Changing License Categories to reflect riding big bikes from A2?

lmfy2k

lmfy2k

lmfy2k

Soldato
Joined
12 Feb 2004
Posts
7,390
Location
Manchester
Hi all

In 2009 i did an A2 test and passed, after 2 years the 33bhp restriction got lifted, since 2011 i stopped riding and I'm now thinking of getting back on a bike again.

my license still shows A2

my question is, do i need to get my license changed/updated to show i can ride any bike now or can i leave it as it is and be legal to ride a 600cc bike? or does my license HAVE to show what i can now ride to be legal?

Sorry if its a silly question!

Thanks
 
Check the online checker thing and see if you've got the A entitlement on there if you came in under the old 2 year and automatic upgrade rules then I imagine it should show somewhere.
 
hahaha

still deciding on best way forward, had a CBR125 and Bandit 600 back then, now its all about money savings, want a bike that will return good mpg, my commute is 20 miles a day

have access to wife's car if and when i need it, my car lease ends in July and im thinking of not getting another car and see how it goes with the bike

ive got 3 kids so weekends are busy with them so dont see myself going out for weekend rides out

what you reckon? 125cc or go for a 500? budget max is £3k (new or used)

PCX125 looks pretty good lol, never knew they existed until last night,
 
If you really want budget and money saving, then the CBF125 will easily do 100mpg++ even riding it full throttle and they cost nothing to insure, £17 tax (year) and cheap to repair. In fact, the new CBFs are claiming 160mpg now, which I can believe. They are £2699 new OTR, so again if you want to save money you could go for a near new second hand one, or just buy new if you want the niceness of new and warranty etc.

But, you might very very quickly get tired of a 125 commuting 20 miles. Is it 20 miles each way? If it's 10 each way then it might be alright.

I'm not sure what to suggest when it comes to 600s really. My Hornet would only do around 40-50mpg (CBR engine) which is no better than a modern-ish car really and my Speed does 40-60mpg, so again not a massive saving over a modern-ish car.

I think it was possibly the ER6 or maybe CB500 that can do 80mpg and has a bigger engine.

If you're serious about money saving then something like the CBF125 would be the way to go.
 
Last edited:
thanks mate,

its 10 miles each way

going to pop over to Honda after work to take a look at some bikes

CBF125 has been top of my list for last few days

not sure why but the PCX125 even though a scooter has me intrigued, twist and go, great mpg, plenty of luggage space, LEDs all around, power socket, stop/start technology

not sure if i will be laughed at from guys at work when coming into work on scooter plus is the "Nod" rule still only to other geared bikers or has it changed? :D

Going check them both tonight
 
Scooters still get the nod from me, but I often don't get one back from them :(

Can't comment on the PCX really, but again if you're wanting to save money then I'm sure a scooter will do similar MPG to the CBF and as you say is more convenient in terms of luggage space.

The other option, if you want luggage space, would be a second hand CBF, then spend the spare money on a decent luggage setup (top box or panniers. Top box is more common for the CBF).
 
I'd leave it as it is. The DVLA will have already upgraded it to a full A license. Insurance companies will be aware of it too. The only person that might question (if they are even aware of it) it is PC plod at the side of the road, but they will be able to check their database anyway.

I had the restriction showing on mine for 5 years, lost my license and when the replacement arrived it showed a full A category.
 
If its pure for commuting I'd go for a scooter, although a bit bigger than a 125. Maybe a 250 or 400. You can't beat the practicality.

I'm half considering one for my 30 mile a day commute as I think it will be faster than the GS at nipping through traffic.
 
Lets bring some maths in to this thread as it's going badly I feel!

20miles a day is 100miles a week or 5,200miles a year.

At 120mpg it'll cost you £196.40 in petrol for the year.

At 50mpg it'll cost £471.37 in petrol for the year.

Sounds a lot but that's only £5.29 a week extra to put it in perspective.

In conclusion get a 600cc+ and enjoy.

I was always a big fan of 125's as I spent 2 years on a CBF125 and loved it, then I got my Z750...

20miles a day is not a lot.
 
Maybe so, but the headline figures of "120mpg vs 50mpg" and "20 whole miles a day" can make you think you'll be saving massive amounts so just wanted to cost it out.

I was doing 30miles a day on my 125 but I still ended up buying a 750 the day after passing my test :p

If you're doing 15k a year then definitely mpg is important but at 5k its not that big a deal (individual circumstances depending).

Have this argument all the time with people trying to justify buying diesel cars :o

Especially if he's had a bandit in the past!
 
Depending on what sort of roads you're commuting on a 125 may not be too bad, but I was doing about 35 miles a day mostly on NSL A roads and it was torture after a while. Much nicer commute on my SV and I still get around 60mpg so it's not a killer.
 
If you go scooter route, Suzuki Burgman 400 have very decent mpg for a larger engine size (me dads getting roughly 79mpg on his daily commute - which is mostly motorway - according to the dash on the bike). He's just moved over from a XJ600 Diversion as he uses it to mainly just keep miles down on car as his daily commute is 70ish miles round trip. Think he said he used to get less than 45mpg on the Divvy.

Not my cup of tea but for comfort, practicality and features its a damn nice bit of kit, and he's reporting plenty of power and some great handling with the low down weight as apposed to the more top heavy of his old Divvy. It isn't small either, looked about same size if not a bit bigger than the Divvy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom