Motorbike License - essential?
 

Hey,

Ok, this might be a stupid question but we're in the 'enquiry' stages of planning our trip (Vietnam to England - one way, probably shipping the bikes from Bangkok to Kathmandu) and this might torpedoe the lot:

We're both UK passport holders, we have UK car driving licenses but not UK (or anywhere else) motorbike licenses.

We've been riding around SE Asia without a problem, though we've never had to cross a border. To what extent will not having a motorbike license affect our plans?

Any help and advice would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Adam.

I reckon you'd be mad not to have a license. Especially in a communist country like Vietnam.

The answer is get a license. They often look like a piece of paper with official writing on it that keeps authorities in the street happy.

Without that paper you open yourself up to requests for money to fix the problem. I can cite border checks in Zanzibar, Bosnia, Germany, Switzerland and India where I've had to show a license while riding a bike. And this includes internal regional borders.

See Grant and Susan's new video series for some ideas.

I suspect (but cannot be sure) that many 3rd world countries do not issue specific bike/car licences and that if you have a licence you are entitled to drive/ride both.

In Australia, my licence states CAR and has an R above this. A local police officer will recognise the R as meaning that I am also eligible to ride a bike but I can't imagine the local constabulary anywhere outside of Australia knowing that.

There is always a risk but probably a relatively small one, of being stopped from proceeding by the local authorities.

Having said this, I have ridden in over 70 countries over the course of many years, and have NEVER had anyone in authority check my licence and question whether I am licenced for the bike.

No doubt others will also advise you of the potential risks of not having a licence if you have an accident. Personally, I believe the risk of bodily injury far exceeds the consequences of being unduly detained for a period.

I'd probably get one.

I bet you could get by without a moto-specific license in most countries without much difficulty.

I'm not sure, however, that I would do so--for instance, would any insurance that you bought be valid if you don't have a license? If you get in an accident somewhere and it turns out you don't have a licence OR valid insurance, you could have a problem on your hands.

Regards,

TMR

I never had mine inspected that closely. You'd really have to know what you're looking at and most officials generally don't want to look stupid and just accepted my UK licence as covering bikes (which it does).

Do have some laminated copies of your UK driving licence to hand over to the police (though don't try this in Europe...) when you get stopped as a good copy will generally pass for an original.

The only insurance I had to get was Turkey which I got at the border. My UK based insurance co wouldn't insure me coming into Europe and told me they would only insure me if I was starting my trip in the UK! Insane but there you go.

I would have said you can probably blag your way through most of Asia, but incidentally just today I had a cop in Kathmandu ask me explicitly for both my national and my international driving licenses.

Anyways, the fact that you maybe could doesn't mean that it's anything but a seriously stupid idea. If you get into any kind of accident (whether your fault or not) you might be in serious trouble.

Besides, I certainly wouldn't risk crossing Europe without a license.

Oh and: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-licence-46119

all above is very interesting but what about having a learner licence....i'm about to take my learner in Australia(i'm a non resident)....i mught be able to get the full one but in case i don't i'm only gonna have the one that states learner permit, ill be travelling trough out southamerica..... do police ask mainly for driving licence or pasport and they look at the driving licence for a dbl check??

it's the dream of my life touring trough south america i hope that will work!!! :)!!

cheeers!!!

I don't know what or you or may not get away with in third world countries.

But I know that in Australia and New Zealand you must have a motorcycle licence to be able to ride legally on public roads, and you must carry it with you when riding.

Gusonopa, why not go all the way and get a licence? You can't ride on a learner's permit forever, although I did for some time because I didn't have a bike of my own to practise on.

I've spent 9 months in the US and Canada on a KLR650. I have a UK car license and US car + bike license. Whenever I'm stopped, I hand over the UK license. I was stopped by the police in Oregon doing 76 in a 55 construction zone, before I had the US license (so I had no valid motorcycle license at that time). They checked my license, passport and title and let me go, no fine. Thanks Oregon state troopers. :-) I think they took pity on me because I was freezing my nuts off in the rain.

I was following my girlfriend's truck in Canada, they were doing 140 kmh in a 100 kmh zone. I pulled over after they got stopped, the cop tried to get me to "admit" I was doing 140 kmh, I said calmly "I believe I was travelling within the speed limit officer". He checked my UK license, no title, and let me go.

I'm about to cross into Mexico. I might present the US license because the name / address match the the title of the bike. But I very much doubt they'd know my UK license isn't valid for a motorcycle.

I spent about $800 running around to get a US license because I figure if I end up in any type of accident, or trying to make an insurance claim (I haven't purchased any insurance yet), then my house of cards might fall down without a valid motorcycle license.

adam_dynamic, I recommend getting a license in Australia if you can. Any valid bike license will do. I think you absolutely could do the trip without a license, but there's always a risk. When I was asking for advice on how to get a US license, many people said don't bother. If you can get a license, I say do so. If it's a real nightmare to get one, just go with your UK car license.

Hello Flying Biker!!! i will try to get my full license, but i'm just short in time, my flight for SA it's booked 2/3 weeks after i will be allowed by the law to take the test drive!!!! CROSSSFINGEERRR!! :!)!!!

!!!! :)!!!

No one will ask for it, but have it anyway.
 

I rode through all of China, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. I got the international license - it's kind of a joke document, but having it gives you some veil of legitimacy. When I crossed borders, no one ever asked me for it, but sometimes I was stopped by cops and it seems to have helped with that.

I wrote about interactions with the cops, paperwork etc. on my website and in my book.

Good luck! Take pictures!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/...36e4dc2e00.jpg


Chris Maupin
ChrisOn2Wheels.com

Dont worry about a motorcycle license. They really dont know the difference anywhere I have been.

SE Asia should be easy.

I had a laminated color photocopy driverslicense that I showed everywhere and no one ever asked. For them, everything thats laminated is official.

My friend didnt have a licence through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. No problems what so ever, even though we were stopped and checked.

Seriously. The give it the long hard stare and try to look professional, but in reality they probably cant even read the text - much less understand the meaning.

Dont worry, and now go riding...

The Issues
 

If you get stopped in a developing country and asked to produce your license, a fake will probably get you off the hook. That won't be the case in most developed countries like England (your destination), where the Police will check numbers and authenticity online before you leave the scene.

A more important consideration is third party liability. If you have an accident, whether at fault or not, and you can't bribe your way out of the situation, lack of a valid license will become a criminal and civil issue.

IMO, get a license.

I agree, it is a stupid question...

How would you feel if there were non-nationals driving or riding around your neck of the woods without a licence.....:nono::nono: