What Motorbike Can I Ride With a Full Driving Licence? (UK Guide)

A full UK driving licence on its own doesn't let you ride a motorbike, with one narrow exception. Whether that exception applies to you comes down to a specific date: 1 February 2001. Here's exactly what your car licence does and doesn't cover, and what you need to do to ride anything bigger.

Can I ride a motorbike with just a full driving licence?

A full driving licence (category B, the standard car licence) does not entitle you to ride a motorbike. The single exception is with grandfather rights, whereby you can ride up to a 50cc moped if you pass your card test on or after 1 February 2001.

Even with grandfather rights, for anything bigger than a 50cc moped, including low-powered 125cc's, your car licence doesn't allow you to ride a motorbike.

Does it matter when I passed my driving test?

The date you passed your car driving test is what if you have any moped entitlement, according to GOV.UK's CBT guidance.

Riders who passed their car test on or before 31 January 2001 carry over an automatic moped entitlement. You can ride a 50cc moped without completing CBT training at all. 

Riders who passed on or after 1 February 2001 don't get that automatic entitlement: category B on its own no longer covers a moped, so CBT training is required first. 

Do I need a CBT to ride a 125cc on a car licence?

Yes. A CBT certificate is what lets you ride a 125cc motorcycle or scooter on UK roads, not your car licence, and this applies no matter how long you've held your car licence or when you passed your test.

CBT training is a one-day course, typically 6–8 hours, covering five DVSA-defined elements: an eyesight check, on-site machine training, on-site riding practice, on-road theory, and a minimum two-hour on-road ride with your instructor.

Once you've completed it, your CBT certificate lets you ride up to 125cc (11kW) on public roads for 2 years, with L-plates on display, no pillion passengers, and no motorways.

What licence do I need for a bigger motorcycle?

Full motorcycle licence categories are what remove the L-plates, pillion restriction, and motorway ban that come with CBT, and which one you're eligible for depends on age, not your car licence.

A1 is available from age 17 and covers bikes up to 125cc at 11kW. A2 is available from age 19 and covers bikes up to 35kW, roughly 250–500cc depending on the model.

Full category A is available from age 24 (or from 21 if you've held A2 for at least 2 years) and removes all restrictions.

Your car licence plays no part in any of these, they're earned through passing the Module 1 and Module 2 tests, and the motorcycle theory test (also separate from the car theory test!).

If you're not one of the small number of riders with pre-2001 moped rights, CBT training will be your starting point for riding on two wheels.