I am British but grew up in France, and the laws over there are very different, the equivalent of a theory test called AM license is actually included in our education at 14 at the start of summer holidays the school will do a couple hours teaching road safety then do the theory test which is really easy but everyone does it and it teaches everyone road laws and safety, then you can do a quick test which is very cheap then you can ride a 50cc at 14, when you get to 16 you can apply to do a AM2 license which is fairly simple theory test then a cheap regular road test, after you pass you can ride any from from 50cc to 125cc, when you are 18 you can then do a full license and ride any motorbike of your choosing and it's all quite cheap and because it's cheap majority of 14 or 15 year Olds get a 50cc 2 stroke, absolutely rail the engine and make it able to go 60mph to 70mph, then when they get to 16 or some even keep that 50cc bike till they are 18 then do a full test, to upgrade and they are all experienced and such.

I love the fact this guy looks like he should talk like a character from sons of anarchy but he is actually a well spoken English gent.

Once you put a bureaucrat in charge of solving a problem, you can always expect all kinds of unintended negative consequences, but with very little likelihood of the original problem actually being solved.

I passed my test about 1960 on a BSA 250 cc. and got a full licence to ride any motorcycle. The test consisted of riding round a block a number of times while the tester stood at one corner so he could see me half of the time. I was told that when he stepped in the road and raised is hand, I should do an emergency stop. I have to admit I was not really a safe rider after that, but after a number of close calls, I wised up and went on to be a good rider for the rest of my life. I had in fact cottoned on to defensive riding without being taught or knowing it had a name. I never had a serious accident, just the usual like coming off on black ice even though I was riding slowly. I don't ride any more, too old to risk broken bones now so I just drive a car.

I took my bike test in the UK back in 1962 on a 200cc Triumph Tiger Cub. For a learners license back then the min age was 16 y/o and max cc was 250cc, no pre training required. For my test, the test guy just stood on a corner and watched while I drove backwards and forwards through the intersection a few times. At one point he jumped out in front of me, luckily I'd been keeping an eye on him and anticipated this move so I didn't run him down. Back then the bike test was infinitely easier than the car test. Two months later I bought a 650cc Triumph Bonneville complete with clip-ons and a tight fibreglass racing fairing. Been riding a Harley now for the last 10 years. Not sure I'd be bothered to go through everything required to get out on two wheels in the UK these days.

14 - 50cc. 16 - 125cc. 18 - You’re an adult and can do what you want.

I passed my test in 1975 on a BSA B40. I told the examiner it was a 250 and he believed me. I progressed through the bigger capacity bikes, ending up with a Honda 1000. Now I'm back in a 125 because I'm old and crinkly and besides ... It's more fun if you have to ride like you stole it 😉

Here in the US, you either have a motorcycle license, or you don’t. That seems to work here without the added complications

Passing my test in 1975 on a Suzuki GT250, involved riding around the block of the test centre one way, then the other, with the examiner on foot. All over in 10 mins.

It’s a form of discrimination.. if you pass your car driving test at 17 and have a rich daddy you can have a Lamborghini but only a 125cc if you pass your bike test. I’m an instructor and I think it’s absolutely ridiculous the way motorcycle test categories are…as do some of the examiners.

Bloody hell, things have changed!!, glad i passed mine 30 years ago, seems very complicated, needs to go back to basics.

In Australia you need to hold a car licence for a year before you can get a bike licence. The idea is that you get used to traffic in a car which is safer and when you get on the bike you can concentrate more on the riding. Apart from that need to do a day course to get your learners and a 2 day one to get your licence up to a 650cc after 2 years you can do another course for your unrestricted.

I like the bit in the Japanese bike test where you have to lay the bike down & stand it up again unassisted, it forces manufacturers away from ridiculous bikes & riders away from bikes they can't handle.

Here in Portugal the laws are the following: 50cc at 14, 125cc at 16, A2 at 18 and full A license at 25 or after 3 years of A2 or A1(125cc). This means that if you get your A1 license at 16 you can get your A license has early has 19. You only need to take your written test once, and you only have to take driving lessons for the first time you get a license. After that you only need to do a practical exam if you want to upgrade o a higher license.

