TL;DR — If you passed your UK motorcycle test before 19 January 2013, your full Cat A licence is still on your driving licence — you don’t need to retake anything legally. But roads, bikes and reflexes have all changed. Most returning riders book a half-day or full-day refresher course before going anywhere near their own bike again. It’s the single best thing you can do to ride safely and enjoy it.
If you held a motorbike licence in your twenties and you’re now in your forties or fifties thinking about getting back on, this guide is for you. We see a lot of returning riders at our motorcycle training school in Warrington — they’re some of our favourite students. Here’s the honest version.
Do I still have a motorcycle licence?
Probably, yes. Check your driving licence — if it shows category A (or A1, A2), you’re legal to ride right now without taking another test. Most UK car licences issued before 1 February 2001 also include automatic Cat A entitlement, though the rules around exactly what you can ride on it depend on the date.
Two important caveats:
- If your licence was issued before 19 January 2013 and you passed your test before that date, your Cat A is unrestricted regardless of the bike size. After that date, the staged licence rules (A1, A2, Full A) apply.
- If you have a paper licence (pink or pink-and-green), it’s still legal but you’ll need a UK passport to prove identity for things like insurance and training bookings. It might be worth updating to a photocard.
Not sure what’s on your licence? View your driving record at gov.uk/view-driving-licence — it’s free, takes 30 seconds, and tells you exactly what categories you hold.
OK, I have the licence. Do I really need a refresher?
Legally? No. Practically? Yes — and almost every returning rider who tries it agrees afterwards.
Three things have changed since you last rode:
1. The bikes are completely different
Modern bikes have ABS, traction control, ride-by-wire throttles, multiple riding modes, slipper clutches, quickshifters and tyres that grip in conditions you wouldn’t have gone out in twenty years ago. A modern 650cc parallel twin makes around 70bhp and pulls a lot harder than a 600cc sportsbike from 1995. It’s not better or worse — it’s just different, and your muscle memory is calibrated for old machines.
2. The roads are different
More traffic, more roundabouts, more 20mph zones, more smart motorways, more cyclists, more SUVs with worse rear visibility, more drivers looking at phones. UK driving culture has shifted, and motorbike-shaped objects are easier to miss than ever.
3. You are different
This is the one people don’t want to say out loud. Reflexes, eyesight, neck mobility and confidence-in-your-own-balance all change between 25 and 50. None of it stops you riding, but all of it is worth re-introducing in a controlled environment before you’re out on a B-road on a 100bhp twin.
A refresher is honest insurance against any of those three catching you out.
What does a refresher course actually involve?
At our motorcycle training school in Warrington, our Back to Riding session is built specifically for returning riders. There are no fixed packages — we run an initial assessment, see where you are, and agree what you need.
A typical refresher looks like this:
- A conversation — when you last rode, what you rode, why you stopped, what you want to do next.
- A short off-road slow-speed session — clutch control, balance, U-turns, figure of eight. This is where most rust shows up first.
- An on-road ride with the instructor radio-linked behind you — you ride, the instructor observes, gives you live feedback, and quietly checks the basics: observation, road position, gear selection, braking from speed.
- A debrief — honest feedback on what you’re doing well, what’s rusty, what to practise. No production-line “you’re great, see you later.” Real feedback.
Some riders need a half-day. Some need two days. Some need an hour and they’re away. We tell you, you decide.
What if my licence has L-plate (CBT) status only?
If you only ever did a CBT and your DL196 certificate has expired (more than two years since issue), you need to retake the CBT before you can ride on the road again. That’s a one-day course from £225, with the bike, helmet and jacket included.
If you held a full A1, A2 or Full A licence and never let it lapse, no retest is required — but a refresher is still strongly recommended.
What about the bike — should I buy first or train first?
Train first. Always.
Two reasons:
- You don’t know what you want yet. What you remember as your favourite bike from 1998 is not the bike you’ll want to commute on in 2026. Get back on something neutral first — a mid-weight naked like an MT-07 or a Z650 — and figure out what you actually need now.
