Who can take a CBT

You can start CBT at 16 if you want a moped licence (up to 50cc), or at 17 for a motorcycle up to 125cc. You need a valid provisional (or full) UK driving licence before you book. No CBT certificate means no legal riding on the road, full stop.

The DL196 certificate

Passing CBT earns you a DL196 completion certificate. This is valid for 2 years. If you have not passed your full moped or motorcycle test within that 2-year window, you must retake CBT before riding on the road again. Keep the DL196 safe — you may be asked to show it to police.

L-plates (D-plates in Wales)

While riding on CBT alone, you must display L-plates (or D-plates in Wales) clearly on the front and back of the machine. This applies whether you are on a moped or a motorcycle. Plates must be visible and not obscured.

Key restrictions on a CBT-only rider

• No carrying pillion passengers, ever, until you pass your full test.
• No riding on motorways under any circumstances.
• Provisional licence holders on CBT must always display L-plates.
• A moped licence (post-CBT) restricts you to machines up to 50cc and 28mph.
• A 125cc licence (AM/A1 route via CBT, aged 17+) restricts you to 125cc and up to 11kW power.

Licence categories to know

• AM: moped, from age 16.
• A1: light motorcycle up to 125cc, 11kW, from age 17.
• A2: motorcycle up to 35kW, from age 19.
• A: unrestricted, from age 24 (or 2 years after A2).

Common mistakes

• Thinking CBT is a one-off for life — it expires after 2 years if you don't pass your test.
• Forgetting L-plates on a return, short, or 'just popping out' journey — they're compulsory every single ride.
• Assuming a full car licence lets you ride a motorcycle without CBT — it doesn't, for post-2001 car licence holders on anything above 50cc.
• Believing a pillion passenger is fine 'just this once' — it's a strict no on CBT.

Insurance and documents

You must be insured, and the machine must be taxed and have a valid MOT if over 3 years old. Always carry your DL196 alongside your provisional licence when riding on CBT terms.

Why gear matters

Riding exposes you to impact, abrasion and weather in a way car driving doesn't. The CBT syllabus expects you to know the legal minimum and the sensible minimum - they are not the same thing.

The legal minimum: the helmet

• A crash helmet is a legal requirement for the rider and every pillion passenger, on every journey, however short.
• It must meet a recognised safety standard - in the UK that's BS 6658:1985 (marked BSI Kitemark) or UN ECE Regulation 22.05 / 22.06.
• The chin strap must be done up properly - a helmet that isn't fastened offers no protection and is still an offence.
• Sikh riders wearing a turban are exempt from the helmet law by long-standing legislation.
• Tinted visors are fine in daylight but must not be worn after lighting-up time (dusk to dawn) - swap to a clear visor or use goggles instead.
• A cracked, scratched or badly fitting helmet should be replaced - and any helmet should be replaced after a crash even if it looks fine, because impact-absorbing foam only works once.

Beyond the law: the rest of the kit

Nothing else is a strict legal requirement, but the syllabus treats it as essential riding practice:

• Strong boots that cover the ankle protect against impact and hot exhaust pipes.
• Gloves protect hands - the first thing riders put out in a fall.
• A jacket and trousers made for riding (leather or reinforced textile) resist abrasion far better than everyday clothes; jeans shred in a slide.
• Armour at the shoulders, elbows, back and knees reduces injury severity.
• Waterproofs keep you dry and stop cold-related loss of concentration.

Being seen: conspicuity

Motorcycles are physically narrow and easy to miss, so being seen is as important as protective kit.

• Wear light or fluorescent colours in daylight and reflective material after dark.
• A white or brightly coloured helmet stands out better than a plain black one.
• Keep your headlight on (dipped) at all times - many bikes do this automatically.
• Position yourself in the road where you can be seen by other drivers, not tucked into blind spots.

Common mistakes candidates make

• Thinking any helmet will do - it must carry a proper safety standard mark.
• Believing dark visors are legal at night - they aren't.
• Underestimating trainers and jeans - they offer almost no protection in a slide.
• Forgetting a pillion needs a helmet too, even for a two-minute ride.

