Buying | Licencing | Security

MOTORBIKES – GETTING A LICENCE

SO YOU WANT TO BE A BIKER?

We check out everything you need to know to get a licence and get started….

So, after years of putting it off, you’ve finally decided to get your motorcycle licence. But how? Once upon a time it was simply a case of getting your provisional entitlement from the DVLA and then applying for a test date. Then however, in the face of growing concern about the safety of motorcycles, the Government introduced new legislation in 1990. The first change to come about, as a result of these actions, was the need for all riders to complete Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), before being able to apply for a test date.

Other changes introduced at the same time also affected the size and type of bikes riders could use, before and even after they had gained their licence. To find out just what is involved in getting a licence and what would be the best way of getting one, we contacted the British Motorcycling Federation (BMF) Rider Training Scheme. What follows is a guide to the types of licence and who can ride what bikes. Here are the basics:

Licence Entitlement
· Your licence must have the category for the machine you wish to ride.
· Provisional motorcycle entitlements on licences issued before 1st February 2001 expired after 2 years. The law has now changed and holders of these licences can apply to have their licence replaced with one that will include provisional motorcycle entitlement. Application forms available at the post office should be sent to DVLA. Provisional Moped Licence (Category P)
· At the minimum age of 16 years you may ride a moped.
· This is a machine with max speed of 50km (approx 31mph) and an engine size max of 50cc.
· L Plates must be displayed and you cannot carry passengers or ride on the motorway.
· You must complete a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) course to validate your licence. On satisfactory completion you will be issued with a DL196 certificate, which is valid for 2 years. Provisional Motorcycle (Category A)
· Minimum age for this category is 17 years.
· This is a machine up to 125cc with a maximum power output of 11kw.
· Everyone who has not already taken a full bike test must take a CBT to validate their licence to ride this size machine.
· L Plates must also be displayed.

Full Car Licence Holders
· If you hold a full car licence that was issued before 1st February 2001 it will automatically give you full moped entitlement.
· This means you will not need to take a CBT (although this is recommended), and you may ride without L Plates.
· If your licence was issued after 1st February 2001 you must take a CBT to validate your full moped entitlement.

Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) is not as bad as it may at first sound. It really is designed to make you a better rider. The tuition involved in completing it can be, and indeed is normally, done in a single day. The good news is that most training agencies run courses on Saturdays. After a basic eyesight test – reading a standard numberplate at 20.5m – you take to your bike on an enclosed training area. The call of the open roads will have to be suppressed for a couple of hours. The training ground is used to allow you to familiarise yourself with the bike’s controls and low speed manoeuvrability, away from the hassles of impatient motorists.

Once that’s out of the way, it’s time to go into the classroom to learn the correct motorcycle road protocol. The final part of the day is an actual road riding session. This will last at least two hours and for the whole time you’ll be followed by an instructor, who’ll be in contact via a helmet-mounted radio. All you have to do is remember everything you’ve been told over the day and you’ll pass. For more details on the BMF Rider Training Scheme call 01274-545552.