FULL BIKE TEST – INFORMATION
If you read through the following Information it will explain which category of licence applies to you and which would be the best course to suit your age and experience to pass the full bike test.
Before any training, you must have a provisional UK Licence, then the first step is to take your Compulsory Basic Training. (CBT) If you have a European licence you will need to get a form D from the post office and convert it to a UK licence before you can start training.
On completion of your CBT, at 16 you can ride a moped up to 49cc, either Automatic or Manual and at age 17 and above you can ride a 125cc bike. If in 2 years’ time you haven’t gone onto further training and passed a full bike test to obtain your full licence, you will need to re-take the CBT. Riding on a CBT you must display L plates and you cannot carry a pillion passenger.
To obtain your full bike test licence you MUST pass a motorcycle theory test and then a practical test. Law MV(DL)R regs 16 & 68. The theory test can be booked at www.gov.uk
Full bike test categories
A1 motorcycle licence: At age 17 or over, you take a full bike test on a motorcycle without sidecar of between 120 and 125 cc. When you pass, you may ride a motorcycle up to 125 cc with power output up to 11 kW, or a motor tricycle with power not exceeding 15 kW.
A2 motorcycle licence: At age 19 or over, you take a full bike test on a motorcycle without sidecar of at least 395 cc with a power output of at least 25 kW but not exceeding 35 kW. When you pass, you may ride any motorcycle not exceeding 35 kW and with a power to weight ratio not exceeding 0.2 kW/kg.
Full A motorcycle licence/ Direct Access: At age 24 or over, you take a full bike test on a motorcycle without sidecar, of at least 595 cc and an engine power of at least 40 kW. This gives you full access to all motorcycles and motor tricycles, with no power restriction.
Category A under progressive access: You can take a category A practical test at age 21 if you already have an A2 licence that you’ve held for a minimum of two years. You don’t need to take another theory test or hold a CBT certificate. If, however you take the A2 test when you are 23 and at 24 you want to take the A test, you will need to have a valid theory certificate.
You MUST NOT carry a pillion passenger or pull a trailer until you have passed your test. Also, see Rule 253 covering vehicles prohibited from motorways. Law MV(DL)R reg 16
What’s involved in the test?
To pass all the categories, after passing the theory test you have 2 practical tests to pass, known as the Mod 1 and the Mod 2. The Mod 1 is all off road and includes slow handling skills and higher speed manoeuvres and the Mod 2 test is a 35-minute road ride with the examiner riding behind you giving you directions.
With plenty of experience behind us we have an excellent pass rate and our best run on the Mod 1 test is 55 first time passes on the trot. Well done to all pupils and especially Jody who made it 50 out of 50. Just for good measure he went on to pass his Mod 2 test in the afternoon and he is pictured here with both of his certificates.
Now on the video below watch a pupil coming through the swerve manoeuvre at 54kph
Choosing the right course for you
It depends on your previous experience as to which course is the most suitable for you. If you are confident on a geared bike and have already passed your CBT, it is the 3-session course.
If you are confident on a geared bike but need to do your CBT, it is the 4-session course.
If you have very limited experience on gears but maybe ridden a moped before you could be ok on the 5-session course.
If you are a complete novice on bikes you would benefit from the full 6 session Novice course.
From here go to
A1 LICENCE for riders from the age of 17 and taken on a 125.
A2 LICENCE for riders from the age of 19 and taken on a 400.
A2 TO A LICENCE/PROGRESSIVE for riders who have held an A2 licence for 2 years and taking the progressive route to the full A licence and taken on a 600.
A LICENCE/DIRECT ACCESS for riders from the age of 24 and taken on a 600.
THE PROGRESSIVE ROUTE, for someone starting out at 16, who is as keen to ride a motorcycle as I was at that age ? the quickest way to a full licence is the Progressive Route. You start with a CBT at 16 to gain some initial experience on a moped.
At 17 you can move up to a 125 and you could take your A1 test but very few people bother because all it allows you to ride is a 125, although you can take your L plates off and carry a pillion. I personally wouldn’t bother, I would just re-take the CBT at 18. There is no need to take the A1 test, to allow you to take the A2 test, you just have to be 19.
At 19 you can take the A2 test on a 400, so you can move up to a bigger bike and if you have been riding a 125 for 2 years, you shouldn’t find it difficult.
After holding an A2 Licence for 2 years you can take the A Licence test, so although you must take the test again, by the time you are 21, you can hold a full licence with no restrictions.