Motorcycle Theory Test

[Darth Knox]

Just got back from the test centre and (finally) passed my motorcycle theory test!

For our American viewers, here's how the licence and testing works in the UK:

At 16 years old you can get a provisional driving licence (to drive a car you have to be 18).

CBT (Compulsory Basic Test)
A 1-day training course on a moped. Once completed, it is valid for 2 years and you can ride any bike up to 125cc (50cc if you are 16) with learner plates visible.

In order to get a full licence, there are two parts: the theory test and the practical test.

The theory test costs £23 and has two parts, a multiple choice test on the Highway Code, the official rules and regulations for toad users in the UK. The second part is the hazard perception test, 14 short video clip simulations where you need to identify potential hazards as soon as they develop.

Pass mark for the multiple choice is 43 out of 50 (I got 47)
Pass mark for the hazard perception is 44 out of 75 (I got 69)

You have to pass both elements in order to complete theory test. Failure in one or both parts means you need to retest (and pay an additional £23 each time).

Once the theory test has been passed, you have one year to take the practical test. This also comes in two parts.

The first part is slow vehicle control at the test centre. Basically the instructor tells you what you need to do with the bike round a selection of cones. Then comes the on-road test; you on the road for about 30-45 mins with an instructor following/evaluating you, giving you instructions through an earpiece.

If you pass both parts you have the full motorcycle licence. The only restrictions on what you can ride is determined by your age:

Under 19 - up to 250cc
Under 24 - up to 500cc
Over 24 - no restrictions

Am looking to take my practical test in January

[Infinit01]

If you pass both parts you have the full motorcycle licence. The only restrictions on what you can ride is determined by your age:

Under 19 - up to 250cc
Under 24 - up to 500cc
Over 24 - no restrictions

I think if the US adopted this idea or created one similar to it, we would have lesser motorcycle deaths.  Of course, you have those that do stupid things while riding and die then you have drivers that don't pay attention added to that.

It would prevent the rookies from buying 600CC and higher bikes as their first bike which in my opinion, isn't a smart idea.

Buy a 600 or larger because you'll get bored of the 500CC and smaller.

This is one of the brainless thought process I've ever heard. 600CC sports bikes are super bikes that are turned road worthy which can harm or kill you if you make a mistake.

[Darth Knox]

I think if the US adopted this idea or created one similar to it, we would have lesser motorcycle deaths.  Of course, you have those that do stupid things while riding and die then you have drivers that don't pay attention added to that.

It would prevent the rookies from buying 600CC and higher bikes as their first bike which in my opinion, isn't a smart idea.

Buy a 600 or larger because you'll get bored of the 500CC and smaller.

This is one of the brainless thought process I've ever heard. 600CC sports bikes are super bikes that are turned road worthy which can harm or kill you if you make a mistake.

This is precisely why the laws exist in the UK. To prevent young people, who are still relatively inexperienced as road users,  from owning a vehicle with so much power they either can't control it, or with so much power, they go out and do stupid things.

Yes, I know it's possible to pop a wheelie on a 250cc or even a 125cc. But it's much much harder. Plus, with a top speed of a 125cc at 60mph (if you're lucky) it makes it much harder to zoom in and out of traffic.

In London, with speed bumps, zebra crossings, traffic lights, road works, pedestrians and general traffic  I'm lucky if I manage to get my bike up to 30mph for 5 secs or more. It will be nice having a big boy bike with some extra grunt for when I do weekend rides in the English countryside.

Also, I think they should have a similar rule for car drivers, so young drivers can't go about and buy a 2 litre engine car as soon as get pass their test. Limit them to 1.4l under the age of 21 and 1.6l under the age of 24.

[Cyclops942]

Yeah... that would suck for farm trucks.  When’s the last time you saw a farm truck with an engine that small?  Over here, in many states, farm vehicles (with special “FARM” license plates) can legally be driven by VERY young drivers if their parents own the farm and vehicle.

[Darth Knox]

Yeah... that would suck for farm trucks.  When’s the last time you saw a farm truck with an engine that small?  Over here, in many states, farm vehicles (with special “FARM” license plates) can legally be driven by VERY young drivers if their parents own the farm and vehicle.

Agricultural vehicles have their own class of licence over here.

[Cyclops942]

Ahhhh

[Sakura No Kaze]

Six posts in, and I'll be the first to say CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  

I have zero desire to ever own, operate, use, drive, or otherwise interact with, a motorcycle. Or farm truck for that matter. I'm not against them or anything like that, they just aren't for me.

[Darth Knox]

Six posts in, and I'll be the first to say CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  

I have zero desire to ever own, operate, use, drive, or otherwise interact with, a motorcycle. Or farm truck for that matter. I'm not against them or anything like that, they just aren't for me.