Why controls and checks matter

Element A of your CBT covers eyesight and the motorcycle's controls, and you can't move to on-road riding until your trainer is satisfied you know them cold.

The number plate eyesight check comes first, then a full walk-round of the machine's controls, before any engine starts.

The eyesight check

• You must read a number plate with EU-format letters and numbers (79mm tall) from 20 metres, or the older-style plate from 20.5 metres.
• Glasses or contact lenses may be worn if that's what you normally use - but you must wear them every time you ride.
• Fail this check and the CBT stops there; no exceptions.

Learning the controls

Your trainer will talk you through each control and you'll be expected to point to it and explain its job:

• Front brake lever - right handlebar, controls the front wheel brake, gives roughly 70% of stopping power.
• Rear brake pedal - right foot, controls the back wheel, used together with the front for controlled stops.
• Clutch lever - left handlebar, disengages the engine drive so you can change gear or stop without stalling.
• Gear selector - left foot, usually one down (1st) and the rest up, though this varies by bike.
• Throttle - right handlebar twistgrip, controls engine speed and power delivery.
• Kill switch - right handlebar, cuts the engine instantly in an emergency; separate from the ignition key.
• Choke or fast-idle (on older/carburettor bikes) - helps starting from cold.
• Horn, indicators, headlight/dip switch - all usually on the left switchgear cluster.

Pre-ride checks

• Tyres - correct pressure, sufficient tread (legal minimum is 1mm across three-quarters of the width, but for CBT purposes look for even wear and no damage).
• Oil and fuel - enough of both before setting off.
• Wheels and brakes - spin freely, brakes feel firm not spongy.
• Damage - check for leaks, loose parts, cracked lenses.
• Electrics - lights, indicators, horn, brake light all working.
• Steering and stands - moves freely, side stand retracts fully before moving off.

Common mistakes

• Confusing which lever/pedal is front and which is rear brake.
• Trying to move off with the side stand still down.
• Forgetting the kill switch is not the same as the ignition.
• Not checking mirrors are adjusted before Element B starts.

Get this element solid - everything else in the CBT builds on knowing where your hands and feet need to be without looking down.

On-road riding rules for learners

Once you finish CBT you get a certificate (DL196) valid for two years, letting you ride on the road under 'L plate' conditions until you pass your full test.

The core restrictions

• You must display red L plates (D plates in Wales) clearly on the front and back of the bike.
• You are not allowed on motorways at any point while on L plates.
• You must not carry a pillion passenger under any circumstances.
• You must not pull a trailer.
• Learners on a light motorcycle (A1 category) are limited to machines up to 125cc and 11kW power.
• If you took your CBT before age 17 or on a moped, different engine limits apply, but the L-plate and no-motorway, no-pillion rules always apply.

Where you can and cannot ride

• You can use any road that is not a motorway, including A-roads, dual carriageways and country lanes.
• You cannot use bus lanes unless local signs specifically allow motorcycles.
• Some local orders restrict L-plate riders from certain routes, so always check signage.

Insurance and documents

• You must have valid motorcycle insurance that covers learners before riding on the road — provisional licence alone is not enough.
• Carry your provisional driving licence and CBT certificate; you may be asked for these by police.
• Riding without valid CBT completion (or its two-year validity) on the road is an offence, as is riding without insurance or without L plates.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting the DL196 only lasts two years — you must pass your theory and practical tests within that window or redo CBT.
• Assuming a friend can ride pillion once you feel confident — this is illegal until you pass your full test.
• Riding on a motorway 'just this once' — an automatic offence, no exceptions for learners.
• Believing 125cc is always the limit — always check what your specific licence category and CBT certificate permit.
• Not renewing insurance correctly when moving from a moped to a 125cc machine.

Key mindset

CBT teaches you the basics, but full L-plate rules exist because you're still learning — ride within your limits, avoid busy or complex roads until confident, and always plan a route that avoids motorways.

