The big L

[jradoffroad]

I have a question: What is that hideous giant L stand for on your motorcycles over there in the UK???

 

[ToastToGo]

Learner

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-plate

 

[SwearingMuffin]

In the UK, to be able to ride a motorbike, the minimum age is 16 and you then have to pass a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) which involves, as its called, the basics like cornering, emergency stops etc and your restricted to 49cc or i think its 32mph with an L plate. Then at 17 your allowed to remove the L plate on the 49cc, or move up to 125cc with an L plate.

After that, you have 2 options.
You can either ride a 125cc with an L plate until your 21 and then take the full bike test which allows you to ride any size bike.
Or at 17, you can take a restricted bike test which gives you a restricted license and allows you to ride either a 250cc or any size bike, restricted to 33bhp, for 2 years with L plate and then you automatically get a full license and can remove the restrictor.

If ive missed anything out, sorry but ive just woken lol

 

[Friz]

Then at 17 your allowed to remove the L plate on the 49cc, or move up to 125cc with an L plate.

You're not allowed to remove the L plate on anything till you've past the full test. Sorry if I'm reading this wrong, but it looks like you're saying that at 17 you can remove the 50cc L plate regardless of anything else but age. That's not true!

...allows you to ride either a 250cc or any size bike, restricted to 33bhp, for 2 years with L plate and then you automatically get a full license...

*without L plates

 

[SwearingMuffin]

Your allowed to remove it if you have full car license, forgot to add that And my cbt instructor told me you had to have l plate on 250!!

 

[Friz]

Your allowed to remove it if you have full car license, forgot to add that

Only if the car licence was passed before the 1st of Feb 2001! As far as I can tell anyway, but I'm happy to be proven wrong

And my cbt instructor told me you had to have l plate on 250!!

Hahaha no
You can get in trouble for incorrectly displaying L plates, so certainly do not put them on a 250 or whatever you've got on a restricted licence.

 

[SwearingMuffin]

Your allowed to remove it if you have full car license, forgot to add that

Only if the car licence was passed before the 1st of Feb 2001! As far as I can tell anyway, but I'm happy to be proven wrong

If you passed before then, you dont have to have cbt at all. If you pass the car test after that date, your allowed to remove them

 

[Yarek]

Uh - I passed my full car license before 2001 and I still had to do the CBT and ride with 'L' plates until I passed my full test.

 

[SwearingMuffin]

'If you passed your car driving test before 1 February 2001 you don't need to complete a CBT course to ride a moped. However, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) recommends that you do.' Quote from DirectGov website. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/motoring/le ... dg_4022430

 

[Yarek]

Ah - yeah, a moped perhaps - but you still need to do one for a 125 and you still need to wear L plates.

 

[extreme601]

If you're riding any size bike at any age on a provisional, ie not full licence. You must display L plates.

 

[jradoffroad]

wow that s crazy! here in the US, we just go and get a learners permit, then practice for about 5 months and then take a road test for the license. its the same process as our drivers license. i will say 75% of our licensed drivers should not have one.

is it really difficult to get drivers license too?

 

[CurlyBlakey]

Both the car and motorcycle tests here in the UK are challenging enough to make sure all those who pass are sufficiently good drivers, so it's normal to spend 7 odd months with a driving instructor before you can pass your car test if you're starting from scratch (i'm working on the basis of a lesson a week) unfortunately most peoples driving goes downhill rapidly!

 

[Chrus600]

When I did my 125cc CBT I had a full driving license and I could ride a 50cc without L plates if I wished.

Getting a driving license is comparatively simple; you do a theory test and then a practical. The practical is not the easiest thing ever though, especially if you do that before the bike one. On the other hand, I found the bike tests simple having driven for nearly two years.

 

[SwearingMuffin]

Driving mainly comes down to how quickly you pick it up! Ive got one friend who did 8 2 hour lessons, so basically 8 weeks, or 16 hours which ever you look at it and he passed first time 3 minors and now 19 months on, he still hasnt had a single crash, speeding ticket etc etc. Then on the other hand, my other mate has had about 100 hours, so 50 lessons, so almost a year, and he has taken 7 tests and not passed a single one!! Spent nearly 3 grand in total!!!!!!

 

[LeedsRider93]

Driving mainly comes down to how quickly you pick it up! Ive got one friend who did 8 2 hour lessons, so basically 8 weeks, or 16 hours which ever you look at it and he passed first time 3 minors and now 19 months on, he still hasnt had a single crash, speeding ticket etc etc. Then on the other hand, my other mate has had about 100 hours, so 50 lessons, so almost a year, and he has taken 7 tests and not passed a single one!! Spent nearly 3 grand in total!!!!!!

If somebody has that many lessons and still can't pass should they even be on the road :lol:

 

[SwearingMuffin]

Driving mainly comes down to how quickly you pick it up! Ive got one friend who did 8 2 hour lessons, so basically 8 weeks, or 16 hours which ever you look at it and he passed first time 3 minors and now 19 months on, he still hasnt had a single crash, speeding ticket etc etc. Then on the other hand, my other mate has had about 100 hours, so 50 lessons, so almost a year, and he has taken 7 tests and not passed a single one!! Spent nearly 3 grand in total!!!!!!

If somebody has that many lessons and still can't pass should they even be on the road :lol:

I would say so too but he absolutely sailed through his bike test! Examiner said he was possibly the best hes ever seen!

 

[Mikesmotorbike]

Driving mainly comes down to how quickly you pick it up! Ive got one friend who did 8 2 hour lessons, so basically 8 weeks, or 16 hours which ever you look at it and he passed first time 3 minors and now 19 months on, he still hasnt had a single crash, speeding ticket etc etc. Then on the other hand, my other mate has had about 100 hours, so 50 lessons, so almost a year, and he has taken 7 tests and not passed a single one!! Spent nearly 3 grand in total!!!!!!

If somebody has that many lessons and still can't pass should they even be on the road :lol:

I would say so too but he absolutely sailed through his bike test! Examiner said he was possibly the best hes ever seen!

I think he was talking about the guy with >100 hours I'm doing my test pretty soon 20h is the minimum here. so no choice about it

 

[extreme601]

I just looked it up, I had no idea. If you got your full car licence before 2001 as mentioned previously, you can ride a 50cc moped without L plates and you can even carry passengers! I wonder how many people know that..

 

[Yarek]

I just looked it up, I had no idea. If you got your full car licence before 2001 as mentioned previously, after taking a cbt you can ride a 50cc moped without L plates and you can even carry passengers! I wonder how many people know that..

I certainly didn't!