Motorbike licence

Hi all,

I want to get a motorbike. My theory test is in 2 days - could anyone take me through the steps and what they did to get a motorbike - also I’m confuse which test to book for the practical - where do I get some nice motorbikes-

Honestly idk what I’m typing… but just share anything about motorbikes I’m interested in your journey or experience with one ))) thanks

Are you younger than 25 or are you 25 or older? Depending on your answer, you might need to take 2-3 licences or do 1 licence with a few sittings to ride the bikes you want.

The licences you get are restricted by the CC of the bike.

Are you younger than 25 or are you 25 or older? Depending on your answer, you might need to take 2-3 licences or do 1 licence with a few sittings to ride the bikes you want.

The licences you get are restricted by the CC of the bike.

I’m 18. Yeah that’s what I was confused about but I want to be able to drive anymore motorbike or any other sort of bikes.

I’m 18. Yeah that’s what I was confused about but I want to be able to drive anymore motorbike or any other sort of bikes.

See this series of confusing charts made by the government: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62137c89d3bf7f4f05879a1e/how-to-get-a-motorcycle-licence.pdf

At the moment, you would be eligible to ride A1 type bikes if you pass all of the tests.

If you don't already have a driving licence, you would need a provisional car licence (don't ask) and pass your CBT.

CBT can cost about £100, depending on your local area. Finding a centre to learn how to ride a motorcycle shouldn't be too difficult since they are relatively common. Shop around though as one trainer might be great for one thing and terrible for another.

After your CBT, you should take your motorcycle theory test (it's a bit more difficult than the car theory, but it is what it is).

Your CBT and theory certificates have shelf lives and you should try to get your licences as quick as you reasonably can.

I wouldn't go crazy on buying as many bikes as you can, but your first bike should be 125cc and ideally a manual for at least 6 months' practice. If you don't want to get your own bike, you can ride a friend's so long you have the right insurance, check the bike is fine, etc. essentially check all legal documents are fine and you're fully compliant.

I would then try to take the A1 licence the moment you hit 19 (after all of the above). Then wait until you're 21 to do the A2. Do Part 2 of the A2 once you are 23.
Personally, I don't see much point in getting a bike with a higher horsepower than 600cc. I think from record, there are bikes with 2000CC which are as powerful as some sportcars or mustangs (you could well be thrown off the bike just by revving it).

In terms of bikes, I go for cruisers or something that's comfortable for long distance rides; I'm less about speed and looks and more about enjoyment. The problem with cruisers is that they are not built for corners (like most American cars).
Sports bikes tend to be the go-to for a lot of people. They can go faster than cruisers (and can actually handle corners), but they are very uncomfortable long distance.
Most other types of bikes are kind of variants of the above (I know a number of bike enthusiasts would blast me with comments about this) or follow similar lines of thoughts i.e. speed and sporty vs slow and comfort. I don't have extensive knowledge about each and every type of bike, but I know what I want.
If you are looking for YouTubers to follow, I recommend Yammie Noob and Revzilla.

See this series of confusing charts made by the government: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62137c89d3bf7f4f05879a1e/how-to-get-a-motorcycle-licence.pdf

At the moment, you would be eligible to ride A1 type bikes if you pass all of the tests.

If you don't already have a driving licence, you would need a provisional car licence (don't ask) and pass your CBT.

CBT can cost about £100, depending on your local area. Finding a centre to learn how to ride a motorcycle shouldn't be too difficult since they are relatively common. Shop around though as one trainer might be great for one thing and terrible for another.

After your CBT, you should take your motorcycle theory test (it's a bit more difficult than the car theory, but it is what it is).

Your CBT and theory certificates have shelf lives and you should try to get your licences as quick as you reasonably can.

I wouldn't go crazy on buying as many bikes as you can, but your first bike should be 125cc and ideally a manual for at least 6 months' practice. If you don't want to get your own bike, you can ride a friend's so long you have the right insurance, check the bike is fine, etc. essentially check all legal documents are fine and you're fully compliant.

I would then try to take the A1 licence the moment you hit 19 (after all of the above). Then wait until you're 21 to do the A2. Do Part 2 of the A2 once you are 23.
Personally, I don't see much point in getting a bike with a higher horsepower than 600cc. I think from record, there are bikes with 2000CC which are as powerful as some sportcars or mustangs (you could well be thrown off the bike just by revving it).

In terms of bikes, I go for cruisers or something that's comfortable for long distance rides; I'm less about speed and looks and more about enjoyment. The problem with cruisers is that they are not built for corners (like most American cars).
Sports bikes tend to be the go-to for a lot of people. They can go faster than cruisers (and can actually handle corners), but they are very uncomfortable long distance.
Most other types of bikes are kind of variants of the above (I know a number of bike enthusiasts would blast me with comments about this) or follow similar lines of thoughts i.e. speed and sporty vs slow and comfort. I don't have extensive knowledge about each and every type of bike, but I know what I want.
If you are looking for YouTubers to follow, I recommend Yammie Noob and Revzilla.

Thank you so much; this has been really helpful!

Do you ride a motorbike? (I'm assuming you do.) How long have you been driving? How was the practical test for you?

What's the insurance like? When I eventually get my motorbike license (fingers crossed), I'd love to meet people and join group rides. I'm sure there's a Facebook group with others.

Do you ride frequently? Do you usually ride solo or go with others?

)

Do you ride a motorbike? (I'm assuming you do.) How long have you been driving? How was the practical test for you?
I haven't yet. Done my CBT and took my theory.
I'm more of a visual learner, so practicals for me suck. Theory on the other hand, I can usually pass blindfolded.

