Motorbike licence categories

Flashpoint

I'm 29 and planning to add motorbike categorys to my licence. Does getting a A licence cover you for all motorbike categorys? Sorry new to the area of bikes

Faith+1

Flashpoint wrote: »

I'm 29 and planning to add motorbike categorys to my licence. Does getting a A licence cover you for all motorbike categorys? Sorry new to the area of bikes

Yes. A covers all the categorys.

Flashpoint

Faith+1 wrote: »

Yes. A covers all the categorys.

So that's including AM category as well? And the one IBT course for A will cover me or do I have to do all the modules

LookBehindYou

Cat A covers all in IBT

Dai John

Have a friend doing the test on a 700 cc Honda. He claims that he has to do the test on a bike exceeding 50 kw, I only see OVER 35 Kw, can anyone enlighten me with this over 50 KW.

Cork Trucker

Dai John wrote: »

Have a friend doing the test on a 700 cc Honda. He claims that he has to do the test on a bike exceeding 50 kw, I only see OVER 35 Kw, can anyone enlighten me with this over 50 KW.

This list should help

http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Learner-Drivers/Motorcyclists/Driving-Test-Vehicles---Motorcycles/

Dai John

Cork Trucker wrote: »

This list should help

http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Learner-Drivers/Motorcyclists/Driving-Test-Vehicles---Motorcycles/

Thanks but I am aware of this list, It is this mysterious over 50 KW category I am searching for. He is insistent that it is correct and that his instructor has confirmed it, yet I see no mention of it anywhere. He even says it is on his test confirmation. All I see is over 35 KW. I ride a Kawasaki (EN 454) and I notice that these kikes are A2 if restricted, no mention of unrestricted and they are 36.5 Kw but are not A as they are below 600 c.c. Strange regulations.

Hotblack Desiato

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Learner%20Drivers/Third%20Directive/Representative_vehicles-for-the-driving-test.pdf

Over 35kW needs a A licence, but to do the A test it must be over 50kW

Representative vehicle
A Category A motorcycle without sidecar, with a cylinder capacity of at least 595cm3, an unladen mass of more than 175kg., and an engine power of at least 50kW. If the motorcycle is powered by an electric motor, the power to weight ratio of the vehicle shall be at least 0.25kW/kg.

Dai John

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Learner%20Drivers/Third%20Directive/Representative_vehicles-for-the-driving-test.pdf

Over 35kW needs a A licence, but to do the A test it must be over 50kW

So the category is 35 KW + but the test must be taken on a 50 Kw+, seems a strange regulation that the power outputs are different, and although my bike exceeds 35 KW it is group A2 as it is under 595 cc. I also see that the Royal Enfield 500 is no good for the test. Seems a lot of inconsistency, don't you miss the old days when it was so simple.A lot of people would have to hire an unfamiliar bike just for the test, one reason being they have to supply paperwork to confirm the power of the bike which I am told can be difficult to obtain.All of this would explain why the demand for motorbikes has dropped. My daughter is living in Thailand and has a scooter and a 125 Honda. She tells me that after two years she can convert her Thai licence (which was easily obtained) for an EU licence.

Mjolnir

Dai John wrote: »

So the category is 35 KW + but the test must be taken on a 50 Kw+, seems a strange regulation that the power outputs are different, and although my bike exceeds 35 KW it is group A2 as it is under 595 cc. I also see that the Royal Enfield 500 is no good for the test. Seems a lot of inconsistency, don't you miss the old days when it was so simple.A lot of people would have to hire an unfamiliar bike just for the test, one reason being they have to supply paperwork to confirm the power of the bike which I am told can be difficult to obtain.All of this would explain why the demand for motorbikes has dropped. My daughter is living in Thailand and has a scooter and a 125 Honda. She tells me that after two years she can convert her Thai licence (which was easily obtained) for an EU licence.

It's a lot to do with power to weight ratio that's why they have it at 600cc (595cc), 50+kw and xkg (cant remember the kg), it's to meet a minimum standard they have set. Sure a certain year Yamaha r6 (if I remember correctly) isn't eligible because it's barely under the weight limit

Thai licences aren't on the list to exchange over here so you have to go from provisional forward as if you never had a licence, not sure about other EU countries but I'd doubt it, you also have to be a resident in that country to swap it over.

Hotblack Desiato

Over 35kW is not class A2, it's A, but you can't do an A test on it as it's under 595cc. It must also be over 175kg as well to do an A test on it

The bike has to be "representative of the class". Some pantywaist in the European Commission was worried people would do a test on the smallest possible class A bike and then get a Hayabusa, or something :rolleyes:

The old days were sh*te. Limited to 125cc until age 25 in my case. After that was the restricted bike system, with no direct access in Ireland because they couldn't be arsed to implement it. It was only when the system changed again to what it is now, that Irish riders could get access to decent bikes at age 18 and anything they wanted at 24 (subject to insurance!!)

A Thai licence is not exchangeable.

https://www.ndls.ie/holders-of-foreign-licences.html#to-apply-to-exchange-a-foreign-driving-licence-issued-by-a-recognised-state

LookBehindYou

If doing a test for A2, the bike must be 20 to 35 kw. Min of 395cc (if bike is over 35kw, it must have a restriction cert)
For an A test, the bike must be over 595cc, min 175 kg, also min 50kw.
Some sports bikes are ruled out because the DRY WEIGHT is less than 175 kg.

The people in the EU who made up this rule, do not know much about bikes.
It makes it difficult for Cruiser riders, whose bikes are a big cc, but yet because of weight, it brings down the kw to less than 50kw.
This means they have to park up their big heavy cruiser, get a smaller, lighter bike, which has a higher seat, to do the bike test on.