Can I ride a moped?

scbk

I would say book yourself on a CBT to see if you like 2 wheels. It costs about £100 and includes all the gear, though you usually have to take your own waterproofs

They will/should have a choice of automatic or manual scooters/motorbikes to use

Trebor16

Billy-no-Money wrote: »

You don't say what your scooter / bike budget is - if you can stretch to it, a recent one with anti-lock brakes (ABS) would be a good idea (in my opinion) - personally I think ABS is one of the best safety aids a two-wheeler can have (lock the front wheel and you're off, do the same in a car and you just skid).

While there are plenty of larger motorcycles with ABS, the numbers of scooters around the 125cc mark that have it as an option is miniscule.

On the subject of doing your CBT, if you can find a training scheme that works on a 2 to 1 training ratio throughout the CBT you will find that a lot better.

boyse7en

Echoing the opinions of others really - a 125cc is much better than a 50cc.
I used a Gilera Runner 125cc on a major A-road for a 10 mile each way commute without any problems. A decent 125 scooter will do 50-60mph (more on downhills) which means that you can keep up with traffic.

If you want to try and ride (if you've not done it before) why not book a free test ride at https://www.geton.co.uk and see if you like it before you commit to anything that costs money?

Flyboy152

Brallaqueen wrote: »

thank you both. Hoever on the direct gov site it mentions 30mph - so I can't go on an n A road?

The moped is physically limited to a sped of thirty miles per hour, it is not restricted to being used on roads with higher speeds than thirty miles per hour, so you can ride it on dual and single carriageways, A, B, and C roads. The only restriction is on motorways. However, unless the A road you are intending on using it on, is usually slow because of traffic, I wouldn't recommend using it on roads with speeds greater than fifty miles per hour.

Lizling

You can get a free lesson on a 125cc motorbike or scooter through this scheme: http://www.geton.co.uk.

Well worth doing before you pay out for a CBT because it'll give you the chance to check that you like it and get a small bit of practice in before your CBT.

And I agree about getting a 125 instead of 50cc

freakybacon

Are there cycle lanes on your route? 3 miles is easy enough to do by bicycle. If its a hilly area- how about one of the electrically assisted bikes? With a 15mph top speed they will see off your commute in 12 minutes.

squashy

Hi, sorry to dig up a month-old thread, but I want to share my experience with you!

I am a female in my early 30s and have tried driving lessons in about 3 batches of 7-8 and I just couldn't get on with it as for me there were too many controls to think about (plus I couldn't process reversing the car)- I didn't think I would ever get good enough at it to fully concentrate on the road so struggled to be confident. However, I used to confidently cycle about 2 miles to work on an A road and so I wondered how a moped/scooter would suit me.

My husband booked me onto the CBT as a surprise and I was a little nervous as I had not cycled for a couple of years and obviously not driven a car or ever rode a powered bike. But I was pleased when I got there to find it was just a group of three of us and one trainer and she spent loads of time first going over the theory, the workings of the bikes, the kit etc, then we got to go on them in the yard. The moped was so easy to use, simply accelerate and brakes, no gears or anything so I was able to just get on and go. We spent about 2 hours in the yard, gradually increasing our skills to include turning/indicating, riding slowly, emergency stops and manouvreing round cones. We were then fitted with a radio earpiece and set off for the roads. The test centre was on an industrial estate so there were loads of roundabouts etc to practice on and it was quietish as a saturday. I loved it out on the road and didn't want to get off the moped, even though it was just a little 50cc model!

I passed my certificate fine, you aren't tested as such they just watch you repeat simple moves and don't move on until you "get it". I found that because the scooter was easy to ride I was easily able to watch the road, anticipate junctions, check blind spots routinely, all of the things which makes for safe riding basically.

This was 2 weeks ago and I have just ordered myself a 110cc scooter from a bike shop and I can't wait to get on it. I will use it for a 3 mile commute there and back and I have already worked out a slightly different route avoiding a notorious roundabout- I usually go in the car as a pasenger so I am bending my husband's ear about all the road signs and right of way rules!

My advice is to go for it- get a bit of road cycling in if you can, definitely buy a highway code and study that here and there, but mostly just go ahead and book your CBT.

Horizon81

Billy-no-Money wrote: »

The only people who should ever consider riding a 50cc / 30mph moped are those who are aged 16, OR passed their car test before Feb 2001 and don't want to use L-plates.

As a full car driving licence holder who passed before Feb 2001, does that mean I can ride a 50cc moped for as long as I want with no L plates on? Or is it time limited and you still have to do a test at some point?

Gloomendoom

Horizon81 wrote: »

As a full car driving licence holder who passed before Feb 2001, does that mean I can ride a 50cc moped for as long as I want with no L plates on? Or is it time limited and you still have to do a test at some point?

You licence covers you for mopeds so you won't need L plates or a test... ever.

If your full car driving licence was issued before 1 Feb 2001 then you have a full Category P Entitlement (full moped licence). Accordingly, you can ride a moped without restrictions and without having to do a CBT. I recommend that you still complete the CBT for your own safety!

Source

Billy-no-Money

squashy wrote: »

Hi, sorry to dig up a month-old thread, but I want to share my experience with you!.....
.....My advice is to go for it- get a bit of road cycling in if you can, definitely buy a highway code and study that here and there, but mostly just go ahead and book your CBT.

I know this is an old thread but just wanted to say yours is a great post - I was going to ask why you're not planning to cycle the three miles though!

Personally I think the car test pays too much attention to parking and reversing, not enough to safe driving. Failing it doesn't necessarily mean you're not safe to be on the roads, it could just mean you need a very big space to park the car in!