A Duffer's Guide to Getting A Licence + Newbie Biker Links

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

You have answered your own question

You ned to pass a bike test

Either the A1, A2 or A

If you pass the A then you will be licenced to ride anything you like - one test and done

If you pass the A2 then you will be licenced to ride anything up to 33bhp for two years and then be allowed to ride anythign you like.

If you pass the A1 then you will only ever be allowed to ride a 125cc bike (14.6bhp I believe) unless you take another test.

The A1 is so archaic that I dont know anyone who has taken it in living memory.

The main thing is that it is EXACTLY the same test for all three licences just taken on different sized machines.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

thomas1.icon · L Plate Warrior Joined: 11 Oct 2010 Karma :

The above thought is smart and doesn’t require any further addition. It’s perfect thought from my side.
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Kal · World Chat Champion Joined: 02 Jan 2007 Karma :

Aidanc80 · Borekit Bruiser Joined: 18 Oct 2010 Karma :

Good read guys, Going for CBT on the 30th of october i can't wait i need it for early stars in work and possible new job.

Hope all goes well i have been out on the road driving but the bike at the moment is the cheaper option.

cheers
Aidan

camerooon93 · L Plate Warrior Joined: 07 Feb 2011 Karma :

cheers dude i was a bit unclear about where i was at and what i could ride Thumbs Up

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current bike, 1999 cg 125

Richteabiscui... · L Plate Warrior Joined: 16 Feb 2011 Karma :

Right, this is my first ever post Smile

Basically, i'm 16, 17 on 28th May and the only bike experience i've had is round my mates on a 50cc field bike! And i've never had so much fun in my life and I really want to get myself a bike.

What should I do? People have said about getting a cheap bike to get used to riding, do you mean 50cc, or is 125cc fine as a first bike? Also, I want to do my CBT on a geared bike, do I have to wait untill i'm 17 to take it or could I do it on a geared bike while i'm 16?

Once I have my CBT, what should I get? A 50cc or 125cc? To learn on, or go straight and do one of those tests mentioned on the original post? All this is confusing me, so many things to get passed untill I can actually ride! Crying or Very sad

So err... yeah! Any advice? Btw, if any of you think I should just get a driving license, I have no where near enough money for that, let alone a car and insurance!

Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

1/ apply for your provisional licence, make sure you tick the box for motorcycle entitlement.Cost = £50 + £5 for photos.

2/ You need to 'validate' your provisional by taking a CBT course and gaining a certificate of satisfactory completion. Done through independent training body, this is NOT a 'test' & costs vary. Budget arpox £75 +/- £15 depending on school / area

I advice doing this on a school bike, hire of which usually £25-£50 extra, but lets you 'try before you buy' and find out of you like, and can hack biking, and avoids hassle, as you cant ride a bike you have bought until you've validated your provisional with CBT. Training also gives loads of advice about everything, which is helpful when you come to go look for a bike and the riding kit, plus getting insurance and everything else.

3/ You may ride for up to two years on provisional entilement of CBT certificate, on bike up to 125cc & 14bhp, displaying L-plates without pillion. This is a 'prvilidge' to enable you to practice for your test, as unlike car drivers who CANNOt drive unsupervised on L's, you cant have a passenger on a motorbike. It is NOT a right, for you to be able to do what you like on a bike and never take a test. You dont HAVE to take a test, you dont have to take training, but if you like bikes WHY would you want to bugger about on over-priced tiddlers for ever, for the sake of getting your licence.....

