*** How to obtain a bike license ***

Fireskull

Fireskull

Fireskull

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**Some of the below is probably out of date now, as it was originally written in 2011, but this thread is still full of useful information about how to go about getting your bike license.**

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Someone had to do it eventually :D Can this be our first sticky!? We have had so many threads recently asking the same thing so its about time we did!

Going to update this as we go along, if anyone feels anything else needs adding let me know :)

I will need help with info about Mod 1 & 2 as I did the older test.

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So you want to ride a motorbike? This thread should contain all the information you need!

First off:
Licenses
If you dont have any licenses at all then you are going to need to apply for your Provisional License, This can be done following the link below or by picking up a D1 Application form at your local post office.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/NeedANewOrUpdatedLicence/DG_10012514

If you already have a full car license then check the paper part of your license it should state you have 'provisional A' on there, if so move on to the CBT section, if not give the DVLA a ring and inquire about getting 'provisional A' put on there.


CBT
CBT stands for 'Compulsory Basic Training', and as the name suggests you have to complete it before doing anything else.

The course is usually over a day or two and they will teach you the basics of how to ride a motorcycle/scooter and then put that into practice on the road.
They will teach you basics like pushing your bike, getting on and off safely, the controls on the handlebars, clutch/accelerator control and finding the biting point, stopping safely, maneuvering and much more, this will all most likely take place in a dedicated training center area or like I did it, in an unused car park on a Sunday.
Once your instructor is happy with your competence on your motorbike/scooter they will take you out to see how you fair on the open roads, They wont get you to do anything challenging just make you put into practice what you have learnt.

The CBT is not a test but in the very rare occasion you are either a danger on the road or not competent enough on the bike they wont issue the CBT pass certificate


The NEW Licenses / Tests
Basically a copy and paste from here ( http://www.geton.co.uk/content/getting-started-motorcycle#T1gYp5RrJ0BQpWUh.99 ) but it all looks accurate and understandable.

Aged 16 or over: Moped licence
You may ride a moped with L plates after completing CBT, or you could opt for the new AM licence by taking your theory test and then a practical test. This allows you to ride a moped up to 50cc with a top speed of 45 km/h (around 28mph) without L plates, and to carry a passenger.

Even if you decide not to get your full moped licence, we recommend that you do further training after CBT to improve your riding skills and your road sense.

Aged 17 or over: A1 Motorcycle Licence
You can take a 2-stage practical test, after passing your CBT and theory tests, to get an A1 licence. This allows you to ride a motorcycle or scooter up to 125cc (with maximum power of 11 KW) without L plates, and to carry a passenger. Passing a full motorcycle test can also reduce your insurance costs.

After two years of holding an A1 motorcycle licence, you can take another practical test and get an A2 Motorcycle Licence (see below).

Again, even if you opt to ride on L plates after completing CBT instead of gaining your A1 Licence, we strongly advise you to get additional training for your own safety and confidence.

Aged 19 or over: A2 Motorcycle Licence
You can get an A2 Motorcycle Licence, allowing you to ride a motorcycle or scooter with power up to 35KW (46.6 bhp) which will typically mean up to 500cc engine size, or a restricted version of a more powerful model.

There are two ways to qualify for an A2 licence:

If you have held an A1 Motorcycle Licence for 2 years, you can take another practical test.

You can take the Direct Access route by completing CBT, Theory tests and a practical test.

You are then allowed to ride any A2 category motorbike or scooter without L plates and to carry a passenger.

After holding an A2 Motorcycle Licence for 2 years, you can take another practical test and get an unrestricted A Motorcycle licence (see below).

Aged 21 or over: unrestricted A Motorcycle Licence
You can get an A Motorcycle Licence, allowing you to ride any motorcycle or scooter of any size or power. There are two ways to qualify for an A Motorcycle Licence:

If you have held an A2 Motorcycle Licence for 2 years, you can take another practical test.

If you are aged 24 or over, you can take the Direct Access route by completing CBT, Theory tests and a practical test.

You are then allowed to ride any motorbike or scooter without L plates and to carry a passenger.


TO BE CONTINUED.......
 
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Mod 2 Questions:-

Safety Questions

Identify where you would check the engine oil level and tell me how you would check the engine has sufficient oil.

Dipstick or sight glass, level should be between the Max and Min marks.

Show me how you would check that the horn is working.

Turn ignition on, sound horn, turn ignition off.

