A Brief Guide to Learning to Ride a Motorbike in the UK

With all the frequent changes to motoring legislation and regulations, it may seem more difficult to figure out what you need to do to ride a motorbike in the UK than it is to actually pass the required tests. So I will attempt to break down the required tests and certicates here.

In all there are 3 different categories of motorbike, based on the size of its engine - moped, learner motorbike and standard motorbike. Depending on your age and current licences it may be possible to start riding straight away.

Moped

The smallest of the 3 categories, a moped is defined as a bike with an engine size of 50cc or less, weighing under 250kg and being able to go no faster than around 30mph. If you have a full car driving licence that was received before February 2001 you can start riding mopeds straight away. Anyone else - aged 16 and over - will need to first pass their Compulsory Basic Training (which I will go into later), and have already passed their driving theory test.

Learner Motorbikes

Learner bikes are motorbikes or scooters with an engine size up to 125cc and a power output of 11kW. You must be at least 17 years of age, have a provisional motorcycle licence and have passed your CBT to be allowed to ride a 125cc motorbike.

Standard Motorbikes

The next stage for the learner biker is to move on to the full size motorbike. You will need to have first passed your CBT and theory tests and then you can move onto the full practical road test.

Once you have done all this you may still be limited in the size of bike you can ride. For example, if you are under 21 you will be restricted to bikes with a power of under 25kW and a power/weight ratio of no more than 0.16kW/kg (your instructor will be able to explain what this means in practice).

Compulsory Basic Training (CBT)

No matter what your age, any rider wanting to legally ride a bike larger than a moped will need to pass their CBT. The CBT consists of a series of theoretical and practical lessons, usually all done on the same day, taking you through the basics of stopping, starting, turning and generally all you need to know to get on the road safely. You will likely first have to try out the manoevres in a car park, before moving onto the roads where your instructor will be looking for you to demonstrate these skills and general road safety and awareness.

Once your CBT is completed, you will have two years to ride freely with 'L' plates, giving you plenty of time to prepare yourself for the full test.

Now this can be one of the riskiest times for learner motorbikers - many young riders will be tempted to ride around like they're in a race, which with little experience can be disastrous. The best riders should be constantly looking at how to improve their safety awareness. This can be anything from wearing the right clothing to looking for specific courses where you can get professional and expert training. Your instructor or examiner will no doubt be able to point you in the right direction.