The best way to reduce road collisions would be to make everyone take a bike test before being allowed to drive a car. That would ensure that all drivers are aware of road and weather conditions and be more considerate to other road users. As for the bike test 16 is ok to start on a bike with limited power output and speed but then progress to any bike after completing training and test. Another highs would be to make the car test much tougher.

I just find it funny that there are so many more steps (at least for young people) to get a full motorcycle licence, yet imagine the uproar if the government made similar rules for car drivers. Cars are bigger, heavier and consume more resources to make and run, yet they’re so much easier to be made legal to get behind the wheel of one.

I'm now in that situation where I've taken my A2 and am riding a restricted 600. What makes little sense is that in two years when I'll have 3 years experience, 2 of those on a 600, I'll have to spend a grand on the same tests again just to ride my bike without the restrictor. To me the solution is to have the restriction categories in place but have the licence automatically upgrade a to A after two years. Or perhaps require a CBT style training course, but not the same test on the same bike I just took but with a throttle stop removed that I never went past the whole test anyway.

I passed my motorbike test in Chile after leaving the UK aged 20. I've drove the Dakar, numerous times around Latin America... and apparently after 20 years riding when I go back to the UK... That all means nothing and I have to re take my exam and everything. Truly bizarre

Yet another example of our young people getting completely ripped off....totally taking the piss..

I agree with you. I've said all along you can't ride a big bike but can drive a sports car! Absolutely no sense in it. A car can do a lot more damage than a bike in an accident

I live in Indiana USA . You have to be 15 to ride a 50cc bike . Once your 16 you can get your riding permit (written test)and ride anything , but you are restricted to ride during the day with no passenger, and must wear a helmet.After holding the permit for 30 days you can take a riding test and get your license. We have lobbyists for helmet laws and training . The training provided by these groups is affordable and is very beneficial.

I rode my first bike in 1976, it's a very different biking world these days. The UK has some of the busiest roads in the world so that makes us a little unique, we also have some of the most narrowest and ancient roads in the world so that also makes us a little unique, so I'm not sure that we can compare ourselves to other countries very easily.

As a criminal lawyer, I can tell you that the magistrates court list is full of kids who just gave up on the crazy system. This means loads are uninsured costing us all money. I'm a biker of 45 years and my son of 29 just cannot find a test center while his CBT is valid.

Your spot on, Pass the test once , then be allowed to progress with experience.

This whole pandemic thing has got me interested in bikes and fulfilling a dream I've had for a number of years - it'll be a nice way of avoiding commuter trains. One thing that 'd found was that the licensing was totally confusing and I had no idea what I actually NEEDED to do after my CBT (booked for next weekend) as I'm 29. This video has cleared that up nicely! Thanks a lot!

I am so glad I passed my test 32 years ago. 50cc to start, 250 on L plates, test, and then 250 till I was ready, then a 750 Suzuki! That said lost quiet a few mates back then. So with hindsight surely better to progress in steady jumps, but don’t complicate things with power to weight ratios, kw’s and stuff that’s just ridiculous.

In 1978, i did 3 different road circuits around town, with an examiner on FOOT,watching. I came of once, without him seeing and carried on . The last circuit the examiner, would step into the road, 30 yards away, for your emergency stop....I had to speed up to make it look good ! Then a flip chart-book, answering 3-4 sign questions.......I PASSED ! Still riding 750's at 64 ! 👍😂🇬🇧 🇹🇭 Reply

The current complicated system grew up over many years as reactionary drawn out attempt to get young motorcyclists to a point where their maturity and experience meant they would be less likely to be a fatality. I started riding in the 70s, up to 250cc without any tests or training. I came off a few times doing stupid things, lost a friend showing off on a CB250 into a wall. Many years later I found myself flying air ambulance and police helicopters, one of our regular tasks was road traffic collisions, it was clear that the majority of single vehicle fatalities Involved loss of control due to excessive speed for the road conditions and statistically motorcyclists were far more likely to be the fatality. Another observation was that the age of the fatalities was changing, born again motorcyclists, men in their 50s who had survived the 70s and 80s as young riders who gave it up then drove cars, had families etc, decided to take up biking again and could afford something much bigger and more powerful than they'd ever dreamed of but hadn't had the years of near misses and scares that motorcyclists learn from. On more than a few occasions I've been to the scene where the fatality is a rider from the back of a group trying to keep up and taking one risk too many for their experience level.

