Does anyone understand the new bike test rules? Not for me but for cheddar man junior. He did two years on a 125 and CBT, let it lapse and has just done his CBT again. The blokes at his test centre tell him that if he doesn't do his part 2 by Jan 13 or some such he's stuck on a 125 for two years. He's 21 and will be 22 in December. I believe that if he takes a "progressive access test" after January 13 and passes, he will be able to ride a motorcycle of up to 35kw/47bhp (1 bhp less than 600 Monster, so "sucks to be him" as those young people say). Or he can take a simpler test and can ride a 125cc motorcycle for two years and then progress to a 35kw/47bhp machine, (yeah, like thats going to keep him riding) Is this correct? Will he have to take another test in order to ride a motorcycle of unlimited capacity when he is 24? DVLA website says nothing and everywhere else is incomprehensible. all help gratefully etc etc etc On the plus side I will no longer have to keep to the promise he wheedled out of me to let him have a go on my SS...
"direct access – you must be aged 19 years or over, hold a valid CBT certificate and pass the theory and practical category A2 motorcycle tests" So he should be alright on a GS500 or some such for a couple of years? But will he have to move to Belfast? It was so much more civilised in the days when you just had to ride round the block without falling off...
(Category A2) From the age of 19 to 24 you will be able to take your test on a bike that is a minimum of 395cc which has a BHP of 33 - 46.6. On completion of this you will be able to ride a bike which, in its standard form, does not exceed 93.5 BHP and as long as it is restricted between 33 and 46.6 BHP. One major difference in this is that there will no longer be a 2 year probation period and your licence will NOT be automatically upgraded! You will have to take the Tests again on the bigger bike once you are 24 or have held this A2 Category for at least 2 years.
Age 19 to 23 2013From 19th January 2013. You may take your test now on a 400cc or restricted bike (min 395cc - between 33 Bhp and 46.6 Bhp). When you pass then you can ride a restricted motorcycle producing no more than 46.6 Bhp Eg. older Kawasaki ER500 or a middleweight bike that has been professionally restricted. NOT however large bikes that originally produce more than 92 Bhp - this means pretty much everything over 600cc is excluded from you that is a modern sports bike or sports tourer. Also the power to weight ratio is set at a maximum of 0.2 Kw/Kg - this means light or smaller cc sports bikes are not allowed too. Now wait 2 years or until you are 24 when you can train and take another test if you choose. There is no automatic progression! Age 24 or older 2013From 19th January 2013 you may take training and pass your test on a 600cc plus motorcycle that produces at least 53.6 Bhp (much more powerful than the minimum today). Pass your test on this and you have a licence for any motorcycle, any size, any power. There is that better
No they dont but at least up to 24 you may just have a chance of surviving than throwing it all away on a 1000cc on a bend But yes it's pants
On the whole as he's my offspring, I'm happier having him hacking around on an old 500 something for a couple of years than piling a cheap zzr into a wall anyway
Was discussing this yesterday with duke1276, pixie1276 and their friend Geoff. Why don't the same kind of rules apply to car drivers? Car drivers can pass their test at 17 and jump straight into a Bugatti Veyron if they want and no rules are being broken. I hardly think that's fair if the powers that be think "youth" can't be trusted with speed.
I agree it should apply to young car drivers too. You can't trust youngsters with anything these days and they are getting worse. My 14 year old son thinks he can do anything but unlike us when we were younger learnt to be aware of danger. I think the kids today have been kept away from dangerous situations and therefore aren't able to make that judgement. We protect the youngsters from all sorts of dangers like playing out climbing trees. It those things we learnt to take in our stride
Probably because they are trying to use a 'back door' means of legislating bikes off the road without actually banning them outright, thats how it feels anyway. Make it so difficult to start with that the younger generation take one look and say "Nuts to that" and just get a car
At the same time tho, with insurance for a small hatch around £4,000 a year for a 17 year old, they've got a long way to go before the 125 on l-plates is an unattractive proposition. Most young men are perfectly capable of killing themselves in a Corsa, and don't need anything more powerful... Much more dangerous is the unlicensed, uninsured yob in the £300 mot failure five series BMW, anyway. Stick them all in diesels till they are 25, thats what I think...
It does feel like that I admit. I wonder how many kids stuffing cars into walls it will take for legislation to be changed for learning to drive a car?
Bottom line from an instructor ....... Get it done on a 500 before jan the 13th or you'll have to wait ..... Nothing is set in stone I believe but it's coming !!!!!
