Moped/motorbike for 18 year old

k4kate

Hi all, I'm hoping you guys can give me a bit of advice on an area I know very little about

My son is back from Uni (didn't quite work out) and now has a full time job (very lucky) working shifts but he plans to go back to Uni next September (this will become relevant later).

The job is 7 miles away and the bus service is a rather limited meaning that when he is on early's he can't get in early enough and when he is on lates we have to give him a lift home. Hubby and I both work so this is obviously becoming a little tiring.

We were wondering about helping him buy a moped or motorbike but having looked at the rules and regs it seems a little bit confusing. DS is 18 and has a provisional driving licence - he hasn't had any driving lessons as he was planning on learning to drive when he finished Uni and could afford to run a car. I believe that he can drive either a 50 cc moped or motorcycle up to 125cc on a provisional licence as long as he takes CBT and a theory test? Is that correct?

I'm guessing that a moped would be cheaper to run and insure but given that they are limited to 50kph I'm thinking that his journey to work might be a bit hairy - 50, 40 and 30 mph roads. Although this in itself is confusing as there seem to be a lot of 50cc mopeds for sale that can go much faster than 33mph. Would he be better of going for a 125cc given the circumstances?

Thanks!

davetrousers

Short answer 125

Peelerfart

CBT and then choose a 125cc machine IMHO.

Stay away from all the cheap chinese bkes and get the best your budget will allow
from Honda,Yamaha,Suzuki or Kawasaki.

Don't but him a moped as,

A)they aren't fast enough
you're son will never forgive you as all his mates will rip him to bits.

PF

Padz_2

Honda CBF125
or Yamaha YBR 125

Not cool but very reliable. Great MPG.

Trebor16

As he has the provisional licence then all he needs to do is to complete the CBT. There is no requirement to complete a theory test unless he is planning to take his practical motorcycle test at some stage.

Go for a 125. Mopeds are restricted to 30mph and are dangerous on open roads.

A good 125 would be a Honda CG125. They are cheap to run, very simple to maintain and there are plenty about. They are also reliable. Many training schemes use them as they take a lot of stick without breaking down.

When it comes to the CBT then find a school who will do it properly. For the off road element of CBT a training body can put four trainees with one instructor but when it comes to the on road element that ratio goes down to 2:1. If you can find a training body that will do 2:1 off road then your son will get a better quality of training with more attention from the instructor.

Also ask what the training scheme policy is with regards to finishing the CBT if he is unable to complete on the first day. Most people will finish in one day but if more time is needed then ask if the school charge for the additional training and hire of the bike.

Remind him he will need to take both the photocard licence and the paper counterpart with him on the day otherwise he could be turned away.

Make sure he can read a number plate at 20.5 metres as he will be tested for that before the CBT starts.

Is he up to date on the highway code?

Finally, its training and not a test. If the CBT is done properly he should start to enjoy it and should have a broad grin on his face at the end of the day

Billy-no-Money

+1 for a 125.

For simplicity a 125 twist-and-go scooter is the easiest way to get mobile - but an 18-year-old lad needs a 'proper' bike and the Honda CBF125 (or CG125 if looking at something older) and Yamaha YBR125 are the best bets.

Don't get tempted into something more flash - e.g. a sporty-looking 125. It'll cost more to insure and won't go any faster.

I'd spend about £1000 - £1500 to get something in good condition that's OK for commuting - budget another £200 - £300 for a basic helmet, gloves, boots, jacket and trousers.

And if it snows - give him a lift.

A distance of 7 miles is also OK for cycling (I do 10 each way) depending on the terrain and roads; though a 50-limit road can be an unpleasant place to be, but there might be alternatives. But if I were 18 and had never had motorised transport I'd be wanting the motorbike and glad I'd got parents who let me have one!

victor2

Good recommendations here for getting him mobile, especially the advice not to let him go out in snow. Two wheels just don't stay upright for long on ice.

Another thing to consider once he's sorted with a bike is car driving lessons. Even if he can't afford to run a car, get the lessons and theory test done once he has the basic road knowledge from riding a bike. Makes it a lot easier to learn to drive a car. Then get him to take the car test. Sure, the lessons are expensive and you may have to help him out, but they won't get any cheaper. Once he gets a car licence, he doesn't have to drive, just holding the licence and not having any accidents will help reduce insurance when he does want to get a car. All he'll need is a few refresher lessons to get familiar with a car again and no pressure about passing the test.

King_Nothing

Billy-no-Money wrote: »

Don't get tempted into something more flash - e.g. a sporty-looking 125. It'll cost more to insure and won't go any faster.

Not true about the speed, but I'll agree about not getting one due to cost, costs more to buy and insure, coming from someone who has one.

SailorSam

When i was 16 and passed my motorbike test i got a Yamaha 125 (was that really 40yrs ago), but come the winter i got a Fools and Horses 3 wheeler which you could drive with the bike licence (do they still make them), but i think driving that helped me get my car licence the following year.

Padz_2

I used to ride my 125 in the snow!

forgotmyname

I had a de-restricted 50cc gilera runner, 56mph was top speed.


I am an old fart though, Shop said if i was a 16 year old they wouldnt have de-restricted it.


You can get more but at the expense of reliability, I just had the restrictors removed.


Make sure he gets a proper helmet not a cheapo one and NOT 2nd hand. A quality jacket with
a spinal board/protector.
Too many blind motorists out there. And he will be a high risk not having the experience.