- You don’t want to drop your own bike on a refresher. Our training bikes are insured, set up for instruction, and our instructor isn’t going to wince if you bin it. (You won’t bin it. But the freedom to not worry about it is worth the cost of training on a school bike.)
If you already own a bike, fine — bring it after the refresher, not before. We can do part of the session on your own machine once we’ve seen you ride.
Gear — what’s changed?
Modern riding kit is much better than what you wore in the 90s. The headlines:
- Helmets with proper modular flip-up systems, Bluetooth intercoms, Pinlock anti-fog visors and crash-replacement schemes.
- Armoured jeans that look like normal jeans but contain Kevlar lining and CE-approved hip and knee armour. You don’t have to look like a tour rider every time.
- Goretex everything. Waterproof is properly waterproof now.
- Back protectors are standard issue in any half-decent jacket.
- Boots with proper ankle protection in casual styling.
Don’t go nuclear on day one. A helmet, a CE-approved textile jacket with armour, gloves, sturdy boots and either armoured jeans or proper riding trousers will see you through. You can refine from there.
For the refresher itself, we provide the helmet, jacket and intercoms. You bring sturdy jeans (no rips) and footwear with ankle protection — or hire boots and gloves from us during booking.
How long until I’m “really back”?
Honest answer: a few hundred miles. The first 50 are slow and deliberate. Around 200 your muscle memory wakes up. By the time you’ve done a long day in mixed weather, you’ll know you’re back.
Most returning riders book a half-day refresher, then put a few hundred careful miles on over the following month. Some come back for a second day after a few weeks — often more useful than a longer single session, because by then you know what you actually want to work on.
Ready for your Back to Riding session in Warrington?
If you’re in Warrington, Runcorn, Widnes, Wigan, St Helens or anywhere across Cheshire, On Your Bike is our family-run motorcycle training school based at Thelwall Parish Hall, WA4 2SX. Our lead instructor Angela is DVSA-approved and a certified IAM Advanced Rider — she rides for a living, and refresher work is one of her favourite parts of the job.
- 📞 Call or WhatsApp 01925 551 555 — five minutes on the phone and we’ll know what you need.
- 📧 Email training@onyour.bike — same-day reply, no pressure, no upsell.
- 🏍️ Direct Access page — if you decide you’d rather just retest properly.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to retake my motorcycle test if I haven’t ridden for 20 years?
No, not if you still hold a valid Cat A licence. Your full motorcycle entitlement doesn’t expire — only your physical licence card does (every 10 years). You’re legally allowed to ride. A refresher course is strongly recommended but not legally required.
Is my old CBT still valid?
A CBT certificate (DL196) is valid for two years from the date it was issued. After that you need to retake it, unless you’ve passed a full motorcycle test in the meantime.
Do I need to do a theory test again?
No — not if you already hold a Cat A licence. The theory test is only required when you’re working towards a new licence category.
How much does a refresher course cost?
Refresher pricing is built around what you need rather than a fixed package. A typical half-day session is in the region of £150–£200 including bike, helmet and jacket. We’ll quote you properly once we know your situation — give us a call.
Can I do my refresher on my own bike?
You can, but we’d usually recommend starting on one of our training bikes — it’s set up for instruction, fully insured, and you don’t have to worry about dropping it during slow-speed work. After an hour or two, swapping to your own bike for the on-road section is fine.
I’m nervous about getting back on. Is that normal?
Completely. Most returning riders are. Honest tuition with a patient instructor in an empty car park is the cure — by the end of the session, the nerves are gone.
What if I’ve forgotten how to ride completely?
You won’t have. Muscle memory comes back faster than you expect. We’ve never had a returning rider fail to remember the basics within an hour. If anything, your problem will be that the bikes are friendlier than the ones you learned on.
Written by Angela and the team at On Your Bike, a family-run, DVSA-approved motorcycle training school in Warrington. Last updated May 2026.