Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => General Chat => Topic started by: chris on October 18, 2010
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Does anyone know what a full uk driving licence covers? Am I able to drive a motor bike with it? I thought I could use one up to 125cc with no extra requirements but looking at the government websitey thing I can only see a load of guff about what you can do with your licence if you got it before '97.
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I think you are correct in your assumption, I mean thats what I always believed. We are probably wrong lol
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The strange thing about it is on the bike of a provisional licence your allowed a bike up to 125cc but on a full licence its only cars and bloody milk floats!
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Your full car licence should give you the same provisional bike status, but you still can't ride anything bigger and you still need to pass your CBT and ride with plates.
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pass my cbt? Could I go out now with just my ordinary licence and ride a bike? (taking into account tax, mot, insurance etc)
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No, your Compulsory Bike Test (CBT) must be passed before you can ride with provisional entitlement and only for 2 years - if you haven't passed your full bike test within 2 years of passing your CBT then you have to resit the CBT. In fact you wouldn't even be covered by insurance if you didn't have your CBT.
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look at your licence and see what categorys you have on there, look at the link below
http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/motoring/driver-licensing/information-on-vehicles-you-can-drive/the-vehicles-you-can-drive-or-ride-and-minimum-ages.htm (http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/motoring/driver-licensing/information-on-vehicles-you-can-drive/the-vehicles-you-can-drive-or-ride-and-minimum-ages.htm)
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ooh and the bike specific section
http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/motoring/learner-and-new-drivers/riding-motorcycles-and-mopeds/motorcycles-you-can-ride.htm (http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/motoring/learner-and-new-drivers/riding-motorcycles-and-mopeds/motorcycles-you-can-ride.htm)
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This is a good summary of how to go about getting on a bike:
http://www.best-motorcycle-information.com/compulsory-basic-training.html
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Your UK driving licence should cover the B1/B categories and "fkp". Category "p" is a moped up to 50cc with a max speed of 50 km/h. You can also ride a motorcycle as a learner, on L plates, up to 125cc with a maximum of 14.6 Bhp. As far as I know, that was the situation when I was doing my motorbike test. Some more reading here (http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/motoring/driver-licensing/information-on-vehicles-you-can-drive/the-vehicles-you-can-drive-or-ride-and-minimum-ages.htm) and here (http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/motoring/learner-and-new-drivers/riding-motorcycles-and-mopeds/motorcycles-you-can-ride.htm).
I don't think the CBT has come into play yet in N. Ireland? Looking at the DVA website (http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/motoring/learner-and-new-drivers/riding-motorcycles-and-mopeds/about-compulsory-basic-training-cbt.htm) it will be implemented by December 2010. If thats the case, and you plan to do your motorbike test, then I'd start learning ASAP and aim to pass before CBT. From what I can gather CBT puts the cost of learning up significantly, although when I sat my motorbike test in 2004 it was because they were talking of introducing it back then! Its only taken them 6 years :D
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I'm confused now - when I was at university (Queen's) a guy in my class got a bike so he could live at home and travel in. That's where I first heard of the CBT, he was talking about having to sit it. That was some time ago!
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Yeah, I did my bike test in 2006 and there was no CBT.
They introduced some off-road elements the other year (not dirt-tracking, just a slalom and swerve test :D )
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Weird, I wonder did they drop it, or maybe it was a pilot scheme (we are talking 1994-ish here!)
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I think I may have sussed it. My full driving licence lets me drive a moped up to 50cc if I you a proper bike you have to do either a light bike test (Cat A1) lets you use bikes up to 125cc or your full bike test (Cat A) lets you use above 125cc (although you're restricted to 125cc for the 1st 2years). Your original theory test is transferable so all you have to do is the practical. Simples!
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I had to do a theory test for the bike even though I had done one for the car! It will never be solved :D
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My full driving licence lets me drive a moped up to 50cc
Yep!
proper bike you have to do either a light bike test (Cat A1) lets you use bikes up to 125cc
Apparently so, although I've never actually known of anyone doing the light bike test, most people just do the full bike test.
your full bike test (Cat A) lets you use above 125cc (although you're restricted to 125cc for the 1st 2years).
True-ish. You can actually ride a bike up to 33Bhp in your two years so it doesn't have to be 125cc. For example, Kawasaki make a 250cc "sports" bike that comes in within the 33Bhp restriction and is legal to ride for the two years. Or, you can have a restrictor kit fitted to a bigger capacity bike. For example, my dad bought a Suzuki V-Strom 650cc when he passed his test, and GS Suzuki fitted a restrictor kit for free which reduced the horsepower to 33Bhp. This makes the bike fully legal to ride, but you get to enjoy a bigger bike and they still have plenty of go in them. When your two years are up then take it back to the dealer and they will pop out the restrictor in a matter of minutes (and usually for free) and you have the remaining horses unleashed. Many people (ahem ::)) don't even bother restricting... but obviously this is very illegal, invalidates your insurance and very irresponsible... ;)
Your original theory test is transferable so all you have to do is the practical. Simples!
Not true in my case, I had to resit my theory the same as Craig even though I had a full car licence. In my case the theory test was new to me anyway as there was no hazard perception when I sat my car theory. As far as I know theory tests are category specific (http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/information-and-services/motoring/learner-and-new-drivers/theory-test/do-you-need-to-take-a-driving-theory-test.htm), and therefore have to be undertaken any time you want to add a category to your licence.
Truth be told, its not half as complicated as it all sounds though. Best thing to do is buy a "package" of motorbike lessons with a driving school and go for it. I bought a package of 10x lessons through Ians School of Motoring in Newtownards and that gave me full use of a 125cc bike, helmet, gloves etc. including an hours lesson before the test and use of the bike for the test. I'd definitely recommend doing a bike test, even if you aren't going to use it immediately its worth doing now if the CBT is imminent. At the very least, even if you never use it, it opens up a whole new perspective on driving :)
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I drove a 125 bike for years without a cbt and was fully insured. We you pass your full bike test i think your restricted to 400cc for the first year or maybe 2. Saying that i haven't owned a bike for a bout 4 years so this might have changed.
Chris are you going to start wrecking bikes now instead of cars? ;D
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I drove a 125 bike for years without a cbt and was fully insured. We you pass your full bike test i think your restricted to 400cc for the first year or maybe 2. Saying that i haven't owned a bike for a bout 4 years so this might have changed.
Chris are you going to start wrecking bikes now instead of cars? ;D
That was one time! And it wasn't even really my fault, that dog just jumped out on the road I had to properly swerve to make sure I hit it! ;D