After you pass your test
Congratulations, you’ve got your full licence! Enjoy your new freedom but remember that passing your motorbike test does not mean you know everything: it’s the first step in learning to be a skilled rider. You’ll keep learning as long as you’re riding.
Now that you’re on the road on your own, be careful you do not slip into bad habits. The way you’ve been taught to ride is the safest way to ride.
Look after your equipment: watch out for wear and tear, and replace equipment when necessary – especially your safety helmet. Simply dropping your helmet could damage it and prevent it protecting you properly if you fall off your motorbike.
Never take the risk of going out without your protective equipment: even the shortest journey could end in an incident.
Motorway riding
Although you’ll have learned about riding on a motorway, as a learner rider you will not have been able to try riding on a motorway for real. You can also ask your trainer for a motorway riding lesson so that you can get some experience before riding on a motorway on your own.
Weather conditions
You’re also likely to find yourself riding in weather conditions that you've not ridden in before. Take extra care when riding in unfamiliar conditions.
Keep learning
When you’ve got your full licence, there are advanced riding skills you can start to learn. As well as making you safer as a rider, doing extra training can give you discounts on motorbike insurance. See the Enhance your skills page for more information.
The Official DVSA Guide to Riding – the essential skills is a really useful reference book to help you improve your skills and remind you about what you learned before you passed your test.
Riding in a group
If you’ve got friends who are also bikers, you might plan to go out for a ride together. Riding in a group can be fun, but it can also be quite different from riding on your own. Find out more about riding in a group.
Penalty points
If you had a provisional licence before you passed your practical tests and you get 6 or more penalty points on your licence within 2 years of passing your practical tests, you’ll lose your licence and you’ll have to reapply for your provisional licence. You’ll have to ride as a learner again and you’ll have to retake your theory and practical tests. Find out more about the penalty rules at GOV.UK.
Penalty points can be given for all sorts of riding-related offences, such as speeding or riding dangerously.