I recently did my CBT at the age of 43. The flawed system allowed me to get on a 50cc (no L plates) without any training or certification other than my car licence, but apparently the extra power of a 125cc required me to attend a day of training and then display L plates and then subsequently pass a full test. Going for another CBT would be fairly excruciating, so I will book my tests and go through the motions. I don't really think any more training would be beneficial considering I have all the time in the world to practice by myself on the road and in any empty car parks I can find. If I fail, I would just re-sit until I pass.

Very convoluted motorbike system in UK...very frustrating..I would like bigger bike,but completely flummoxed by all the red tape etc. Great video guys 👍

Have been having a similar discussion with a friend of mine, had a 125 when I was 17 soon after passed my driving test and bikes went by the wayside. I'm now 29 and will be getting a pair of vintage bikes that have gone down through the family. My friend is slightly older than me and did direct access and went straight into big bikes and doesn't see why I still want something smaller for a few years to get the gist of thinks even through direct access! Just because I can have an 1100 doesn't mean it should be my first bike!

I subbed. 💪💪 Here in America you test once on any bike and if you pass you can ride any bike no matter the size.

The problem with the tests are they are super expensive, especially if you are hiring the bike in the usual way. I would agree with starting at 14 for 50cc, I also agree with doing the test once, but what I would suggest is like they do on the continent, make it so everyone is A2 for 2 years and then they get automatically upgraded to full A. That way you get the safety and progression without the expense. The main issue is the cost of multiple tests, at a time of your life when you are generally poorest.

I remember these days. I got my A2 at 19. Upgraded to an A at 21 after 2 years, frustrating at the time But I personally think the 2 years of hootling around on a bandit helped me a lot on the r1 now.

I'm considerably past the 'young person' category, but I can confirm, having begun motorbike training a couple of years ago, that the process of getting a bike licence in the UK is considerably harder and more confusing than getting a car licence.

I started riding at 16 on a 50cc Fizzy in 1977 then bought a Suzuki GSX 250cc in 78 when I was 17 which was capable then of about 85mph! I then sat my bike test at 18 in 79 and progressed to a Honda 550 four, which I wish I still had. Ive had more than a few bikes since and at 61 still dabble although now in summer only lol. Keep Riding.

I’m on 20 seconds and I’ll tell you why... Insurance costs way too much for young people to afford

Government has killed the motorcycle industry in the uk

I'm so thankful I passed my bike licence in 1981. Just took one test to ride anything on the road.

Been riding nearly 20 years and never got my head around the new licensing laws until now - good video explaining it, nice work

This is a great video. I have done several CBT's over the years but never gone into a full licence as it just seems like such a messy, long winded and expensive process but this year I'm hoping to bite the bullet and get sorted with either an A2 and progress to A next year

I didn't realise things had got this confusing! Thankfully I rode 50cc at 16, 125cc at 17, got my car license just before my 18th Birthday and drove cars until I was 21 then did the former Direct Access test at the age of 21 and from then on I could ride anything completely unrestricted. Rode a Honda VFR400R NC30 for a few years then got back into cars until I was 33, then I bought a CBR600FX and another 125cc for cheap commuting!

Motorcycle laws have been crafted to dramatically reduce motorcycle use by making it difficult to obtain a full licence, I expect the same shortly for car driving licences.

I passed my test on a 125cc in 1968 and have been riding anything I want ever since. I was riding a Bonneville and a Gold star at 17 I am srtill here.