Thank you. And I'm not even sure why the topic of farm trucks came up when this thread was supposed to be about motorcycle licence🤔

Anyhoo....Most people I know have no desire to get on a motorcycle, especially in London. But, after cycling in London for 9 years and never having an accident (although I have seen plenty, including someone get hit by a truck and killed) the transition has been seamless and I love the freedom it gives.

Just for context, London Transport (a government department) and the Mayor of London are trying to reduce pollution in the capital. They have done by introducing the congestion charge. Any vehicle going onto the zone (pretty much all of central London) has to pay a toll, depending on make and model of your car/truck/van (the older the model the more pollution is produces the biggest the toll). It is to encourage the use of public transport, which millions of commuters use every day, and reduce traffic/pollution. Fortunately, motorcycles made after 2012 are exempt as they comply with European environmental regulations. Plus, easier to park a bike in London (u99% of the time I don't have to pay for parking. There are even selected motorcycle parking bays dotted about).

So for me and my needs, a motorcycle is more beneficial than a car. Plus, it's fun. And then there's always the cool factor as well 🤓

[Cyclops942]

Oh, yeah... CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  Sorry, I got distracted by the details of the licensing levels and the reasons behind the various gradations.  When you dragged in the regulations for automobiles, I thought of how that would have applied when and where I grew up, and that led to farm trucks and VERY young kids driving them on the roads, perfectly legally.

So, back to motorcycles... I wouldn’t feel comfortable riding one of them on the roads, and to be honest, I don’t like the way SOME people (certainly not all, and not even most, but SOME people) ride them.  In my state, it is not legal to “lane split,” or pass another vehicle in the same lane.  However, in California, this behavior is perfectly fine, and motorcycles will pass between the lanes of traffic, apparently with impunity.  Here in Arizona, it’s illegal, and therefore unexpected, so when motorcyclists do it anyway, it’s dangerous.  Then you also have the idiots who think that just because their vehicle has rocket-like acceleration ability that it’s not only safe but A GREAT IDEA to accelerate from zero to 60MPH (about 95km/h) on a street rated for 45MPH (~70km/h) as quickly and as loudly as possible, at 3am.

Anyway, I’m going to trust that you are a legal and thoughtful cyclist, and that you don’t do those things, since you’ve been successfully navigating greater London on your bicycle for years.

Cheers!

[Darth Knox]

Oh, yeah... CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  Sorry, I got distracted by the details of the licensing levels and the reasons behind the various gradations.  When you dragged in the regulations for automobiles, I thought of how that would have applied when and where I grew up, and that led to farm trucks and VERY young kids driving them on the roads, perfectly legally.

Just to be clear, the levels I mentioned are only applicable to motorcycles, not cars, which some people say is unfair.

So, back to motorcycles... I wouldn’t feel comfortable riding one of them on the roads, and to be honest, I don’t like the way SOME people (certainly not all, and not even most, but SOME people) ride them.  In my state, it is not legal to “lane split,” or pass another vehicle in the same lane.  However, in California, this behavior is perfectly fine, and motorcycles will pass between the lanes of traffic, apparently with impunity.  Here in Arizona, it’s illegal, and therefore unexpected, so when motorcyclists do it anyway, it’s dangerous.  Then you also have the idiots who think that just because their vehicle has rocket-like acceleration ability that it’s not only safe but A GREAT IDEA to accelerate from zero to 60MPH (about 95km/h) on a street rated for 45MPH (~70km/h) as quickly and as loudly as possible, at 3am.

Anyway, I’m going to trust that you are a legal and thoughtful cyclist, and that you don’t do those things, since you’ve been successfully navigating greater London on your bicycle for years.

Cheers!

Lane splitting or filtering as it's called in the UK is actively encouraged. It's in the Highway Code; as long as there is space and it's safe to do so, motorcycles should filter in traffic. It helps reduce congestion (one less vehicle taking up space). Pkys there are traffic cameras all around, so I'd anyone goes over the speed limit (bike or car) they get fined and 3 points on their licence. If you get a maximum of 12 points you lose your licence for a set period of time (12-24 months I believe).

Motorcyclists tend to be ok over here. Respectful of other road users and pedestrians. Unfortunately it is the scooter/moped riders who give us all a bad name. Most of them are takeaway delivery workers, typically for Europe, who speed through traffic l, weaving it and out dangerously at speed. Plus, they all seem to have their own little clique ; they only acknowledge other scooter/moped riders. Never anyone on an actual motorcycle. They even have conversations while they are riding! But motorcyclists, we will acknowledge each other with a little mod of the head, and maybe a conversation when at traffic lights. But, we don't rev the engine or go crazy until we head out of London into the Englush countryside. Then, you can open up the throttle. Because at the weekend motorways and A-roads have much much less traffic on them.