Reading the road ahead

Defensive riding means scanning far ahead, not just at the vehicle in front. Look 12-15 seconds up the road so hazards register early and you have time to plan, not just react.

CBT tests riders on hazard perception through the training itself - your trainer is watching how early you spot and respond to things like parked cars, junctions, pedestrians and changes in road surface.

The two-second rule

• Leave at least a 2-second gap to the vehicle in front in good, dry conditions.
• Double it to 4 seconds in the wet - stopping distances roughly double on wet roads.
• In icy conditions stopping distances can be up to ten times longer than on dry roads, so gaps need to be much greater again.
• Count the gap using a fixed point: when the vehicle ahead passes it, start counting - you should not reach that same point before your count finishes.

Common hazards to anticipate

• Parked cars - watch for doors opening or pedestrians stepping out from between them.
• Junctions and driveways - traffic emerging without looking properly (SMIDSY - 'sorry mate, I didn't see you' - is the classic biker collision).
• Roundabouts - other vehicles cutting across your path.
• Road surface hazards - drain covers, white lines, diesel spills and leaves are all far more slippery for two wheels than four.
• Weather - wind gusts (especially passing high-sided vehicles or gaps in hedges), rain reducing grip and visibility.

Being seen and being ready

• Position yourself in the strongest, most visible part of the lane - not tucked in the gutter or hidden in a driver's blind spot.
• Ccovering the front brake lever and clutch through hazards means you can react a fraction of a second faster.
• Use the observation-signal-manoeuvre routine before every change of speed or direction: check mirrors, look for a gap (including a lifesaver shoulder check before turning or changing lane), signal if it will help others, then act.
• Always assume other road users have not seen you until you have evidence they have (eye contact, them slowing, indicators cancelled).

Common mistakes

• Target fixation - staring at the hazard you want to avoid, which steers you towards it. Look where you want to go instead.
• Following too closely, leaving no room to react if the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly.
• Riding to the speed limit rather than to the conditions and what you can actually see.
• Forgetting the lifesaver check, especially when changing lanes at speed.

What CBT actually gives you

Passing your CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) does not give you a full licence. It gives you a CBT certificate, called a DL196, which lets you ride a moped or motorcycle on the road as a provisional licence holder, wearing L-plates (D-plates in Wales), for a limited time.

How long is it valid for

The DL196 is valid for 2 years from the date you pass. Within that 2-year window you must either pass your full theory and practical motorcycle tests, or stop riding on the road until you retake CBT. If the 2 years run out before you pass your full test, you cannot renew the certificate - you have to sit CBT again from scratch.

What you can and cannot do on a CBT certificate

• You must display L-plates (or D-plates in Wales) front and back at all times.
• You cannot carry a pillion passenger.
• You cannot ride on motorways.
• You must stay within the power and engine size limits of your licence category (for example AM, A1, A2).
• Provisional entitlement from CBT only covers riding, not driving a car - a separate provisional licence is needed for that.

What happens after you pass your full test

Once you pass the full practical motorcycle test for your category, the L-plate restrictions, the pillion ban and the motorway ban are lifted for that category, and you move onto the progressive power route (A1, A2, then A - see the licence-progression topic for the exact age and power figures).

Common mistakes candidates make

• Thinking CBT is a one-off, for-life qualification - it is not; it always expires after 2 years.
• Believing they can carry a passenger straight after CBT because they have 'passed something' - pillion carrying is not allowed until the full test is passed.
• Forgetting that a full car licence does NOT exempt you from CBT - CBT is required again for bikes even if you already hold a full car licence, unless you took your car test before 1 February 2001 and it included a motorcycle element.
• Assuming the 2-year clock resets if they stop riding - it does not; it runs continuously from the CBT pass date regardless of use.

Why this matters for the exam

Expect questions testing the exact 2-year figure, the DL196 certificate name, and the specific restrictions (no pillion, no motorway, L-plates) that apply during the CBT period.