[Closed] Explain motorbike licenses to me

You'll need to do a CBT to be able to ride on the road with L-plates, there's no way around that which is probably a very good thing. I think (because I'm not sure and I did my bike test years ago) that it means you can have lessons on a larger bike with an instructor accompanying you but you'll still only be able to trundle round on a 125cc bike/scooter/whatever on L-plates. No biggie, a 125cc 4 stroke is entirely adequate for pottering about on, get a tidy TW125 and go anywhere you like. I loved mine. CBT lasts two years and you'll have to do it again after it expires, I think, unless you pass your test in the meantime.

Looks like you can ride a <50cc on your existing licence-

https://www.gov.uk/motorcycle-cbt

but you still need to do CBT.

50cc+ scooters and motorcycles are one and the same thing as far as licencing and tests go.

They're fun and you don't have to be a 'biker' to enjoy riding a motorcycle. I did mine on the cheap for about £150 inc. CBT & test about 18 years ago-

CBT
pottered about a bit on a tatty TZR125
test on a 125
two years' restriction to 33bhp (any size engine though. I just kept my 125)
bought TZR250 once I'd served my time and proceeded to post it through a hedge at the first opportunity...

I've done the big bike thing and I'm back on a lovely little Aprilia RS125 now 🙂

Do I need to take CBT (probably a good idea anyway?)?

CBT is Compulsory Basic Training.  So yes, clue's in the name.

You can ride on a provisional for two years, IIRC.  Then you either need to pass your test or redo the CBT (I think).

CBT lets you ride a 125cc (a non-souped up modified one). Scooter and motorcycle are both fine, former is an auto, latter is a manual.

What do you want to do with it? Scooter is often more practical than a motorcycle (for short local stuff) due to the storage. If you need to go anywhere further or at speed it's less good

We also have 1 car and I cycle commute. I can borrow a car if I need to use one for the weekend (and don't want to strand my wife). Also have a motorbike but it's not a practical one and it's quite nickable so don't like leaving it on the road. Also no good with the kids. Does mean I'm mobile when I need to be though

Looks like you can ride a <50cc on your existing licence-

https://www.gov.uk/motorcycle-cbt
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but you still need to do CBT.

50cc+ scooters and motorcycles are one and the same thing as far as licencing and tests go.

EDIT - a 1998 licence will NOT require a CBT for a scooter, from that link:

You don’t have to take <abbr title="compulsory basic training">CBT</abbr> if you:

• want to ride a moped (up to 50cc) and you passed your car driving test before 1 February 2001

i.e. he will automatically have a full AM category on his license.  Of course some sort of training may be wise.

I looked at, and still haven't completely dismissed the same idea.  One reason I haven't progressed it - is the other half usually has the car.  Many of the times I wished I had a second vehicle would be (1) when its pishing down; (2) when I need to move some big stuff; (3) when she's got the car but I've got the kids and need to move them somewhere.   2&3 could be solved if she took "the" scooter - but I'm not sure that would go down well.

Thanks all for replies so far.  From the DVLA website describing my license, I have full unrestricted AM license.

You can drive 2-wheel vehicles or 3-wheel vehicles with a maximum design speed of over 25km/h and not more than 45km/h. Light quadricycles with an unladen mass of not more than 350kg, not including the mass of the batteries in the case of electric vehicles, whose maximum speed is over 25km/h and not more than 45km/h

And full Cat P

You can drive motor vehicles with fewer than 4 wheels with a maximum design speed exceeding 45 kilometres per hour (km/h) but not exceeding 50km/h and which, if propelled by an internal combustion engine, has a cylinder capacity not exceeding 50cc

No mention of CBT needed, although I take your point about it being compulsory.

CBT's worth doing even if you don't have to do it, in fact, it should be made part of the car test but that's another thread entirely.

CBT’s worth doing even if you don’t have to do it, in fact, it should be made part of the car test but that’s another thread entirely.

Agreed 100%.  I said this the other day, but learning to ride a motorbike vastly improved my driving.

The difference between a 50cc and 125cc powered two wheeler is huge. The former is pathetically slow, the latter is very acceptable. It's worth getting a CBT (which takes 1 day every 2 years) for that alone

Bigger engine means more power, easier to carry stuff, can carry another person etc

Another Vote for CBTs being worth doing because a) they’ll teach you more more important fundamentals than even the DAS course (deminshing returns and all that b) they don’t cost much or cause you much hassle but see above c) they’re actually quite fun if you get a good group.

Sometimes it’s worth taking a test even if you don’t want a ‘proper’ bike - 180cc Scooters for example are generally better than the 125cc ones because they’re better equipped, ride nicer because the engines aren’t artificially restricted to be CBT legal and second-hand they can actually be cheaper as there’s a much smaller market.

Are there CBT trainers that will rent you some sort of bike and helmet?

All of them I would guess, it would be massively impractical to take your own bike to a CBT if you can’t ride it.

Usually get the choice of a Scoot or a geared bike.

Are there CBT trainers that will rent you some sort of bike and helmet?

I'd hazard a guess at all of them will rent you a bike. Helmet, will vary.

I have just passed my full bike test via the CBT and then the Direct Access route.

The CBT is well worth doing, but they are getting on for £125 -£150 nowadays, plus

I was told the government are considering making them 2.5 days courses, which you will still have to re-take every 2 years if you don't go for the full bike licence.

and @ 2.5 days they wont be £125, that much I do know  🙁

I passed my bike test pre CBT. Agreed on it being a good thing for all road users if possible.

I reckon having had a bike has rounded out my driving and general road sense - including cycling - r all wrapped up I guess.

Haven't had a motorbike for years and years, I wasn't really good enough to progress beyond the CB250RS 😉

Agree with what has been said - I'm pretty certain your licence will only allow you to ride a 50cc so complete your CBT which allows you ride a 125cc.  If you like, complete the DAS and get your A Licence and then you can ride whatever takes your fancy.

Jut doing it myself now, my tests are all booked in 🙂

good luck GlennQuagmire

The former is pathetically slow

Depends where you are riding. I had a 50cc for a while and for town riding it was fine.

That said probably best to do a CBT. My licence was just before the cutover to needing the CBT and my first ride on a scooter was riding it home from the shop. Was somewhat interesting.

Bodies are full of squishy bits. The thing that stops them getting too squished is the training you get. Get some training and, if that means just going and doing a full DAS just to ride a scooter, it’s worth it.

Rachel

Here's a question. When the law restricted learners to 12 bhp 125's instead of 250's older 125's were still legal. My 125 Cagiva RX enduro registered between Xmas and new year 1981 suddenly became valuable as, by a few days, it became the,then, most powerful learner legal bike. 32 bhp according to Cagiva!

Was the date cut off ever removed/banned?

@Vortexracing - thank you!

With the CBT, you can ride a motorbike up to 11kW.

For electric motorbikes, this is based on the continuous power for 30 minutes. So the peak power can be much higher. eg for the Zero S, it is 44kw (59 bhp). So that is probably the most powerful learner bike.