Full Licence Information

All the information you need to know about our full licence courses.

Automatic and semi-automatic motorcycles

If you pass your test on a motorcycle with automatic or semi-automatic transmission you’ll only get a full Licence for those types of motorcycle.

Age restrictions

There are age restrictions on the category of motorcycle you can use to take your test.

The type of Licence you can gain depends on your age and the power of the motorcycle you take your test on.

16 years old or over: AM (Moped)
17 years old or over: A1
19 years old or over: A2
21 years old (and have held an A2 Licence for over 2 years): A
24 years old or over: A

Motorcycle sub-categories

(the type of bike you take your test on)

There are 3 sub-categories of motorcycles you can use for your test. The sub-category of motorcycle you use affects the sub-categories you can ride after passing your test.

You must use the same sub-category of motorcycle for both modules of the test:

Sub-category A1 (light motorcycle)

Sub-category A1 motorcycles used for tests must:

Be a solo motorcycle
Be between 120cc and 125cc
Be no more than 11kW engine power
Be capable of at least 55mph

Sub-category A2 motorcycles used for tests must:

Be a solo motorcycle
Be at least 395cc
Be between 20kW and 35kW engine power
Have a power to weight ratio no more than 0.2kW/kg

Category A (unrestricted)

Category A unrestricted motorcycles used for tests must:

Be a solo motorcycle
Be at least 595cc
Be at least 50kW engine power
Minimum weight 180kg

Pass Bike provides included in the cost of the courses appropriate motorcycles for each Licence category. A discount of £50 per course is available if you use your own bike. You bike must be on the DVSA approved motorcycles list here. If you have any questions do not hesitate to call a member of our team.

So I know what bike I'm taking the test on... What about the test itself?

The motorcycle practical riding test is designed to see if you:

Can ride safely in different road and traffic conditions
Know the Highway Code and can show this through your riding ability
As long as you show the standard required, you’ll pass your riding test. There are no pass or fail quotas.

The practical motorcycle test is split into 2 separate modules - the off-road (module 1) and the on-road (module 2)

To get a full motorcycle Licence you need to pass both modules on the same type and capacity of bike. You need to pass module 1 before you can undertake the module 2 test.

To get a full motorcycle Licence you need to pass both modules on the same type of bike.

Clothing rules

You should wear appropriate motorcycle clothing to your test. If you don’t wear the right clothing for your test it might be canceled and you could lose your fee.

Module 1: off-road maneuvers

Module 1 is the off-road module and normally takes about 20 minutes.

It includes:

Wheeling the moped or motorcycle and using the stand
Riding a slalom and figure of 8
A slow ride exercise
A U-turn
Cornering and controlled stop
Cornering and the emergency stop
Cornering and hazard avoidance

There is a minimum speed for the hazard avoidance and emergency stop exercises:

For mopeds this is around 19mph
For motorcycles this is around 31mph

Module 2: On-Road Riding

Module 2 is the on-road module and normally takes about 40 minutes.

Module 2 includes:

Eyesight test
Safety and balance questions
Road riding
Independent riding
Road riding

You’ll ride in a variety of road and traffic conditions. You’ll be asked to carry out:

Normal stops

An angle start (pulling out from behind a parked vehicle)
A hill start (where possible)
The examiner will give you directions using a radio. They will normally follow you on a motorcycle.

Independent riding

You’ll have about 10 minutes of independent riding. This is designed to assess your ability to ride safely while making your own decisions. During your test you’ll have to ride independently by either following:

Traffic signs

A series of directions
A combination of both
To help you understand where you are going when following verbal directions, the examiner will show you a diagram.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember every direction, or if you go the wrong way - that can happen to the most experienced riders.

Independent riding is not a test of your orientation and navigation skills. Riding independently means making your own decisions - this includes deciding when it’s safe and appropriate to ask for confirmation about where you’re going.

At the end of module 2

At the end of module 2, the examiner will give you the result and feedback. If you pass, the examiner will explain to you how to change your provisional Licence into a full Licence.

Your test result

You’ll pass your test if you make:

5 or less riding faults on module 1
10 or less riding faults on module 2
No serious or dangerous faults

There is lots to cover in taking your motorcycle test but our instructors will help you every step of the way, motorcyclists are the most thoroughly examined group of road users, a full bike Licence is something to be proud of and at Pass Bike we take take pride in the instruction and coaching we offer.

Sometimes test day nerves can get the better of anyone, if you haven't been successful Pass Bike offer very competitive retests. One price, whether its module one or module two our retest fee includes bike, equipment etc etc and training time pre test with an instructor and a debrief post test!

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