EU making it harder to get a licence

[JamesD]

Your view...

This has been stirring around sometime, but now it appears even in the face of stiff opposition from motorcycling organisations and manufacturers this will be going through.

The EU commission has ruled that there will be a new agreement which will affect your ability to obtain a motorcycle licence :'(

- Minimum age for riding over 125cc rises to 19
- Direct access not allowed on large capacity bikes (over 47hp) until you are 24
- New categories of licence created that create steps between capacities on bikes
- If you are under 24 you will need to complete staged tests to get onto a larger bike

Personally I think this is a major blow to the motorcycling industry and goes no way to improving safety on the roads, only reducing the number of riders on them.

The basis for this agreement is flawed, are we are now removing a whole adult age group from being able to buy the bike of their choice....would you agree that someone who is 24 is more capable of riding a large capacity bike, than someone who is 21?....i am 27 BTW

http://www.biker247.com/news/5371.asp

[JamesD]

I suggest if you want a good read of this you pick up this weeks copy of MCN...also got a free Demon Tweeks catalogue

[Dabz]

I think the 125cc age should be 17 same as car, and I'd remove the ability to ride a 'ped on L plates, making it compulsory to have a test...afterall you're not allowed to drive a car on L plates without someone else there are you?

the DAS bit...22 is a fair age I think, perhaps though extend the compulsory training. Although I did a crash course myself, I don't think a week is long enough to go from never having ridden to having a licence for big bikes. Around my traiing I'd been riding a 600 for months (private roads of course) which gave me much more experience than I would have got otherwise

[JamesHockley]

What about similar measures for cars?

When you first pass your test you can drive up a 1 litre.

You then have to pass a further test to drive up to a 1.6 litre.

And so on, see how that goes down with the tin top brigade!
!

[Dabz]

well insurance usually forces most people to do that anyway with cars..I was stuck with a 1.1 for 3 years until insurance came down, then 1.4 and now 2.0

[JamesHockley]

well insurance usually forces most people to do that anyway with cars..I was stuck with a 1.1 for 3 years until insurance came down, then 1.4 and now 2.0

Thats true, but what you have then is one rule for the those who can afford it and one rule for those who can't. Plus think of the number of young people who drive bigger cars because they insured on there parents insurance.

[Dabz]

t's a good point...

not sure what I'd suggest really - having done my DAS when I was 22 I would have been put off biking altogether if I had had to wait until 24. It's the kids driving badly on mopeds and 125s that annoy me - many are allowed on the roads with just a CBT each year which is far from adequate training!

[JamesD]

t's a good point...

not sure what I'd suggest really - having done my DAS when I was 22 I would have been put off biking altogether if I had had to wait until 24. It's the kids driving badly on mopeds and 125s that annoy me - many are allowed on the roads with just a CBT each year which is far from adequate training!

That's a very good point, and one that motorcycle manufactures have picked up on, if you don't get early exposure to motorcycling then chances are you may never pick it up.

I agree that the CBT is not a good enough test to show you can ride on the road safely, and mopeds are very dangerous...i would prefer to see a more formal test at this stage, with more controls over the schools that do CBT courses...

On my CBT moons ago the girl I was out with was so pre-occupied with the task of operating the scooter she made a catalogue of mistakes, including driving the wrong way up an exit road of a major A road !!

They still gave her a pass though, and she was lethal..... :-/

[Dutch]

Definately agree with the idea of doing a full test instead of the CBT. You have no questions about highway code and no real experience on the open road apart from 2 hours which is rubbish.
I did a DAS last June when i was 26. It was my girlfriend that entertained the idea of me getting a bike as i had always um'd and ar'd about it because in my head i could never get past the fact that with 2 tyres only there is much more of a chance that you wont get round the corner.
Now i have a bike i love it and wouldnt trade it for anything.

Back to the subject though, I had 10 years road experience before getting my bike so when i get on it i am learning how to ride the machine not how the road works and that takes plenty of brain power. If you have to learn the road, what other people are most likely going to do and learn how to control the machine i cant see how anyone can really do it.
I think the age to control any machine on the roads should be 17 and you should have to take a full test to drive it.
DAS shouldnt really be allowed unless extensive road sense can be proven as most people can drive something but not many have road sense.
I have a 750 after 9 months and although i love it i think people should have to have something smaller than 80BHP for one year and after that it is yours choice.

[BB]

I would strongly recommend joining one of the Riders Rights groups. Either MAG or BMF and support them to fight the cause.

We should also as a private individual lobby/write to our MP and/or MEP expressing our concerns over this issue and any other motorcycling issues.

It's good to talk about this amongst ourselves but we really need to get our opinions heard and the only way to do it is to tell those who make the decisions.




Someone give me a hand to get down off the soap box...