trike licences

philwal · L Plate Warrior Joined: 01 May 2007 Karma :

I passed my bike test in the 70's, car early 80's.
However my licence does not include B1 (trikes) with a picture of a three wheeler - there is just a dotted line. although it does include sidecars. Am I covered for trikes and reliants? I always thought I was. All the other vehicles have their letters typed in.
Am I just being confused?

thegubner · World Chat Champion Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Karma :

you can ride a trike on a car licence mate

mr.z · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Karma :

Its a bit of a legal grey area

If you have a car licence its not really important, ideally you'd have both.

On a bike liecnce you can ride a BIKE based trike (i.e. the V5 says suzuki bandit 3wheeld vehivle) BUT it must have a bike style seat, not a bench..

If you have a car licence your covered for both generally, so bike/car/reliant based trikes with any kind of seat you fancy.

It might be worth pming odie, hes not on here that often but he is indeed the man to ask on all things trike related Thumbs Up

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Kal · World Chat Champion Joined: 02 Jan 2007 Karma :

If the Trike is listed on the V5c as a Trike then you require class B1

If it is listed as a three wheeled bike on the V5c you can get away with it on the Bike licence, however it will prove difficult to insure.

Because of when you passed your test you should have class B1 automatically, however the DVLA seem to lose catagories people are licenced for from time to time and that can be difficult to have it put back on your licence.

Class B1 was removed from Motorcycle licences following the 2001 study "Safer Motorcycling" because it would only affect as minority of motorcyclists.

You can have B1 added to your licence as a provisional entitlement, however I am finding it very difficult to get them to do that for me. With provisional entitlement I can either ride a multi-seat trike with a Pssenger bearing a full class B1 on their licence or I can ride a single seat trike on my own with L plates.

I will avoid venting my spleen about the fact CAR drivers can hop straight onto any trike they like and ride it despite the fact it has nothing in common with a car. grrrr. Merchant Bankers.
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Kal...
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