How Do I Get On 2 Wheels?

Always wanted to get riding a motorcycle but was unsure about what's involved?  Well our comprehensive guide should provide you with all of the latest info on how to get riding.

Provisional Licence
You need a provisional Catagory A licence, either included in your full car licence or as part of a provisional licence.  

CBT
You must complete Compulsory Basic Training before you can ride any moped, scotter or motorcycle on the road.  If you have a full car licence issued before the 1st February 2001 you may ride a restricted 50cc on the road without L plates (and carry a passenger), but you still need to pass CBT to ride any motorcycle over 50cc.

Theory Test
You must pass a motorcycle theory test before taking any practical motorcycle test, even if you have a full car licence.  But if you have passed a two part moped test or a lower category motorcycle test since 1st of July 1996 you need not take the theory test.  The Theory Test Pass Certificate is valid for 2 years.  

Choices

If you are 17 and over and you want to ride, you have 3 possible routes.

1) A1 Motorcycle Licence
If you want to ride a 125cc motorcycle, you can train and take the test on a machine of 75cc - 125cc and get a Category A1 motorcycle licence.  This lets you ride a motorcycle up to 125cc and 14.6bhp (11kw).  You can carry a passenger and use motorways, but your licence will not automatically convert into a full Catagory A licence.

2) A2 Motorcycle Licence
Training and testing are on a motorcycle of 120cc - 125cc, capable of reaching at least 100kph (62mph) but no more than 14.6bhp (11kw).  Passing the practical test gets you a restricted Catagory A2 motorcycle licence, which lets you ride any motorcycle up to 33bhp (25kw)*.  You can carry a passenger and use the motorways, and don't need L plates.  After 2 years your A2 licence becomes a full Catagory A licence and you can ride any size motorcycle, even if you're under 21.
*Not exceeding 0.16kw/kg power-to-weight.

3) Direct Access
You must be over 21 years old to follow this route.  Training and testing use a combination of 125cc and larger motorcycles, which you are allowed to ride on the road with a qualified instructor.  your test must be done on a motorcycle of at least 46.6bhp (35kw), probably around 500cc.  If you pass you immediately have a full Catagory A motorcycle licence and can ride any machine of any size.  You can carry a passenger and use motorways.  

Information was supplied by GetOn.