I think an ideal scenario would be a 125 from 16-18 and forget about 50cc. They're too slow for the roads, hard to find and expensive. Make kids do their CBT at 16, then go back for the test at 18, to allow them access to bigger machines. Could always put a power restriction in place for the first 2 years of the license. I think that part should apply to everyone anyway.

Past my test in 1966 on a bsa 250 , been riding big bikes ever since, still am I had the good years of bike riding , I was lucky

Madness. I did my CBT at 16 and rode a Yamaha Fizzy for a year, upgraded to a TZR125 (god what a wonderful bike) and then did my test at 18 to get my full A licence. Got a ZZR250 and at about 27 a Yamaha 600cc Thundercat. What madness for my son when he’s older.

I was 16 in 1963 so remember "the good old days"! At one point you could learn and take your test on any bike. Eventually they limited a learner to a 250cc bike from age 17. In my day the big restriction was what we could afford to ride, many of us learned on ex-GPO BSA Bantam's. These rules are a nightmare, I would hate to have to jump through all these hoops. Sadly I had to give up my bike (BMW F650GS) three years ago due to deteriorating health.

The difference being that a 20 year old couldn't get their Ferrari on the road as either no company would insure them or the cost would make it impractical. A powerful secondhand bike with a low value would cost next to nothing to insure. Just a thought. I was an idiot that did it all the wrong way. I went from a 125 lt to a 1200 VMax then a Blackbird - a Hayabusa - a 2.3 lt Rocket and now a 2.5lt Rocket. I was lucky that fear and the wisdom that I was not bulletproof kept me calm and alive. I worry that if I was eighteen, with less life experience -I would have ridden VERY differently...

Here in Portugal you have 4 licenses: AM, A1, A2 and A. AM: up to 50cc and can't exceed 45Km/h. You can have it at minimum age of 14 years old as a "special license" with a 15 hour formation (8 pratical hours and 7 theorotical hours) + the exams. At minimum age of 16 years old as a "normal" license + exams and guess what... minimum 25 years old with the B driver's license! A1, A2 and A are pretty much the same as in England. But still, I can't understand this restrictions. I took my driver's licence with 19 years old and I can drive a Citroen AX with 45 horsepower or a Bugatti Veyron with 1001 horsepower.

Well put together assessment of the confusing over arching and inadequate progression of current testing requirements for motor cycles

"Let's just make it completely complicated"! This was the conversation in the office when the Men from The Ministry are in charge.

I like the suggestion of one time test and restriction through insurance grouping. The only improvement to it that I can suggest is progress based on experience than age. So for e.g even if a guy starts riding due to midlife crisis or something starts on 125cc and in 2 years is eligible for 400cc and a further 2 years or 20000 miles for 1000cc.

Completely agree, you could even make it hours/miles based like for flight training. Start on a 125 when your 16, when your 18 you can go up to a 400 but only if you've had X amount of hours/miles, same again at 21 you can go up to a 800 but only if you've had x amount of hours/miles on the 400. This would stop people from riding a 125 for 4 years and then switching straight to a fireblade and killing themselves, especially if they've owned the 125 but it's sat in the yard 99% of the time. Edit: Or, start on a 125, when your 18 OR when you've hit your hours/miles you can go up, so even if you're 17 but you have X hours experience you can jump to the 400. Older does not mean more experienced or skilled, more experienced and skilled means more experienced and skilled. If they wanna be really strict they could have you be required to do a ride with an instructor each time you jump levels, as long as you're not seriously dangerous then they can just give you advice on your riding and tell you what needs improving. If you are seriously dangerous you get x hours mandatory training and a retest before you can ride again. I'm not against licenses at all really (even though they don't really stop idiots from driving tbh), but they should make sense.

36 and moved to UK very recently. Thought about getting into bikes, and I'm extremely confused by the system - everywhere the explanation is for the age grades, but nothing properly explains what to do if you're no longer 17-19-24. Some places have wording like "of you have a full car driver's license" and never properly explain what advantages that gives. Took me a while to realise I can just do a CBT and ride a 125cc without bothering with anything else really. Still hadn't done that, but now I think about all those delivery people on bikes with L plates - these guys didn't even have to do a road rules test if I'm correct...