Tried riding a manual bike, but it's more difficult than it seems and you would ideally have 6 months' riding experince before doing the A1. It's definitely not something you can pick up on the day, which these training/assessment days are.
Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to touch a proper bike (e.g. 125cc) until you have passed your CBT.

What's the insurance like? When I eventually get my motorbike license (fingers crossed), I'd love to meet people and join group rides. I'm sure there's a Facebook group with others.
From what I can tell, the insurance is roughly 1/3 of a car insurance. In other words, dirt cheap in comparison. On the other hand, you need to know a lot about maintaining a bike to ensure it's in proper working order. It's unfortunately not something you can learn off the bat from reading a book. I usually recommend taking a course, but courses for bike maintainance are rare in adult colleges (I think there are some in London and Bristol, but I haven't come across others).

Yeah, there are plenty of Facebook groups for this, but I tend to look to friends (I have a mate who also rides a bike, so it's easier to pick up tips from him). Most people in these groups would undoubtedly be guys (girls generally don't like bikes, contrary to popular opinion), but I recommend hanging out with people you know first for safety reasons.

Do you ride frequently? Do you usually ride solo or go with others?
I don't ride often, partly because of my other commitments. I don't know that many people who ride, so if I do ride it's likely solo.
Just to be clear, I am not advocating to go out in massive groups either. I don't want to give the impression that we're a biker gang and are there to scare the locals. Bikes can be loud.

Do you ride a motorbike? (I'm assuming you do.) How long have you been driving? How was the practical test for you?
I haven't yet. Done my CBT and took my theory.
I'm more of a visual learner, so practicals for me suck. Theory on the other hand, I can usually pass blindfolded.

Tried riding a manual bike, but it's more difficult than it seems and you would ideally have 6 months' riding experince before doing the A1. It's definitely not something you can pick up on the day, which these training/assessment days are.
Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to touch a proper bike (e.g. 125cc) until you have passed your CBT.

What's the insurance like? When I eventually get my motorbike license (fingers crossed), I'd love to meet people and join group rides. I'm sure there's a Facebook group with others.
From what I can tell, the insurance is roughly 1/3 of a car insurance. In other words, dirt cheap in comparison. On the other hand, you need to know a lot about maintaining a bike to ensure it's in proper working order. It's unfortunately not something you can learn off the bat from reading a book. I usually recommend taking a course, but courses for bike maintainance are rare in adult colleges (I think there are some in London and Bristol, but I haven't come across others).

Yeah, there are plenty of Facebook groups for this, but I tend to look to friends (I have a mate who also rides a bike, so it's easier to pick up tips from him). Most people in these groups would undoubtedly be guys (girls generally don't like bikes, contrary to popular opinion), but I recommend hanging out with people you know first for safety reasons.

Do you ride frequently? Do you usually ride solo or go with others?
I don't ride often, partly because of my other commitments. I don't know that many people who ride, so if I do ride it's likely solo.
Just to be clear, I am not advocating to go out in massive groups either. I don't want to give the impression that we're a biker gang and are there to scare the locals. Bikes can be loud.

First of all I mean to say typing not trying 😬…

I’m just going to sum everything up.
Do you have your drivers license? And which would you say is harder both in theory and practical in comparison to motorbike

And ummm what else did I say oh yes..

You’re lucky you have someone who already drives; get all the tips and trick. I don’t know anyone who had a motorbike. ☹️ I’ll probably solo biking for a while. Not that it’s bad I wouldn’t mind either. But biking with someone would be good

Also how the hell did you know I was a girl 🤨

Do you have your drivers license? And which would you say is harder both in theory and practical in comparison to motorbike
I have a full car driving licence. I find the bike more difficult for both theory and practical, because with the motorcycle you have:

Also how the hell did you know I was a girl?
I didn't. Most bikers are guys, so I was going by the stats and assumed you were. Apologies though.
Having said that, I know one girl who is trying get into motorcycling. They are rare though.

—————————
the day of the assessments? Wdum we have to learn everything on the day of the assessment. Am I missing something bc in my head I’m thinking it’s I’m doing my drivers license again but I’m motorbike format.

Damn I didn’t really think about motorbikes not being as common for women.

I wonder what gave it away (me being a female) is it the way I type? probs the emoji or the lack or care to type 🤥… anyways have you booked your practical test? Also do you drive on the road by yourself with learners insurance. Bc Ik in a car u need supervision but idk if I can handle anyone on my back.

Wdum we have to learn everything on the day of the assessment. Am I missing something bc in my head I’m thinking it’s I’m doing my drivers license again but I’m motorbike format.
Yeah, you do everything on the day. Expect to be a fast learner.
It's definitely not like learning to drive a car for some reason. (It doesn't make sense to me either.)

Damn I didn’t really think about motorbikes not being as common for women.
Well, it's just motorbiking isn't as popular for women as it is for men. Finidng a woman who is also a biker is like finding a unicorn.
Motorbikes are generally unisex, but the designs tend to appeal to men more for obvious reasons.

anyways have you booked your practical test? Also do you drive on the road by yourself with learners insurance. Bc Ik in a car u need supervision but idk if I can handle anyone on my back.
Not yet. I need to practice more and to sort a few things out before I progress onto my A1.
I haven't looked into the insurance into too much detail, but it's not likely going to cost an arm and a leg.
If you have passed your CBT, you can ride a 125cc bike without supervision so long everything is in check and you have your L plates. You cannot have anyone on the back of your bike until you have passed all of your A2 practicals (i.e. get your full licence - it's in the theory book).
Even for supervision, your supervisor would be following you from behind on a separate bike. The only time when I think you would be supervised is when you are under assessment for your test.

Your first 2 steps would be to do your CBT and to pass your theory. Everything else can wait.