Preliminary

Les différentes vignettes Crit'Air © Onidji - iStockphoto.com.jpg

Introduction

Whether you are a candidate for a motorcycle license, a novice or experienced rider, or a former biker tempted to return to his first love, a reminder of the different licenses required and some information on recent changes to the regulations can only be beneficial to you. It is indeed preferable to know what to expect before buying a model that you are not allowed to drive. As far as licenses are concerned, the A and B licenses are the subject of this paragraph. Why the B license? Because the offer of motorcycles and scooters accessible to this license has been the subject of a very important market for several years. As an alternative means of transportation to the car or to overcrowded public transport, the small motorcycles to which it gives access are nonetheless capable of taking you for a ride in the early days.

The motorcycle licence

It is necessary to go through this process: a license is required to drive the coveted little jewel. Each power level has its own license category. For owners of a car license, possibilities are offered but remain limited.
Since June 2016 - apart from the road safety certificate, category AM, intended for driving 50 ^cm3 -, motorcycle licenses are divided as follows: The A license: It allows to drive all motorcycles with or without sidecar, as well as all motor tricycles regardless of their power. It can only be obtained by holders of the A2 license for at least 2 years and after completing a 7-hour course. The A license issued since September 2013 is valid for 15 years. The minimum legal age is 20 years; The A1 license: It allows to drive a light motorcycle with or without sidecar or a motor tricycle with a maximum power of 11 kilowatts (15 hp.) and which does not exceed 125 ^cm3 of displacement. The A1 license issued since September 2013 is valid for 15 years. The minimum legal age is 16 years; The A2 license: It allows you to drive a motorcycle with or without sidecar or a motor tricycle not exceeding 35 kilowatts and whose power/weight ratio does not exceed 0.2 kilowatt per kilogram. The power cannot be the result of a vehicle developing more than twice its power. The A2 license issued since September 2013 is valid for 15 years. The minimum legal age is 18 years.

The car license and its equivalences

It is the modification brought to the car license in 1980 which allowed the access without further examination to the driving of 125 ^cm3 to the drivers of then. Since then, the regulations have changed several times. Depending on when you obtained your car license, there are several cases to consider. The B license: Holders of the B license (car) who wish to drive a motorized two-wheeler from 50 to 125 ^cm3 or a "three-wheeled scooter" of more than 50 ^cm3 must have held the B license for 2 years and have completed a 7-hour practical training. For scooters over 50 ^cc, they must also be at least 21 years old. Practical training is not required for holders of a B license for 2 years who can prove that they have been insured for a light motorcycle or a three-wheeled scooter during the five years preceding January 1, 2011. You are exempt from this training if you obtained your B license before March 1, 1980. In case of control, the statement of information provided by your insurer will be taken as proof. The B license issued since September 2013 is valid for 15 years. However, be careful: you cannot ride a ^125cc motorcycle without holding a motorcycle license in a country that does not practice the principle of equivalence and does not recognize your French equivalence on its soil. This is the case in Belgium, Spain, Italy and Austria. The B1 license: It allows you to drive a heavy motor quadricycle (category L7e: 450 kg maximum for the transport of people, 600 kg maximum for the transport of goods), including quads. The B1 license issued since September 2013 is valid for 15 years. The minimum legal age is 16 years.

The news feed

Here we bring you the latest notable information from the motorcycle world known at the time of writing. In 2021, several pieces of news have made their impact. The first is the entry into force of the Euro 5 standard. This standard succeeded Euro 4, which dated from¹ January 2016. It mainly concerns the lowering of the level of pollutants and the lowering of the noise level of new motorcycles seeking homologation. Older models that manufacturers are unable or unwilling to modify are either withdrawn from production or are no longer imported into Europe. The Euro standard has a definite impact on the owners of models already purchased. Indeed, this standard (1, 2, 3, 4 or 5) determines the type of "Crit'Air" sticker awarded for access to urban areas subject to the Restricted Traffic Zone (ZCR). The environmental standard of your motorcycle can be found on the V.9 line of the registration document. Note that the Euro standards for cars and motorcycles are out of step with each other (the Euro standard for cars is, since September 2017, the Euro 6 standard), hence sometimes a risk of confusion. The second is the renewal of the experimentation of inter-motorway traffic. This experimentation, which had been carried since February 2016 in several departments, ended on¹ February 2021, before being renewed on a larger scale from August 2021 in 21 departments and for 3 consecutive years.

In retrospect, the year 2020 already had its share of notable changes. The first being the modification of the motorcycle driving test: Since January^1, 2020, the driving test has seen its theory test modified with the introduction of forty specific questions, its test on a plateau reduced in time with the sequence of reduced and high speeds, and its test in traffic lengthened by about 15 minutes. During this last test, an evaluation on the safety trajectory taught since 2020 can be made. Finally, let us recall that since 2020 also, a relaxation of the law on 80 km/h (implemented in 2018) allows the presidents of the departments to raise the speed to 90 km/h on certain secondary roads and mayors to do the same for roads under their jurisdiction. Consequences: a return to traffic "as before" on some roads (excluding national roads) and GPS and driving assistance assistants (DAAs) that are not always up to date. So be careful when driving on French roads, especially when moving from one department to another.

The technical control

Motorcycle roadworthiness tests will be phased in from April 15, 2024. Enduro and trials motorcycles are not concerned, and this inspection will depend on the age of your vehicle. The decree of October 23, 2023 sets out which two-wheelers will be subject to this obligation, to what extent, and when. Consult it for more information. Vintage motorcycles built before 1960 are exempt from the technical inspection requirement. Lighting, tires, suspension and air or noise pollution are among the points to be checked. between 1,000 and 1,500 centers will be approved by the prefect from April onwards to carry out your diagnostic. Expect to pay around 50 euros.

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