MyMoto Guide
Best A2 Licence Motorcycles for 2026
The A2 licence is the most common way new European riders get on a real motorcycle, and the bike you pick for it shapes your whole first couple of years. The good news: A2 is not a punishment tier. There are genuinely fun, capable bikes that fit inside the 35kW limit without feeling like training wheels. This guide puts honest fit and real power figures first, then helps you decide between a native A2 bike and restricting a bigger one.
The honest short answer
These are A2-friendly bikes we would happily point a new rider toward, spread across styles so there is something whether you want a naked, a sportbike, or a cruiser. Power and seat figures are real catalog numbers, not rounded for marketing.
Photo: Retired electrician, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The default do-everything A2 naked: light, upright, friendly, and modern, with just enough punch (42hp from 321cc) to be genuinely fun in town and on back roads. If you want one easy bike that fits inside A2 natively and asks nothing of you, start here.
Photo: Rikita, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The best sportbike to actually learn on within A2: light, forgiving, and quick enough at 45hp to keep you grinning, but never intimidating. If you want sporty looks and a committed riding position without a bike that bites, this is the one.
Photo: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sits right at the top of the A2 power band (47hp from 471cc), so it feels the most grown-up of the native A2 bikes while still being beginner-easy. Comfortable, upright, bulletproof Honda reliability, and happy on the highway in a way the small-displacement bikes are not.
Photo: Chris Woodrich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The A2 cruiser pick, and the friendliest seat here at just 690mm, so shorter riders can plant both feet with confidence. Low, light, and easy, with 46hp that handles real roads. If you want relaxed cruiser style inside A2, this is the standout.
Photo: Dennis Bratland, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The sharp, characterful choice: lightweight, punchy, and the most fun-per-euro hooligan of the native A2 nakeds. The taller 820mm seat and eager throttle make it a touch more demanding than the Yamaha, but it rewards a rider who wants personality.
What actually counts as an A2 bike?
Three rules, not just one. An A2 machine must make no more than 35kW (about 47hp), it must have a power-to-weight ratio no higher than 0.2kW/kg, and if it is a restricted version of a bigger bike, the original unrestricted bike must not have made more than 70kW (about 94hp). That last rule is the one people forget: it is why you can restrict a Yamaha MT-07 down to A2, but you cannot restrict a litre superbike and call it legal.
Restrict now, derestrict later
If you already know you will move to a full A licence within a year or two, there is a smart middle path: buy a bigger bike that can be restricted to A2 with an official kit, ride it restricted while you are on A2, then have it derestricted when you upgrade, and keep the same bike. The popular candidates are the Yamaha MT-07, Kawasaki Z650, and Triumph Trident 660, all of which sit under the 94hp original-power ceiling.
The trade-off is honest: restricted, these bikes are heavier and pricier than a native A2 bike, and they are carrying power you cannot use yet. They make sense if your plan is firm. If you are not sure you will upgrade soon, the lighter, cheaper native A2 bikes above are the easier, lower-risk buy.
Native A2 or restricted bigger bike?
Quick way to decide: if you want the easiest, lightest, cheapest bike to build skill on right now, and you are not in a hurry to go faster, buy native A2. If you are confident you will sit the full A test soon and you would rather not change bikes twice, buy a restrictable bike and derestrict it later. Either way, the limiting factor for a new rider is rarely power. It is comfort, confidence, and fit.
Which A2 bike fits you?
These are solid general A2 picks, but the right one depends on your height and inseam, your budget, the roads you ride, your market's exact rules, and whether you plan to upgrade to full A. Tell the MyMoto advisor about yourself in your own words - it weighs all of that, including the regret risks most lists skip, asks only what matters, and builds your free personal report in a few minutes of chat.
Find My Motorcycle
MyMoto is an early beta. A2 power limits, restriction kits, and licensing rules vary by country, so always verify the exact rules in your market, plus current pricing, insurance, and local availability, before buying any motorcycle. Power and seat figures are sourced from our catalog and may vary by model year and market.
New to riding? See the best beginner motorcycles of 2026 →
Shorter rider? Read the short-rider guide →
Taller rider? Read the tall-rider guide →
On a budget? See the best cheap first bikes under $5,000 →
Want a cruiser? See the best beginner cruisers →
Want something sporty? See the best beginner sport bikes →
Want to go anywhere? See the best beginner adventure bikes →
Cross-shopping two A2-restrictable nakeds? MT-07 vs Z650 →
Naked or faired? Honda CB500F vs CBR500R →
Eyeing the MT-07 to restrict and grow? MT-07 vs MT-09 →
Two A2-restrictable value twins? SV650 vs MT-07 →
Starting on A1 first? See the best 125cc motorcycles →
Kawasaki twins head to head? Z650 vs Ninja 650 →
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