Here at the adflyer motors blog, we like to give you the latest news, advice and tips on everything motor-related.  Seeing as we’ve already unravelled the mystery of how to get a licence for a scooter, we thought we’d help out those of you who want to ride something a little bit faster.  Whether you’ve just bought a great new motorcycle or you’re still on the lookout for the perfect deal, you’ll need to get a motorcycle licence before you can even think about getting out on the road.  So, what kind of motorcycle licence do you need, and how do you get it?

Anyone can apply for a motorcycle licence at 17, but you’ll need to get your hands on a provisional motorcycle licence first.  You can pick up a provisional application form (form D1) at your local Post Office, or you could go online to order a form.  If, however, you’re the proud owner of a full car driving licence, you’ll most likely already have provisional motorcycle entitlement, so there’s no need to fill out a pesky form!

Once you’ve got your provisional motorcycle licence sorted, you’re required by law to complete a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course.  Don’t worry, this isn’t as scary as it sounds: you don’t have to have any prior motorcycle experience to complete the training, and it takes just one day to do.  After you’ve passed your CBT, you’ll receive a DL196 certificate which is valid for two years.  Make sure you get moving pretty quickly after you get this, because if you don’t pass your theory and practical tests within the two years you’ll have to start all over again.

Next, it’s time to take the motorcycle theory test which consists of a set of multiple choice questions and a hazard perception test.  This test is designed to assess your knowledge of the theory behind riding motorcycles on the road, particularly in relation to the rules of the road and the best driving practices, so make sure you do your homework.

After the theory test comes the final hurdle: the practical motorcycle test.  This test hopefully shouldn’t be as nerve-wracking as the practical test for car driving, as you won’t have to worry about the examiner being sat right next to you.  Instead, the examiner will ask you a few safety questions before you ride on the road and perform a series of exercises whilst they look out for adherence to traffic laws, good observation skills and sufficient control on the road.  If all goes well and you pass the practical test, there are three main ways to get a motorbike licence: the A1 Full Light Motorcycle Licence allows you to ride a motorbike with an engine capacity up to 125cc; the A2 Standard Motorcycle Licence restricts you to a light motorcycle for two years, after which you can ride a bike of any size under a full licence; and the Direct Access Scheme (DAS) for those over 21 to get a full motorcycle licence and ride any motorbike they want.

So there you have it!  After all this, you’re hopefully feeling a lot less confused about how to go about getting a motorcycle licence and you’re ready to go out and find the perfect bike for you!  When you’re shopping for your dream ride, take a look at adflyer’s motoring section for a huge range of motorcycles for sale, or if you don’t think motorbikes are for you, we’ve got plenty of fantastic listings for cars, scooters and even vans, so take a look today!

Here at adflyer, our motoring section is one of the largest parts of the site, with new listings being added all the time.  Of course, it’s all incredibly exciting when you first get your new car, motorcycle, van or scooter, and you’ll be making any excuse you can to take it for a spin.  But, what do you do when the novelty’s worn off?  As always, adflyer is here to help, and we’ve wracked our brains to come up with five of the best scenic drives in the UK.  So, if you’re feeling bored of the same old roads, make your SatNav do the work for a change and try out one of these scenic routes…

1. Snowdonia, Wales, 16.8 miles.  Home of Mount Snowdon, this is the UK’s third most visited National Park, with over six million visitors coming to see its beautiful mountainous landscapes every year.  Whilst the whole of Snowdonia spans a staggering eight hundred and thirty-eight square miles, this beautiful drive is just shy of seventeen miles from start to finish.  Starting in Betws y Coed, you can stop at the beautiful Pont y Pair Falls, before heading along the A4086 towards the summit of Snowdon.  From here, continue along the A4086 which takes you through the Pass of Llanberis on an ascent of over one thousand feet into the stunning mountains of Snowdonia, and onto the final stop of Beddgelert, leaving you in the heart of this beautiful National Park.

