Just passed my trike test

Status
Not open for further replies.
Tinbasher

Tinbasher

Oct 18, 2012
163
20
North West UK
Name
Tom
Now the proud owner of a B1 licence, probably one of the last ones in the UK:)

The law changes here on 19th Jan and trikes become " motorcycles" for licence purposes, previously they were "light cars and vans" and could be driven on a full car licence. I needed to sit the test as my licence is auto only and the trike is Manual. New Trikers will now need to do the full Staged m/c training regime but I can carry this entitlement over:)

The test was just like a ride around town, the examiner was really helpful and a jolly nice chap :)ThumbUp
 
Congratulations!

Always nice to be able to, 'slip under the wire' lol. Here's to many happy and safe miles ahead! ThumbUp
 
I was close to the wire!

I was dead lucky to speak to a senior examiner at the test agency who was a biker and needed to do one more test to keep his ticket for this year. He rode about 150 miles to come and test me!
 
Tinbasher said:
I was close to the wire!

I was dead lucky to speak to a senior examiner at the test agency who was a biker and needed to do one more test to keep his ticket for this year. He rode about 150 miles to come and test me!
Click to expand...

Tinbasher,
That was very thoughful of that chap to do for you. That many people will go out of their way now days to help others, to busy with their own personel life!
Congrads!
Do you live close to Kidderminster?

Regards,

Rosy
From NH
 
jtilmon said:
Congratulations, now you can continue to enjoy your triking.
How is the weather in UK?
Click to expand...

It's cold but dry it was 2c (35.6f) during my test! Snow is forecast for the weekend :( my fingers were so numb by the end of the test I was having to look at the Klictronic buttons to make sure I was hitting the right one. After the test I realised I was so nervous I forgot to switch on the heated grips :laugh:
 
Tinbasher said:
In American terms I suppose I do lol but its about 200miles.

I live on the west coast about 100miles north of Liverpool .

This is my town entry on Wikipedia ....

Dalton-in-Furness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I was really touched by him going the extra mile for me and asked for his managers name. I will send a note expressing my opinion of the great service he provided.
Click to expand...

Tinbasher,

Thanks for the info, yes, 200 miles here is a piece of cake, we do that for a Sunday ride. I worked in the UK and had a great time there.
Hope the snow goes "north" of you so you can enjoy more riding.
Here in NH we have about 24+ inches of snow on the ground from two storms, so the trike will stay sleeping for the rest of the winter.
Do you use heated clothing when you ride, like Gerbins, we do because even in September some years it gets cold in a hurry.
Take care and ride safe!

Regards,

Rosy
From NH
 
You got that right Leo, more snow than I liked at one time. I don't mind when the snow storms are spread apart but almost back to back is way to much! Had to rake the snow off the roof of the house and lean-to because it was getting heavy. I didn't want to be like the All State commercial when mayhem falls through the garage roof unto the car below. Janice will be retiring soon, so maybe we can go South for the winter and skip the white stuff. I don't ski as much as I use to, so I really wouldn't miss it.
Hey, thought of you the other day when I went past a lobster tank. I thought, I wonder what Leo is up to?
Ment to ask you, how is the Sandy cleanup doing in your area? Boy, that's a mess and it isn't getting any goverment help till now when the money was approved. I feel so sorry for those poor people.
Well, the Rally is coming up and I can't hardly wait. Hope everybody will be there and maybe some new people to boot!

Regards,

Rosy
From NH
 
Rosy, Congrats to Janice on her upcoming retirement. Yes, winters down South sounds like the ticket. Would be nice to ride year round. Had lobster on a cruise ship last month. It was yummy. :) Yes, coastal NY/NJ is still a mess. Hard to fix without a lot of government involvement. The sand barriers are gone. Looking forward to our upcoming rally. We had a great time last year! Stay warm... Leo
 
Leo, I see you are going to get snow soon, maybe today! How many inches, we are going to get about 4" on new stuff come Wednesday. It has been great here! Set a record in Porland, Maine yesterday 59F, WOW!
Oh well all good things must come to an end!

Regards,

Rosy
From NH
 
Rosy, Don't think we will get much. Sure you folks will top us. Our weather has been pleasant the little we have been home. This is bound to come to an end. Take care, Leo
 
trikerAL said:
Congratulations on passing the testThumbUp,they're certainly widening the goal posts on passing test this year....
Click to expand...

Explain to a person from across the Big Pond. Why have they done this? Have they made the test easier because to many people weren't passing?

Regards,

Rosy
From NH
 
They have made it much harder.

