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Can a learner ride it?

Learner and novice riders in Australia can only ride bikes on the Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme list. To be listed, a bike needs an engine of 660 cc or less and no more than 150 kW per tonne, worked out on tare mass plus 90 kg. Electric bikes are capped at 25 kW.

Power source
From the compliance plate or registration papers.

Power ÷ (tare + 90 kg)

129.6kW/t

Within the 150 kW/t and 660 cc limits

It meets the numbers, but that isn't enough on its own: the exact model must be on the official LAMS list, and unmodified.

The list is what counts

Meeting the numbers isn’t enough: the exact make, model and year must be on the published list, and unmodified. NSW maintains the list most states use; Queensland publishes its own table.

NSW LAMS listQueensland LAMS tableHow the ratio is worked out (PDF)

Who it applies to

NSW

New South Wales

Learner, P1 (red) and P2 (green) riders

Publishes the LAMS list that most other states use.

Source

QLD

Queensland

RE class holders: learner, provisional or open

Upgrade to an R licence after 2 years on RE. Bikes up to 250 mL are allowed except five listed two-strokes.

Source

WA

Western Australia

R-E class holders

Uses the NSW list. Hold R-E for 2 years before the unrestricted R class.

Source

Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory also use LAMS, with their own rules on how long it applies. This page is a guide, not legal advice: your state’s licensing authority and the published list are the final word.

LAMS-approved bikes in ratio

With the LAMS ratio estimated from wet weight, and ratio’s usual figure on wet weight alone. Confirm your model year on the list.

LAMS questions

What is the LAMS power-to-weight limit?

150 kilowatts per tonne, with an engine of 660 cc or less. Electric motorbikes are limited to 25 kW instead. The bike must also be unmodified and appear on the official LAMS list.

How is the LAMS power-to-weight ratio calculated?

Divide the engine's power in kilowatts by the bike's tare mass plus 90 kg, then multiply by 1,000. The 90 kg stands for an 80 kg rider and 10 kg of fuel, whatever you actually weigh. A 35 kW bike with a 180 kg tare works out at 35 ÷ 270 × 1,000 = 130 kW/t.

If a bike is under 150 kW/t, can a learner ride it?

Not automatically. Novice riders may only ride bikes on the published LAMS list. A bike that meets the numbers but isn't listed, or has been modified, is not approved.

Can I restrict a full-power bike to make it LAMS?

Only through a manufacturer's LAMS variant that's on the list, such as factory-restricted versions of some 650 cc twins. NSW states that bikes can't be modified or restricted to be reclassified as approved.

Who has to ride a LAMS bike?

Learner riders everywhere, and provisional riders for a period that varies by state. In NSW it covers learners and P1 and P2 riders; in Queensland and Western Australia, holders of the restricted RE or R-E class for their first two years. Check your state's licensing authority for your stage.