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Dannjones
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Alright everyone, just at a bit confusion with the uk license categories, A1, A2 etc. And what they allow you to ride, I’m currently on a CBT and will be doin my A1 next year (I’m 17) so my understanding is that I’ll be able to go up to a 400 when I’m 19 once I’ve passed my A1, not sure though as I’ve not really had a clear description, so was wondering if someone could please clarify

cheers everyone

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It's not cc its a power to weight figure. My TDR250 I believe would be out of bounds till your 21. 

There is plenty of info re licence classes online and with the risk to your licence the best info is to go to the dvla Web site. Anything else could get you in bother. 

 

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Not sure if it's still the same, but when our youngest passed his test at 17 (6 years ago), he was limited to 33bhp for 2 years (in his case until he was 19). So, we bought him a 2003 Fazer 600 and had an "official" set of 33bhp resistor plates fitted to the carbs (fitted by a friend who runs a vehicle repair business and who "stamped" the documents for our insurer).. once the 2 years we're up, I simply took out the restrictors (washers in the carb inlets) and the bike was back to its full quoted power (95bhp, I think, if you can believe Yamaha).

All around, I thought that was a sensible approach.

He too rode a Rieju RS 50 Matrix Pro as a 16'er, but we destricted it (as soon as we got it !!) and for the 4 weeks from his birthday to passing his test, he just rode the Rieju - saved the cost (and loss on re-sale) of buying a 125 for the short term (it helped that his mum was a bike instructor, so he was able to get everything in place to Ben ready for his test as soon as he was 17).

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Blimey.
When I left school in 1964 a learner could ride up to a 250cc (350cc with a sidecar) with L plates.
When I started on bikes in 1989 it was up to 125cc on a "Grandfathers" licence that you could ride for ever and a day.
BUT. the law changed in 1995 so I had to take a CBT then take my bike test. No Mod 1 or 2 in those days. To qualify for my emergency stop the examiner literally jumped out in front of you.
 

Edited by mike1949
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On 11/28/2018 at 10:26 PM, Dannjones said:

Alright everyone, just at a bit confusion with the uk license categories, A1, A2 etc. And what they allow you to ride, I’m currently on a CBT and will be doin my A1 next year (I’m 17) so my understanding is that I’ll be able to go up to a 400 when I’m 19 once I’ve passed my A1, not sure though as I’ve not really had a clear description, so was wondering if someone could please clarify

cheers everyone

https://www.gov.uk/ride-motorcycle-moped/bike-categories-ages-and-licence-requirements

A1 ( Minimum age 17 ) = Light motorcycle up to 11 kW (and a power-to-weight ratio not more than 0.1 kW per kg) and 125 cc

A2 ( Minimum age 19 ) = Standard motorcycle up to 35 kW (and a power-to-weight ratio not more than 0.2 kWper kg), bike must not be derived from vehicle more than twice its power

 

Quote

 

Engines with restricted power

You can restrict the engine power of a motorcycle so that it fits within subcategory A2 (20 to 35kW). You can’t restrict it below half its original power.

https://www.gov.uk/motorcycle-test/motorcycles-mopeds-you-can-use

 
 

 

List of motorcycles that can be used for riding tests

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/760331/motorcycle-test-vehicle-list.csv/preview

Edited by Alex U.
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The best example of anti-motorcycling Government action ever. Make it so difficult, expensive and time consuming to get to a DECENT bike that riders will give up and just move onto driving cars (or into Uber's)

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On 11/30/2018 at 10:57 PM, Oldfjman said:

The best example of anti-motorcycling Government action ever. Make it so difficult, expensive and time consuming to get to a DECENT bike that riders will give up and just move onto driving cars (or into Uber's)

Definitely mate, don’t see the sense in all the categories, too confusing and the amount they charge for all the tests and assessments is stupid. 

On 11/30/2018 at 8:17 PM, Alex U. said:

https://www.gov.uk/ride-motorcycle-moped/bike-categories-ages-and-licence-requirements

A1 ( Minimum age 17 ) = Light motorcycle up to 11 kW (and a power-to-weight ratio not more than 0.1 kW per kg) and 125 cc

A2 ( Minimum age 19 ) = Standard motorcycle up to 35 kW (and a power-to-weight ratio not more than 0.2 kWper kg), bike must not be derived from vehicle more than twice its power

 

 

List of motorcycles that can be used for riding tests

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/760331/motorcycle-test-vehicle-list.csv/preview

Cheers mate.

