I got my first driver’s license in June 1975, sponsored by my parents, strictly limited to cars only, my Dad said – even though legally I could have rode motorcycles in Germany with that class 3 license back then. In August 1980 when I had finally saved up enough money to buy my first motorcycle, the law had changed. I needed a new class 1 license for my BMW R65.

Still, at that time there where only 5 different classes of driver’s licenses available in Germany:
1=motorcycle, 2=truck, 3=car, 4=moped, 5=tractor

Over the years the laws were changed several times in an effort to fit in with the rest of Europe. That resulted in growing confusion, since all older types of licenses needed to retain their validity. The back of my driver’s license lists in detail which ones of the now 15 different categories of vehicles I am allowed to drive.

In January of 2013 we saw another paradigm shift happen – but people didn’t realize what this meant until much later.

Up until that date a vehicle with three wheels was considered some type of car and required a class B license. After that date three wheels meant motorcycle, with a class A1 or A license. To make matters worse, if two wheels are closer than 46cm to each other, they count as one.

Now that spurred some serious creativity!

If you earned your license class B (for cars without trailer) before January 19th of 2013, you are allowed to ride the Yamaha Niken in Germany. It looks and rides like a motorcycle. For the legalities of your older license it is considered a car, though, because the front wheels are far enough apart to count as two. Voilá – three wheeled car!

Also, if you are 16 or older and earned your class A1 motorcycle license after January 19th of 2013, you can drive the Ellenator – which looks and behaves like a car. Since the rear wheels are close enough together, they count as one. Because the engine has been throttled down to 15KW, the moped license is enough. Voilá – three wheeled moped!