How Do I Get a Bike Licence?

How Do I Get a Bike Licence?

The first time you can get onto your bike, rev the engine and head off down the road as a fully-licensed bike rider is a memorable moment. But to do so, you must first pass the required tests to get a full licence. Below, we explain all the steps involved in getting a bike licence.

 

Get a provisional bike licence

A provisional licence is the first port of call before you can apply for or take any sort of test. However, if you already have a provisional licence for a car, then you won’t need to make this application as it allows for the same thing.

You may also be able to ride a 50cc moped without having to undergo any additional training. If you passed your driving test before 1st February 2001, you are not required to complete the compulsory basic training (CBT).

As of 2020/21, applying for a provisional licence online costs £34, or £43 by post. Apply online on the DVLA website.

 

Take a CBT course

A CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) course is a must for any bike rider, whether you have a provisional car licence or not. As we mentioned above, a provisional licence secured before 1st February 2001 means you can ride a 50cc moped but anything more powerful than that requires a CBT.

The training takes a full day and you will learn the fundamentals of bike riding. It’s important to remember that this is training and not a test. It can be done using a bike belonging to the training centre or using one of your own – if you choose the latter option you must ensure it is fully insured and has valid tax.

Costs for a CBT course range between £100-£150, though it does depend on location, whether you hire equipment or bring your own, and whether it is a weekday or weekend, and so it could be more. You can visit the GOV.UK website where you can locate a CBT centre nearby to you.

The CBT will cover a number of vital basics to remember for use both on and off the bike, including things like:

  • Manoeuvring
  • Braking
  • Riding behaviour
  • Eyesight check
  • Basic maintenance checks 
  • Emergency stops
  • U-turns
  • Riding in normal traffic conditions

You should expect the training related to on-road riding to take around two hours. Along with the other aspects of the course, the training should take a full day. 

CBT is a course, not a test, so you can’t fail as such. However, if the instructor believes you are riding too dangerously they may refuse to give you a CBT certificate at the end of the course. If you are granted a CBT certificate, it will remain valid for a further two years.

 

Arrange motorbike lessons

Now that you’ve secured a CBT certificate, the next thing to do is to prepare for your test. To do that you need to learn more about how to ride the bike and to gain confidence so you feel safe.

You can either choose to take the formal route with a qualified instructor or if you know an experienced rider, build up your experience that way. If you are in a hurry, you can book an intensive course, which involves undertaking the learning experience in a shorter space of time. Everyone learns at a different speed but remember that the CBT certificate is only valid for two years.

As with the CBT, make sure the bike is fully taxed and insured, if it is more than three years old it has a valid MOT, and that ‘L’ plates are fitted.

 

Take a theory test

A motorbike theory test works in the same way as a driving theory test, requiring you to answer 50 multiple-choice questions, as well as completing a hazard perception test based on video clips.

Before you take the official test you have the opportunity to try practice theory tests so you go into the official test with more confidence. As of 2020/21, the official test costs £23 and should take around an hour to complete. 

To pass the test, you need to answer 43 of the multiple-choice questions correctly, and a score of 44 out of 75 in the hazard perception section. There is no delay in letting you know if you have passed successfully, you are notified straight away.

Once passed, the certificate is valid for two years and during this time you will also need to pass the two different parts of the practical test. If you don’t, you will have to retake the theory test.

 

Take a practical test

There are two modules to complete in the practical motorbike test. Be sure to check which type of motorbike is permitted to be used during a practical test.

Module one:

Off-road testing that covers things like wheeling the bike, controlled and emergency stop,s and riding figure-of-8 and a slalom.

Module two:

On-road testing includes things such as road riding, “show me, tell me” safety questions, and independent riding. You will be instructed via an earpiece in every section, apart from independent riding.

As of 2020/21, it costs £15.50 to take module one and £75 (this increases to £88.50 on weekends) for module two.

It should take around two hours in total to complete both modules, with both needing to be passed to be given a full licence. This must also be within two years of passing your theory test.

 

Licence upgrades

Motorbike licences are not all the same, with the type of bike you ride dictating the kind of licence you have. There are 4 main licence types, which are:

  • AM: You must be at least 16-years-old and this will allow you to ride a moped up to 50cc with a top speed of 28mph.
  • A1: For anyone 17-years-old or over, which allows for a bike up to 125cc, with a maximum power of 11KW.
  • A2: Riders aged 19-years-old or over can ride a bike up to 500cc with a maximum power of 25KW.
  • A: As long as you are 21-years-old and have held an A2 licence for at least two years you can apply with no restrictions on the bike type. You can also apply for this if you are 24-years-old or over, having passed your theory and practical tests.