If you are looking to start riding a motorcycle for the first time, things look to have just got a little more complicated. From mid-January this year a whole new structure of EU legislation became law.

Now 16-year-olds are restricted to mopeds capable of only 28mph as opposed to the previous 30mph limit. Pass a test at 17 and you qualify for a 15bhp 125cc bike known as an A1 licence. At 19 you can go to an A2 licence which now means a maximum power output of 47bhp and, interestingly for the first time, a power-to-weight ratio limit which will rule out some older sportsters and lightweight off-road bikes.

Finally when you reach 24 and have two years experience at A2 level you can qualify for an unrestricted licence. This isn’t it yet either, a further set of legislation is due to be in place by early next year.