Skip to main content
Home
Accessibility Tool
  • Zoom in
  • Zoom out
  • Reset
  • Contrast
  • Accessibility help
Other languages

Language

Disclaimer

This website provides a translate function to accommodate our diverse audience. However, translations are automated and may not fully capture the nuances of the original language. For critical information, please refer to the source text.

Close
Search

People often search for...

When should I test my smoke alarm?
Home safety visits
Thatch fire safety
Report a problem with a fire hydrant
How safe is my heater?
Chimney fires
Close
  • Home
  • Safety advice
    Back
    Safety advice
      • Safety at home
        Back
        Safety at home
        • How to stay safe
        • Alarms and detectors
        • Risks in your home
        • Advice for parents
        • Advice for carers
      • Business safety
        Back
        Business safety
        • Risk assessments
        • High rise buildings
        • Guidance for businesses
        • Landlords and holiday lets
        • Inspections and enforcement
        • Farms and agriculture
      • Safety outdoors
        Back
        Safety outdoors
        • Animal and bird rescues
        • Water safety
        • Wildfires
        • Rescue incidents and tips to avoid them
      • Safety on the road
  • About us
    Back
    About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
        Back
        Have your say
        • Complaints
        • Compliments
        • Public consultations
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Community events
        Back
        Community events
        • Community conversations
      • Customer Charter
      • Sexual Safety Charter
      • Fire Authority(link is external)
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)(link is external)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
      • Armed Forces Covenant
  • Newsroom
    Back
    Newsroom

    Latest news

    A close up image of a fire engine door with a DSFR logo
    News
    23 May 2025

    Inspection report praises emergency response and Service’s awareness of areas to improve

    Biker Down attendees at SHQ celebrate 10 years
    News
    14 May 2025

    Major milestone for our Biker Down workshops

    • Incidents
    • News
    • Events
    • Social media
  • Careers
    Back
    Careers
      • Vacancies
      • Become an on-call firefighter
        Back
        Become an on-call firefighter
        • Application process (on-call)
      • Become a wholetime firefighter
        Back
        Become a wholetime firefighter
        • Application process (wholetime)
      • The role of a firefighter
      • The role of a fire control operator
        Back
        The role of a fire control operator
        • Become a fire control operator
      • Support staff roles
      • Looking after our people
        Back
        Looking after our people
        • Embracing equal opportunities
        • Supporting women in the Service
      • Pay rates
      • Benefits
      • Request a careers talk
  • Education and young people
    Back
    Education and young people
      • Early years, reception and year one
      • Primary schools
        Back
        Primary schools
        • Primary school fire safety visits
        • Great Fire of London
      • Secondary schools
      • Safety resources for children and young people
        Back
        Safety resources for children and young people
        • Fire and road safety resources
      • Fire starting behaviour in children
      • Join the fire cadets
      • Scout and Guide groups - awards and badges
      • Young drivers
      • Work experience

Contact

  • Contact us

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. What Safety Advice Are You Looking For?
  3. Young Motorcyclists
FacebookXEmailWhatsappMessenger Share

Young motorcyclists

If you are starting to ride a moped, scooter or motorcycle on the roads then you need to take responsibility for your safety. Read our advice about helmets and clothing and see the links to further information about rider training and bike maintenance.

Motorcyclist riding on a busy street.

Motorbike helmets

The helmet is the most important piece of your kit and you are legally required to wear one when riding. Beware of counterfeit and poor quality products online that will not protect you properly.

Buying a helmet

Look for

Don't waste your money, look for these quality marks to make sure you are purchasing a genuine product.

  • Genuine and compliant helmets will be labelled UN ECE 22.5 or 22.6 or BS 6658:1985 and carry the BSI Kitemark.
  • Look for a label with the UN ECE standard. This will be a circle containing an 'E' and a number that represents the country that certified it.

Look out for

These are warning signs that could mean you are not getting a genuine safety helmet.

  • Online products at a lower than expected price.
  • Stickers that haven’t been applied properly.
  • Not in its original box.
  • Lack of booklets, labels and tags.
  • Poor quality paintwork or scratches.
  • The weight of the helmet.

Used helmets

It may be tempting to save money by buying a used helmet but bear in mind that you will not know the history of it. It may have been poorly cared for and even been damaged previously.

Fitting your helmet

  • A helmet that doesn’t fit is not going to offer the best protection from brain injuries so try before you buy.
  • To help you choose the right motorcycle crash helmet use the SHARP rating system(link is external) (link opens in a new window). SHARP is the Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme.

Clothing

Good quality clothing, gloves and boots will reduce your risk of injury in the event that you come off your bike.

If you want to buy protective clothing look for these labels to be confident that you are getting a good standard of product that has been tested.

  • A label showing the protection rating from AAA to B.
  • Jackets, trousers and suits should have BS EN 17092, prEN 17092 or FprEN 17092.
  • Boots should have EN 13634.
  • Gloves should have EN 13594.
 

The National Young Rider Forum (NYRF)

The NYRF is a group specifically created for young motorcyclists. Their New Rider Hub has videos and advice about:

  • buying a bike
  • maintaining your bike
  • riding safely
  • clothing
  • training and the CBT (Compulsory Basic Training)
  • insurance.
Visit the new rider hub website(link is external)
National Young Rider Forum logo

Motorcycle safety

Find out more

Learn2Live events for young drivers

Find out more

Our top safety tips for motorcyclists

Find out more

Footer menu

  • Home
  • Safety advice
      • Safety at home
      • Business safety
      • Safety outdoors
      • Safety on the road
  • About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Community events
      • Customer Charter
      • Sexual Safety Charter
      • Fire Authority(link is external)
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)(link is external)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
      • Armed Forces Covenant
    • Newsroom
      • Incidents
      • News
      • Events
      • Social media
    • Careers
        • Vacancies
        • Become an on-call firefighter
        • Become a wholetime firefighter
        • The role of a firefighter
        • The role of a fire control operator
        • Support staff roles
        • Looking after our people
        • Pay rates
        • Benefits
        • Request a careers talk
    • Education and young people
        • Early years, reception and year one
        • Primary schools
        • Secondary schools
        • Safety resources for children and young people
        • Fire starting behaviour in children
        • Join the fire cadets
        • Scout and Guide groups - awards and badges
        • Young drivers
        • Work experience

Translate the website

Footer contact

  • Contact us

Staff login

Always call 999 in an emergency

Did you find this page useful

  • Yes
  • No

Follow us

  • Facebook(link is external)
  • Twitter(link is external)
  • Youtube(link is external)
  • Instagram(link is external)
  • Linkedin(link is external)
  • Follow us
  • Print this page

Footer bottom

  • Our website
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies
  • Privacy notices
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015
  • Accessibility

Disability Confident employer logoEmployers Network for Equality and Inclusion logoBritish Quality Foundation logoEmployers network for equality and inclusion logoFire pride and allies logo Armed Forces Covenant