Identify where the brake fluid reservoir is and tell me how you would check that you have a safe level of hydraulic fluid.

Identify reservoir, check level against Max and Min marks (some bikes have two fluid reservoirs for front and rear brake operation, check with your instructor).

Tell me how you would check that the lights and reflectors are clean and working.

Turn on ignition, check visually for cleanliness and operation (some bikes require the engine to be running for headlights to operate. If this is the case, you will need to sit on the bike before turning the engine on and switch the engine off before getting back off.

Show me how you would check that the brake lights are working.

Turn on ignition, operate each brake with hand over light, turn off ignition.

Tell me how you would check the condition of the chain.

Check the chain for wear, correct tension and wheel alignment. Tension should be adjusted as specified in the handbook. Chain should be lubricated. (To adjust chain, slacken off spindle (there may be a locking pin to remove) and pull rear wheel back using the adjusters (note guide marks on each side), re-tighten spindle).

Show me what checks you would make on the steering movement prior to using the bike.

Bike on main stand, press at rear of seat to raise front, move handlebars left and right, should be smooth movement without cables being stretched or pinched (note that you may not be required to use main stand, check with your instructor. If not then rotate bars with side stand down).

Tell me how you would check your tyres to ensure they are correctly inflated, have sufficient tread depth and that their general condition is safe to use on the road.

Correct tyre pressure settings will be found in the owner's manual. Pressure to be be checked using a reliable gauge and whilst the tyres are cold. Tread depth must be at least 1mm deep, forming a continuous band at least 3 quarters of the width of the tyre and all the way round. There should be no lumps, bulges or tears.

Show me how you would check the operation of the front brake.

Wheel the machine forward and apply the front brake.

Show me how you would check the operation of the brakes.

Check for excessive travel on the brake lever and the brake pedal for unusual play or sponginess.

Show me how you would check the operation of the engine cut out switch.

Operate switch, turn engine over, return switch to normal position.

Show me how you would switch your headlamp from the dipped to main beam.

Switch ignition on, operate switch and check main beam warning light, return to dipped, switch ignition off (as before, if the bike requires the engine to be running for the lights to operate, you will need to sit on the bike before starting the engine).

Balance Questions

What difference would carrying a passenger make to your riding style?

Braking - distance would be increased due to extra weight, would need to brake earlier and leave greater distance between me and the vehicle in front.

Acceleration - would be slower due to extra weight: I would need more time to pull out of a junction and to overtake.

Balance - higher centre of gravity would affect cornering.

Steering - would be lighter especially under acceleration.

Braking, Acceleration, Balance, Steering, or BABS.

What four things may need to be adjusted when carrying a passenger?

Increase rear tyre pressure.
Adjust rear suspension (stiffer).
Adjust front head light (down).
Adjust mirrors.

What advice would you give to a passenger before getting on the bike?

Wear a safety helmet, correctly fastened, get on when told to not before.
Sit astride the motorcycle, facing forwards. Keep feet on the footrests and make yourself comfortable. Hold on to the motorcycle or rider for safety.
Be aware of braking and acceleration (don't bang into the rider or lean back).
Lean into corners, do not try to get off or pull bike upright.
Do not observe, indicate for me, or wave to people.
Stay on the motorcycle until told to alight.
 
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Okay i'll try and give as much information as possible as i only done mine 1-2 months ago.

For you to even consider about taking the bike test a theory test has to be taken and is very similar to the car theory test with only around half a dozen or questions out of the 40 questions that are specific only to motorbikes i think the test allows for you to get around 5 wrong or so a lot of this is common sense and is easy to pass. For the hazard perception part of the test it is definately worth practising this section as unlike a few years ago there are a dozen little hazards to click on such as signs, people etc. But more on the fact that if their is a big hazard about to occur you have to click as soon as you start to see it begin. The later you click the less points you will gain. For each clip you can gain a maximum of 5 points then it goes down a point at a time for the longer it takes for you to notice the hazard.

Mod 1 is basically off-road manoeuvres and consists of the following

moving the motorbike that has been driven into a parking spot and wheeling it out and then positioning it in the next parking spot so it is facing outwards making it possible for you to drive off straight away. When doing this remeber to firstly look where you are going before heading off and go back in a straight line. Use as much room as needed once you are confident you have enough room to turn it turn the bike when moving it forward. It is a lot more stable turning it forward than backwards.