So glad I did my test way back in 1979. Any bike upto 250 on L plates and then take test for full licence. Also no time limit on how long you could hold a learners licence. To me it seemed that system worked pretty well, never understood why they felt there was a need to change it.

Wow! I didn't realise how complicated it had become to get a bike licence since passing the simple test on my Honda CD175 in 1976. That said, bikes have become a lot more powerful since those days. Another put-off is the cost of the road tax, especially for bikes just over 600cc like mine that only do a couple of thousand miles a year (and are bound to be less polluting & congestive than most cars), when some 150hp diesel cars that are covering ten times as much only cost £20/30 a year.

I’m 17 tomorrow and I’m just riding a yz 125 in fields and tracks and it’s frustrating because my yz 125 has more power than pretty much all road bike 125s in terms of power to weight (33horsepower to around 90 kilo) so I have experience on a fast bike, yet I have to wait years until I can get a bike on the road with a similar power to weight

Used to be as complicated as a 250 or any bike with a chair, and we felt hard done by. Older blokes would tell us about when you could have any bike, or when tests were suspended, or even before tests.

Yet you see people on electric bicycles and scooters who have never done any test whatsoever all over roads and pavements in any major city jumping lights ignoring one way streets carrying passengers not having lights wearing actual camouflage the violations are endless…. So why would someone wanting cheap mobility actually pay out for training or tests when they can ignore it all

For me the whole problem started when the 50cc law came out, prior you could ride up to 250 or any capacity chair outfit on L plates they changed the law and bought in the 50cc thinking that would calm the speeds down the fissi came out of Japan and was a 85mph 50cc. So since then it's got so restrictive it's just a joke the cost of changing bikes is ridiculous. That said I'm old enough to have a car licence with A on it so I could buy just the one bike that said I started on a 650 matchless chair outfit but went through piles of 250,s from a BSA C11, Honda CB , Royal Enfield, GT Continental too an OSSA MAR trials.(which now sell for thousands I paid £300)

I'm 51 and going to do cbt in a week. ( been frightened of bikes for some reason.) A lot of bike schools keep trying to get me to do full license which takes a week, I'm going to buy a 125 and get some road experience for a few months. Think this would be better for most people.

The licensing just seems like a cash grab or a way to STOP people from riding motorbikes.

I was told by a really old bike dealer who's now dead !! He was told by The UK Gov PM in the 1970's at a industry meeting that they would have motorcycles Banned by year 2000 !! There banning it by the back door!! I went from a DT125 to an FJ1200 but I have been riding a motocross bike since I was 6 !!

I completely agree with what your saying! I'm 17 and I'd love to get a 125, but I have to pass my car test first. Cant wait to get a motorbike, I'm considering the Sunnis hoodlum 125, the suzuki marauder 125, the lexmoto Michigan 125 or the keeway superlight 125. Nice video guys!

Thank you for sharing. In Singapore, we share similar restrictions and frustration. 18yo - 2B license 200cc < motorcycle 18yo - 3 license 1500kg < motorcar (not a large lorry) Wait a year... 19yo - 2A license 400cc < motorcycle Wait a year... 20yo - Full class 2 license motorcycle no restriction (very rare for a 20yo to have it. Most guys got call in for national service by the time) Ladies 20yo with full motorcycle is like sighting a unicorn. Bikes we learnt from in schools: Mostly Honda bikes CB125 for 2B Follow by the most popular model on the streets, the CB400SF Super4 and lastly the CB750 for Class 2 license. For good measure, the throw in a 750 nighthawk with the petrol tank filled with sand. That is for the pre test lift the bike and push a figure of 8 before setting it down on the same spot. It’s likely newer bikes now at the schools. And if daddy is rich, any spoilt 18yo can mow his ferrari into a crowd of old folks playing chess and blaming them for getting in his way. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I have to say the over complication and expense of getting a bike license has acted as a deterrent formme

