I’m moving to barcelona and want to give my son a motorcycle he is 15 currently I read that he can get a 125cc when he is 16 but some people are saying he needs a driving licence then he can get one but I’m abit lost could someone tell me what he needs to do so he could get one when he is 16 abit lost cheers

At 15 he can ride a moped with a maximum capacity of 50cc and for that he will need a licence class AM
At 16 he can ride a motorbike, up to 125 cc and up to 15 CV and for that he will need a licence class A1
Both categories are subject to taking a test, including theoretical, psychotechnical and actual riding in a controlled test environment.
In short, I suggest to wait until you are in Spain and then get specialist advice as he will need a licence before riding any kind of motorbike on the road.
To the best of my knowledge there isn't any equivalent of a provisional licence and riding on L plates as you can in the UK.

Hope that helps
Ray

hi ray thanks So basically when he turns 16 he does the necessary test and is set to go if you know what I mean, surprised that they don’t need a L plate

I assume he speaks Spanish as the test will not be in English

I realise that this doesn't apply to the son, but I had a 125cc motorbike in Spain and could ride it on my drivers license. I dont think the rules have changed....

Jon

he doesn’t but I speak fluently so probably going to have to find a place to do it

Believe it or not, it is possible to take the test in English, however, what you will need is to find a riding school that will do the course in English and can reserve a test with an English speaking examiner. That isn't as straightforward as it sounds as some schools will be Catalan only! Also, PLEASE give him a copy of the Spanish Highway Code. If he learns the UK highway code that will not be a good idea! There are significant differences and the test will be totally in KPH, Kilogrammes etc. As you may have seen from other posts, the roundaboout system in Spain is not like the UK.

Finally a word of caution, do not underestimate the dangers of riding a motorcycle in Barcelona.

Yep, that would be because a B licence (for a normal car) qualifies for an A1 (up to 125cc motorbike) after you have held the car licence for 3 years.

hi thanks very much very helpful I’ve ridden motorcycles for 20 years plus in the uk and but wondered what it would be like in Barcelona could you just tell me why it could be more Dangerous

Same as in any big city, not just Barcelona. Traffic moves fast and everyone else knows where they are going. Bikes get lost in the mess, and as a novice rider, those split seconds of hesitation make you more vulnerable. The statistics are not good reading! Found this on the DGT web site which will help you understand what your son needs to do. One thing I found out from this, that I did not know, is that he will need to be resident in Spain for a minimum of 6 months to take the test. English is one of the seven approved languages for the test, so long as he retains British Nationality.

https://www.dgt.es/nuestros-servicio...cion-a-examen/

Whilst there is no concept of a provisional licence, he would still need to display an L plate for the first year of driving

Yep, for clarification for the OP, this is not the red L on a white background associated with a learner driver. The L plate in the first year of driving is a white L on a green background to indicate "new driver". 12 months after passing the test, you can then remove it. There is a fine of 150 euros for not displaying it, and there is a curious split here between cars and motorcycles!

Many new bikers don't bother with it, first because they often think they are more likely to be stopped by the Guardia Civil with the plate than without it. It is the biggest visual clue the biker is most likely a young person. Secondly, even if they are stopped, they will use the argument "well it was on there when I left home" and in the event the GC still fines them they shrug and say "solo es una multa". Anything that doesn't involve points being taken away on the licence (which is another topic altogether!!) is relegated to unimportant.