Initial Basic Training is compulsory
Every first-time learner motorcyclist must complete IBT before riding on the road at all. It is 16 hours across four modules, delivered by an RSA-approved instructor, and it ends with a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion that you need in order to sit the driving test.
The four modules run in order: preparation and machine checks, then controls in a controlled area, then town riding, then the open road.
Categories by age
| Category | Minimum age | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| AM | 16 | Mopeds |
| A1 | 16 | Light motorcycles up to 125cc |
| A2 | 18 | Restricted-power motorcycles |
| A | 24 direct, or 20 after two years on A2 | Any motorcycle |
Riding a machine beyond the power limits of your category means riding unlicensed — and therefore uninsured.
What a learner may not do
- Carry a pillion passenger. Never, regardless of who they are.
- Ride on a motorway. The ban applies to every learner permit holder.
- Ride without L plates on the front and rear of the motorcycle.
Tyres
The minimum legal tread depth for a motorcycle over 50cc is 1 mm, against 1.6 mm for a car. With only two contact patches, each about the size of your hand, tyre condition matters more on a bike, not less.
The helmet
A helmet meeting an approved safety standard is the only item of protective equipment required by law. Everything else — gloves, boots, armoured jacket and trousers — is a strong recommendation, and the difference between a bruise and a skin graft.
Replace a helmet that has been dropped or crashed in. The impact-absorbing liner works once, by crushing, and a helmet that has already done that job offers far less protection the second time.