(In your case, as a teenage tear-away, on L's YOU are an accident looking for some-where to happen... repeatedly. follow advice. Get trained, get a licence, make you safe, make you qualified, and you can have almost any bike you like, rather than an over-priced, over-worked, limited performance, limited reliability learner / commuter bike, and be out of the big-danger zone of being a young, inexperienced, untrained, unqualified rider on L-Plates)

4/ Theory & Hazard Perception Test, can be done at ANY time, and pass is valid for two years. Costs £31. Make sure you tck box for motorcycle. Do DVD training course to bone up for it. Cost about £20 in most good book-shops, Halfords, Computer shops etc. There are courses & practce tests on line, but can be a con, or out of date. Buty a copy of the highway code, £5ish, to read in the bog or anywhere else when you hav efive minutes. Road-Craft the Police-Dreivers manual is good too, for about a tenner.

5/ TRAINING. is not a mandatory requirement, BUT. Road training, on your own bike is usually around £25 for a two our lesson, give or take a few quid.

EVERY HOUR of training when you first start riding is worth a DAY of the stuff a year down the line.

Six two hour lessons, one a week for a month and a half, with practice in between, will cost about £150, and is normally enough to bring a complete beginner to test standard, and give them a 90% chance of first time pass.

The Mod 1 and Mod 2 tests are £15.50 & £88.50 each. Go-it-alone learners have something like a 30% First-Time-Pass rate....

So Rider training improved your chances of passing three times, and that £150 of training is likely to pay for itself saving £200 or re-test fees.

Training makes sense. Its NOT expensive, and is likely to save you money, as WELL as make you a better rider, and the sooner you do it in your riding career, the MORE use it is. Leartn how to do it 'Right' right from the start.

6/ You can now decide if you are going to do your training, on a School bike, perhaps in an in tensive course, or buy your own 125, so you can practice on in between. Personally I advise the latter. Its a better way to learn. You can go at your own pace and each 'chunk' of training has more chance of going in and staying in, and making sense as you practice it between lessons.

IF Choosing a 125 to get your training & Test Done on:- Style matters not. Performance matters not. Only thing that matters is being safe, and getting that licence, THEN you can have all the style or performance your wallet and licence will allow, on a bike that ISN'T restricted to 125cc.

Ideal learner bikes are the basic humble commuters, like the Honda CG125, its successor the CBF125 or the Yamaha YBR125. They are cheap, simple, dependable, low maintenence machines, that are easy to ride. They are cheap to insure and cheap to run, and are easily sold, wghen you have finished with them.

Sports 125's are a waste of time. They are all style and no go. Unrestricted they are illegal on L-Plates and often unreliable. Cruiser style 125's are heavy, and unwieldy, and difficult to manouver through cones on tests, making them bludy hard work and not improving your chances of passing any. Dirt-Bike learner legals, are more manouverable, but often no more manageable curtecy of high centre of gravity, while knobly tyres are compromised on tarmac, and dont give you the best chances under e-stop conditions. And you pay a premium for any of them, and thier 'faults'.

Humble 125 commuter/learner just WORKS! Its the tool for the job. So dont pratt about, just get one... its ONLY for a few weeks!

IF chooseing an intensive course, either on a 125 or more expensive DAS on a big bike, if old enough, fine, but you will NOT take in everything your instructors tell you as easily. Information absorbsion and retension in such a period of time is hard, and without practice and experience to explain it or give it relevence much of it wont mean much. It will take MORE training to get you to the same standard, and though it MAY get you through a test, it will only be when you start doing it on your own on the road, pottentially on a big and unrestricted bike, you will start learning. If you do intensive training to test, compensate by planning further training after test, by way of Pass-Plus or advcanced rider training, to do the bite-size learning you didn't do on a 125. & See comments in 10/ about choosing a bike for it.

7/ Mod 1 Test. Off-Road manouvering assignment. Costs £15.50, you HAVE to do this before you can take the Mod 2 'practical' driving exam. You ALSO have to have passed the Theroy & Hazard Perception test, ANd have valid provisional and CBT certificate.

8/ Mod 2 Test. On road followed by examiner on another bike. £88.50. Decides whether you deserve a full licence. You need ALL your documents when you present for test. Provisional licence. Drivers Photo-Card. CBT Pass cert. Theory Pass Cert. Mod 1 Pass cert. ALL must be valid and in date and have your driver number on them. You must also present with fully legal and road-worthy motorcycle, and docs to prove its legal, as in Valid MOT Certificate & Insurance Cert.