After this you need to do a slalom think their's about 5 or 6 cones for this and then a figure of eight twice this can be quite tricky at first but even though the cones are close together you can use all of the room to the side which is about 20 foot either side of the cones or there abouts.

A slow ride over to a particular point. This used to be carried out by having an examiner with a clipboard walking in front of you but now you just have to go at a slow pace to what they think is slow v.easy

A U-turn you only get about 10-15 metre start to do this until you will hit the wall/fence so you have to have the lifesavers and control of the bike before doing the U-turn to a T remember to look at where you want to go not at the floor and you'll be able to do it. Dont go to slow though or you will have to put your foot on the floor which will mean a fail! Before setting off for this look before starting then balance, then lifesaver then turn.

Cornering and controlled stop. For this part you have to go at a moderate speed even though this isn't measured with the speed trap equipment and brake controllably into a small box which is only enough for your front wheel if you don't stop in the box with your front wheel.. you guessed right its a fail..

Cornering and the emergency stop. very much like the exercise before except you have to break suddenly (the examiner will stick his hand up) and show that you have full control of the bike. this has to be done with speeds at least at 32mph if not you will have to do a retry and it will be a minor if you don't get up to speed for the second time i believe its a fail. At the time i done it, i reached 39mph and had no minors so the faster the better as long as its controlled. Remember that on most speedos even though it says your doing 32mph your usually only doing a real speed of 29/30.

cornering and hazard avoidance. this like the emergency stop is recorded with a speed gun and you have to reach at least 32mph. The swerve it self is very small with you only having to move about a foot or so over to the right to avoid a small cone and then as soon as you straighten up control the bike and come to a stop. I can't remember if you have to stop in a box like in the controlled stop can someone confirm this for me?

The ground surface where the mod 1 is held is superior to the road and from what my instructors said even in heavy rain it is very grippy so when doing the emergency stop, swerve etc don't feel threatened by the weather the bikes are very capable in doing maneourvres in all conditions.

Module 2

If you passed mod 1 you should have no problem in passing this module imo its far easier! See The Abyss post below.
 
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From what I remember of module 2...

There are a couple of basic questions that will be asked before you ride. A good riding school will have prepared you for most of them, as there are only about ten or so.

Things like:

Q: How do you check the tyre pressure?
A: Use a tyre pressure gauge and compare to the recommended pressure in the owner's handbook (i.e. do NOT just poke it with your hand! Answers like these are common fails"

Q: What should I be aware of when riding with a passenger?
A: Adjust tyre pressures according to the owner's handbook, instruct them not to lean, instruct them to hold you or the grips on the bike, remember longer braking distances, adjust front headlight if possible

I think those were the two I had - probably why I can remember them!

Then on to the ride. Module 2 is very straightforward as all of your manoeuvres bar one (the hill start) have already been completed in Module 1.

The instructor is looking for basic competent riding skills and, at the risk of sounding a little too arrogant, to make sure you're not riding like a pansy. The vast majority of instructors are also bike enthusiasts. They're not going to pass someone who thinks he could teach Jorge Lorenzo a thing or two the minute he leaves the test centre, but equally they're not going to pass someone who won't go over 20 mph no matter what the conditions.

So what are they looking for? A smooth ride, with no sudden changes of direction or speed. They will expect to see you use your mirrors when riding, and of course also see the shoulder check on the right side when changing direction or starting off. Mirror checking should not be excessive - they want you to look forward too.

They'll want you to give parked cars reasonable space - enough to avoid a door suddenly opening, and will want to see confident, swift decision making in doing so if you need to pass / wait for an oncoming vehicle.

The hill start is straight forward - you can either do it or you can't. I'm not going to teach you how to ride, but provide you do not roll back you're ok. Keep the foot brake on, engage the clutch and throttle and release the brake once you feel the bite. If you stall, follow the normal stall procedure but crucially, do not forget to shoulder check again - a common fail. Once you've made your shoulder check the instructor will want to see you pull away quite quickly - checking over your shoulder and pulling away 5 seconds later is not considered safe.

The instructions are given over radio and are normally clear and concise. They will not tell you specific road names, but will give advance warning on which turning they want you to take. You cannot fail if you ride safely but fail to follow the instructor's request, i.e. take the wrong turn off a roundabout.

