Compulsory Basic Training is the minimum legal requirement to enable you to ride on the road. It is not a test but a basic training course, ensuring that you have the right skills to keep you safe on the road.

The course starts in the safety of an off road site and progresses at your own pace. Once you and the instructor are happy with your basic riding skills, you then go out on an escorted ride for a minimum of two hours with bike-to-bike radios.

At 16 you can ride up to a 50cc machine on "L" plates and at 17 you can progress to a 125cc motorcycle on "L" plates. The CBT is valid for two years. After this time you will either have to complete another CBT to continue riding on "L" plates, or move on to the next step, the full licence.

The Restricted Full Licence. Once you have completed the compulsory motorcycle theory test and a CBT, you can then go on to the restricted full licence on a 125cc motorcycle. Full training is provided by a qualified DSA instructor, giving you the best possible standard of tuition, with a maximum of two trainees to one instructor.

After passing the practical test you can then ride any motorcycle up to 33bhp without "L" plates. After a further two years you can ride any size motorcycle.

However, if you are over 21, you can skip the restricted licence and go straight on to Direct Access.

Direct Access. After completing the compulsory theory test and a CBT, your Direct Access course will start on a 125cc machine and then move on to a 500cc motorcycle. For this course you will be expected to reach a higher standard of riding to demonstrate your ability to cope with a more powerful machine. A specially qualified Direct Access instructor will guide you every step of the way with a maximum of two trainees to one instructor.

The practical test is taken on the 500cc machine and successful completion of this test entitles you to ride any size machine.