A1 covers motorcycles up to 125cc and 11 kW, with a minimum age of 17. Module 1 and Module 2 are taken on a 125cc bike, and the full A1 licence lets you ride any 125cc bike unrestricted, with a pillion permitted as soon as you pass.

What A1 gives you over a CBT

This is the whole case for taking it, because the bikes are the same.

No L plates.

You may carry a pillion.

Motorways are permitted.

It does not expire. A CBT runs out after two years and has to be retaken. A1 is a full licence entitlement and it is yours permanently.

Same 125, considerably more freedom, and no two-yearly retake.

How you get it

1. CBT, which every route starts with.
2. Motorcycle theory test, multiple choice plus hazard perception.
3. Module 1, off road. Slow control, slalom, U-turn, controlled stop, hazard avoidance and emergency stop, on a manoeuvring area.
4. Module 2, on road. Eyesight check, safety questions, around forty minutes of riding with an examiner following, and independent riding.

Both practical modules are taken on a 125cc machine that meets the DVSA minimum for an A1 test bike. Any A1-legal 125 your training school provides will qualify.

Is A1 worth taking?

Honestly, for a lot of people, no, and it is worth saying so.

Take it if you are 17 or 18, riding now, and want to drop the plates and carry a pillion. Two years on L plates followed by a CBT retake at 19 costs money and gets you nowhere.

Take it if you only ever want a 125. Urban commuting, cheap insurance, easy parking, and no interest in anything bigger.

Skip it if you are 18 and can wait. At 19 the A2 licence becomes available, the test fees are broadly comparable, and A2 puts you on a real motorcycle instead of a 125.

Skip it if you are 23 or older. At 24, direct access gets you an unrestricted licence for the same number of tests. Working up through A1 makes little sense at that age.

The general rule: take the highest category your age allows, unless you have a specific reason to want the entitlement sooner.

What you can ride

Anything up to 125cc and 11 kW, with a power-to-weight ratio no greater than 0.1 kW/kg.

Most 125s sold in the UK are built to sit inside these limits, because the category is the entire market for them. Where it occasionally matters is on older machines, on imports, and on some two-strokes from the eighties and nineties which made considerably more than 11 kW from 125cc. Check before you buy rather than after.

Note also that a 125 is not automatically A1-compliant on power alone. The power-to-weight limit applies as well, which catches very light machines with relatively strong engines.

Moving up later

An A1 holder can progress to A2 at 19 and to full A at 21 via progressive access after two years on A2, or at 24 via direct access.

Under the current system that means sitting the theory and both practical modules again for each category, which is the main reason so few riders bother. The DVSA consultation that ran from January to May 2026 proposed allowing progression through training rather than repeat testing, though nothing has changed yet and any change needs legislation.

FAQs

Can I ride a 125 on a car licence?

Not on its own. A full car licence obtained before February 2001 carries moped entitlement. For a 125 you need CBT at minimum, and A1 for a full entitlement without plates.

Does A1 expire?

No. Unlike CBT, it is permanent.

Can I carry a passenger on A1?

Yes, as soon as you pass. This is one of the main practical reasons to take it.

What is the difference between A1 and CBT if the bike is the same?

The bike is the same. The freedoms are not. A1 means no L plates, pillion permitted, motorways permitted, and no expiry.