How to pass your A1 motorbike licence

Welcome to MCN’s guide to the A1 motorcycle licence, where we explain what it is, who it’s for and crucially, how to pass it.

• Related: Best motorcycle training aids
• Related: everything you need to know about learning to ride a motorbike

For a young rider this is the quickest route to a full motorbike licence.

What is an A1 licence for a motorbike?

An A1 motorbike licence is offered to people aged 17 and above, who only want to ride a motorcycle or moped with an engine capacity of up to 125cc and power of no more than 14.8bhp. It’s the only licence on offer for motorcyclists aged 17 and 18.

Advantages include being able to ride without L-plates, the ability to use motorways and carry a pillion passenger, so it’s genuinely more useful than the CBT test; and furthermore it doesn’t expire after two years either.

What do I need before taking my A1 motorcycle licence?

You’ll be required to hold a valid UK driving licence, be it a provisional or a full car licence. You’ll also need to have completed the CBT.

If it’s your first go at riding a manual motorbike, we’d suggest you also seek some instruction on how to change gears too.

Finally, you’ll need to have passed the motorcycle theory test ahead of your A1 licence exams.

A1 motorbike licence – the test itself

When it comes to taking the A1 test, you’re able to do it on a bike that’s between 120-125cc, with no more than 14.6bhp. It should be capable of speeds over 55mph.

You can take the test on either a manual or automatic motorbike, but once you’ve passed you’ll be restricted to auto-only if that’s the route you’ve chosen.

You’ll have to pass both Module 1 and Module 2 of the full motorcycle test, and we suggest doing this over two separate days to give you the best chance of passing both parts.

There’s a full run-down of what you can expect in both modules on our guide to passing the full UK motorbike licence.

What motorbikes can I ride on an A1 licence?

There are loads of bikes out there that’ll be suitable for a rider with an A1 licence. You can read MCN’s in-depth expert reviews to make your own choice, or alternatively check out some of the owners’ comments on those bikes instead.

More from MCN

• How to ride a motorbike
• Best motorcycle helmets
• Top A2-compliant motorbikes