Motorbike Test Changes on 19th January 2013

[Kate]

Can anyone explain in good old simple English what the changes mean to the test? I know that its changing on 19th January 2013 and I know that people over the age of 24 are not affected and can still the direct access but what about younger riders?

What does 'an engine power output not more than 35 kW' equal in bhp?

[daveyrach]

35kW is equivalent to 46.9BHP

They are introduces new categories and merging others, main changes to motorcycles are as follows:

Riding mopeds, motorcycles and tricycles
Under the new rules for mopeds, motorcycles and tricycles there will be four categories:
AM - mopeds
A1 - small motorcycles and tricycles
A2 - medium motorcycles
A - all motorcycles and tricycles
Your entitlement to ride the different categories will depend on your age and experience.

This link explains it all pretty clearly: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DG_201188

[yorkie_chris]

So you can't ride a 125 on L plates any more?

[andreis]

My question is what will you be able to ride without a driver's licence?
I know you can do electrically assisted bicycles (which are decent). What is the highest IC powered thingy that you can ride without a licence? Seeing as mopeds used to fill this category before and not anymore now?

My question is so that we will know what to stock for when we get a temporary ban...

[yorkie_chris]

Basically they're removing any chance of cheap transport to work for young people as they'll have to go through all the full licence b*llocks.*

What happens to people with a current CBT?


Do you need a CBT to do the A1 test? Is it going to be the full mod1-mod2 thingy?

What a convoluted load of sh*te!



*The MAG site here
http://www.mag-uk.org/en/campaignsdetail/a6986
suggests that the current CBT system will still be in effect. Not sure what the A1 category will do then other than force 17-19 year olds onto the motorways on weaving, gutless 125s instead of restricted 600s!

[daveyrach]

My son wants to do his CBT as he turns 16 in December, the way I read it is that the CBT will still be in effect but for anything bigger than a 50cc ped you need to do some sort of formal training, so I guess no 125's on L plates. :(

You would have to do the A1 at 17 then wait till 19 to do the A2, then still do the another test at 21 after 2 years experience to get your A entitlement so in effect 4 tests from 16 up to 21 for unrestricted access., what a load of carp!

[yorkie_chris]

Actually it doesn't specifically say that you NEED the A1 licence to ride a 125.

As it is now you could get the A1 licence, to let you ride 125s, just that nobody bothers because it's the same test to get the A2.

[daveyrach]

It does, says CBT covers up to 50cc and below 4kW

A1 Min age is 17 and bike up to 125cc or 11kW

A2 Min age is 19 'Medium' Motorcycles up to 35kW

Cat A Min age 21 with 2 years experience, or 24 with no experience.

Does make we wonder why cars aren't restricted in the same way?!?

[nikon70]

so with my A licence I have nothing to worry about, buy my mate who has a a1 licence and currently has a zx6r restricted will have a2 licence as his two year restriction will not be up by then, which also means he needs to take another test to be on a full licence??

[ophic]

so with my A licence I have nothing to worry about, buy my mate who has a a1 licence and currently has a zx6r restricted will have a2 licence as his two year restriction will not be up by then, which also means he needs to take another test to be on a full licence??
Current definition of A1:
A1: Light motorcycles with an engine size of up to 125 cc and a power output of up to 11 kW (14.6 bhp)

So he's not allowed to ride a ZX6R either now or after the changes.

[Kate]

My question is concerning a 17 year old. Right now, he could do his CBT and test on a 125 and be able to ride a bike restricted to 33bhp for 2 years.

Am I right in thinking that after the 19th January he won't be able to do that? All he will be able to do is ride a 125cc until he is 19 years old?

But, if he manages to get his restricted licence before the 19th January then he is ok?

I don't find these new rules simple at all!

[daveyrach]

Yes as of now if he did his CBT on a 125cc he could ride one with L plates. After the new rules he would have to do the A1 test then he could ride a 125cc untill the day he dies or takes the A2 when he gets to 19 and step up in size.

[yorkie_chris]

so with my A licence I have nothing to worry about, buy my mate who has a a1 licence and currently has a zx6r restricted will have a2 licence as his two year restriction will not be up by then, which also means he needs to take another test to be on a full licence??

He won't have A1 now it will be A2... that's the current normal 33hp licence.

He'll have to look into it but as an A2 is a 33hp that matures into a full A in 2 years that might still stand. Should do anyway as it shouldn't affect current categories.

[Kenzie]

From a recent supplement from Ride Magazine:

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg268/kenzie2k3/1-1.jpghttp://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg268/kenzie2k3/11.jpg

Hope it makes sense.

[Bibio]

i would like to see the statistics that doing all this crap is actually saving lives as i believe that its just another money making scheme to keep more people in jobs. if your an arzz then no amount of training is going to stop you going fast and getting out of control. better letting people have full power straight from the off that way if they survive then they are going to be better riders in the long run.

who are they to dictate to people what is safe or not. isn't that for people to make their own minds up about.

