Getting a motorcycle license is often the first experience that a biker will have of motorcycles on the road, sometimes you would've been on the back of a friend's bike, or pottered around a car park. As such it's important that you understand how to abide by the rules, and know exactly what you need to do to ride the bike you want.
Car licensing is relatively simple by comparison - you simply sit a theory and a practical test, but getting a full motorcycle licence has considerably more restrictions. Your age is the major limiting factor - the older you are, the larger capacity and higher power you'll be able to take the test for.
The place where all riders start however is the CBT, short for Compulsory Basic Training. As the name says, this isn't actually a test, but simply training, and it takes the form of a day's training in basic motorcycle road theory, basic manoeuvres as well as some time on the road. There is a possibility you can fail, but it's generally uncommon and providing you don't keep dropping your bike and not paying attention you should get your CBT certificate at the end of the day. You can do the CBT on a geared or automatic 50cc (16 years+) or 125cc bike (17 years+), but if you want to progress further you'll need to do it on a 125cc - and decide whether you will be wanting to use gears or not. A CBT gives you the ability to ride either up to 50cc or 125cc with L plates, with no passengers and no motorways.
Once you've done this you'll need to pass a motorcycle theory test, and this is the most similar part of the process to getting a car licence. You go to a test centre, and answer multiple choice questions on road theory, with a few motorcycle specific questions thrown in. After that you need to do a hazard perception test, which consists of the videos of driving, during which hazards will appear. Your job is to click when hazards appear and when you'll need to alter speed or course in response.
This is where your age really affects what you can do next. Up to the age of 19 you're only able to ride up to a 125cc machine, 19-24 up to 47bhp, and from 24 onwards you can do Direct Access to get on any bike you'd like. The tests are the same for each - once you have your CBT and theory test under your belt, you must complete the Mod 1 and Mod 2 tests (in sequence) on a certain capacity machine. I'll cover the capacity choices shortly.
The Mod 1 test is all about manoeuvres - you'll need to push your bike around correctly, conduct avoidance manoeuvres, emergency stops as well as slow speed manoeuvres to prove you are at least somewhat able to handle the bike in a range of scenarios. The test takes place offroad in a large tarmac area. You can afford minor mistakes, however there are some that can cause you to fail straight away, but you should continue anyway as the practice will be valuable.
On successful completion of the Mod 1 test you can then book a Mod 2, which bears a lot of resemblance to the car practical test. This involves road riding with an examiner following on a bike or car, with you wearing an earpiece to receive instructions. The earpiece is only one-way so you can curse the examiner's name all you like! During the test you'll be directed down a variety of roads to check your observations, positioning and understanding of the road environment. Providing you haven't accrued too many minor, or any major, faults you'll be handed your Mod 2 certificate, and you'll be able to send off for your shiny new motorcycle licence.
I mentioned I'd cover what bikes you can ride, and what you'd be riding on your tests, and unfortunately for the younger rider it can be something of a waiting game. The testing is identical, it's simply the capacity/power that changes. From 17-19 you can sit your A1 tests on a 125cc bike and are then entitled to ride a 125cc without L plates, with a pillion and on motorways. Arguably a CBT allows you to do all you'd like to on a 125 so this licence seems slightly pointless. From 19-24 you're able to ride a bike with up to 47bhp (or restricted down from up to 94bhp), and you'll be doing the A2 test on a machine with those specs. 24 upwards you'll be on something with at least 47bhp for the A test, however it's generally not much more. There is actually one more licence, the AM which you can sit from 16 years old, and it's done on a 50cc bike which allows you to ride without L plates and with passengers.
Hopefully this goes some way to explaining the minefield of getting your motorcycle licence - if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask in the comments, or even swing by Bike Stop in Stevenage where you can ask your questions, check out gear you'll be wanting to keep safe in your future biking career, or simply enjoy a delicious Lavazza coffee and cake. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to our mailing list to keep up to date on events happening at Bike Stop throughout the year.