2. Keswick to Lake Windermere, 20.2 miles.  This gentle and picturesque drive takes you through the Lake District National Park, a beautiful and wild area which has inspired some of Britain’s greatest artists and poets for centuries.  Following the A591 from Keswick in Cumbria, the route takes you past Lakes Thirlmere and Grasmere before eventually reaching Windermere, the largest natural lake in Britain.  You’ll also see plenty of spots along the way to hop out the car, take in the stunning views and enjoy a good old-fashioned picnic, so it’s a great alternative to the usual family day out.

3. Macclesfield to Buxton, 19.6 miles.  Yet another National Park!  This route will take you through the Peak District and along the A537.  Full of long open bends and tight twists, this drive has stunning views of high open moorland, isolated farmsteads and huge picturesque expanses of heather.  So, if you’re a fan of unspoilt beauty and wild British countryside, this is the perfect drive for you, with highlights including Cat and Fiddle Pass, Goyt Valley and Errwood and Fernilee Reservoirs.

4. Severn Bridge, 2.5 miles.  One of the shortest routes we’ve found, the Severn Bridge crosses the River Severn Estuary, and links Gloucestershire with Monmouthshire in Wales.  It might not boast as many breathtaking views of quintessential British countryside, but the sky scraper-like height of this bridge provides unique and panoramic scenes of open water, marshy plains and mudflats that you’re unlikely to see anywhere else.

5. Oxford Street, London, 1.25 miles.  Now, you might be wondering why this is listed amongst some of the most beautiful and picturesque drives in the country, but Oxford Street is a British institution.  If you prefer the hustle and bustle of the city to the tranquillity of the countryside, this drive along the most famous street in London could be perfect for you.  The route will take you from Marble Arch, all the way through Oxford Circus and onto St Giles’ Circus, with some of the most iconic sights in our capital along this mile-long stretch of road.  Plus, if you get bored of negotiating the traffic and people-watching, you could always hit the famous Oxford Street shops for some retail therapy!

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about some of the best drives Britain has to offer, and hopefully you’ll take your new car out on one of them very soon.  In the meantime, don’t forget to keep an eye out for a bargain on our motors classifieds blog, and peruse our adflyer blog, property blog and pets blog for more news, advice and trivia.

When it comes to modes of transportation, a scooter isn’t exactly the speediest or perhaps the coolest way to get around.  But, as a scooter costs much less than a car, and is much less hassle to get licensed, scooters are only growing in popularity.  So, how do you get to be a licensed scooter driver?  Here at adflyer, we’ve done all the legwork for you, and found out exactly what you need to do before you can take your new scooter out on the road.

When it comes to getting licensed to ride your shiny new scooter, everything depends, oddly enough, on whether or not you already have a car licence.  If you already have a full car licence which you obtained before the 1^st of February 2001, then you’re already fully entitled to ride a scooter without those pesky L-plates-good times!  However, if you got your car licence after this time, it’s a wee bit more complicated.  You’ll need to attend a full day course of Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), which has five different elements to complete and pass.  Once you’ve completed your CBT, you’ll be given a DL 196 certificate, which means you can ride your scooter wherever you want, L-plate free.

If, however, you’re not the proud owner of a car licence and you’re sixteen or older, there’s a bit more to be done before you can be licensed to ride a scooter.  Firstly, you’ll need to get hold of a provisional moped licence, which allows you to take your scooter on the road with L-plates, but not to take a passenger or to ride on the motorway.  Then, you’ll need to take the CBT course, and pass a theory and practical test to become a fully licensed scooter owner.

So, we hope that this has helped make sense of all the forms, tests and bureaucracy you’ll need to go through before you can take your lovely new scooter out on the road completely L-plate free.  Don’t forget to look at adflyer’s great motoring section, where we’ve got a huge range of scooters to choose from, and keep up to date with our motors blog for all the latest news, advice and information you need on everything petrol-related.