I need to put something on here about the new licence changes, if for no other reason than to gripe about it.
As things stand, there are two options commonly open to most people. You can take your test on a 125cc bike (cat A2) and have a two year restriction to 33bhp, at the end of which your licence becomes a normal unrestricted (cat A) motorcycle licence. Or, if you're over 21, you can do Direct Access (DAS) on a bike with more than 47bhp and get a full category A licence straight away. If you've taken one of these options before January 2013, nothing will change.
After Jan 2013.
Option 1 (minimum age 17). If you take your test on a 125cc bike, you will get a full licence allowing you to ride a 125cc bike (cat A1), nothing bigger. So essentially, a waste of time, unless you only intend to ride a commuter bike for the rest of your life, and want to ride on motorways and carry passengers.
Option 2 (minmum age 19). You can take your test on a bike no smaller than 400cc, that must have a minimum power of 34bhp, and a maximum of 47bhp, thereby allowing you to ride a bike up to 47bhp (new cat A2). Again, there will be a two year restriction at the end of which there maybe either an assessment to move up to unlimited power, or a retest. The DSA has not decided whether to assess or retest, and won't decide until the end of next year (we've been told). So if you are over 19 but under 24, this is your option. The only thing being, if you take your test let's say in February, you won't know if you'll have to do it all again at the end of the two year restriction. Well not until the DSA make up their mind anyway.
Option 3 (minimum age 24). Up until last week, the changes to DAS were meant to be an increase in age (from 21 to 24), and an increase in the size and power of bike (600cc minimum and 54bhp minimum). So as to be fully prepared, we bought a couple of lovely Yamaha XJ600N's. Last week we were informed that the European Parliament has changed their mind. The minimum size will still be 600cc, but they've now added a minimum weight of 180kgs (not a problem), and more crucially for us, an increase from 54bhp to 67bhp minimum. As our XJ's come in at 60bhp, we are in a position where we are having replace bikes before the new laws have even been implemented. Although they objected to such late changes to the bill, the best the DSA could do was a stay of execution until the end of 2013. All the changes will come in this January, but the 67bhp ruling will be later in the year.
As regards the changes, I can see no safety benefit. The rules as they stand are perfectly acceptable. They are restricting a certain age group from riding bigger bikes, whilst car drivers of the same age can still legally drive whatever they want (providing they can afford the insurance). I feel there is a case of Human Rights here. A regards us, all it does is put pressure on an industry that is already struggling from the previous test changes. With more than half the training schools collapsing since the bodged introduction of modular testing, these latest changes can only compound the issue. The expense of having to keep replacing bikes for no good reason, is ridiculous.
The main losers in this will be the 17/18 year olds, who cannot move up to a bigger bike even if they wanted to. The 19 to 24 year olds won't know what's waiting for them at the end of the two year restriction.
In short, if you're riding a 125 at the moment, get your test done before Jan 2013, otherwise it won't be worthwhile.
And if you're of the same opinion as me, bring on the referendum on the EU... >>
Originally Posted by Jon_W
