How long have you had your licence?

[Daves gone riding]

Not sure, about 12 years I think.

[1198]

[Bloggsy]

Passed my car test in 1964 and my bike test in 1970 and I'm currently riding a YamahaMT-09
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If It Aint broke Don't Fix It

[Diggs]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Powler]

I passed in 1985, no CBT or theory, just part one which was around cones to show you had the ability this was done on the weekends in the car park of a local factory, if I remember right the company was called Star Rider.
The second part was with official government chaps and on the road and the examiner walked around while you rode a set route around a block.
To do your emergency stop he said when I pull my hand out of my pocket like this(right hand from pocket) I do the stop. Riding around he pulls hand out and I stop, all good.
My friend was doing his test a week or so later same scenario but the examiner used his left hand so the friend rode straight on, he failed.

[A100man]

[mentalboy]

[blamski]

A day!
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inexperienced but enthusiastic middle aged CB500X owner

[recman]

[Capt Sisko]

Got legal in Oct '78, passed my test on a snowy day in Ludlow in Feb '79.

Nowadays they'd have cancelled the test because of the weather. Back then they just ploughed or shovelled the snow to one side and you got on with it.

[F0ulOli]

I bought a bike when I was 16 in the mid 80s, but my parents really didn't want me on a bike, so paid for my driving lessons for a car if I got rid of it. So, after I got a few cars, in my mid 20s decided to get my bike licence before the direct access rules came into force.

So been riding on a full licence since 1996 and while I don't get much chance to ride, or drive for that matter thanks to remote working, I am looking to change that as there really isn't anything better for reminding you that you are alive!
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<enter personality here>

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Got a go on a PW50 type kids bike circa 1982, crashed into hay bales, got a bit carried away with all that horsepower. Didn't get on a bike until a pillion ride in about '96, then CBT around 2002, commuted on a 125cc CG until DAS pass in 2003.
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[Shaft]

I did a deal with my parents where they would buy me my first road bike (a brand new TS50ER) if I did a training course, which wasn't compulsory at the time.

The bike came and the course started a few weeks before I was 16, then I went to the post office and got my provisional moped licence, starting 11/12/1981.

After completing the course, I was invited to stay on as an instructor and it seemed reasonable to expect I wasn't wearing Ls, so I must be one of the few people that have taken a full moped test.

Between getting my provisional and turning 17, the two part test was introduced and the 125 limit was arriving soon, so galvanised by the fact I had already bought my RD250, I did my part one on my 17th birthday (on an XL185 I borrowed for the purpose) and took a cancellation to do my part two in Jan 1983.

I did my car test a few months later and since then I've done every driving test there is (except tracked vehicle, so I can't drive a tank on the road ) including PSV and HGV1, all passed first time.
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Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[yen_powell]

I had someone try and tell me today that still having a paper licence was illegal.
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Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[A100man]

[Shaft]

[dave001]

about 33-34 years

[DUCAUDI]

Since 2018

Part of my mid-life crisis (I was 33 at the time, but I'm not planning on living beyond 66).

Just decided to fill in all of those empty boxes on the back of my licence one day. Almost like completing a computer game. I think I just got sick and tired of having to hear truckers bang on about how the general public don't understand what it's like and how hard it is to drive an artic and they should make everyone sit in the cab of one as part of the car test so new drivers understand the challenges they face. Yawn-o-rama, change the record!

First was HGV class 2

Then Class 1 (which automatically gave me trailer entitlement for cars)

Then PSV (which also gave me trailer entitlement for PSV carried over from the HGV)

Then motorcycle

There's two left after that; Category G (road roller) and category H (tracked vehicles).

Managed to find some bloke in Essex with a steam traction engine offering one-day tuition and test so done that.

https://www.essexsteam.co.uk/categoryg.php

Cannot for the life of me find anywhere that does category H training or tests! Well, one place in Norwich has a tank and does it but the tank has a broken driveshaft, has had for years, they can't get the part to fix it so category H is off the menu until they get it fixed, which will probably be never I have been badgering them since 2018 if they've got it fixed yet! Anyone got any ideas on this as it's the last one I still need to do. Seems only military and farmers have this one.

Done a freedom of information request to DVLA back in 2018 asking how many people in the UK currently have all categories full and unrestricted (A, BE, CE, DE, G & H). The answer came back - 26!

Only 31 people with all those except H so I'm still, fairly special, so everyone keeps telling me!

I really wanna be in that elite 26 though.

https://i.ibb.co/QJ7CT5L/FOI.png

Anyway back to biking. Only done it to tick the bok and say I have it. Never had any intention of becoming a 'biker', as such. CBT was all fine and dandy but the penny didn't drop until I mounted that glorious ER6N and was allowed by my tutor to open her up a bit out on the public road. That's when the penny dropped, I'd got the bug, realised what I'd been missing all those years. My life would not be the same again from that moment on. Since then, it seems to have overtaken all of my other interests and hobbies. It's really all I care about or am interested in now. Not even fussed about having a nice/fast car any more. Happy to just drive round in the taxi everywhere. Don't need a nice car, my bike is my pride and joy now.
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2023 DucAudi Mehrstraße V4 Hechte Gipfel - "Objectively the best motorcycle ever produced" - "You can have any colour, as long as it's red"
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S

[Lone-Wolf]

Wotcha.

Passed my test on a BSA Bantam back in the days when The Wurzels were No.1 in the charts

So 47 years then.
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Cheers.
^..^
L.W. - www.moonshiners.org.uk

[Musketeer]

15 years
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Current Bike: Yamaha XSR900 Previous bikes: Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, Aprilia RS125 2-stroke

[dave001]

32 years

[blurredman]

no posts exist!
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S.
Current: 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (bored to 295cc) - 38k, 1990 MZ ETZ251 - 49k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 9k, 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 17k.

[A100man]

..still
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Now: A100, GT250A, XJ598, FZ750

Then: Fizz, RS200, KL250, XJ550, Laverda Alpina, XJ600, FZS600