What is the Law for Riding a Motorbike?
What is the Law for Riding a Motorbike?
Before you take to the roads make sure you know the law on motorbike safety and the legal documents you are required to have.
Motorcycle Licence
To legally ride a motorbike on British roads a motorist should obtain a provisional licence which requires them to complete a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course.
This allows him or her to ride with L plates for up to two years, and to obtain the full licence a motorcycle theory test followed by a practical test is necessary.
If a motorcyclist wishes to ride a bike with an engine size between 75 cubic centimetres (cc) and 125 cc they are required to have a full motorcycle licence, otherwise they can apply for a moped license.
There are two types – a light motorcycle licence called an A1, restricting riders up to 125 cc with a power output of 11 kW, and a standard motorcycle licence (A) if the test is taken on a bike over 120 cc but not over 125 cc.
The rider is restricted to ride a bike of up to 25 kiloWatts (kW) with a power/weight ratio not exceeding 0.16 kW/kg for two years after passing the standard test, after which they can ride any size bike.
Documentation
All motorcyclists are required by law to display their tax disc and pay road tax - this can be obtained from most post offices.
The amount of tax a rider pays depends on the type of bike and engine size, the following categories apply:
Not over 150 cc
Over 150 cc up to 400 cc
Over 400 cc up to 600 cc
All other motorcycles
An MOT certificate - if over three years old, a valid insurance certificate and an excise licence renewal form must be produced when apply for a tax disc.
Motorbike Helmets
All motorcyclists are legally obliged to wear a safety helmet while riding their bike on a public road and it must comply with either British Standard BS 6658:1985 and carry the BSI kitemark, the UNECE Regulation 22.05, or European Economic Area equivalent to the above.
ThermaHelm helmets do not just give riders the basic, legal amount of protection required but the ability to save their life through its unique brain-freezing technology, preventing the likelihood of brain swell and ultimately, brain damage and death.
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