I'm a lifelong motorcyclist having passed my test on a 250 back in the early 80s. The new regime for testing does seem to be overly-complex and you make some very valid points about gaining experience. However, I doubt very much that any car can be shown to be actuarially more dangerous than any motorcylce (subject to age and condition of course). The fact remains that considered in terms of Micromorts, motorcycling is more than 30 times more risky than driving a car. Reducing the number of people who ride motorcycles would be regarded by many governments, not just the UK's, as a great benefit to public health. Having known a number of people who have died or sustained life-changing injuries in motorcycle accidents, I find it difficult to sustain the argument that this is an unreasonable objective. In part, most of us were drawn in to motocycling because we couldn't afford to run a car, in an era when cost is less of a motive, making obtaining a motorcycle license more difficult is one legislative means of reducing the number of motorcyclists on the road. Whether one feels this is just is another matter and, I would argue, depends upon one's sentiments and experience. There are plenty of past practices and technologies about which we can all be nostalgic - steam railways for instance - but the world changes and in many instances for the better despite our emotional attachment to the past. I love to see a steam train, but I'm glad they have been largely replaced with electric traction. I would be the first to protest if there was a move to ban motorcycling as I still enjoy doing it and wish to preserve the choice of others to do it, but it is not an entirely self-regarding choice and, like most actions, has societal consequences. Consequently, I'm not that bothered about there being fewer motorcyclists around and only wish the same applied to other forms of private motoring. Ultimately, of course, the reduction in the number of motorcyclists will lead to my collection of bikes falling in value. That's a shame, but no worse than the value of my antique clocks and furniture going the same way. Discuss!

This is just typical of the UK. Been riding for 55 years and I have absolutely no idea of what these two guys are talking about, you couldn't make this bullshit up. All I had to do was ride a 250cc around the block a few times, read a car number plate and do an emergency stop. That was it, next bike a T120 and have progressed onwards from there. Still ride.

In The Netherlands we even have 4 categories! 16 y/o: 50cc 4Kw 18 y/o: 125cc 11Kw/15HP 21y/o: 35Kw 48 HP 24y/o: unlimited

In 1981 the government introduced a 125cc with 12 bhp learner limit, previous to 1981 at 16 years of age you were limited to a 49cc moped which included bikes like a Honda ss50, Suzuki ap50 and the Yamaha FS1E otherwise known as the “Fizzy”. There were other mopeds from Puch, mobylette and the Honda pc50. A moped had to have pedals by which it could be propelled which ruled out the Honda C50 as although it was only 49cc didn’t have pedals so wasn’t a moped. However at 17 you could jump on anything upto 250cc without any training or the need to take a test. Passing your test back then basically consisted of an examiner would give you instructions to ride a short route usually round the block and raise his arm for you to do an emergency stop, there was no examiner riding 30 foot behind you watching your every move. On passing your test the world was your oyster you could then ride any capacity. Things were so much more simpler back then, I certainly wouldn’t want to to face the confusion of the fiasco of today’s motorcycle licensing.

okay ... i'm living in Alaska, I'm 64 years young and have always wanted a motorcycle but in my teen years half my friends who had bikes ended up killed or in wheelchairs so being of the mind to live a long life I've advoided getting and at same time wanting one. Now in Alaska to get your motorcycle permit you have to take a three day 8 hour per day course and in that course I learned how friends in my teens missed up ! I've got my permit now and I'm riding a BMW 1250 GSA happily around the beautiful state of Alaska for past three years and loving every minute of it. Essential training , properly done

It's simple. Cost. For new riders it costs almost as much to ride a motorcycle as to drive a car. Except it's less practical and most parents won't help out financially for motorcycles. So many young people just can't afford it.

A point well made- should not have to retest consistently given that you do not have to do this with car licenses

And yet…..One can pass a car driving test in a sub 1 litre, 50hp vehicle, then hop into 300mph 1500hp Bugatti Chiron!

