New licence changes in 2013

[BBROWN1664]

I hope my eldest sorts his test out before the end of this year or he will have to wait another year before he can try!

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DG_201188

[BBROWN1664]

Just reading it again, even if he passes his 125 test this year he won't be able to go above 33bhp Until he is 21 AND passes another test.

DAS riders will have to wait till they are 24 from January.

[Captain Haddock]

On a positive note with all the licence changes us old gits with proper licences should be able to claim national park status and get an EU grant towards our biking just to keep the heritage going, the downside is if you want any plastic surgery you will need to get planning permission and will probably find out you are classed as a listed building, you will probably not even be allowed to die under EU law without full permission from the relevent authorities.
And if you have a newt infestation you are realy stuffed! I'm glad I only have the lobsters.

[solorider]

Just reading it again, even if he passes his 125 test this year he won't be able to go above 33bhp Until he is 21 AND passes another test.

DAS riders will have to wait till they are 24 from January.

not 100% true,copied from the dvla website link listed
 Direct accessIf you don't have two years' experience, you'll have to be aged 24 years or over. You'll also need to pass the theory and practical tests.
 
so if you have 2 years experience the 24 year old rule does not apply,the other rule that changes is to do with the bikes that you cannot ride when riding with a restricted licence,a 19 year old which passes the direct access can only ride bikes which develop in unrestricted form 92hp so that would mean the 600 fazer would not no longer be allowed.also looking at the new rules a 17 year old who passes their test can no longer ride a bike bigger than 125 till they are 19, i am glad i passed my bike test over 25 years a go.

[snapper]

Might be opening a can of worms !1
 
 but when are they going to start looking at cars the same way ?
 
 

[BBROWN1664]

Solo, if yo take the 125 test at 17 or the 31kw test at 19 you can take the unrestricted test at 21. Otherwise you have to wait till your 24 to do DAS.

My point was if you take the 125 test before January you get your 33 HP licence automatically but he will have to take another test to go unrestricted as he won't have the 2 years experience before January.

[pitternator]

IMO it makes sense to stop 21 yr olds getting entitlement to ride an R1 or like ,with no actual riding experience other than a weeks course ! Just how this amount of training gives sufficient experience for a superbike on the road  is bizarre
 
whether 24 is a suitable age is questionable though .... IMO all new bikers should get a few yrs experience on lower power machines  before being able to buy a big bike.
 
what dont help is the dearth of suitable small bikes for new bikers to cut their teeth on....which we had in abundance in the 70s...

[BBROWN1664]

I agree they should gain experience. The new rule mean more tests though.

When many of us took our test, there was only one test. Now you could take up to 7 tests before you get a full licence if you start at 17 but just the 4 if you do DAS at 24!

[DryRob]

nothing like the EU for making the current system more complicated for new riders, how can direct access lead to a restricted licence?

[Dave48]

As  a rider who took his test when dinosaurs walked the earth I struggle to keep up with the ever changing legislation for new riders. I fully agree with proper training and gradual introduction to the more powerful machinery available today(In 1967 a Triumph Bonneville only had about 46bhp!). I cant bring myself to beleive that all this is being done in the name of road safety-why?-just look at the car test(basically unchanged since they introduced it.) I think that Brussels will only be happy when theyve legislated two-wheel transport off the roads and put us all in cages(with all the revenue gains to be made!). If they are serious about road safety then why not introduce similar phased training -procedures for car drivers? Obvious-there would be such a furore & so unpopular that whoever supported it wouldnt get any votes. Its like the bloody silly speed camera arguments! I really think that motorcycling is viewed as some sort of subversive lifestyle choice-how long til the insurance companies refuse to cover us because they say its like mouuntaineering or sky-diving-simply too dangerous?

[BBROWN1664]

For the A2 licence it also states this on the DVLA website.
-------------------------
A motorcycle of a power not exceeding 35kW, with a power to weight ratio not exceeding 0.2kW per kg and not being derived from a vehicle
 of more than double its power
-------------------------

Does this mean no more restricted fireblades???

[bigralphie]

All peds should able to do 50 mph max ,no more than 50 bhp on motorbikes until 25 but with suitable dedicated low cost insurance....IMHO

[dogruff]

Agree with Dave48.Bikes are extremely powerful now compared to 'the day'!
I started on a FS1E,then A100,RD200.RD250,RD400.........EXUP,FZS600.
Majority of riders must step up gradually,mainly because of the increase in power and braking,or some will not survive in the jungle!

[BBROWN1664]

Many of us (me included) all agree that riders should use their common sense and work their way up to the more powerful stuff but have a look at this....

If you took your test on a 125 in December 2010, you are restircted to 33bhp until December 2012 when you can go out and ride anything. Till then you can only ride up to 33hp (a Fireblade with a restrictor kit is allowed).

If you take your test in Feb 2013 on a 125, you can only ride a 125. You then have to take another test for 35KW (about 40bhp) once you reach 19. You cannot automatically ride it and you cannot ride a restricted fireblade now, you can only restirct a bike with less than 70KW to start with. Once you reach 21 you can take yet another test to go unrestricted.

If you decide not to go for the 125 test (at 17 or 18) or 35KW test (at 19, 20, 21) , you cannot go for the 35KW test until you are 24!

[Chillum]

All bicycles should be restricted to 20mph with a playing card and clothes peg

[BBROWN1664]

[ghostbiker]

Trouble is the police don't/can't inforce the rules now. let alone the new rules.
They need the rules made simple AND Easley spoted and enforced.
16 cbt to ride moped.
17 automatically can ride 125 / if a cbt has been passed.
18 restricted test to 45 bhp. No restrictor kits the bike must naturally be 45 or under. (this would be a power to weight ratio.)
This makes it simple to enforce and check the power
2 years riding experience or 24 to then take a unrestricted test.

[BBROWN1664]

Regardless of what we think the right approach is, DVLA have published what will be happening but not made it very clear. All I know is my eldest want to pass his 125 test before January so he can move up to the 33bhp limit at 17. What I dont know is if he will automatically get his unrestricted licence automatically after 2 years or if he will have to take another test.

[BBROWN1664]

Having looked into this a bit more, I ended up emailing DVLA to get some clarity. When they deem fit to come back to me I will post the response up here.

For now though, I hope my son manages to pass his bike test before January as it will mean he gets to ride the medium power bikes before he is 19.
As he will get Category A after passing he would be limited to 25kW for 2 years but may get away with the new 35kW limit instead.

25kW = 33hp but no limit on what it is restricted from.
35kW = 47hp limited to 94hp before restricting meaning no Fazer 600 for him yet.

This will open up some more choice on the non-restricted bikes.