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PASSING YOUR TEST
What sort of bike do you want to ride?
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MOPED: To ride a moped you must be aged 16 or older with Category P entitlement on your driving license. Mopeds have engines smaller than 50cc, their maximum speed is restricted to 30mph and they are not allowed on motorways.
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MOTORCYCLE: To ride a motorcycle you must be aged 17 or older with Category A or A1 entitlement on your driving license. Learner riders are restricted to bikes with an engine up to 125cc and 11 kW (14.6 bhp) – although learner riders over 21 years old can ride larger bikes when supervised by a Direct Access instructor (see below).
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Category A covers motorcycles of all sizes as well as mopeds - if you want to be free to ride all kinds of bike you need one of these. |
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Category A1 licenses restrict riders to machines no larger than a learner motorcycle - very few people go for an A1 license as the tests required are the same as for a Category A license which would permit them to ride any machine. |
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Have you got a valid licence to ride?
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If you already have a driving licence, make sure it is valid for the class of vehicle you want to ride (Category P for mopeds, Category A or A1 for motorcycles) also, whether you have only 'provisional' entitlement to ride (ie; as a Learner rider) - provisional licences issued after 1 February 2001 are valid until the rider is aged 70, but provisional licences issued before 1 February 2001 were valid for only two years (so check to see if you need to renew it). |
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If you do not have a valid licence to ride, you need to get a provisional licence for motorcycles and then complete Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) with a training body approved by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA)
www.dsa.gov.uk/Bikes.asp . |
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The provisional licence with CBT certificate allows you to ride on the road
unaccompanied, however you must display 'L' plates on the bike and must not carry a
passenger or ride on motorways until you pass the tests needed to gain a full license
for motorcycles Driver Licensing for Motorcyclists - CBT certificates have a life
span of just two years, so if you have not passed the tests to get a full licence
by then you must re-take CBT to keep your licence valid for riding. |
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Further information about driving licences and CBT can be found
on the DVLA website
http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/drivers.htm
and DSA website
Are there any tests?
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Before taking the Practical test you must pass the Theory Test for Moped and Motorcycle Riders at a local DSA theory-testing center - even if you already hold a licence for other vehicles. This will include a number of Highway Code questions and some simulations of traffic scenes in a Hazard Perception Test. |
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The Practical Riding Test involves riding a 125cc machine, which most trainers will hire to you while you train and take the test. Good trainers can help you through the Practical and Theory tests and will often arrange appointments for testing on your behalf. (Look in your local press or directories - better still, ask friends and riders who have already passed who they would recommend). Once you have passed your test you can throw away the L-plates, but you can only ride bikes up to 25kw power for the first two years after gaining a full Category A license – after that you can ride anything larger. |
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Alternatively, Direct Access and Accelerated Access schemes allow riders aged 21 or over the option to train and take their test on a bike larger than 125cc, after which they can ride bikes of any size. |
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Full details about the Theory and Practical Tests for motorcyclists, including mock theory and hazard perception tests, can be found on the DSA website.
What else do you need?
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