Reliant Robin on category B licence?

[aeytr5]

I have a very unhealthy habit of buying lots and lots of sh*tbox cars/‘projects’ ... (currently have 5 and 1 works) ... and have now decided I need a Reliant Robin. I know they’re dreadful, but I want one purely for the fun and comedy value. I am under 21, though, and a look at gov.uk seems to suggest that I need to be 21 to drive one ... same story if I had a motorcycle licence.
Am I going nuts or is this insane?! Crumby little 850cc three-wheeler initially aimed at teenagers can’t be driven by ANYONE under 21 in the U.K.? I can get very cheap insurance quotes, but it seems it would be entirely illegal regardless of what licensing I hold.

Can anyone confirm/discredit this?

Please refrain from ‘good - they’re awful’ or ‘good - they’re death traps’... I know all this!

Thanks in advance.

[InitialDave]

Ah, I seem to remember something about this, from maybe ten years ago? It changed so new drivers had to have an appropriate bike licence, but those of us with existing car licences were still allowed to drive them on that.

Edit: Yes, January 2013, I think it is. So my understanding is, no, you can't drive one without an A category bike licence either, which again would mean being 21. And I agree this is really stupid.

Edited by InitialDave on Wednesday 31st March 00:43

[aeytr5]

InitialDave said:

Ah, I seem to remember something about this, from maybe ten years ago? It changed so new drivers had to have an appropriate bike licence, but those of us with existing car licences were still allowed to drive them on that.

Edit: Yes, January 2013, I think it is. So my understanding is, no, you can't drive one without an A category bike licence either, which again would mean being 21. And I agree this is really stupid.

Edited by InitialDave on Wednesday 31st March 00:43

Thanks Dave... good to hear I’m not going loopy. I think it’s entirely correct that a Robin can be driven on an A or B category licence, but the 21 either way I find really annoying. If I’m licensed to drive a Caterham 620R, Bentley Blower, DBS... I could go on... I think a Robin should be allowed!

[InitialDave]

I think there was something about it being relaxed back to being ok on a car licence if over 21, rather than requiring a bike licence, which happened shortly after they changed it the first time, but as it never affected me, I never really paid much attention.

Someone will know for sure, though.

[QuickQuack]

The Robin wasn't designed for teenagers, it was designed for anyone who needed cheap transport. If anything, it was more popular with those at the other end of the age spectrum, the elderly and the retired than the teenagers.

Regarding the licence requirements, since the reclassification of 3-wheel vehicles into category A, yes, you need to be over 21 to be able to drive a Reliant Robin on any licence. If you want to drive one on a car licence, you need to be over 21; for motorcycle licence, you need full category A which can be 21 or 24 depending on whether you do progressive or direct access respectively.

[QuickQuack]

InitialDave said:

I think there was something about it being relaxed back to being ok on a car licence if over 21, rather than requiring a bike licence, which happened shortly after they changed it the first time, but as it never affected me, I never really paid much attention.

Someone will know for sure, though.

Yes, the logic was that it was the vehicle which was reclassified into an existing category rather than changing the entitlements of drivers. However, manufacturers which produce 3-wheel vehicles objected quite strongly so the UK government allowed car drivers the entitlement to drive 3-wheel vehicles, but only after the age of 21 to fit in with the category A minimum age requirement for the same entitlement. That seemed to be the least painful compromise for everyone. Hence we now have this slightly odd situation.

[impprobable]

As usual government always extends laws for no reason apart from they can. Anyone remember how Thatcher in the 1980's banned right hand sidecars on UK roads (despite no obvious accident statistics) just because she could.

Nothing more fun than a below 400kg 3 wheeler. The best one was possibly the Bond 875, with better front suspension and the peppy Hillman imp engine. Here is the great F1 driver John Surtees breaking the under 1000cc production car lap record at Brands Hatch.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

QuickQuack said:

Regarding the licence requirements, since the reclassification of 3-wheel vehicles into category A, yes, you need to be over 21 to be able to drive a Reliant Robin on any licence. If you want to drive one on a car licence, you need to be over 21; for motorcycle licence, you need full category A which can be 21 or 24 depending on whether you do progressive or direct access respectively.

So if you're over 21 with a full car licence, you can drive one, regardless of when you passed your test? I thought that since Jan 2013, a car licence obtained after that date didn't allow you to drive a 3 wheeler, regardless of age? You had to have a motorcycle licence.

When did the age 21 thing come in?

[InitialDave]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

So if you're over 21 with a full car licence, you can drive one, regardless of when you passed your test? I thought that since Jan 2013, a car licence obtained after that date didn't allow you to drive a 3 wheeler, regardless of age? You had to have a motorcycle licence.

When did the age 21 thing come in?

Looks like mid to late 2014?

[BertBert]

impprobable said:

Here is the great F1 driver John Surtees breaking the under 1000cc production car lap record at Brands Hatch.

Am I the only one struggling to think that a 3 wheeler like that would would lap BH faster than a 998cc mini?

[mr rusty]

slightly OT, but who remembers those light blue "invalid cars". We used to maintain one at the garage I worked at. Can't remember what engine it had in it, but it was a flat twin, and they were faster than you think they should be!

edit - found a youtube - at about 13:30 he gets it up to 70mph - not sure I'd want to....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SumUMRaWl6Q and then takes it round Goodwood and up Shelsley Walsh !

