One last hurrah!

[steveacoustic...]

Hi guys....
Im a 58 year old ex biker (if there is such a thing!)

Its quite a story but here goes.
I passed my full bike test in 1979 on a Yamaha RD250 and immediately
bought a Honda CB750 four, followed by a Yamaha XS1100 shafter and various other muscle bikes up 1984.
Unfortunately, I got a 3 year disqualification for having a bit too much Watneys Red Barrel in the blood stream.
I was also ordered to take a retest. I took the retest for my car but not the bike (which I now regret)
Now, 36 (clean) years later, I would like to have one last hurrah while Im still fit and able. I even have the wife's blessing!!

I understand I have to take CBT and theory/hazard perception tests and something about A2 licence, which Im not sure I have?
The A2 catergory on the back of my photo licence doesn't have a start and finish date.

The A catergory however does.
I have bought myself another bike as I am confident I'll get through the test regime, but Im a bit confused as to which test Im entitled to go for.

As a footnote, whether or not Id taken the retest, after 36 years off, I would have wanted to be tested again anyway!
Thanks in advance
Steve

[andy_uk]

Is there a restriction code against the A category in column 12
(I'm guessing it could be "79(tri)", which means you're only licensed for a trike.

Regardless of that though, if you want to go through a retest then you can go straight to the 'A' test.
____________________
Aprilia Classic 125, GS500E, ER5-A1, ER5-C4, ER6 & an XJ6 project frame...

[Nobby the Bastard]

I thought one retest got all your entitlements back.
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[Easy-X]

[jpmiller]

Over 24 "A" .
A2 is a restriction for 19 year olds.
If your licence was revoked then you lose all entitlements. So you have do them all again.

[Ste]

[ThatDippyTwat]

I argued with the DVLA on this for over a decade. Got banned on the bike in 1999, (DD40, SP60 - 3 year ban, retake test). When I had my bike test retaken, they said I had to retake the car test to get the car entitlement back. I was not banned in a car, never even accrued a point in a car, mainly because any car I could afford then was fucking boring. I do have a paper copy, pre-ban, with my entitlements present and correct, including full car test from Sep 1996. DVLA are insistent that they revoked the license for the duration of the ban, and that action revokes all categories, you're effectively a new rider/driver. Obviously, this is horseshit, but there's not much you can do. It got too expensive to have a solicitor arguing with them, and they literally make the rules, as it was put to me.

OP - Easiest thing to do it chuck your license details in the online checker, and it'll tell you what the DVLA currently think you have, entitlement/category wise. You can go from there once you know what the situation is.
https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
____________________
'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[Easy-X]

According to the Dot Gov website:

[Pete.]

I never heard of anyone getting a 3 year ban just for drink driving. Nor re-taking a test for that matter. I did hear of people having to prov that they didn't have an underlying drink problem before they could get their licence back though.

Must have been some other factors involved for a 3-year ban and re-take I think.

Anyway, first things first check your entitlements including endorsements. There's a good chance you already have a full Category A licence in which case you probably couldn't re-take your test if you wanted to. You could do a bikesafe course instead.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good