All car licences should be issued on the proviso that the person has ridden a 50cc for at least 1000 miles. This would familiarise more road users to the dangers of biking. After that the licencee can choose car or bike. For a bike they move up a 2 tier scale which improves on training and experience. Training should be cheaper and more accessible providing jobs and promoting fun and safety. Roughly.

It is not simply the complexity of the regulations but the expense. My son is over aged 24 years and has a full driver’s licence He passed his CBT at about £100. He drives my 125 cc bike and wishes to progress to a larger bike. As I understand the law he can only get this licence by riding a larger bike hired from a riding school at a cost of about £600, which means he cannot get his own larger bike to increase his riding experience before sitting the test. He can only do the test under the supervision of a riding school.. Because of the cost he has given up the idea of getting his own bike.

Bring back the "Sidewinder" (yeah im that old)

I passed my test in 1969 on a 200cc Triumph. I agree that there needs to be a progression, but it seems to me that Government policy is to discourage motorcycling, rather than just trying to make it safer. On returning to motorcycling in 2016 after a 27 year break I deliberately bought a 500cc Royal Enfield as being something within my competence, only too aware that at 67 my reactions are a lot slower than they used to be. Sadly, common sense seems to be absent among some bikers. It is well worth taking further training.

gov't shouldn't be in the business of telling you what cc bike you can have. show your basic ability, and you should get a license at 16 or so. that's the way they do it in the USA, and it works. parents restrict the kids that need it, not govt.

My view here is that the UK gov have never liked motorcycles or motorcyclists and therefore have made this whole licensing process as complex as possible to deter would be new riders. With the current focus on climate change they have missed a big opportunity, over a number of decades, to include motorcycles as part of a joined up transport policy. What they should have been doing is encouraging people to ride motorcycles and scooters to ease traffic congestion and pollution levels. Instead we have a road tax charging structure which also contributes to deterring new be riders due to the costs and an overly complex licence process which you need an a level to navigate. I have been a motorcyclist for 35+ years and my eldest son was keen to start riding but the whole complexity of the licence process put him off and he went straight to a car. Maybe the new electric bikes coming onto the market will give the gov an opportunity to change their misguided licensing process but then again Boris’ lot are not that bright sadly…..keep up the great work with the vids guys…

I’m still very confused with all the licenses

How come you don’t just ride without a license? It’s pretty common in the US.

Its 100% the hassle of licensing thats kept me off (powered) bikes my whole life. I'm almost 38 and have had my car license since I was 17. Here we are 20yrs later with a string of powerful old cars, rarely with even ABS and I'm still yet to have an accident. The really crazy part is there's nothing stopping me from shaving my legs, dressing up like Jimmy Saville and joining the local Tour de Farce brigade in riding down the middle of a busy A road on a weekend!

Thankfully I back in 1979, I was 16, did the test on a Honda 90, passed and bought myself a proper bike, that was here in Ireland.

Brilliant review covering an over complex system. I may get shot down for this but IMO all these separate licences age ranges tests etc are to generate more revenue for the chancellor. I have been both a motorcycle and car instructor The bureaucracy is ridiculous. Once you've passed that's it. No extra checks or advice on advanced riding. I've been out the game for 15 years but believe its still a case of making it as difficult and costly to pass the test but once done government interest in our safety and riding standards cease. Like exorbitant road tax for bikers its just a money making machine. Solution. Everyone should spend 2 years riding a bike before they can regress (lol) to a car. Bring age down to 15 and increase to 125 category. 50cc is bloody dangerous! Stay safe

Rode motorbikes since I was 16. Nine years later on bikes they brought out the cbt test. Suddenly after nine years on motorbikes wasn't allowed to ride my rg. I also had a full driving licence at 17. It said at the time was valid until I was 60 but they took that off me too removed my licence to ride 125cc. And now changed my licence that I have to pay for a new one every ten years. They broke every agreement of the contracts. Its a business the world over and reflects deeply on how deep your pockets are not how competent you are.

