what does my licience cover?

[chris]

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.

[Matthew]

I think you are correct in your assumption, I mean thats what I always believed. We are probably wrong lol

[chris]

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!

[simon]

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.

[chris]

pass my cbt? Could I go out now with just my ordinary licence and ride a bike? (taking into account tax, mot, insurance etc)

[simon]

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.

[Matthew]

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

[Matthew]

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

[simon]

This is a good summary of how to go about getting on a bike:

http://www.best-motorcycle-information.com/compulsory-basic-training.html

[suspectmonkey]

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 and here.

I don't think the CBT has come into play yet in N. Ireland?  Looking at the DVA website 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

[simon]

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!

[twentyclicks]

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   )

[simon]

Weird, I wonder did they drop it, or maybe it was a pilot scheme (we are talking 1994-ish here!)

[chris]

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!

[twentyclicks]

I had to do a theory test for the bike even though I had done one for the car!  It will never be solved