[Kenzie]

They say it is to reduce motorcycle accidents. Seems they want to acheive this by reducing the number of motorcyclists on the road.

[Bibio]

i'll add one more thing. as far as i'm aware there is no legal age for riding a horse and those things have a mind of their own and they can go at 30mph on a full gallop.

[yorkie_chris]

I hope whoever thought this up catches AIDs when they bum the DSA recruitment bloke as that's obviously the payment...


Question; when you have done one bit do you then have to redo mod 1 and 2 on the next?

[Bibio]

looking at that graph above then it seems so but to add insult to the injury it seems that if you wait till your 24 then you have to sit another theory test as well. holy cash cow.

[Fruity-ya-ya]

I find myself unable to write anything constructive (too many expletives raging through my mind) so instead i will simply say "what a load of tut" and leave it at that.

Absolute madness. :mad:

[Fruity-ya-ya]

Okay having read the literature without fully understanding it and now I've reread i retract my last post.
I was fuming that i dragged my heals and had to faff about mod 1&2ing costing me more in the process.
I know it's supposed to be about safety but it appears it's going to be quite a money spinner (revenue to help get us out of recession?).

I understand the dealerships were hit hard by the last changes, so would this latest change help or make the situation worse for dealerships?

It certainly won't save prospective learners any coin.

[andrewsmith]

All I can say is...

wadddaload of ********, cash cow and justified a Brussels <insert list of expletives> jobworths job for the next 50 years

Come on smart a***s in Brussels bring the car test in parity with the rest of the training, testing and assessment. That will cure the accident rate over the next 50 years!
The car test is the least exhaustive test in Europe (UK especially), you can't pass a LGV/HGV test in a week nor a PSV/PCV license for that matter.

**** it might go buy a chieftain and do me test. That'll improve road safety (tops out at 30mph giving it full scream)* as I go to Brussels



* Sarcasm

[-Ralph-]

I dont think that link covers provisional entitlements Chris. You need your provisional to ride on the road to do the test.

This did confuse me though

'Existing motorcycle or tricycle riders

If you already have motorcycle entitlement, it won't change under the new rules. However, if you want to ride bigger bikes, you'll need to follow the rules for new riders below.'

So if your 19, just got off your 33 bhp restriction having passed your test at 17, you loose your entitlement to ride greater than 46bhp until you reach 24?

Doesnt sound right, but thats the way I'm reading it.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

[Wildkid]

Im confused about this as well as my restriction ends in april next year?

But surely they cant change that as ive already done the old test and it should be set in stone?

[Kenzie]

As far as I aware, if you have already passed your test under the existing rules you are fine even if under restriction as you passed under current test rules. However if you get banned next year and face a retest then it would be under the new rules.

[Fallout]

who are they to dictate to people what is safe or not. isn't that for people to make their own minds up about.

:winner: Yes. Let the fools who think a Busa as a first bike is a good idea kill themselves. Our gene pool needs a good old cleansing and Hitler is dead. I find the whole notion of complex rule sets, which restrict and restrain everybody as if we're all equally sensible/intelligent/skillful/plebish etc., completely ridiculous.

Just FECK OFF transport tossers and stop micromanaging everyone's choices.

[yorkie_chris]

It's actually the sprout eating faggots who are to blame for this in the first place, our lot have only made half a **** of implementing it.

[Fallout]

Sprouts and faggots in the same meal. Now there's an unpleasant dinner for you.

[Merv121]

I dont think that link covers provisional entitlements Chris. You need your provisional to ride on the road to do the test.

This did confuse me though

'Existing motorcycle or tricycle riders

If you already have motorcycle entitlement, it won't change under the new rules. However, if you want to ride bigger bikes, you'll need to follow the rules for new riders below.'

So if your 19, just got off your 33 bhp restriction having passed your test at 17, you loose your entitlement to ride greater than 46bhp until you reach 24?

Doesnt sound right, but thats the way I'm reading it.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

as i am pretty recent when i took my 33bhp test, i asked this same question quite a bit to different instructors etc, and all have given the same answer, as long as you have passed the full test, for either de-restricted or 33bhp, regardless of your age you are not affected by these new rules, unless of course you get banned

[Wildkid]

I Phoned up DVLA today and can confirm current 33bhp licences remain the same and are not affected.

[-Ralph-]

as i am pretty recent when i took my 33bhp test, i asked this same question quite a bit to different instructors etc, and all have given the same answer, as long as you have passed the full test, for either de-restricted or 33bhp, regardless of your age you are not affected by these new rules, unless of course you get banned

Thanks for that, so what the hell do they mean by

'However, if you want to ride bigger bikes, you'll need to follow the rules for new riders below.'

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DG_201188

As I understand it if you pass your test on an A1 motorcycle (a moped), then you have an A1 license and to do another test to ride something bigger the above statement applies. That makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is this - pass your test on a 125cc (A2) bike you get a full 'A' licence, but are restricted to 33bhp for two years. That restriction automatically lifts on a certain date, and nothing changes on your license. As I understand it there is no such thing as an A2 category on your license, though there is such thing as an A2 motorcycle.