Edited by mr rusty on Wednesday 31st March 11:44

Edited by mr rusty on Wednesday 31st March 11:48

[CanAm]

mr rusty said:

slightly OT, but who remembers those light blue "invalid cars". We used to maintain one at the garage I worked at. Can't remember what engine it had in it, but it was a flat twin, and they were faster than you think they should be!

edit - found a youtube - at about 13:30 he gets it up to 70mph - not sure I'd want to....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SumUMRaWl6Q and then takes it round Goodwood and up Shelsley Walsh !

Back in the 70's I saw one leave a 3 litre Capri for dead at traffic lights. Turns out a bloke had fitted it with a 750cc bike engine.

[InvisibleSpider]

impprobable said:

As usual government always extends laws for no reason apart from they can

Do you want a hug?

[tr7v8]

mr rusty said:

slightly OT, but who remembers those light blue "invalid cars". We used to maintain one at the garage I worked at. Can't remember what engine it had in it, but it was a flat twin, and they were faster than you think they should be!

edit - found a youtube - at about 13:30 he gets it up to 70mph - not sure I'd want to....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SumUMRaWl6Q and then takes it round Goodwood and up Shelsley Walsh !

Edited by mr rusty on Wednesday 31st March 11:44

Edited by mr rusty on Wednesday 31st March 11:48

Invacar, built by ACin Thames Ditton. Not a flat twin they were a single Villiers, normally a 9E so 197cc with a Dynastart for starting & battery charging.
Edited to add this from Wiki.
Early vehicles were powered by an air-cooled Villiers 147 cc engine, but when production of that engine ceased in the early 1970s it was replaced by a much more powerful 4-stroke 500 cc or 600 cc Steyr-Puch engine, giving a reported top speed of 82 mph (132 km/h).

Edited by tr7v8 on Wednesday 31st March 14:49

[aeytr5]

mr rusty said:

slightly OT, but who remembers those light blue "invalid cars". We used to maintain one at the garage I worked at. Can't remember what engine it had in it, but it was a flat twin, and they were faster than you think they should be!

edit - found a youtube - at about 13:30 he gets it up to 70mph - not sure I'd want to....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SumUMRaWl6Q and then takes it round Goodwood and up Shelsley Walsh !

Edited by mr rusty on Wednesday 31st March 11:44

Edited by mr rusty on Wednesday 31st March 11:48

Seen a fair bit of ‘Hub Nut’s content. Exactly the kind of eccentric stuff I love. Can’t say I’d want to go 70 either though!

Thanks for all the replies guys. Seems my initial research was right... think this was EU ‘hands tied’ regulation... just seems that the world of three-wheelers is entirely unreachable for an under-21... 17 year olds are licensed for a Ferrari but not a Reliant! Can’t imagine it’s much less safe than my Rover Mini.

[Bigends]

Used to be able to drive them on a provisional motorbike licence as long as they had not more than 3 wheels - and maximun weight 20cwt . Same with the old motorbike and sidecar combos

[tr7v8]

Bigends said:

Used to be able to drive them on a provisional motorbike licence as long as they had not more than 3 wheels - and maximum weight 20cwt . Same with the old motorbike and sidecar combos

Wasn't it no reverse in the early days as well?

[GadgeS3C]

tr7v8 said:

Bigends said:

Used to be able to drive them on a provisional motorbike licence as long as they had not more than 3 wheels - and maximum weight 20cwt . Same with the old motorbike and sidecar combos

Wasn't it no reverse in the early days as well?

I believe so.

OP I know you don't want to hear this but have you ever tried driving one? I love all kinds of weird and wonderful cars and motorbikes. I once drove a Robin to help out a friend. One of the very few things I've ever driven that I couldn't find any amusement in. Maybe it was just a bad one

If you want a trike, get one with two wheels at the front.

[Bigends]

GadgeS3C said:

tr7v8 said:

Bigends said:

Used to be able to drive them on a provisional motorbike licence as long as they had not more than 3 wheels - and maximum weight 20cwt . Same with the old motorbike and sidecar combos

Wasn't it no reverse in the early days as well?

I believe so.

OP I know you don't want to hear this but have you ever tried driving one? I love all kinds of weird and wonderful cars and motorbikes. I once drove a Robin to help out a friend. One of the very few things I've ever driven that I couldn't find any amusement in. Maybe it was just a bad one

If you want a trike, get one with two wheels at the front.

Try a motorcycle combo - goes against all instincts having ridden a solo motorbike

[GadgeS3C]

Bigends said:

GadgeS3C said:

tr7v8 said:

Bigends said:

Used to be able to drive them on a provisional motorbike licence as long as they had not more than 3 wheels - and maximum weight 20cwt . Same with the old motorbike and sidecar combos

Wasn't it no reverse in the early days as well?

I believe so.

OP I know you don't want to hear this but have you ever tried driving one? I love all kinds of weird and wonderful cars and motorbikes. I once drove a Robin to help out a friend. One of the very few things I've ever driven that I couldn't find any amusement in. Maybe it was just a bad one

If you want a trike, get one with two wheels at the front.

Try a motorcycle combo - goes against all instincts having ridden a solo motorbike

Yup, done that and enjoyed it