These days the route to a motorcycle licence can seem so complicated you need a separate qualification just to understand it. But MCN is here to help. Just follow our simple step-by-step guide through the minefield of rules and restrictions. 

Getting started
Two documents are needed to ride a motorcycle legally on the road as a learner: a provisional motorcycle licence and a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) certificate.

These will entitle you to ride a motorcycle or scooter of up to 125cc and 15bhp (11kw). You must display L-plates and cannot use the motorway or carry a pillion.  

A provisional licence is obtained by completing an application form from the Post Office or online at www.direct.gov.uk/motoring. You must be at least 17 to get one for a motorcycle.

At 16 you can get one for a moped, defined as having an engine of no more than 50cc and a top speed no greater than 30mph.

Provisional motorcycle licences issued before February 1 2001 expired automatically after two years but can be renewed until your 70th birthday with a Post Office form.

If you’ve got a full car licence it should already include provisional motorcycle entitlement. To make sure, check your licence for provisional entitlement to vehicle category A.

If you obtained a full car licence before February 1 2001, you can ride a moped without a CBT certificate.

Otherwise before riding either a moped or motorcycle on the road you’ll need to take a one-day CBT course taught by an approved training body (ATB). Find a list here: www.dsa.gov.uk/atozatbinfo.asp

The course consists of practical training at the ATB site and on the road. It costs £120 and most ATBs provide motorcycles and helmets.
On successfully completing the course you’ll get a CBT certificate valid for two years.

Getting a full licence
Now all that stands between you and a full motorcycle licence is a theory test and a practical riding test, each consisting of two parts.

The theory involves multiple choice questions and a hazard awareness exam using video clips. Both parts are taken using a computer. It costs £31. Free samples can be found here: www.theory-tests.co.uk.

The practical test consists of a manoeuvres exam at a test centre and an on-road exam.

It must be passed within two years of the theory test and costs £80 rising to £90.50 from October 2009. The whole shebang including training can come to around £700.

There are still important decisions to be made.

First of all, it’s important to note that a practical test taken on a twist-and-go automatic will only qualify you to ride twist-and-go automatics. To ride motorcycles with gears, you need to take the test on a geared bike.

• A practical test taken on a motorcycle of between 75cc and 120cc, or from 121cc to 125cc but with a top speed under 62mph (100kmh), will qualify you for a category A1 ‘light motorcycle licence’. You’ll be restricted to bikes with a maximum engine capacity of 125cc and power output of 15bhp.

Examples include Honda’s CBR125 and Yamaha’s YZF-R125. You’ll be able to use motorways or carry pillions and can remove your L-plates.

• A practical test on a bike over 120cc but no more than 125cc and with a top speed of at least 62mph will qualify you for a standard category A motorcycle licence. You’ll be able to carry passengers and use motorways but will be restricted to a bike of up 33bhp (25kw) with a power-to-weight ratio up to 0.01bhp/lb (0.16kw/kg) for two years.

Examples include Kawasaki’s Ninja 250R. Larger bikes can often be restricted by dealers to meet the requirements and then de-restricted later. After two years has passed you will automatically qualify to ride a bike of any size with no power restrictions.

• If you’re over 21, or turn 21 before the two-year 33bhp restriction ends, there’s a quicker route to unfettered motorcycling.

Learners aged 21 or over who take their practical test on a bike of at least 47bhp (35kw) can qualify immediately to ride bikes of any size and with no power restrictions.

They are allowed to practise for the test on a bike which exceeds the usual learner power and capacity limits provided they are accompanied by an approved instructor on another bike in radio contact, wear fluorescent or reflective clothing and follow all other provisional licence restrictions. This route is called Direct Access.

Riders who turn 21 during the two years in which they are restricted to 33bhp can take a second practical test on a bike of at least 47bhp to qualify for immediate access to unrestricted machines of any size.

They may practise on bikes over 33bhp but again must be accompanied by an approved instructor on another bike in radio contact, wear fluorescent or reflective clothing and follow all other provisional licence restrictions.

If they fail, it does not affect their existing licence or their entitlement to ride unrestricted bikes after two years. This route is called Accelerated Access.

Training
If the sheer complexity of those choices and hurdles has given you a nosebleed, don’t worry.

Whichever route you take you’ll need training and a decent school will guide you through the process from start to finish.

Many will provide everything from CBT to a place on a practical test in a package tailored to get you whichever type of bike licence you need.

Find a list of approved training bodies covering the whole of the country here: www.dsa.gov.uk/atozatbinfo.asp

Further reading:
Get your licence