Motorbikes - getting a licence
After years of putting it off, I’ve finally decided to get
my motorcycle licence. But how? Once upon a time it was simply
a case of getting your provisional entitlement from the DVLA and
then applying for a test date.
Then however, in the face of growing concern about the safety
of motorcycles, the Government introduced new legislation in 1990.
The first change to come about as a result of these actions was
the need for all riders to complete Compulsory Basic Training (CBT)
before being able to apply for a test date.
Other changes introduced at the same time also affected the size
and type of bikes riders could use, before and even after they
had gained their licence. To find out just what is involved in
getting a licence and what would be the best way of getting one,
I contacted the British Motorcycling Federation (BMF) Rider Training
Scheme. What follows is a guide to the types of licence and who
can ride what bikes.
CBT is not as bad as it may at first sound. It really is designed
to make you a better rider. The tuition involved in completing
it can be, and indeed is normally, done in a single day. The good
news is that most training agencies run courses on Saturdays. After
a basic eyesight test – reading a standard number plate at
20.5m – you take to your bike on an enclosed training area.
The call of the open roads will have to be suppressed for a couple
of hours. The training ground is used to allow you to familiarise
yourself with the bike’s controls and low speed manoeuvrability
away from the hassles of impatient motorists.
Once that’s out of the way, it’s time to go into the
classroom to learn the correct motorcycle road protocol. The final
part of the day is an actual road riding session. This will last
at least two hours and for the whole time you’ll be followed
by an instructor who’ll be in contact via a helmet-mounted
radio. All you have to do is remember everything you’ve been
told over the day and you’ll pass.
What the changes to the law mean are that once you are 16,
you’ll be able to venture out onto the roads aboard a moped.
To do this you’ll need a provisional moped licence and a
DL196 Certificate (to show you have completed CBT). The other thing
you’ll need, besides a moped of course, is a set of L-plates.
While on the subject, a moped is any powered two-wheeler with an
engine less than 50cc in capacity and a top speed restricted to
less than 30mph. Unfortunately, you can’t take friends out
for a spin on the back of your moped, nor can you cruise the motorway
(though why anybody would want to try either of these manouevres
is quite beyond me).
Just to complicate the matter further, if you are over 17 and
possess a full car licence you can ride a moped without L-plates.
That means no CBT and you’re free to carry passengers – but
still no motorways though. Anyway, I still think tackling the M1
on what is basically a motorised pushbike is a bad move. However,
this does mean that mopeds are the fastest growing sector of the
motorbike market, as harassed commuters leave their cars at home
and board two wheels.
If you are over 17 then the options, motorcycling wise, begin
to open up - not a lot though. The CBT is still a necessary requirement,
but the real advantage of waiting that extra year is the wider
choice of machines you are able to ride. You can now ride any bike
up to 125cc so long as the power output does not exceed 14.6bhp.
However, in order to take to the roads aboard a 125, you need a
provisional motorcycle licence. But here’s the catch: they’re
only valid for two years. If you do not pass your test in this
time, then you’ll be with a bike licence for a year; you
can still ride mopeds though.
As a 17 year old, you’ll have two licence options: A1 or
A. The former will mean that you are restricted to bikes no bigger
than 125cc – just as if you were still a learner. Choose
the later option and for the two years after you pass your test,
you’ll be restricted to bikes with a maximum output of 33bhp
or a power to weight ratio of 0.21bhp/kg. The A1 may seem like
a strange choice, until you realise that it’s aimed at commuter
scooter riders who will never ride, or even need to ride, anything
bigger. They can, however, take passengers and, if they want to,
travel on motorways. Something which some of today’s more
powerful scooters are certainly capable of.
Whichever of the two licence categories you decide to apply for,
the test procedure is the same. Just like getting a car licence,
you’ll need to pass the written theory test before taking
to the road for the practical exam. The actual test is very similar
to the road section of the CBT. Only this time you’ll have
a Driving Standards Agency examiner behind you and in radio contact,
instead of an instructor.
The other point to take note of concerns the actual the bike on
which you take the test. If you are going to be riding a large
bike, it makes sense to take your test on one. For this reason
it has to be between 120 and 125cc and capable of 62.1mph (100kph).
If on the other hand you are coming to the world of motorcycling
as a more mature rider, you get yet another option. Known as Direct
Access (DAS), it allows you to ride any bike - once you have passed
your test. Yes, that means no limit on engine size or power output.
As always there’s a "but", so here it is – you
have to be over 21.
To get your motorcycle licence through DAS, you have to once again
complete CBT - though a great many riders who choose this option
take an intensive course which also includes this necessary element.
The main difference in the test is once again the bike you use,
a bit like the ‘A’ category test. Only in this case
the bike has to be much bigger. The bike needs to have a power
output in excess of 46.6bhp.
The only way to legally practise on a machine of this size is
to be accompanied by a qualified instructor who is in radio contact.
This is one of the reasons why intensive courses are so popular;
you get the hire of a bike, radios and, of course, an instructor
all for a flat fee. All I have to do now is pass the actual test
and get out and ride.
For more details on the BMF Rider Training Scheme call 01274-545552.
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