Take Mod1 and 2 on a bike not capable of 60mph or less than 120cc, you get an A1 restricted licence, limiting you to learner legal 125's, but you dont have to have L-Plates and you can carry a pillion. Very go for this group, its pretty worthless.

Take Mod 125 on a 125 capable of over 60mph, you get an A2 Restricted licence, which allows you to ride ANY bike you like, but for the first 24 months, it must not have more than 33bhp, and a minimum power to weight ratio. after two year restriction perios, automatically becomes an unrestricted A catagory licence. (This is all you can do 17, becouse you cant do DAS until 21)

Take Mod1 & Mod 2 on a bike over 45bhp, a 500, under the DAS scheme, IF you are over 21, and you gain a full A catagory licence allowiung you to ride any bike, no power restrictions.

9/ Tests Passed.... Tear up the L-Plates, grab a lappy and start trawling the small adds for a bigger bike!

10/ First big bike!

Highly adviseable NOT to jump straight onto ultra-sports bikes, straight after test, but something less 'focused', an allrounder that has a few compromises and will let you experience much more of all biking can be, and let you soak up experience OTHER than just going faster and faster, and for as long as it lasts, living to tell the tale. Choose a Newbie freindly bike, and if coming straight from DAS or intensive training, back it up with Pass Plus or other advanced training. If not, still a good idea. Bike needn't be 'boring' in any shape or form, nor need it be slow, or unglamourouse, just not a single minded sportster.

That taken on board anything is possible, and bikes OVER 125cc give you a heck of a lot more bike for your money.

Little bikes are built down to a price, and are hard worked with limited performance, and if Learner-Legal, tend to be abused and negelcted by clumsy inexperienced, ignorant new riders. Bigger bikes, learners cant ride, so tend to avoid those abuses, and being bigger tend to be that bit more rugged and have more performance so not so thrashed. Also less full licence holders than hopeful newbies, so the bikes tend not to be in such demand, or so over-priced for what you get, and you tend to get a whole load MORE bike for your money.

While trained and qualified you are out of the higher danger-zone of being a complete newbie and stand a much better chance of surviving riding a bigger-bike, and having a whole eheap more fun on it.

BUT, bikes come and go. They get dated, superceded, old, worn out, break-down, get scrapped, crashed, stolen or sold on....

your LICENCE lets you ride ANY bike, and once you have it, you have it until you are 70 years old, or beyond! And it cant be stolen, or crashed. Wont depreciate in value, or cost anything in maintenence... and its worth every penny....

LOOK AT THE COSTS!

- £ 55 Licence
- £ 75 CBT
- £150 Training
- £ 31 Theory Test
- £ 16 Mod 1
- £ 88 Mod 2

Costs £130 JUST to get provisional entitlement to ride something
Costs £150 to learn to ride it properly, & if you want best chance of 1st time passing the Tests
Costs £135 to take the tests

That's between £400 & £500 WITHOUT the bike to get your full licence.

You can comfortably add another £200 for 'basic' riding kit of helmet, gloves and water-proofs.Add £800 for a 'decent' bike and another £250 or so to insure it, you aren't seeing much change out of a couple of grand.

On that basis, very tempting to ecconomise and JUST get provisional licence, CBT, minimal riding kit, and a bike, and hope you can scrape the pennies for the rest as you go along, or simply not bother!

But do that, and you are stretching the time and opportunities to have an accident, and your stay in the biggest danger-zone of newbie-dom. And you are ONLY saving the £150 training and £135 test-fees, becouse you STILL need everything else.... but putting yourself at HUGELY increased risk of harm, for that pittiful price! £280ish to get trained and get tested? NOT worth it in my book. If you cant afford THAT you cant afford a bike, really.

