Getting to and from bike test.

Getting to and from bike test.

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Jonjo91

Original Poster:

1,833 posts

157 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Question came up among a few bikers in the office today after chatting about the A2 licence and thoughts on it.

Using me as an example with current bike. The bandit 600 can be made A2 legal.
If I was on an A2 licence, could I ride my A2 legal bike, which can also be full A legal to a test centre on my own?

I'm guessing insurance would be the factor, and I presume A2 holder wouldn't need L plates?

Seems expensive for an A2 licence holder to upgrade to a full licence if instructor to mod 1 and 2 is factored in again.

curlie467

7,650 posts

200 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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I have nothing to add as I have no clue what all this means, I know I am glad I passed my test a long time ago though.

Hooli

32,278 posts

199 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Jonjo91 said:
Using me as an example with current bike. The bandit 600 can be made A2 legal.
If I was on an A2 licence, could I ride my A2 legal bike, which can also be full A legal to a test centre on my own?
Only if you ride it adjusted to A2 spec & already have you an A2 licence. Would you need to take the bits off to make it correct for the full A test or can you do the test with it still restricted?

Baryonyx

17,990 posts

158 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Jonjo91 said:
Question came up among a few bikers in the office today after chatting about the A2 licence and thoughts on it.

Using me as an example with current bike. The bandit 600 can be made A2 legal.
If I was on an A2 licence, could I ride my A2 legal bike, which can also be full A legal to a test centre on my own?

I'm guessing insurance would be the factor, and I presume A2 holder wouldn't need L plates?

Seems expensive for an A2 licence holder to upgrade to a full licence if instructor to mod 1 and 2 is factored in again.
I think I get what you're saying. If you hold an A2 licence and the bike is insured and restricted, you could ride it to the test centre legally without L plates. However, if it was not restricted it would not be A2 compliant and you'd be riding otherwise than in accordance with a licence if you used it without proper insurance and an L plate. You could ride wherever you fancy as an A2 bike, but you couldn't take your test on it if the examiner knew it was restricted because it wouldn't meet the minimum specification for an A category test.


When I was sitting waiting to take my Mod 1, an instructor was there with two students. One was a lass doing her A2 licence, and she was discussing what a faff it seemed to be to buy a bike and get it restricted. His advice was to buy a 600 'A' bike, ride it around unrestricted and then do her full test on it eventually, and hope you don't get caught in the meantime. rolleyes

Jonjo91

Original Poster:

1,833 posts

157 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
quotequote all
Baryonyx said:
I think I get what you're saying. If you hold an A2 licence and the bike is insured and restricted, you could ride it to the test centre legally without L plates. However, if it was not restricted it would not be A2 compliant and you'd be riding otherwise than in accordance with a licence if you used it without proper insurance and an L plate. You could ride wherever you fancy as an A2 bike, but you couldn't take your test on it if the examiner knew it was restricted because it wouldn't meet the minimum specification for an A category test.
That's it!
Chap in the office has this dilemma. Has a SV650 which is rotate or should be restricted and holds a current A2 license. His 2 year and 24+ time is up so he can progress to full A license. So in theory, he could ride to test centre on his bike and take his test? Although could be riding without valid insurance, alternatively if it is restricted and the examiner is none the wiser because it's an A legal bike he wouldn't be infringing insurance just the test rules.

I can undertand his point and adding another 100+ quid to pay for an instructor to ride to and from test centre with you for mod 1 and 2 gets expensive with £90 combined test fees, again.

moanthebairns

17,918 posts

197 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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HERES A QUESTION - as I don't understand wtf the op is talking about.

if you had a restricted licence, bought a 600cc, bought the restrictor but never fitted it how would they know that you hadn't.

Do they test it on a rolling road, have a shot of it, or see you traveling at 110mph and go, is he fk carrying that in good corner speed.


Jonjo91

Original Poster:

1,833 posts

157 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
quotequote all
moanthebairns said:
HERES A QUESTION - as I don't understand wtf the op is talking about.

if you had a restricted licence, bought a 600cc, bought the restrictor but never fitted it how would they know that you hadn't.

Do they test it on a rolling road, have a shot of it, or see you traveling at 110mph and go, is he fk carrying that in good corner speed.
All of the above.

