ride motorcycles up to 125cc and 11kW power output, with L plates on public roads but you MUST first satisfactorily complete a CBT course if you have not already done so.
If you have a full moped licence and wish to obtain a full mototcycle entitlement, you will be required to take a motorcycle theory test if you did not take a seperate theory test when you obtained your moped licence. You MUST then pass a practical motorcycle test.
Note that if a CBT was completed for the full moped licence there is no need to repeat it. However, if the moped test was taken before 1/12/90 then a CBT will need to be completed before riding a motorcycle as a learner.
Light motorcycle licence (A1)
You take a test on a motorcycle of between 75 and 125cc. If you pass you may ride a motorcycle up to 125 cc with a power output up to 11kW.
Standard motorcycle licence (A2)
If your test vehicle is between 120 and 125cc and capable of more than 100kph, you will be given a standard (A) licence. You will then be restricted to motorcycles of up to 25kW for two years. After two years you may ride any size machine.
Direct or Accelerated Access
This enables riders over the age of 21, or those who reach 21 before their two-year restriction ends, to ride a larger motorcycle sooner.
To obtain a licence to do so you are required to:
- have successfully completed a CBT course
- pass a theory test, if required to do so
- pass a practical test on a machine with a power output of at least 35kW.
To practise, you can ride larger motorcycles, with L plates on public roads, but only when accomplanied by an approved intsructor on another motorcycle in radio contact.
(You MUST NOT carry a pillion passenger or pull a trailer until you have passed your test.)
Moped licence requirements
Mopeds are up to 50cc with a maximum speed of 50kph.
To ride a moped, learners MUST
- be 16 or over
- have a provisional moped licence
- complete a CBT course.
You MUST first pass the theory test for motorcycles and then the moped practcial test to obtain your full moped licence.
If you passed your driving test before 1 February 2001 you are qualified to ride a moped without 'L' plates, although we do recommend that you complete a CBT with us before riding on the road.
If you passed your driving test after this date, you MUST complete a CBT before riding a moped on the road.
Note: For motorcycle and moped riders wishing to upgrade, the following give exemption from taking the motorcycle theory test
- full A1 motorcycle licence
- full moped licence, if gained after 1/7/96.
New Motorcycle Legislation for 2008 onwards
2008 Motorcycle Test
Background to the reasons for the project
The new practical motorcycle test is being introduced in October 2008 to comply with European legislation, which aims to improve the standard of road safety for motorcycle and moped riders.
This user group have been identified as having a high risk of injury or death. This is particularly the case for young and inexperienced riders.
The new one test event will contain two elements. The Higher speed manoeuvres and other exercises will be tested on safe off-road sites and take about 8 minutes to complete.
The accompanied riding element of the test will follow, consisting of a road ride include normal stops, hill and angle starts.
Candidates who have exhibited riding skills of a dangerously incompetent level during the off-road part of the test will not be permitted to proceed to the on-road element.
The new test will be delivered from a network of sites provided either directly by DSA or via private developers. Many of the centres will be Multipurpose Test Centres (MPTC) providing both motorcycle and car testing facilities.
Some will provide Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) and Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) testing facilities. Some low use sites will only provide motorcycle testing.
What is different about the new motorcycle test?
The new EU standards set extra and more demanding special manoeuvres that must be included in every practical motorcycling test. These new standards include:
at least two manoeuvres being carried out at slow speed, including a slalom
at least two manoeuvres being carried out at higher speed, of which one manoeuvre should be in second or third gear, at a speed of at least 30 km/h (18.6 mph) and one manoeuvre avoiding an obstacle at a minimum speed of 50 km/h (31.1 mph)
at least two braking exercises, including an emergency brake at a minimum speed of 50 km/h (31.1 mph)
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