I am luckily a biker who took his test in 1977 with no restrictions, the system needs scrapping and starting with a clean sheet of paper, I would suggest one theory test to start, then 17 entry on plates up to 125, then after 1 year up 250, once 2 years on 250 straight to full test, to be honest in 95% of cases the insurance premiums will then be the restricting factor

Thanks lads, that’s very informative. I can see and partly understand the law over here and agree with some points that you made. We know that being responsible is not everyone cup of coffee especially when you are young. However , some adults can lack of common sense too . Back in Poland 🇵🇱 I’ve passed my bike exams on 125 cc over 20 years ago and that was it. Whatever you can afford you ride . 👍

I'm 19 and I simply can't afford to spend £700-£800 on A2, and then £2000 on a decent motorcycle and again £2000 on insurance, that's why I don't drive even though I would really like to.

Asked my friend who lives in the UK about this once and he just gave up trying to explain it. As an American I just took the state sponsored course and had my bike license (M) at the end of it ,my first bike is a 500cc. I appreciate the explanation though. While I think 500cc isn’t too bad it do believe we should have atleast 2 classes for ours because a lot of younger people just go straight for the high power ones and end up in a hospital bed.

Wow!! Here in the USA I asked for a motorcycle license at 18 when I got my first motorcycle. They asked me if I can ride. I said yes the motorcycle is out front. They said "ok" and added motorcycle to my license. I since did become basic and advanced American Motorcyclist Association certified but I did it to lower my insurance rates. They are half day courses very easy to me.

I was born in 1955 and I took and passed my test on a BSA B25 when I was 16 and 2 months old. I then went straight on to a BSA A65 Spitfire then a couple of Norton 750 Commando's and then a Honda GL1000 all by the time I was 19, I don't think there was anything wrong with the old system, it worked for me and my friends and it worked very well

I'm 20 years old based in the Caribbean and looking into starting Motorcycling. I plan on starting on a 300 CC (CB300R) and working my way up the power ladder. Its baffling to me that some countries its allowed for new riders to just start on whatever they want.

I thought that a 18 you were an adult, what happens at 21? And why 24? I passed my test at 16 plus one week. Passed and was able to ride what I wanted, for the rest of my life. This whole farce is to just stop anybody having a bike at all.

I live in Spain and ride a 125cc on the basis of having a car licence. Last week an English friend came to visit and was impressed with my small bike. He asked me if he could buy one for himself back in the UK. I tried to explain the UK motorbike licencing regime to him. It was so complex he lost interest

In PA if you're 17 and you pass your tests you get your license. Period. You can ride whatever size bike you're comfortable with. Oh and helmets are optional. It is strongly advised to take a Motorcycle Safety Course before you start riding, but not mandatory. Most people here start riding at a very young age on dirt bikes on their own land. Other states may have different laws and requirements.

Wow! That is incredible. How in the Hell can they come up with something as intrusive and complicated as that. I can only imagine the bureaucracy behind this. The day that I turned 16, 1971, I was at the local drivers licence office at eight o'clock in the morning with my dad's car and my motorcycle. I had purchased a Honda SL125 three months earlier and had already spent hundreds of hours, mostly in the dirt but many illegally on country back roads, in the saddle. Socialist Illinois, where I grew up, had a two tiered system of licensing motorcycles. Until a rider turned 18, they were restricted to bikes 150cc, or less. These bikes were classified as "Motor Driven Cycles" and were legal on all public roads except interstates. To this day, there are still signs on Illinois interstate on-ramps declaring this law. There was no special markings on the bike's license plate but, if I remember correctly, there was a different class marked on the drivers license. When a rider turned 18 they upgraded the license and the rider could, legally, ride any motorcycle. I bought a Honda CB450 as soon as I could and rode it for the next couple of years. I have owned over thirty bikes since. I, currently, keep five licensed and insured. This was a very interesting video. Thanks.

Not long passed my cbt at 51, the more you read about advancing and the more you hear, the more confusing it gets. Why not just have the cbt and one test thereafter? The costs to get a full licence is enough to put people off let alone the cost of a bike and gear.

I live in Georgia in the US, a written test gets you a learner's permit which allows you to ride any size bike during daylight hours without a passenger, a short riding test gets you your full license.