Can anyone help me with the UK licencing system?

[McGumba]

Hi everyone!

I currently ride a Honda CBF125 with learner plates. I'll be 19 in about 2 months so I'll want to go on to an A2 licence so I can get a bigger bike. I've been looking around and it seems my question isn't answered anywhere. As most people know, you have to do a theory and two practical modules to go from a CBT licence to an A1 licence and the same again to get an A2 unless you have two years experience. So here's my question.

When I turn 19 and I am able to get an A2 licence, can I just do one theory and the 2 A2 practical modules to go straight from a CBT licence to an A2 licence?

If I can, I'll have saved a lot of money and I'll have and I'll have my precious Yamaha R3.

Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks!
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McGoombs

[Andy_Pagin]

Yes, if you're old enough you just need to do theory/mod1/mod2 once for the A2.
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They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[NJD]

As above.

[McGumba]

[NJD]

[mentalboy]

[techathy]

As others have said only the comparison sites can answer that with reasonable accuracy.

I was pricing up 2015 bikes . I'm 35, 0 years experience on a motorbike but 18 years NCB on my car. Best quotes for a Z1000 was £840/year, Z1000SX £915/year, Yamaha R1 £920/year & KTM RC390 £965/year. I get the Z1000 & Z1000SX difference, fairings are easy to damage & expensive to replace. But the Yam R1 v's KTM RC390 Confused? I am!

[Rogerborg]

[Teflon-Mike]

[stevo as b4]

So half the A2 bikes specifically made for A2 license holder's cannot be used to take a test ok??

And most of the over 395cc bikes already out there need to be restricted to 47bhp to be eligible for using on a test. Beautiful, just Beautiful eh!

How the EU expects anyone new and young to actually want to have the desire to pass motorcycle tests and get licensed is way beyond me!

I'd also be a tight bastard and try to stick two finger's up at the system by boycotting A2 altogether and staying with a 15bhp 125 until age 24 instead. I think if enough uk want to be riders did this then sales of A2 bikes would plummet and force a re-think on the system just maybe?

[Val]

Welcome to the forum

[Teflon-Mike]

Its a question of ecconomics and practicality;
Its easy enough to build A2 licence and A2 test eligible bikes; they are just over 500cc, and a 'dealer option' of a base model that makes more than A2 power to start with, like the ER6, supplied with a 'factory' restricted ECU, as the Schools buy.
The sub 400cc commuters, are just that; range fillers, in the smaller displacements, where they are significantly living closer to the 'ecconomy' lightweights than they are the 'exiting' big bikes, in the makers ranges, squeezed into a price bracket between 'premium' lightweights and 'ecconomy' big-bikes, where buyers expect price to be proportional to engine size...
And to most customers its a non-issue; they don't need or want a bike to be both A2 licence and A2 test eligible.. most will get their licence by doing a course on a school bike anyway; and the few customers who may want a bike to be A2 test eligible as well as A2 licence eligible so they can 'save' money not doing a course, then they aren't going to pay the extra for one are they? and even if they DO.. there's still the option of a dealer restricted ER6 or similar.
Bikes like the 300 ninja and R3, are essentially profitability exercises; take a cost-cutting 'ecconomy commuter' and dress it up in fancy plastic to look like the 600 & 1000cc sports bikes, A2 licence holders really want, but cant have, add as little extra cost to make it over a more functional utilitarian YBR250 or CBF250 as you can, sell it for as much as the fashion victims who put the premium on the 'looks' will tolerate...
There's no real 'hoops' or impediments being placed by the test regs.. yup they are a bit 'wampy'; but thier intent was to encourage new riders to take formal training, to improve Driver Standards... curiousely that is in thier departments title! And yes, there was more than a little intent to discourage younger and newer riders from higher performance machines, and motorcycles in general! - No bikers means no bike accidents, don't it? But that wasn't their primary objective; which was to rationalize EU laws across the community and close up loop-holes likely to let less responsible riders have easy access to less sensible machinary.
I don't think that the powers that be will be in any hurry to change the test regs to pander to a very few folk who want to buy more 'flashy' 200-350cc bikes, and use them to take tests on, instead of taking a training course... answer's simple; "Do a course, kid, and buy a less flashy bike!"
IF they change the regs at all, it will, I suspect to impose the same sort of requirements on the A1 licence, and do away with CBT'ing... its not in strict accordance with EU law to begin with, letting any-one ride a motorvehicle, unsupervised prior to passing tests for licence.
So when they do that, it'll be the same deal all round; do a course, get a licence THEN buy a bike to suit your licence.
At which point, the 'saving' currently enjoyed by so many, which is that they can, currently ride a 125 without having to do more than a one day 'Basic Training' course, might become a little more apparent... to which moral I offer that you count your blessings and appreciate what you ARE saving under the current system, rather than bemoaning what you cant save trying to beat it!
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Rogerborg]

[techathy]

I never understood why there was a minimum cc limit. Power sure but why cc limit?

[Suntan Sid]

Rant incoming:-

[stevo as b4]

Can see your point, though it took me a while to see that was the motive for the way it's all gone to shit.

Personally I don't think everyone is trying to dodge the system like TM says people seem to want to do. The system is shit and that is it!

Surely they would change the laws if zero people were going through the progressive license system that's been brought in with no thought at all. As for all the silly hoops for test machine eligibility I'll never get my head around why it must a be a bike over xxx cc but under xxx cc and must either be under 47bhp or a machine that was under 94bhp before being restricted?

A 47bhp bike is a 47bhp bike, it should not matter if learners are rocking up to the test centre on an RG250 or a Transalp etc?

Also I do think that if the uk and European markets are at all important to global bike sales, scrapping A2 would I would like to think persuade if not force Honda/Kawasaki/Yamaha to put more thought and focus and expense into their 250-500cc bikes, instead of making easy money on old tat with some shiny clothes on?

Before they said it was the Economy why we had single cylinder CBR's and such like, what would be their excuse now if A2 was scrapped?

And lastly why should an older rider with a CG125 in the shed have to go out and buy or rent a bigger bike to pass an unrestricted test on? And if there is a good reason why, then I think they should allow provisional licence old farts to trundle down to their lessons and test centre on a Fireblade with L-plates, just to make it easier for sensible people to get their big bikes to the test and training locations.

Are Brussels going to come out and say we don't trust a 60year old with a 125, not to go out and kill everyone with his newly purchased Blade the day after?

there's no sense in DAS for older people, training is training and a test is a test! And experience on the road is experience, no matter if it was done on a CB125 or a CBR900RR?

[techathy]

[mauzo]

[Rogerborg]