If you skimp, you are at risk. Training, if it saves you ONE silly crash can pay for itself many times over just in money, let alone limbs. Learning you WIL fall off and even a minor spill can cost more than training to replace damaged parts.

and if you dont pass your tests in two years, you have to start over, and repeat CBT, and you'll STILL have to take the tests at some point, and probably training to pass them... so mnore often its just NOT worth it anbd is a falce ecconomy. If you HAVE to make ecconomies, save pennies on the bike or save up longer before getting it, NOT on training or tests.

So do the sums, and budget upfront, and in order, for the licence, CBT, training & tests, THEN riding kit, THEN insurance, THEN see what you have left or need to find before you can get a bike.....

BUT, JUSt to get you trained and tested, humble learner-commuter, and spend as much as you can afford. Better bike you get, better chance you have of it being easy and enjoyable, and straight-forward. Humble commuters are inclined that way anyway, and looking up the market rather than at a cheap heap, you hopefully avoid unreliable machines that wont inspire confiodence or make it as easy to ride, give you estra things to worry about, and if they dont prove reliable extra unneeded hassles.

But get it done, then with full licence in your pocoket, sell to the next newbie in line, for very little loss, and use what you got to go buy a bike that IS what you really want, where you'll find a lot more choice, get a lot more for your money, and bikes that REALLY are as exiting and inspiring as you would like them to be, KNOWING you are trained and qualified to ride it safely.

dont wally about one a 125.... just DO IT and get that bludy licence out the way, and the world is your oyster!
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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?'

N cee thirty · Banned Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Karma :

WHATTTTT!! £88 for mod 2 now ? fucking hell
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'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

Jewlio Iglesias wrote: I actually did vote BNP once

Benson_JV · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 May 2010 Karma :

N cee thirty · Banned Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Karma :

arr good good
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'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

Jewlio Iglesias wrote: I actually did vote BNP once

Kieron · Derestricted Danger Joined: 04 Mar 2011 Karma :

I'm considering my options here and can't decide...

A2 or full A?

I'm not really that fussed about getting a bigger bike in a hurry - I'd be happy to be limited to 33bhp for 2 years so that part isn't what I'm considering. I just want to be able to pass the test, get my L-plates off and get going.

I've already got a 125 which I can do the A2 test on. My theory is that it'll be easier to pass the A2 on a 125 than the A on a bigger bike I'm not used too.
However - I'm a pretty heavy bloke (15st) and my poor old 125 struggles to get to 60mph with a headwind. How essential is it that the 125 is capable of 60mph for your test, or are they OK with 55 mph on a straight.
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Yamaha SR 125 with more miles on the clock than a London Taxi

Frog · Traffic Copper Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Karma :

jannypana · L Plate Warrior Joined: 14 Apr 2011 Karma :

I did my CBT in a day, never ridden before, but was pretty much advised to do direct access.
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Frog · Traffic Copper Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Karma :

Just done mod1 training (on course mock up). First time on a 500, and had no problems at all. Like everyone says, they are easier to ride than a 125.

If you've ridden a bit, I can't imagine you having any problems doing your test on a bigger bike.

Then again, my mod1 is not until Tuesday, so well find out then if I'm talking crap!
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CBT 23/09/10 - Theory 19/03/11 - Mod1 19/04/11 - Mod2 06/05/11
Bikes: CBF125 (sold 30/10/10-25/09/12) - CB400 24/06/11 (broken) Sad

- ER6-f 25/09/2012 Very Happy

promufa · Scooby Slapper Joined: 26 Apr 2011 Karma :

Hi all,

I am doing a PhD degree in the UK at the moment, so I am considered a FT student. I found out on the gov.uk site that I can ride any bike allowed by my home driver licence in the UK for as long as I am a student.

Does anyone know what I need to do when I am no longer a student?

