Motorcycles are not tested as a single category. They are split into two classes at 200cc, and which one your bike falls into affects which centre can test it and, once a sidecar is involved, the fee. The fee for a solo bike is the same in either class.
| Class 1 | Class 2 |
|---|---|---|
Engine size | Up to 200cc | Over 200cc |
With sidecar | Same class, £37.80 fee | Same class, £37.80 fee |
Typical machines | Mopeds, 50cc and 125cc scooters, 125cc learner bikes | Everything from 250cc upwards |
Maximum fee (solo) | £29.65 | £29.65 |
First test due | Three years from first registration | Three years from first registration |
Which class is my bike?
Engine capacity decides it, and nothing else does. Not power output, not licence category, not whether it is a scooter or a geared bike.
- 50cc moped: Class 1
- 125cc scooter or geared bike: Class 1
- 200cc: Class 1, being the upper boundary
- 250cc: Class 2
- 650cc, 900cc, 1200cc: Class 2
A sidecar changes the fee, not the class. The bike stays in Class 1 or Class 2 by engine size, but the cap rises to £37.80, and the sidecar itself is inspected as part of the test. A 125cc outfit is a Class 1 machine and a 900cc outfit is Class 2, both tested at the sidecar fee.
The engine capacity on your V5C is the figure that counts. If a bike has been rebored or fitted with a different engine, the registered capacity is what the class follows, and if the paperwork no longer matches the machine that is a separate problem worth resolving.
Why the class matters in practice
The fee is the same, which surprises people. Both solo classes are capped at the same figure, £29.65, frozen there since 2010. A 125 does not cost less to test than a litre bike. The only thing that lifts the cap is a sidecar, which raises it to £37.80 while the bike stays in whichever class its engine size puts it.
Not every centre does both. Testing motorcycles requires specific equipment and approval, and a garage set up for cars may not be approved for either class. Some that test motorcycles are approved for Class 1 and Class 2 both; some are not.
Motorcycle testing is a smaller trade than car testing. In rural areas the nearest bike-approved centre can be a genuine distance away, which matters more than usual because riding to a pre-booked test is the only legal way to move a bike with an expired certificate.
The test itself is broadly the same across both classes. The class governs which centres are approved rather than a materially different inspection.
Finding a centre for your class
More of a problem than it sounds, particularly outside towns.
Not every garage tests bikes. Motorcycle testing needs specific equipment and separate approval, so a centre that does your car may not be able to touch your bike.
Approval is by class. A centre approved for Class 1 is not automatically approved for Class 2, and the reverse holds too.
Ring before you ride. The point matters more on a bike than a car, because if the certificate has expired the only legal way to move the machine is to a pre-booked appointment. Turning up at a centre that cannot test you leaves you with a problem getting home.
Motorcycle dealers are the reliable option. A franchised or independent bike dealer will almost always test the class they sell. Independent bike specialists are usually the better value.
Book earlier in the season than you think. Bike test slots get scarce in March and April when everyone is preparing for the summer at the same time.
What happens on the day
The test takes somewhere around three quarters of an hour on most machines, though it varies with the centre and the bike.
You will usually be asked to leave the bike rather than watch, though plenty of smaller bike specialists are happy for you to stand where you can see. It is worth asking, because watching a tester work through your machine is the most useful education available on what actually matters.
Bring the key, and be ready to say whether anything is non-standard. A tester who knows the exhaust is an aftermarket road-legal can with the baffle in will handle it differently to one who has to work it out.
You will get one of three outcomes: a pass, a pass with advisories, or a failure with the items listed. All three go on the permanent record, advisories included, and every future buyer of that bike will be able to read them.
Sidecar outfits
An outfit is tested as a single unit, and the class still follows the engine capacity of the bike, at the higher £37.80 sidecar fee.
The sidecar is inspected in its own right: its attachment to the machine, its wheel and tyre, its lighting, and its general structural condition. Alignment matters, and an outfit that has been assembled without proper setup will show it.
If you are having a sidecar fitted or removed, tell the DVLA, because it changes the vehicle description on the V5C.
Historic machines
Bikes over 40 years old are generally exempt from testing, on a rolling basis, provided they have not been substantially altered. The exemption applies regardless of class.
Exempt does not mean unregulated. The machine still has to be roadworthy and you are still responsible for it being so. A good number of owners of exempt bikes book a test anyway, partly for the reassurance and partly because an MOT certificate is a useful thing to hand a buyer.
FAQs
Is a 125cc MOT cheaper than a bigger bike's?
No, and this catches people out. The fee cap is the same for every solo bike whatever the class, at £29.65, so a 125 costs the same to test as a 1,000. Only a sidecar changes the price, to £37.80.
My bike is exactly 200cc. Which class?
Class 1 covers up to and including 200cc. Anything above sits in Class 2.
Does a 125 need an MOT?
Yes, from three years old, the same as any other bike. There is no exemption for small capacity.
Is the test different between the two classes?
Not materially. The class determines which centres are approved, rather than a different inspection or a different fee.