cost of driving license

Here in Germany the driving license for motorbikes, the class A, costs
somewhere between EUR 600-1000. This is doubtlessly a prohibitve price.

Though I have already subscribed at a driving school (but not yet started
the lessons) I still think about quitting and doing the license somewhere
esle in Europe, either in France since I live near the frontier or in the
UK, provided I can find a one-week compact course during which I could stay
at my cousin's.

So what are the prices (here it is EUR 190,- inscription fee, EUR 120,- test
fee; and each driving lesson comes at 35,- EUR)? Some Britons like to
enlighten me? And by chance any French here having some data about France?

And do you have to take all the theoretic stuff, bike specific as well as
basic theory, even when you possess a license B for many years? This is
the case here in super-beaurocratic Deutschland

Thanx for hints.

 

I would imagine that a direct access course in the UK where you hire the
bike will easily cost that sort of money.

To get a licence in the UK you need to take a theory test in a classroom.

Then you need to pass a practical test, mainly off road around cones etc.

After that you can ride on the road with L plates either by yourself if
on a 125cc machine. If you are accompanied by an instructor, and over 21
years of age, you can ride a more powerful machine.

Summary: pay the money and take the German test. You will not save
yourself anything by taking the UK test.

 

....which is in Germany devided in a base (4/5) and a bike part (1/5). I am
surprised now that I have to pass the base section as well though I have a
valid license (car) for years. Is it likewise in Britain?

Well, I think I count as grown up (at least one advantage of my age - the
wonderful 61 crescent).

Well, sigh, so be it.

Thanx for your information.

 

My costs, a couple of months ago were:

CBT: 100 quid or so
Theory: 18
Theory test question book and DVD: 25
DAS training: 130 per day x 2.5 = 325
DSA test (weekend): 56

That's about 740 Euro.

I also hired a 125 for 6 weeks at about 100 quid a week, but managed to
get work to pay for it.

HTH

Paul

 

My guess was right then.

Quite a bit of inflation in 10 years (although the test system has changed
a bit) - In 1993 I paid £199 for a 3 day course where you did CBT on day
one and test on day 3. Included hire of a 125cc bike.

 

Well, it seems fair, though it is not what I would call an incentive to take
upon me all this mess.

Ohmygod - that sounds rather deutsche Gründlichkeit. I'm afraid Europe
doesn't take the best but the worst of all our countries :-0

Oh, as you describe the session the instructor ought to have liked you very
much - did he challenge you on dope and

That, however, does not seem very deutsch, but neither useful for the
Péripherique on a Friday afternoon (or at any other time of the day).

Bundesstrasse, signaled as "B" (analogy to N=Route Nationale), and "A" is
Autobahn.

Thanks for your account,

Jost

 

The sum seems to be similar to what I will have to pay here, but the
charming thing is the three days period. This compact course organisation
is pretty unknown here, where the process takes months. As I have pretty
tough day job I'm much interested in a compact course - so the UK remains
interesting.

Jost

 

<snip>

Get a life.

 

Try Cologne-Frankfurt: 150 KM 3 lanes all the way, hills and curbs. But
agressive car divers, so I do not really recommend.

Yes, but a couple of miles later he went off to the gaz station...

Cheers,

Jost

 

You will still be able to do the actual riding tests (CBT & DAS) in the 3
day format.

However, you will need to do a theory test at a separate venue at a
different time as these are not done by the same organisation.

 

That'd be the one with a job and a real bike, then. In fact, a garage
full of them

Just out of interest, *why* did you post that interminably boring
screed?

 

It doesn't work. As I have learned in a german newsgroup you have to be
resident. So I ought to relocate (at least on the paper). That is a bit too
much of an hassle.

Jost

 

Learn about paragraphs next time. And jazz it up.

 

Look up "paragraph" in a dictionary, read, assimilate and put into
practice.

Oh, and shorten your fucking intro headers - they have to be
artificially wrapped every time I reply to one of your posts.

 

For the moment ;-)

 

I paid £511 just over two years ago for a DAS course, which included
bike hire, theory test, CBT and test fee. I think it was about 5
days, about 7-8 hours a day. But it was late in the year - November
time - so the instructors weren't that busy and hence I think I got
some extra time as well as some one to one tuition which wouldn't be
included normally.

Yep. I did the "old" theory test, which was just 35 questions, with a
few bike-specific ones. This was despite having had a car licence for
six or seven years. Nowadays you have to do a "hazard perception"
test as well, where they play a video and you have to press a button
when you see a hazard. Apparently a lot of experienced drivers fail
it because they spot the hazards too early and it's outside the
"window" programmed into the computer.

http://www.dsa.gov.uk/mockpaper/theoryintro.htm

You'll have to do CBT, which consists of about an hour and a half in
the classroom being taught basic stuff like why you should wear a
helmet. Then you go out and get shown round the bike - on mine they
showed some very basic maintenance/daily checks but I don't know if
that's normal. You will probably be on a 125 for the CBT.

After being shown round the "beast" it's onto the bike for some riding
around - getting used to the controls, then round some cones in figure
of eight, round cones in a slalom and some emergency stops. Oh, and
U-turns - much hilarity on a 125 with naff-all engine gyroscopic
stabilisation. Followed by dummy road layouts turning left and right
at a junction. After that you do a couple of hours on the road,
although mine consisted of a quick blat to a layby, emergency stop and
U-turn practice, then about an hour-long fag break. I think you have
to do a minimum of two hours; we had loads of time after the morning
session and hence the fag break.

Following your CBT you can go out on your own on L-plates on a
learner-legal machine (effectively a 125), and take the practical test
when you want - within two years. If you have an instructor in
contact with you then you are allowed out on a proper bike.

Your test will consist of the examiner following you, giving you
directions via a radio earpiece. You have to perform a U-turn,
pushing the bike and also riding it. I can't remember doing any other
manouveres (except some filtering ...). It takes about 40 minutes, I
think. I was told some of the examiners at my test station would
expect you to "make progress" and go up to 85 during overtakes on the
(70) limit dual carriageway, but I cannot confirm this since by the
time we got to the dual carriageway I had left the examiner some
distance behind.

After the test you get asked a couple of questions about the carrying
pillions - how the handling is affected, what you should adjust etc.

I think they also test you on basic bike knowledge now as well, e.g.
how do you fill up the oil.

Hope that helps.

 

Hint:In all my years of being banned nobody has ever asked me to produce
a driving licence. The Court will always assume (if you're polite) that
the driving licence is in Swansea. That's shorthand for "We don't fuckin
know either!"

Lie, cheat and prevaricate. Admit to lesser offences if it distracts the
janitors. Manipulate them so that they don't ask difficult questions.

And *Always* get yer bike home and locked (to something solid), even if
it means speeding and obstructing! Add to your offences but keep yer
bike!

I didn't say that at all (wot's the code for a raised finger smiley
again?)

gary

 

Jost Ammon wrote

Yes and for good reason: riding is not the same as driving.

 

The Older Gentleman wrote

You haven't worked it out yet? Shame on you.

 

Or you change the newsreader. Operate Linux on your MAC then you can work
with Knode. No wrapping and all the rest.

Jost