All change again on licence catagories

[alanTDM]

Bike Safe
The Troll };&#123

With new licensing categories coming in to force on 19th January 2013, the rules change on what the power/cc/ weight the bikes have to be for candidates to take their practical test to enter each new category.

They've changed a lot recently and now it seems they've changed again- to what they were

It is a complicated system and a number of revisions which have all managed to further muddy the waters.

It was a very long campaign for example, that finally got the EU Commission to acknowledge that most 600cc bikes weren't exactly 600cc, so if the minimum test vehicle requirement to get a full bike licence was 600cc, they would actually permit the use of a 595cc machine.

With 6 months to go to implementation, the Commission again changed the minimum/ maximum power and weight requirements (depending on category), which had the effect of rendering some machines the training schools had just bought, as useless.

There were many complaints, but the EU Parliamentary committee said there was no time to halt the change, due to procedure. (That'd be the holy procedure they're happy to ignore on anti-tampering...)

Then the Commission changed things again and now they've released this press statement about what they will now permit the test suitable bikes to be.
Have a quick read of the paragraph below which explains their new idea. I'm sure you'll agree that it has certainly cleared up any confusion...

It modifies the requirements for the motorcycles used for the practical driving test, taking into account the existing models of motorcycles on the market. This will enable for instance the use of electric motorcycles for the test. The Commission has initiated the necessary to adopt a legal provision by the first quarter of 2013 that gives Member States the possibility to continue to authorise the use of current category 'A' motorcycles until 31 December 2018, thus avoiding economic burden to the training industry.

It would appear that after all the filibustering, the chopping and changing, the Commission have acknowledge their huge screw up (without saying so) and will now permit current category A bikes to be used to take the new test.

If they don't change their mind again next week, that means all the Direct Access bikes that training schools already own, will be suitable machines! Unbelievable!!


--
Paddy Tyson
Campaigns Coordinator
Motorcycle Action Group
www.mag-uk.org

01926 844064
MAG (UK) Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 2681957

[voodoo]

Yet another U-turn when the trainers are already struggling to pay for new bikes. I'm sure that they won't reimburse all of the wasted money spent on bigger bikes if they change their mind though >

[Mark_Able]

Not quite, but nearly. The new 600cc bikes were meant to be a minimum of 54bhp ( so we bought Yamaha XJ600's), as stated to us 18 months ago at the Motorcycle Trainers seminar. 6 months ago we hear that the EU had changed their mind, upping the minimum bhp to 67 (rendering our XJ's redundant). So we've just bought a Yamaha Fazer 600, and spent money and time restoring it to near perfect condition. Less than a week ago we heard that the EU have decided to postpone the 67bhp minimum limit for five years. We are now in the process of trying to decide whether to sell the Fazer. DSA+EU=TWATS. >

[Col]

Clearly the EU scum have no idea what they are doing as is usually the case :

[8_ball]

Not quite, but nearly. The new 600cc bikes were meant to be a minimum of 54bhp ( so we bought Yamaha XJ600's), as stated to us 18 months ago at the Motorcycle Trainers seminar. 6 months ago we hear that the EU had changed their mind, upping the minimum bhp to 67 (rendering our XJ's redundant). So we've just bought a Yamaha Fazer 600, and spent money and time restoring it to near perfect condition. Less than a week ago we heard that the EU have decided to postpone the 67bhp minimum limit for five years. We are now in the process of trying to decide whether to sell the Fazer. DSA+EU=TWATS. >

Once agan, stitched up...man I don't know how you can keep up without losing your head :-?

[Mark_Able]

Sometimes wonder if I'm in the right job. They're all a bloody joke.

[Jon_W]

Bloody norah! Is worse than watching eastenders!

When will the DSA decide somthing and stick to it! Oh well mark, keep the Fazer as a backup!