If you get stopped and they suspect the bike isn't restricted they can take it away to test/check.There's no roadside procedure to check and there's no law to have one of these "restriction certificates" which are a waste of time.

Baryonyx

17,990 posts

158 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
quotequote all
Jonjo91 said:
I can undertand his point and adding another 100+ quid to pay for an instructor to ride to and from test centre with you for mod 1 and 2 gets expensive with £90 combined test fees, again.
The test ladder is a mess, that's true.

I guess if you turn up on a bike looking to pass your 'A' test, the examiner will expect you to be accompanied by an instructor on the way there, with an L plate showing. Otherwise, he'll deduce that you've legally ridden an A2 bike to the test centre and that it's not compliant for the test, or it's not restricted and you've ridden it there illegally. Either way, I can't see them being happy with the situation.

So yeah, it's a faff but if you're really serious about going through the stages of the licence ladder, the easiest thing for a test is probably getting a riding school's bike, even if you just get in touch and explain you want to rent one for an hour's tuition and familiarisation, before going to do your test on it.

As for riding an unrestricted bike when you shouldn't, the police can seize the bike, have it uplifted and examine it to see if you're breaking the law. So that's not a risk to take lightly, especially when you're a new rider and likely to attract more attention than usual from the police.

barker22

1,037 posts

166 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Surely the easiest(read cheapest) legal way is to rent/borrow a van for half a day. A couple of scaff boards as a ramp and unload it at the test centre.

moanthebairns

17,918 posts

197 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
quotequote all
barker22 said:
Surely the easiest(read cheapest) legal way is to rent/borrow a van for half a day. A couple of scaff boards as a ramp and unload it at the test centre.
I did that for my mod 1 it cost me £300...awesome money well spent, thank's EU.

Jonjo91

Original Poster:

1,833 posts

157 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
quotequote all
We've suggested;
Pillion there on own bike with a full license holder riding there and back.
De restrict it round the corner and restrict it round the corner.
Carry on as usual and ride there and back as normal.
Pay an instructor or school to use one of their bikes.

MotorsportTom

3,318 posts

160 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Easiest and cheapest option is get on the bike, ride it there. Then finish and ride home.

I know plenty of people who were "restricted" and never had one iota of bother. Including being pulled over whilst under their restriction.

I have never heard of a single person be roadside dyno'd or otherwise. I know of one guy who's insurance asked for a dyno printout to prove it was restricted before they'd provide cover.

He mocked up a quick dyno graph during college.

roboR

199 posts

106 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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I hadn't realised it was different in the UK to Gibraltar (where I'm from).

Here we have the same age limits (24+ for direct access, otherwise you have to do A2 and wait two years etc) however we have one weird difference... You can be a 'learner' on whatever size bike you're the correct age for. So I was 24 when I decided to take up biking. I did my CBT (which when I had a scooter at 17 I didn't have to do, you just bought one and paid £5 for your learners license with no cbt, but they changed the law now).

After doing my CBT I was now a learner. As I was 24 I could be a 'learner' on any size bike. So I bought a 2012 CBR600F and taught myself on that... then drove it down to do my test. I'd drive it around on L-Plates etc on my own.

I know it wouldn't work in the UK as you've got motorways etc whereas our fastest roads are 50kph. But it's really nice for us here as it meant I had tons of driving time by the time I did my test. Oh and no Mod1 or Mod2... just the Mod 2 basically, a nice short drive around Gibraltar. Then they hand you a full license and off you trot to Spain and the awesome driving roads there.

It does seem dangerous now that I think about it...

PHlL

1,538 posts

138 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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Just pitch up at the DSA testing place on your A bike restricted to an A2. Push it in so they obviously cannot see you riding it. Tell them it is a full A bike hence why you are pushing it as not allowed to ride it with an instructor. They will never know I bike has been restricted or not. Job done.

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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But what if a fat dog does a wet fart on a rainy in Glasgow?

Yoda400

386 posts

107 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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If a butterfly in Cornwall is flapping its wings at the same time, it will create a chain of events culminating in your insurers refusing to pay out in the event of a claim. You should know that Loon.

Hooli

32,278 posts

199 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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Only if the butterfly doesn't have a valid MOT.

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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Or has changed its tyres from Pirelli to Dunlop