Until now you could ride a trike in the UK on a full car licence or a full bike licence. Now to conform with European laws trikes become " motorcycles" for licencing purposes and new drivers who pass their car test will no longer gain the trike category. There are also major changes to the motorcycle testing regime. Those of us who are ancient enough to have passed prior to this will retain the trike category.

As to WHY? Goodness only knows!

The new rules make some sense for bikes but none at all for trikes and smack of unintended consequences by law makers who have never heard of a trike!

In the USA do you need a bike licence for trikes?
 
Yes, on the license, you need a motorcycle license, as most of us rode two wheels before three.
I remember when there wasn't any license to ride a motorcycle, just a car license was good enough. So, they decided to issue motorcycle license but there was not a "grandfather clause", you had to take the test.
So, we all went to take the test together at the DMV (Division of Motor Vehicle). I would say there was 8 or 10 of us who rode together. We did competition from hill climbs to trials, so we were pretty good on our bikes. The inspector was a whinny and he wasn't sure of what we had to do to get our licence. so, he stood there and said, OK, I want you to go in between the cones, turn around and come back through to the start without putting your feet down. So we said OK. He turned around and was looking at the other people there to make sure they had their paperwork straight so they could be tested. We all went a the same time and were doing figure 8s' around each other to get to the end and back. Well, one of the people he was speaking to said, Wow look at that, they are good, He turned around and stood there and started to scream, NO-NO, not all of you at once...STOP-STOP-STOP, but we didn't stop and got through the cones. He took his clip board and threw it on the ground and took there shaking his head, then he raised his head and told us that we all passed and to go inside and get our car license stamped for motorcycles. We never had to do the rest of the test. We all stood there laughing after we came out of the building.
That was a long time ago!

Regards,

Rosy
From NH
 
Tinbasher said:
Our quirky licencing rules were a historical anomaly.

Post ww1 right up to the 70s Britain had a lower road tax for three wheeled vehicles mostly cars and vans. This meant that the "motor tricycle" category lasted a lot longer than it might have done.

One of the most well known is the Reliant.

Reliant Regal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Click to expand...

Tinbasher,
So right now, trikes pay as much road tax as 4 wheel drive vehicles in the UK?
We pay one tax for the value of the vehicle and the other road tax goes by weight. Lots of our road tolls are based on the number of axels you have. So, a semi pays more to use a road than a trike. No matter, the goverment will get their cut.

Regards,

Rosy
From NH
 
Glad you passed your test, I have a temp permit to ride myself. I road years ago when there wasn't a seperate licence for motorcycle but when I started riding about three years ago I needed to get a new motorcycle licence. Well to make a long story short I took the written part of the motorcycle test but not the driving part, guess I will do that this year when my current licences expire.
 
No not quite Rosy but the difference isn't as big as it once was.

4 wheelers are taxed in bands based on emissions. My trike costs me £76 ($120) a year because its under 450 kg.

A new 4 x 4 could cost more than twice that.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

oneup
my trike passed ADR and is now legal..
Replies
4
Views
5,297
aussie
aussie
Motorcycle Mike
Dickey Betts Passed.
Replies
4
Views
1,444
Jack Klarich
Jack Klarich
ol' school
Charlie Pride passed
Replies
12
Views
4,273
Jack Klarich
Jack Klarich
Papa Zook
Stan Harris Has Passed
Replies
12
Views
8,281
keepinon
keepinon
DK Custom Products
Tornado passed 8 miles from the shop
Replies
17
Views
7,388
FuzzyWuzHe
FuzzyWuzHe
OldRider2
  • Question
Trike Ground Clearance
Replies
12
Views
607
JUSTME1951
JUSTME1951

Welcome to the Trike Talk Community

Join our vibrant online community dedicated to all things Trikes! Whether you're a seasoned rider or just starting out, this is the place to share experiences, tips, and stories about your three-wheeled adventures. Explore modifications, maintenance advice, and rides, all while connecting with fellow trike enthusiasts from around the globe

Register Log in

Forum statistics

Threads
55,377
Messages
804,554
Members
23,944
Latest member
Kickstand_Korner
Register Log in

Share this page

155 wide Papa Zook’s Harley Rake Kits

photo 260e2760-d89e-45b2-8675-2bc26fb3d465.jpg

photo Trike-Talk-150-x-200.gif

photo DK Trike Talk Right side banner 19.jpg

photo 9796095c-0d4b-4a9b-88ed-efe4c498d084.png
photo f9866e4e-75c5-471a-86f5-5e72a446ecc3.png
Back
Top Bottom