Progressive access means holding a lower motorcycle category for two years, then moving up with a practical test or an approved training course — no second theory test, no waiting beyond the two years. A1 to A2 after two years. A2 to A after two more. The alternative is direct access to category A at 24, which is faster and usually cheaper in total, and puts you on an unrestricted bike with no road time behind you. Checked August 2026; ages and test formats are set nationally, so confirm with your own licensing authority.
The rule in the actual text
The clause everyone quotes second-hand is Article 7(1)(c) of Directive 2006/126/EC. It says a licence for category A2 or category A may be issued, on condition of a minimum of two years' experience on a motorcycle in category A1 or A2 respectively, to someone who has passed a test of skills and behaviour only, or completed a training course under Annex VI.
Three details hide in that sentence.
The two years is experience holding the category, counted from the date the licence was issued. It is not two years of riding a set number of kilometres, and nobody audits your mileage. It also does not pause because you sold the bike.
The route is A1 to A2 to A, in that order. There is no two-year jump from A1 straight to A. If you took A1 at 17 and want unrestricted, you either do A2 at 19 and A at 21, or you wait and take direct access at 24.
And it is "test only, or training". Which one applies is a national choice, so the same upgrade is a two-day course in one country and a booked examination in another.
What each step actually costs you
| Route | Sequence | Earliest full licence | What you gain | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive access | A1 at 16 or 17, A2 two years later, A two years after that | 21 in several countries, 20 under the directive baseline | Four seasons of road experience before an unrestricted bike | Two or three sets of training and test fees, plus two bikes |
| Progressive from A2 only | A2 at 18 or 19, A two years later | 20 or 21 depending on country | Two seasons on a capable but capped machine | One upgrade, one restricted bike you will outgrow |
| Direct access | Straight to the category A test | 24 | One course, one test, no restrictor kit, no upgrade | No graduated exposure, and six or more years of waiting if you start at 17 |
The ages in that table are the directive baseline, and several countries sit above it. The UK's official category table is a useful worked example, setting A1 at 17, A2 at 19, and category A at 21 by progressive access or 24 direct.
Fees vary too much between countries to quote, but the relative shape is stable: a single direct-access course is the cheapest way to reach category A if you can wait until 24, and progressive access is the cheapest way to be legally riding something enjoyable at 19.
Restricting a bike for A2 without buying the wrong machine
A2 caps power at 35 kW and power-to-weight at 0.2 kW/kg, and adds the clause that catches people: the bike must not be derived from a vehicle of more than double its power. Restricted to 35 kW, that means an unrestricted output of 70 kW or less.
The failure mode is predictable and expensive. A rider buys a 90 kW middleweight because a forum post says a kit is available, fits the kit, and finds at the first roadside check or the first insurance claim that the machine was never eligible. The kit works mechanically. The licence category does not care.
Before committing to a restricted bike, work through this in order:
- Find the unrestricted net power on the certificate of conformity or registration document, not in a magazine test. If it is above 70 kW, stop.
- Check the kerb mass and do the division. 35 kW divided by the mass in running order must come out at or under 0.2 kW/kg, which means roughly 175 kg minimum. Light 35 kW machines can fail this even though they pass on power.
- Confirm the restriction is a type-approved kit for that exact model and that you get documentation. Most countries want the restriction recorded, and an undocumented restriction is treated as no restriction.
- Tell your insurer before you fit it, and again when you remove it. Both directions are a material change.
- Keep the paperwork with the bike when you sell it. An A2 buyer will need it and a category A buyer will want the derestriction record.
The alternative is a bike that is 35 kW from the factory. It has no restrictor to remove, no documentation to lose, and it will be worth less to you the day you pass your A test. That is the trade-off, and for a rider who plans to upgrade at the first opportunity, a restrictable 70 kW machine is usually the better buy despite the extra admin.
Where the two years is measured from, and where it goes wrong
The clock starts on the issue date of the lower category, which is not always the date you passed. If your licence took six weeks to arrive, your upgrade date moves six weeks. Check the date printed against category A1 or A2 on the back of the card, in the column of issue dates, rather than assuming.
Two situations reset or complicate that clock more often than riders expect. A licence exchanged after moving country carries the original category dates in most cases, but the receiving authority has to be given the evidence, so keep the old card or a certified copy — the Your Europe page on licence validity is the official starting point for cross-border cases. And a period of disqualification does not add itself back to the end — you may find the qualifying experience is treated as interrupted, which is a national matter.
None of this is a reason to panic, but it is a reason to book the upgrade assessment a few weeks after the anniversary rather than a few days before it.
Which route suits which rider
Progressive access is the better answer if you are starting young, if you commute and will use the bike through winter, and if you can accept riding something modest for a couple of seasons. Riders who come up this way arrive at category A with wet-weather experience, night riding, and enough near-misses to have a working sense of where the danger is.
Direct access is the better answer if you are already 22 or older, if you have driven for years and understand traffic, or if you are returning to riding after a long gap. It is a poor answer for a 24-year-old with no two-wheeled experience who buys a litre bike the week after passing. Insurance is not the constraint that stops that plan — physics is.
A third option gets forgotten: pass A2, then take further training rather than the upgrade. Advanced or post-test riding schemes cost a fraction of a test course and improve the things that actually keep you alive at speed. The upgrade will still be there next year.
Frequently asked questions
Can I go from A1 straight to category A after two years?
No. Article 7(1)(c) allows A1 to A2 and A2 to A, each after two years in the lower category. There is no direct A1 to A progression.
Do I have to retake the theory test to upgrade?
Under the directive the upgrade is a test of skills and behaviour only, or an approved training course. Some countries add their own requirements, so confirm with the licensing authority before you book.
How much power can an A2 bike have?
Not more than 35 kW, with a power-to-weight ratio not exceeding 0.2 kW/kg, and not derived from a machine of more than double that power.
Does the two-year experience have to be continuous?
It is measured as time holding the category, not as continuous riding. Gaps in ownership do not matter. Periods of disqualification may, and that is decided nationally.
Is direct access harder than the progressive test?
The examination standard is the same. The bike is bigger and heavier, which makes the slow-speed manoeuvres less forgiving for someone with no road experience.
For the underlying category definitions and the ages each country may set, see the guide to European motorcycle licence categories. Britain adds a compulsory training stage before any of this, covered in the UK CBT and licence route. Riders holding an A2 licence who plan to travel should also read the paperwork checklist for riding abroad and the guide to insurance and green cards in Europe, since a restricted machine is described differently on some policies. On a restricted bike where every kilometre is planned around traffic rather than speed, the JADO S1 riding system keeps navigation on the bars instead of in a pocket.