I have an unrestricted EU motorbike licence for around 5 years now (and a car licence for 4 years if its relevant).
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'02 Triumph Speed Four

TheSmiler · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Apr 2011 Karma :

Think it might be good to add some information onto the thread, like basic tools or what to look out for(eg. tire thread checker). I know im currently looking at a bike at the moment but working out the full costs before I get it.. these are going to be part of the cost. So could be helpfull for new drivers.

fatjames · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Jul 2011 Karma :

Hi All, thanks for all the advice. I've got my CBT in a week, and I can't wait to get out on the road.

TheSmiler · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Apr 2011 Karma :

this link might help some people on passing the theory test practice as much as you want for free.
https://www.all4bikers.com/theory/ Thumbs Up

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CB125>CG125>GN125>ER5>K100RS>R1100RS>K100RS
A2 completed 23/07/15 Ready for the Golden Crisp Packet

reddeviljp · Trackday Trickster Joined: 21 Aug 2011 Karma :

Greetings all, I'm new to the forum but not to biking. I used to have a 250 Dream in the day when that was the legal maximum for a learner motorcyclist. Anyhow I've got my CBT tomorrow and then I'll crack on from there. Thanks for the theory test ,also, I just scored 42!Damn.

Nice to read that the vast majority of forum members are extremely helpful, thanks for that.

reddeviljp · Trackday Trickster Joined: 21 Aug 2011 Karma :

Just passed my CBT today. No mishaps at all but I can't say the same for one or two of the students who attended with me.
Primarily, everything you are told is useful, basic and come from years of good practice.The instructor I had spent a great deal of time being informative and building the confidence of those with limited experience. All in all a very good course but tiring. Very Happy

details · L Plate Warrior Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Karma :

Just about to embark on my tests and looking to plan for a new bike in early 2012 so this thread, and the forum generally, are a big help.

Many thanks to everyone for their contributions here, I am sure I will need more help as I read on!
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<have a heart, help a newbie>

Efes123 · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Sep 2011 Karma :

Hi All,

I found this just before I did my Mod 1, and found it very useful, so thought I'd share. Doing my Mod 2 later this month

https://www.mcita.co.uk/downloads_temp/969fa4e9-4a7b-43ec-b2de-b59407cfcc63_Imported_File.PDF
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Honda Goldwing GL 1000 Current love
Honda VT500 ED - SOLD
Projects Suzuki GS125 Done, then stolen - Kawasaki GPX750R SOLD - Honda VF750S SOLD

milesness · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 05 Oct 2011 Karma :

Hi, I'm 18 and just completed my CBT, and I've heard about some changes in January next year in passing the tests to ride a bike of any size.

Would it be a good idea if I buy a 125 bike now, practise on it a lot and then get my Mod 1 and Mod 2 done as soon as possible, especially before the weather makes the roads more dangerous?

Would I need much/any training as well, or could I just see what needs to be done for the Mod 1 and Mod 2 and practise it myself?

Miles

Shielder · Renault 5 Driver Joined: 27 Sep 2011 Karma :

miles, I eventually passed my Mod1 (at the third attempt) just by practicing on my own. It was my U-turns that let me down (my technique was awful!) but once I had done the practice, concentrating on the u-turns in particular, I sailed through the Mod 1, and that was on a Cruiser!

I would get a 125 (make sure it is on the DSA list) and get used to it before booking for your Mods 1 and 2. Do it this year though, just so you don't fall foul of the change.

All, on a related note, I got my license back from the DSA yesterday, and I have the motorbike entitlement, but in the notes column, it says =<25kW, but doesn't give an expiry date. Do I have to send off my license again after 2 years to get the 25kW restriction taken off or not?

Thanks

Andy
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CBT - 22/10/08 & 30/5/11, Theory - 13/06/11, Mod 1 - 26/9/11, Mod 2 - 29/9/11
'00 Suzuki Intruder VL 125 (06/06/09 - now)