You'll be expected to get up to NSL on appropriate roads, and on the motorway run to hit the maximum permitted speed (on my riding school's advice I went t0 75 mph on the dial). A word of warning - I couldn't hear a thing from his microphone when on the motorway, and so when we reached the roundabout at the end just had to guess where to go. Again, providing you ride safely, it doesn't matter - the instructor will soon get you back on track. If indicating to leave the motorway, make sure you always indicate BEFORE the 3 100 yard warning signs start, and if there's space to not lower your speed until you're off the motorway.

Finally, when in sight of returning to the test centre, remember that everything you're on is still a public road, right up to the point where you park it. Many test centres are shared with cars, so be prepared to be patient whilst some teenager tries to reverse park in front of you. When parking up, do NOT reverse into the space (you've passed the reversing part in module 1 - don't give him an opportunity to fail you for something you've passed), make sure you get it in neutral, get the stand down, turn off, lock the bike and take out the keys.

Then go back to your riding school host, and you'll be called into the test office shortly afterwards to be told you've passed your Module 2. :D

Now wait - it isn't over. If you're uber paranoid like me, get a certified copy of your pass certificate at a local solicitors - £20 or so - before sending it off to DVLA. DVLA lose an alarming number, and a photocopy won't be sufficient proof to stop you having to take your Module 2 again.

That was my experience of Module 2!
 
I felt somewhat embarrassed sending my licence off to DVLA for provisional entitlement when turns out it was on my paper counterpart and just wasn't put on my card licence, so do check that :o
 
Cheers, some good info, planning on taking mod 1 & 2 at the end of the month once I've got my theory out of the way, dreading mod 1 but still looking forward to it.
 
Can someone help me with this point please.
For direct access can you use your own 500cc bike? and if so will they insure you on a 500cc bike with only a provisional license, just making sure as I have never heard of someone doing DA on their own bike.
Most likely pointless I would imagine considering you could only use it with an instructor anyway...
 
Fireskull said:
Can someone help me with this point please.
For direct access can you use your own 500cc bike? and if so will they insure you on a 500cc bike with only a provisional license, just making sure as I have never heard of someone doing DA on their own bike.
Most likely pointless I would imagine considering you could only use it with an instructor anyway...
Click to expand...

I know that for the test you can ride any bike as long as it is above 33hp i used a 600cc so i assume that you would be able to never heard of anyone doing it though probably because of the risk of dropping it not to sure how the insurance would work though, although it must be very similar to driving your own car for a test so would be possible.
 
Fireskull said:
2 Year Probation
This applies only to new license holders, so if you already have a full car license this does not apply

  • Restricted to 33bhp for 2 years (Does not apply to Direct Access)
  • Maximum 6 Penalty points, if you get more than 6 you have to retake your test
Click to expand...

I Have had my Car Licence for 2 and half years. Recently passed my Bike test and still have the Restricted Licence.

I was told that if you pass on a 125cc bike (Due to choice or being under 21) you got the restricted 33bhp licence.
 
Fireskull said:
For direct access can you use your own 500cc bike? and if so will they insure you on a 500cc bike with only a provisional license, just making sure as I have never heard of someone doing DA on their own bike.
Most likely pointless I would imagine considering you could only use it with an instructor anyway...
Click to expand...

From what I understand you can use your own 500cc bike, however, you'd need to find someone to insure it and someone with a full licence (who is also insured for said bike) to ride it to the test centre for you.
 
does anybody have any information about the new bike test yet?

read in MCN a week or so ago that they are changing it to 1 day only with "mod1" done on the roads?
 
stuman said:
does anybody have any information about the new bike test yet?

read in MCN a week or so ago that they are changing it to 1 day only with "mod1" done on the roads?
Click to expand...

From what I can remember it was supposed to be introduced around September, but it just seems to have disappeared back into the woodwork from what I can tell.
 
PU7E said:
Not looking forward to the new independent riding part though, heh, anyone done it yet?
Click to expand...

It's not too bad to be honest. They'll say "Follow the signs for Hovis-upon-Thames", or suchlike. However, if you're in the wrong lane or have signalled the wrong way then run with it. You don't lose any marks for not following the signs as long as the riding is safe.
 
A tip for Mod 1.

When doing the items where you have to go through the speedtrap at 32 mph/50 kph don't bother looking at the speedo as it may cause you to lose concentration.

Before the Mod 1 get used to the tone of your engine at 32 mph/50 kph in 2nd gear and use this.
 
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