Then you get the two wheeled side of the fence. You can do a one day compulsory basic training course and convince a trainer you know what you're doing, then drive on the road with everyone on a 125cc motorcycle (or 50cc at 16 years old), and then repeat the CBT every two years to keep on the road. It's only if you go for the full license that you need to study for theory as a prerequisite, so long as you keep out of trouble.

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michaelt 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

You make it sound like motorbike riders are practically unregulated, but in a sense it's the opposite.

A few decades ago, 125cc bikes were mostly for learners practising before taking their test. But successive governments have made it harder and harder to get a full license - so loads of riders just stay on learner bikes forever.

So the status quo is, in a sense, the result of very strict regulation.

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panick21_ 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

The regulation I want for motorbikes is less noise. Its absolutely absurd what is allowed in most places. And if you modify the bike to make more noise you should never be allowed to drive again.

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webdevver 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

getting a full motorbike license is also expensive. there's a chicken and egg problem, which is that for an unrestricted license you must do the Mod1 and Mod2 on a 600cc bike or greater, which ofcourse you're not allowed to ride if you're on a CBT.

so you have to pay a school, and itll cost in total probably £1k or a bit more. when i did it, the guys also told me, there's basically only one company now that provides insurance for instructors/riding schools.

motorbiking i think is becoming less of a guy thing and more like skiing - an expensive, occasional thrill, but very much an upmarket upper-middle-class type of activity. there were more girls than guys at my lessons too, which was pretty surprising at first, but not really once you consider the prior.

which was very much at odds with the instructors, who were all guys' guys - when they got into it at 16, motorbiking was much cheaper than a car, and had a real economic argument to make (it was much cheaper all-round) - today, if you add up the insurance, protective gear, bike, and school money, you will be on-par with a car, which is far more practical.

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Neil44 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

It's the Deliveroo, Just Eat etc crowd too. CBT and off you go. No incentive for further training.

	▲	cjrp 5 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Yep. They should re-think allowing people to work with just a CBT, but I guess they don't want to stop people from having a job.
	▲	webdevver 5 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		driving instructors told me they get indians straight up offering to buy CBTs with cash lol.

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Neil44 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I did my CBT a few months ago after driving for 30 years. It was harder than I assumed it would be. But what scared me the most was the 18 year old who did his at the same time, never driven on the road before. The phrase organ donor seemed appropriate, as mcarbre as it sounds.

	▲	tengwar2 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		It's Compulsory Basic Training. Of course he hadn't been on the road before.