A2 Restriction in Germany: Costs, Rules, Allowed Bikes

With an A2 licence you may only ride motorcycles up to 35 kW. That is why many models come in a version that is restricted to this figure. For the A2 restriction, though, the 35 kW alone are not enough. You also need to know how powerful the bike was before it was restricted, how to have the restriction registered and when you may open it up again. Here is the German legal position, the procedure and cost examples with sources. How classes A1, A2 and A fit together is covered in our article on motorcycle licence categories.

In short

Limits for A2: at most 35 kW, at most 0.2 kW/kg and not derived from a motorcycle with more than 70 kW.
Restricting: usually by software or a part swap, followed by inspection and an entry in the registration certificate part I (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I).
Costs: very different from maker to maker. The latest manufacturer survey I found dates from 2022.
Derestricting: only after moving up to category A, again with an entry in the papers.
Risk: if you ride more power than your category allows, you are riding without the right licence.

Legal basis: what category A2 allows

Category A2 is defined in section 6 of the German Driving Licence Ordinance (FeV). It covers motorcycles with an engine output of no more than 35 kW and a power-to-weight ratio of no more than 0.2 kW/kg. A third condition applies: the motorcycle must not be derived from a motorcycle with more than 70 kW. The same three limits appear in the new EU driving licence directive (EU) 2025/2205, in Article 6.

Power-to-weight ratio

The 0.2 kW/kg figure means, in arithmetic terms: a motorcycle with 35 kW must weigh at least 175 kilograms, otherwise it is too powerful for A2. Light bikes with a lot of power are therefore ruled out even if they stay under 35 kW. Which weight exactly is used depends on the entry in the papers. Have the seller confirm it when you buy.

The 70 kW rule

This is where many people trip up. A motorcycle may only be restricted to 35 kW if it had at most 70 kW unrestricted, that is, no more than double. A bike with 100 kW cannot simply be restricted to 35 kW and ridden on A2. The ADAC puts it like this: with restricted motorcycles you always have to check what output the unrestricted version had. Austria's government portal states the same rule for A2 (not derived from a vehicle with more than double the power).

Older cases with grandfathering

According to the ADAC, one group still has an exception: anyone who obtained A2 between 19 January 2013 and 26 December 2016 may keep riding restricted big bikes in Germany. This is not covered abroad. If this applies to you, ask the licensing authority before you travel.

Which motorcycles are allowed for A2?

There are three routes to an A2-suitable motorcycle:

35 kW or less as standard and enough weight, with no conversion.
A version with at most 70 kW that is restricted for A2. This is the most common case.
A factory A2 variant. Example from the 2022 manufacturer survey: BMW then offered an R nineT that was already reduced at the factory from 109 to 95 hp so that it may be restricted to 48 hp.

I deliberately do not give a fixed list of allowed models here. It changes with every model year. The only reliable guides are the entry in the vehicle papers and the manufacturer's confirmation that the bike may be restricted for A2. For used bikes, our inspection checklist helps, and for choosing a model there is the buying guide for your first motorcycle.

How the restriction is done

It depends on the maker and model. In the MOTORRAD magazine survey of June 2022 these methods came up:

A change to the engine software, for example at Kawasaki and Harley-Davidson.
A different electronic throttle grip, for example at Triumph.
Different intake pipes in the airbox plus software, for example on Yamaha models with the 700 engine.
A free factory option in the configurator, for example at BMW.

Inspection and registration

The conversion alone is not enough. The changed output has to be entered in the registration certificate part I. At Kawasaki, for example, MOTORRAD mentions an inspection by an expert for this. As a general rule for modifications, the operating permit lapses if changes make a hazard likely or worsen exhaust or noise behaviour (section 19(2) StVZO). DEKRA names software changes explicitly as an example of modifications that need an inspection. Bring the registration certificate part I and all available test documents to the inspection.

Before the conversion, ask the dealer or the inspection body which proof applies to your model. That saves a second appointment.

What does the A2 restriction cost?

There is no uniform price list. The latest overview I found is the MOTORRAD survey of German manufacturers from 18 June 2022. The figures are therefore not current and serve as a rough guide only. Ask the dealer for today's price.

Manufacturer	2022 information
BMW	Restricting at the factory via the configurator is free. Derestricting at a workshop: 80 to 100 euros labour.
Triumph	Electronic throttle grip 138 euros, plus labour and registration.
Kawasaki	Software around 150 euros, plus labour, inspection and registration.
Yamaha (700 models)	Intake pipes 65 euros, plus two to three hours of labour and registration.
Harley-Davidson (107)	Just under 55 euros labour, plus 50 euros for the expert report.

For the registration entry MOTORRAD gives a little over 70 euros, regardless of manufacturer. Add up the cost of restricting and of later derestricting, because both apply. I could not verify whether your insurance premium changes with the restriction. The best way is to ask your insurer directly. More on mistakes in cover can be found in our article on motorcycle insurance.

Derestricting after moving up to A

You may derestrict only once you hold category A. The FeV sets the route as follows: at 24 you get category A directly. At 20 it only works after at least two years of holding A2 (section 10 FeV). When moving up from A2 to A after two years, only a practical test is required and the training rules do not apply (section 15(3) FeV). According to Annex 7 FeV, this test currently lasts at least 60 minutes, of which 30 minutes are driving time. Whether that changes with the planned reform is explained in our article on the driving licence reform.

Important: test first, derestricting second. Here too the output is changed in the papers again. The costs are in the table above. Discounts on the licence itself are listed in our overview of manufacturer offers.

Insurance and consequences of unlawful power

If you ride a motorcycle that your category does not cover, you are driving a motor vehicle without the required licence. Section 21 of the Road Traffic Act (StVG) provides for imprisonment of up to one year or a fine. If committed through negligence, it is up to six months or up to 180 daily rates.

Insurance comes on top. The ADAC points out that after an accident with a motorcycle that does not meet the category requirements, problems with the insurer are likely: the liability insurer can seek recourse, and the comprehensive insurer may pay nothing or only part. The ADAC says this in the context of trips abroad, but the logic applies generally whenever the licence does not fit. Derestricting without registration is therefore no minor matter.

Austria and Switzerland

In Austria the government portal oesterreich.gv.at describes category A2 with the same limits as in Germany, including the rule on double the original output. In Switzerland there is the category A 35 kW with a minimum age of 18 and access to the open category A from 20 after two years of practice (source: Canton of Zug, as of March 2024). Whether a rule equivalent to the German derivation rule applies there, I could not verify. If you plan to take a restricted bike abroad, check the rules with the authority of that country first. The ADAC expressly advises against riding such big bikes abroad.

Frequently asked questions

Can I restrict any motorcycle to 35 kW and ride it on A2?

No. The motorcycle may have had at most 70 kW unrestricted, and the power-to-weight ratio must not exceed 0.2 kW/kg.

Does the restriction have to be registered?

Yes, the changed output belongs in the registration certificate part I. Depending on the conversion, an inspection is added.

When may I derestrict?

When you hold category A. At 20 that means after two years of A2 and a practical test, at 24 directly.

What happens if I derestrict without registering and get caught?

You are then riding a motorcycle that your category does not cover. That can be a criminal offence (section 21 StVG), and after an accident the insurer can seek recourse.

Are the costs quoted current?

No, they come from a manufacturer survey of June 2022. Your dealer can give you current prices.

Sources

As of November 2026. Rules and prices can change.

#A2#restriction#licence#35 kW#insurance

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