On 11/29/2018 at 8:02 PM, Cynic said:

It's not cc its a power to weight figure. My TDR250 I believe would be out of bounds till your 21. 

There is plenty of info re licence classes online and with the risk to your licence the best info is to go to the dvla Web site. Anything else could get you in bother. 

 

Yeah mate I agree, thanks.

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On 11/30/2018 at 5:37 PM, Oldfjman said:

Not sure if it's still the same, but when our youngest passed his test at 17 (6 years ago), he was limited to 33bhp for 2 years (in his case until he was 19). So, we bought him a 2003 Fazer 600 and had an "official" set of 33bhp resistor plates fitted to the carbs (fitted by a friend who runs a vehicle repair business and who "stamped" the documents for our insurer).. once the 2 years we're up, I simply took out the restrictors (washers in the carb inlets) and the bike was back to its full quoted power (95bhp, I think, if you can believe Yamaha).

All around, I thought that was a sensible approach.

He too rode a Rieju RS 50 Matrix Pro as a 16'er, but we destricted it (as soon as we got it !!) and for the 4 weeks from his birthday to passing his test, he just rode the Rieju - saved the cost (and loss on re-sale) of buying a 125 for the short term (it helped that his mum was a bike instructor, so he was able to get everything in place to Ben ready for his test as soon as he was 17).

Yeah, the Rieju’s are good bikes, good 2 strokes to learn on in my opinion, looks like I’ll have my 125 till I’m 19, it’s a great bike though so I’m not too bothered by having to wait to move up in power.    

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm glad I took my test way back in 1968, a ride around the block and if you didn't fall off and didn't knock the examiner over when he jumped out in front of you all was good.

When I told my youngest about my test he couldn't believe it and said basically you didn't have a fucking  test then but back then we thought we were hard done by as I worked with a couple of old guys who never even took a test to get there full licence. Of course things had to change because it was plain stupid but the current system is overkill and I feel for you youngsters that have to jump through all the hoops just to ride a bike.

 

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Yep, my test in 88 was little different difficulty wise, trip round an obstacle course for your part 1, which to someone who had spent 2 years on a 125 and a year on a 50 was laughably easy. " 2 weekends 'training' which in truth was kicking the bikes into suitable test bikes without the associated broken, bodged, illegal parts of 17yr old ownership (tyres and exhaust being favourite). Then the part 2 test. Which was little more than an observed ride, again to someone who had been running  125, (actually a 175) for 2 years was again. Easy.

 

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I done mine in December 81 on the same format as Meats. It was a mad rush for a test at the 125 laws was coming in June 82 so we were all rushing to get through it. 

I actually sat it on my mates xs250 us custom because my own xs was off the road. Surprise surprise. He had failed his on 23 December  so a fair bit of ribbing when I passed on his bike 

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Same test for me ,1979.  whiz round block  -emergency stop, -highway code  questions ,  and a Pass, ? on   an  Orange Dt250  . 

 

DT250C.jpg

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Funny my little Honda 125 broke down just before the test so I borrowed my uncles little Honda 50, soon as I passed went round to mates and bought his 650 BSA

 

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4 hours ago, meatloaf said:

Funny my little Honda 125 broke down just before the test so I borrowed my uncles little Honda 50, soon as I passed went round to mates and bought his 650 BSA

 

I take it the 50 wasn"t a moped  meaty  .?

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16 hours ago, blackhat250 said:

I take it the 50 wasn"t a moped  meaty  .?

No Blacky, I mean it wasn't a proper bike as such but it had gears and stuff and got me my full licence.

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Passed in '77 on my KH 250 - like others of the time, ride around a set route, watch out for the examiner on the emergency stop,  couple of obviously observed bits (nearest the test centre) and then a load of Highway Code questions. From the questions my examiner gave me about my ride, he'd obviously observed me more than I thought he had - but the test wasn't as strict as it could have been, but also traffic was nothing like it is today.

But, I do think that, on the whole, as youngsters we were more in tune with the mechanicals of our bikes than the youth of today !

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On ‎12‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 6:00 PM, blackhat250 said:

I take it the 50 wasn"t a moped  meaty  .?

FFS Blackie after reading this I woke up in a panic this morning after dreaming that I'd been riding bikes for the last 50 years on a moped licence, just had to check and sure enough group D any motor bicycle ( with or without a sidecar). Maybe I should cut down on my rum intake ?

 

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