[Infinit01]

This is precisely why the laws exist in the UK. To prevent young people, who are still relatively inexperienced as road users,  from owning a vehicle with so much power they either can't control it, or with so much power, they go out and do stupid things.

Yes, I know it's possible to pop a wheelie on a 250cc or even a 125cc. But it's much much harder. Plus, with a top speed of a 125cc at 60mph (if you're lucky) it makes it much harder to zoom in and out of traffic.

In London, with speed bumps, zebra crossings, traffic lights, road works, pedestrians and general traffic  I'm lucky if I manage to get my bike up to 30mph for 5 secs or more. It will be nice having a big boy bike with some extra grunt for when I do weekend rides in the English countryside.

Also, I think they should have a similar rule for car drivers, so young drivers can't go about and buy a 2 litre engine car as soon as get pass their test. Limit them to 1.4l under the age of 21 and 1.6l under the age of 24.

I'm sure that you've read a lot about bike accidents. Most of ours here in the states are due to rider error, as in riding so fast and having target fixation.  In 2016, one of my best friends that welcomed me home when I got out of the military was killed from a driver who wasn't paying attention. He died instantly and the driver received a ticket, a traffic citation.....

That year, 5 other friends died of which 3 were their fault from target fixation at 120 MPH hitting the highway concrete barrier and fallen 150 feet to his death (he was on an overpass) to doing 150 in rush hour traffic when a careless drive pulls out in front of them.  As a rider who ALWAYS ride defensively and being aware of all vehicles and drivers around him, I still have close calls. The faster you ride, the narrower the site of view you have and the amount of room you're able to correct. This is why I stopped riding with the larger group and only my one or two friends. 

Sure, I ride fast and have the itch to rider over triple digits here and there, I just don't do it all the time and have a time for it whether it's early in the AM where hardly any cars are there or on the track.

I think that if our laws changed for those just getting into motorcycle ownership and riding, a lot of motorcycle deaths would decreased dramatically here in the U.S.

As a fellow rider who shares the roads with other riders and drivers, it saddens me every time I hear about another fallen rider

[Darth Knox]

I think a lot of it depends on what kind of bike someone wants to own. I remember going on the back of my cousin's Ducatti 996 when I was 16 and I was giddy. Loved it. He went fast, but it was controlled and as it was a Sunday afternoon in my home town, there was very little traffic on the roads, which allowed for him to go a little faster than he normally would.

As much as I like the look of sports bikes and admire them as a feat of engineering, I personally have never wanted to own one. I have always preferred roadsters and cruisers; definitely a fan of the retro styling.

For me, being out on the bike is all about enjoying the journey, therefore I don't need/want to go fast. Also, as previously stated, it's impossible to go fast in London without incurring penalty points on your licence or fear of knocking over a pedestrian. However, the English countryside is full of riders at the weekend, especially when the weather is nice. Some are going fast (80mph+) but most are just crusing along at 60mph.

I'm sure that you've read a lot about bike accidents.

Not really. I did read some articles before I got my bike, but I found it was affecting my mentality, making me overly nervous before I got on the bike. As much as I love horror movies, real life horror that could actually happen to me I prefer to stay away from.

[Infinit01]

As much as I like the look of sports bikes and admire them as a feat of engineering, I personally have never wanted to own one. I have always preferred roadsters and cruisers; definitely a fan of the retro styling.

To each his own, everyone has a preference and that's alright with me. It's when people clique up and bash other bike types is when it's not okay, we all love riding on two wheels. We should share that love instead of trying to make others feel inferior because of your opinions

[Darth Knox]

In case anyone is interested, here is the first part of the practical test for motorcycles in the UK. This video really helped remove any nerves I was having about the test. Will be booking my test for as soon as possible in January.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxwx7AqU7ZU&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxwx7AqU7ZU&amp;feature=youtu.be</a>

Video embedded by your friendly neighborhood, Mod. 

[Darth Knox]

To each his own, everyone has a preference and that's alright with me. It's when people clique up and bash other bike types is when it's not okay, we all love riding on two wheels. We should share that love instead of trying to make others feel inferior because of your opinions

Yeah. I've seen some comments on some forums where established members bash newbies and make them feel small/uncomfortable. Rather than sharing their knowledge and helping noobs.

I am thinking of getting a Triumph Bonneville, but there are some older riders who have been around since the 1960s who have a well-defined sense of what biking is, how bikes should look and how bikers should act. They fail to realise that there is a new generation of riders of there who are modern in their approach, likes and wants.