Maybe I understand the current system wrong.

???

[Wildkid]

Thanks for that, so what the hell do they mean by

'However, if you want to ride bigger bikes, you'll need to follow the rules for new riders below.'

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DG_201188

???

I phoned DVLA ealier like I said... It doesnt affect you if you have your licence already.

[-Ralph-]

I phoned DVLA ealier like I said... It doesnt affect you if you have your licence already.

Directgov need to make it clearer on the website then. That statement is very misleading.

[Dabteacake]

I am over 24 so don't care! in all honesty

[yorkie_chris]

I am over 24 so don't care! in all honesty

This is why they get away with all this bollox, all the many revisions of more bollox... the people who already have licences don't give a toss how hard it gets for new, young people.

[Dabteacake]

I dont have my licence yet but I get your point. When i have been driving the young driver excess kept moving up 2yrs when ever I caught up i.e was 21 moved to 23. I turn 23 now its under 25's

nothing we can do will change it so don't let it phase me any more

[-Ralph-]

I am over 24 so don't care! in all honesty

Thanks for joining in the thread and letting us know :rolleyes:

[Dabteacake]

Your welcome :P it is a money grabbing move. However give it 5 yrs and it will be the norm. probably the same uproar when you had to take a trailer test across the caravan forums. The same as how you now need to take a test to drive anything up to 7.5 tonne when before it was granted

[yorkie_chris]

Thanks for that, so what the hell do they mean by

'However, if you want to ride bigger bikes, you'll need to follow the rules for new riders below.'

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DG_201188

As I understand it if you pass your test on an A1 motorcycle (a moped), then you have an A1 license and to do another test to ride something bigger the above statement applies. That makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is this - pass your test on a 125cc (A2) bike you get a full 'A' licence, but are restricted to 33bhp for two years. That restriction automatically lifts on a certain date, and nothing changes on your license. As I understand it there is no such thing as an A2 category on your license, though there is such thing as an A2 motorcycle.

Maybe I understand the current system wrong.

???

Yep it comes on your licence explicitly stated as category A2

[yorkie_chris]

I dont have my licence yet but I get your point. When i have been driving the young driver excess kept moving up 2yrs when ever I caught up i.e was 21 moved to 23. I turn 23 now its under 25's

nothing we can do will change it so don't let it phase me any more

Protest rides, vote for political parties who oppose this EU bullsh*t, lobby for MPs and MEPs to stop this bullsh*t and tell them your thoughts on it.

Whereas with the majority having your attitude no wonder they get away with it.

[-Ralph-]

Yep it comes on your licence explicitly stated as category A2

The 33bhp restriction does? So you have to send you license back when your 2 years is up to get it changed to an A?

It still seems to imply that if your licensed for A2 now, but your 33bhp restriction is not up by 19th Jan, you'll need to follow the new rules to get to A.

"if you want to ride bigger bikes", it's very misleading.

[yorkie_chris]

The 33bhp restriction does? So you have to send you license back when your 2 years is up to get it changed to an A?

It still seems to imply that if your licensed for A2 now, but your 33bhp restriction is not up by 19th Jan, you'll need to follow the new rules to get to A.

Mine says A2 <25kw.*

No need to bother getting it changed AFAIK as it automatically becomes A after 2 years.
Maybe if someone sends their A2 off after 2 years after january and see whether it comes back as A or as "A2 <35kw"

It should come back as A, IMO, as it's a full category you've got under one rule that should still apply.



*Sorry #said# A2 <25kw, as with davey below mine was ammended to A with the +2years on the date I actually passed when I sent it off to get car entitlement added.

[daveyrach]

When I sent mine off when I passed my car test the A2 was removed and A added but the start date was amended to 2 years after I passed my A2

[Dabteacake]

Protest rides, vote for political parties who oppose this EU bullsh*t, lobby for MPs and MEPs to stop this bullsh*t and tell them your thoughts on it.

Whereas with the majority having your attitude no wonder they get away with it.

Just been told I am away from home for another six months after completing six months. Guess I am institutionalised into not giving a fk anymore

[Kenzie]

Thanks for that, so what the hell do they mean by

'However, if you want to ride bigger bikes, you'll need to follow the rules for new riders below.'

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DG_201188

As I understand it if you pass your test on an A1 motorcycle (a moped), then you have an A1 license and to do another test to ride something bigger the above statement applies. That makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is this - pass your test on a 125cc (A2) bike you get a full 'A' licence, but are restricted to 33bhp for two years. That restriction automatically lifts on a certain date, and nothing changes on your license. As I understand it there is no such thing as an A2 category on your license, though there is such thing as an A2 motorcycle.

Maybe I understand the current system wrong.

???


The license will say A, however there will be a code printed which will denote what sub type the license is IIRC. Mine had the restriction code removed when I sent my card off for passing my B+E trailer test in 2007.