Car on motorcycle licence

[krarkol]

While watching an older top gear episode where they had the reliant robin on, one of the guys on it explained that miners who only had a bike licence favoured them as they could drive them with just that. I know in the EU they have those 500cc diesel "quadricycle" aixam's.

I was wondering if it was still possible to do this nowadays? I won't be able to afford a car licence for a long time yet so was wondering if there was a loophole that allowed me to drive some sort of car (3 or 4 wheeled) without having to get a driving licence aswell?
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Bandit 600 - deaded

[iMark]

My uncle does the same, he's just got another reliant robin infact, but he has had his licence for years so I'm not sure how it works exactly lol.
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K8 GSXR 1000
"G" : you got him to have a look at a forum which seems to have established a picture of an erect penis in a cat's mouth as it's mascot and thought he might consider it ok?

[krarkol]

I did see it mentioned on a forum that you can drive an aixam on an unrestricted motorcycle licence but it was a few years ago so it might have changed. I just thought with us being part of the EU and having a lot of their laws over here now that we'd "inherit" the licence free car laws also
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Bandit 600 - deaded

[J.M.]

Pretty sure they changed it so that you needed a car licence for one now.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Cadbury]

Well, it has changed. And it is anything but simple.

Previously - when you passed your full motorcycle licence, you got the letters A and B1.
A was for motorcycles, B1 was for trikes, and quadricycles

Now, when you pass your licence you just get A. The B1 has now been moved to car licence.(B)

HOWEVER - Come January 19th with the 3DLD, they will be putting B1(limited to trikes only) BACK to motorcycles.....

It doesn't end there though.....

In Europe, they distinguish between light and heavy quadricycle, and so to bring us in line with them, so will the UK.
This means that full motorcycle holders will now get AM added in place of the moped requirement - currently 'P' I believe.
This means that you will be able to drive LIGHT quadricycles, but not HEAVY.

A reliant robin is classed as a HEAVY quadricycle.

Aixam will be releasing this, which is a LIGHT quadricycle:
https://www.velocityjournal.com/images/org/2012/580/ai2012coupegti58051359_600.jpg

Be warned, they may look like a car, but they do not have a cars performance. To fit in line with the definition on an L6E light quadricycle, they are a 400cc diesel engine and the speed has to be restricted to..... 30mph. I don't know how the restriction takes place, but i believe they can be de-restricted to achieve around 65mph ish, although don't quote me on that.

Also, as this is a new car for the UK, they are pretty expensive, they haven't put the UK price online yet, but in france they start at 9000 Euro.
https://uk.aixam.com/en/coupe

I'm in the same situation as yourself - bike licence but no car licence, so I've delved into this quite a bit. Feel free to PM me if there is anything else you would like to know.

[c_dug]

And will those of us who did our licence inbetween the removal of B1 removals a the January changes have the new allowances added? Or are we the losers in the situation?
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[krarkol]

I know they are fairly expensive new and at the moment in the UK are actually fairly pointless as they are only ok as a cheap commuter yet cheap commuters can be had for a lot less brand new.

However, I have seen the older models for around £600 on autotrader and for me to insure on a provisional licence its around £600-700 a year compared to the £8000 they want on my dads civic so I was thinking it would be a good possibility, I was just unsure on the rules as the direct.gov website is a load of shite for finding anything out really!

Also, speed wise, they are apparently capable of about 40 comfortably and can go up to 50 at a push but you obviously wouldn't want to stay there too long I just thought it would be a nice little commuter to university during winter
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Bandit 600 - deaded

[Derivative]

Picking you up on the 'University' comment.
Have you checked insurance costs?

I'm 22 and as far as I'm concerned the cost of a car is largely irrelevant in my 'can I afford it' equation. Insurance costs are >2k a year, when I pay 300 for my CB5.

Driving lessons cost me roughly 1000 (already done them), so the insurance is really the major factor in my age bracket.

edit: just saw the above post, oops.

[Slacker24seve...]

[Derivative]

Exactly.

On another level, as far as I'm concerned, what does it matter if I pay 3000 for a car? As long as it doesn't depreciate significantly before I sell it on, it's not a huge deal.

More than even one grand annually in insurance costs is a deal breaker for me. That's money that I will never see again.

I've bought a new computer and it doesn't have a UK keyboard so I'm unable to post pound signs for now Sorting it out when I can be bothered.

[JamesDH27]

Hi there, my name is James, I am a final year automotive & transport design student at Coventry university. Currently i'm undertaking a research project on how quadricycles could help to improve peoples independence, whether they have a driving licence or not whether it be a car or motorbike licence. Please would anyone mind taking a few minutes to complete this quadricycle survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9J5QMZP
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J Hughes

[Knightsy]

[Efes123]

[Billo63]

[Rogerborg]

[reed]

I have spent quite a while trying to find information on this, and so far all i have found is that trikes are going back to bike licences after january 19th. No idea if the changes will add the entitlement to us people who got the licence in the middle of the two changes, or whether only new riders (after January 19th) will get it.

It's all so confusing. I just want to know if i can get a reliant robin after january haha
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Generic XOR 50, Gilera SMT 50, GSXR 400 GK73A, Ducati Monster 600, Honda Hornet 600.
Sold. Stolen. Written off. Sold. Current.

[andy_uk]

[hedgehugger]

Nope, 16 year olds will be allowed to drive them won't they.
16 year olds with parents with deep pockets anyway.

[Nope.]

[hedgehugger]

That shuts me up doesn't it

So do the 16 year olds have to have a full moped license? or just CBT?

[Nope.]

[reed]

If they don't/ aren't going to (still not sure what's going on with that) allow people with a full motorbike licence to drive trikes or Quad bikes, how is it logical to allow a 16 year old to drive a dangerously slow car on nothing but a moped licence?

Clearly the confusion of vehicle classification etc. will continue after these new rules.
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Generic XOR 50, Gilera SMT 50, GSXR 400 GK73A, Ducati Monster 600, Honda Hornet 600.
Sold. Stolen. Written off. Sold. Current.

[salty21]

[reed]

You just said exactly what I think, I bet us 2000-2012 licence holders will be the ones who can't go out rolling over Reliants in the winter.

I too want a little 'car' for the winter, I wonder what insurance would be like for one seeing as they aren't technically a car. Probably still stupidly high
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Generic XOR 50, Gilera SMT 50, GSXR 400 GK73A, Ducati Monster 600, Honda Hornet 600.
Sold. Stolen. Written off. Sold. Current.

[krarkol]

Why do we not get a full moped licence automatically with a full bike licence?

Surely showing that we are capable of handling a geared 125 in test conditions should be enough to allow us to have one, seeing as we can ride a twist and go 50 without L plates anyway?

I want a cheap little diesel for winter god dammit! £1000 and I can get an older aixam and insurance ffs
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Bandit 600 - deaded