120 cc motorcycle on a motorway: age and current rule

On motorways and roads covered by article 175, thermal motorcycles from 120 cc or electric motorcycles from 6 kW may circulate only when ridden by an adult; road classification and local restrictions still matter.

The derogation effective from December 2024

Law 177/2024 inserted paragraph 2-bis into article 175, effective from 14 December 2024. By way of derogation from the previous limit, motorcycles may use motorways, extra-urban main roads and other formally designated and signed roads if they have at least 120 cc for a combustion engine or at least 6 kW for an electric motor. The rider must be an adult.

The figure to check depends on the engine: for combustion motorcycles it is displacement, not power; for electric motorcycles it is power, since there is no displacement. For example, a 125 cc motorcycle exceeds the 120 cc threshold, but a 17-year-old cannot use this derogation. An electric model rated at 5.5 kW remains below the 6 kW threshold even if its apparent top speed is high.

Check the road, signs and other requirements

The threshold does not automatically make every ring road accessible. Article 175 applies to the road classes named in the law and to other sections formally designated and signed at their start and end; the road authority may also impose specific bans on a road or section. Check the route classification, signs and any local restrictions.

The derogation concerns access to the road; it does not replace licence, equipment, inspection or insurance requirements for the vehicle. Also confirm that the vehicle is a motorcycle rather than another vehicle category with different thresholds. Quiz Patente Ufficiale helps review common theory rules through quizzes, explanations and chapters, but it cannot assess a plate, vehicle or road classification for your route.

Quiz Patente Ufficiale helps review common rules through chapters, quizzes, explanations and error review; it does not check access to a specific road.