I managed the 50cc at 16 (legally) but naturally had a pre-restricted one, up to 250cc at 17 until passed ones test then unlimited
. Jeanette who is just a year younger than me left it until she was 17/18 and got the early 'part 1 test' riding around cones and was limited to a 125cc. Now it is far more restrictive with A, A1 & A2 all requiring a pre-road test around the cones and a theory at each stage I believe!
I took my bike test in 1978 on a RD250
Never had any kind of a lesson other that the guy at the shop when I picked the FS1e up
This is the clutch, these are the brakes , this is the gears
The test was a guy in a brown suit with a clipboard watching me ride round the block
One lap he pulled me in and said I was to keep riding round , somewhere on the test route I shall step to the kerb , raise my hand for you to perform an emergency stop
I went round and as I came back there he was , hiding behind a post box , it was like something on monty python , as soon as he stood up I stopped dead, passed
One guy i knew took his test , a few of us were on holiday so turned up to take the ****
He came along the straight , bolt upright , 29mph , saw us , you bustards
Next lap he did a 100 yard wheelie , still passed