Full Moped licence
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Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

290 months

Saturday 5th June 2021
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When I passed my car test in 1982 I was also given a full moped entitlement. I assumed this meant I could ride a bike under 50cc without L plates and carry a pillion if I so desired. I've never really used it, save for a few years ago I commuted for a while on a cheap scoot I picked up. Insured it as full Moped licence, no L plates and never had any hassle.

Is that still the law? For example my 17yo son passes his car test and can ditch the L plates on his scooter and not need to redo his CBT every two years?

Seems a little odd giving people two wheeled entitlement (albeit only a 50cc) for driving a car competently.

NGee

2,931 posts

193 months

Saturday 5th June 2021
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Probably easier to look on the government website, but I've done the 'hard work' for you.

From UK Gov Website

If you have a car driving licence

You can ride a moped (up to 50cc) without L plates and without taking the moped test in some situations.
You passed your driving test on or after 1 February 2001

You’ll get a full moped licence if you either:

pass your car driving test and then complete a compulsory basic training (CBT) course
complete a CBT course and then pass your car driving test within two years

You can then ride a moped (up to 50cc) without L plates. You do not need to take the full moped test.

You can ride mopeds for as long as your car driving licence lasts.

MustangGT

13,832 posts

309 months

Saturday 5th June 2021
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As NGee has highlighted, he will need to do the CBT before he can ride the moped with no L plates

Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

290 months

Saturday 5th June 2021
quotequote all
Got it. He already took his CBT when he turned 16 to ride the ped.

So as long as he passes his car test before the CBT runs out, he can ditch the L plates and presumably carry a passenger (quicker to walk alongsidebiggrin )?

bongtom

2,018 posts

112 months

Saturday 5th June 2021
quotequote all
Tyre Smoke said:
Got it. He already took his CBT when he turned 16 to ride the ped.

So as long as he passes his car test before the CBT runs out, he can ditch the L plates and presumably carry a passenger (quicker to walk alongsidebiggrin )?
I had a CB50. It really was quicker waking. Top speed 25mph.

bimsb6

8,763 posts

250 months

Saturday 5th June 2021
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bongtom said:
Tyre Smoke said:
Got it. He already took his CBT when he turned 16 to ride the ped.

So as long as he passes his car test before the CBT runs out, he can ditch the L plates and presumably carry a passenger (quicker to walk alongsidebiggrin )?
I had a CB50. It really was quicker waking. Top speed 25mph.
A mate of mine had one ,we all got pulled by plod because he was holding up the traffic IN TOWN!

Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

290 months

Saturday 5th June 2021
quotequote all
To be fair this is a dodgy Chinese import that I bought with no paperwork, one of those Saturday night after the pub ebay jobs, £60 or something. Got it SVA'd or whatever the bike equivalent was and its on a Q plate. Followed him the other day, it easily does 50 on the flat.

Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

290 months

Saturday 5th June 2021
quotequote all
It is easy to insure. They just want to know why it's a Q plate. Once I tell them that the age could not be determined at registration, no problem.

Fully comp in his name, £149.

Kiribati268

572 posts

166 months

Saturday 5th June 2021
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Tyre Smoke said:
To be fair this is a dodgy Chinese import that I bought with no paperwork, one of those Saturday night after the pub ebay jobs, £60 or something. Got it SVA'd or whatever the bike equivalent was and its on a Q plate. Followed him the other day, it easily does 50 on the flat.
Yeah but legally it must be limited to 28mph.

The chances of being stopped are almost nil, but a lad tearing round on a Q plated moped at 40+mph attracts attention. Your average panda car will not bat an eyelid, but a traffic plod with nothing else to do and it's opening up a world of pain.

You could tell him to calm it, and not go over 35 to avoid standing out... but if I was 17 again and my dad told me to not go over 30 or so on a moped I could rag around, would I listen? Not. a. chance.

He *will* ride it as fast as it can go. Everywhere.

The problem is that bike licences are so punishing on young people. The obvious suggestion is to get a bike licence and get a proper bike, but as his age even doing the tests he will only be able to use a 125cc bike, then another test at 19, and again at 21, despite being able to drive a Veyron right now.

https://www.gov.uk/ride-motorcycle-moped/bike-cate...

Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

290 months

Saturday 5th June 2021
quotequote all
Yeah, he has a car, test date etc, so this is very much a stop gap. He was fine all last year on it.

donteatpeople

880 posts

303 months

Monday 7th June 2021
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Tyre Smoke said:
Yeah, he has a car, test date etc, so this is very much a stop gap. He was fine all last year on it.
You can get away with anything until you're caught...

Taking the L plates off would attract more attention and being caught would potentially mean a driving ban.

Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

290 months

Monday 7th June 2021
quotequote all
I don't understand.

I'm not advocating or suggesting doing anything illegal here.

If he passes his car test he can legally remove the L plates from his scooter..

donteatpeople

880 posts

303 months

Monday 7th June 2021
quotequote all
Tyre Smoke said:
I don't understand.

I'm not advocating or suggesting doing anything illegal here.

If he passes his car test he can legally remove the L plates from his scooter..
If he passes his car test he can legally remove the L plates from a moped, but not necessarily a scooter. Riding a scooter that doesn't meet the criteria for a moped (going 50mph for example) on a moped licence would be illegal.

Taking the L plates off a 50cc scooter would also attract attention, I've been pulled over commuting on a 125cc motorbike for not having L plates (while riding on a full licence), police see a small bike and assume learner. If during that stop it's discovered that the bike isn't a moped and the licence and insurance are no longer valid that's quite a lot of hassle.

Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

290 months

Monday 7th June 2021
quotequote all
That isn't going to happen.

Pothole

34,367 posts

311 months

Monday 7th June 2021
quotequote all
donteatpeople said:
Tyre Smoke said:
I don't understand.

I'm not advocating or suggesting doing anything illegal here.

If he passes his car test he can legally remove the L plates from his scooter..
If he passes his car test he can legally remove the L plates from a moped, but not necessarily a scooter. Riding a scooter that doesn't meet the criteria for a moped (going 50mph for example) on a moped licence would be illegal.

Taking the L plates off a 50cc scooter would also attract attention, I've been pulled over commuting on a 125cc motorbike for not having L plates (while riding on a full licence), police see a small bike and assume learner. If during that stop it's discovered that the bike isn't a moped and the licence and insurance are no longer valid that's quite a lot of hassle.
Me too. I was about 20 and so was the WPC. I set her straight (I happened to have my licence on me) and then asked her if she thought it was really a god idea to have me pull onto the pavement on a busy high street in order to question me. She got a bit flustered then and I rode off.

NickCQ

5,392 posts

125 months

Monday 7th June 2021
quotequote all
Tyre Smoke said:
That isn't going to happen.
Maybe this is the moment to teach the 17 yo that the law does apply to him, rather than passing on the attitude of "just risk it, you'll probably be fine"?

Edited by NickCQ on Monday 7th June 13:40

QuickQuack

2,808 posts

130 months

Monday 7th June 2021
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Tyre Smoke said:
That isn't going to happen.
Have you been taking lessons?


anonymous-user

83 months

Tuesday 8th June 2021
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NickCQ said:
Tyre Smoke said:
That isn't going to happen.
Maybe this is the moment to teach the 17 yo that the law does apply to him, rather than passing on the attitude of "just risk it, you'll probably be fine"?
This.

I don’t think it is appropriate to teach a 17 year old that breaking the law is fine as long as you don’t get caught.

Tyre Smoke

Original Poster:

23,018 posts

290 months

Tuesday 8th June 2021
quotequote all
What?

The scooter has been in our family for years. Nobody has ever been stopped on it and I seriously doubt anyone will.

Stop trying to make out we are a family of serial law breakers and n'er do wells. rofl

Talk about a bunch of self important judgemental pompous arses! Chill out ffs.

Smurfsarepeopletoo

1,012 posts

86 months

Tuesday 8th June 2021
quotequote all
Tyre Smoke said:
What?

The scooter has been in our family for years. Nobody has ever been stopped on it and I seriously doubt anyone will.

Stop trying to make out we are a family of serial law breakers and n'er do wells. rofl

Talk about a bunch of self important judgemental pompous arses! Chill out ffs.
You might want to consider the insurance implications, if you insure it as a Moped, and your son is involved in an accident, and it is determined it isnt restricted and therefore not a Moped, your son may find he isnt insured, and could be prosecuted accordingly.

Also if you insure it as a scooter, and your son gets stopped and they try to prosecute him for driving otherwise in accordance with a licence, then you may find it hard to argue that you thought it was a scooter.

Would it not be easier to keep the L plates on.