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Getting a moped to travel to work?

Sounds crazy to me, but currently I live near a city, I know you can't go on motorways and such but I can travel through the towns which is almost as quick not counting delays.

Would help me if I went for a job and it was a midnight finish and no public transport.

Is it a good or bad idea?

Comments

  • patman99
    patman99 Posts: 8,532 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Photogenic
    Depends on the type of license you possess.

    If you have a provisional, then you are limited to a moped (or, if you fancy keeping dry, a 3-wheeled beast called an 'Ape').

    If you have a full D/L without motorcycle entitlement, then you can also ride a bike such as the Piaggio MP3/450 or Can-Am Spyder as these are classed as trikes (they are, by design, very stable).
    Never Knowingly Understood.

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  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I had one for quite a few years. Then another one. They are handy - easy to park, cheap to run .... but you do have to be more careful these days as drivers are faster and less attentive and less courteous in general.

    I'd get another one now, except I'm veering towards an electric bike being cheaper to run for the journeys I expect to make.

    I did once see a great 3-wheeler moped .... two wheels at the rear enclosed in a slight "bulged" back end, similar in size to an old Vespa scooter... the wheels were probably 10" apart. That seemed a neat idea as it'd be stable in icy weather.
  • mum2one
    mum2one Posts: 16,279 Forumite
    Xmas Saver!
    I had a variety of mopeds from 16 to 25, the bulk of that I was about 4 miles from work, early starts late finishes, it was a god send, from 18 I also run a car, but 90% of work travel was the moped.

    I only got rid of it as I got a job at a supermarket - free car parking, so gradually the car took over.

    It sounds daft if I needed to nip into town or pop to the bank, the moped came everywhere.

    I had 4 over the time, the one I ended up with was the large wheel, it was more sturdier than the small wheel.

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    xx rip dad... we had our ups and downs but we’re always be family xx
  • dekaspace
    dekaspace Posts: 5,705 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    Well the city is 14 miles away but theres so many little towns along the way I don't have to go that far, and right now public transport goes crazy routes, to one town which is 8 miles away takes a hour to get there as it goes between many big towns and through estates.

    Also would be good if I went back to college as if I slept in I can pop on that rather than wait for a bus (which goes busy route to town and I can go back streets with it)

    Other reasons for it was like if I was bored late at night and wanted to go to 24 hour supermarket or even get a takeaway (rather than the £2 delivery costs for a mile away)
  • HappyMJ
    HappyMJ Posts: 21,115 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    dekaspace wrote: »
    Sounds crazy to me, but currently I live near a city, I know you can't go on motorways and such but I can travel through the towns which is almost as quick not counting delays.

    Would help me if I went for a job and it was a midnight finish and no public transport.

    Is it a good or bad idea?

    That depends if you want a job finishing at midnight.

    Personally I don't want to be working that late and having to avoid drunk people walking around the streets so I look for work that fits around public transport.
    :footie:
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  • kingfisherblue
    kingfisherblue Posts: 9,203 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Xmas Saver!
    My son has a moped, for when he starts his engineering course in September. Although the college is only six miles away, it's in a different town and public transport to get there is a nightmare. With his moped, he'll be there in half an hour. Even taking the initial cost of the moped, the insurance, licence, CBT, and fuel, it works out cheaper than public transport over the two years he is there.

    He'd like a car as well, but is only 16 and not only can't drive one yet, he also can't afford one.
  • dekaspace
    dekaspace Posts: 5,705 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    HappyMJ wrote: »
    That depends if you want a job finishing at midnight.

    Personally I don't want to be working that late and having to avoid drunk people walking around the streets so I look for work that fits around public transport.

    9-5 or there abouts is best but I dont mind a early start of like 6am sometime or finish like 8pm but if I had own transport I can be flexible.
  • Sam_Fallow
    Sam_Fallow Posts: 923 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    If you do decide to go with the moped idea, don't even consider a Chinese one. Having dealt with these and had a close look at them, I can't believe how badly made they are underneath the shiny panels. Just avoid them.

    Much better off going for a decent Japanese second hand model.
    I don't like morning people. Or mornings. Or people.
  • daytona0
    daytona0 Posts: 2,358 Forumite
    edited 8 June 2016 at 7:10PM
    If it helps I have a chicken chaser, 125cc, and it cost about 2k brand new (you could get a much cheaper one, especially a tat one). It has lasted about 10k kilometres without many issues, and even now it runs fine except for the odd problem.

    Costs are great! You're looking at:

    ~ £100 for yearly insurance (third party only is cheaper)

    £17 for the tax?

    £5-£10 on petrol per week

    ~ £200 every 2 years to get a CBT certificate (1 day "course")

    It is relatively easy to park too, depending on your council they don't normally mind you parking on pathways as long as you are completely out of the way.

    Also, you can filter through traffic which is handy! I wait in traffic most of the time, but it is handy to have that available.

    Cons are:

    - Your bike will get nicked if you're not careful. Mine was stolen twice, one from the front drive (locked up) and one from outside a shop (semi locked up). I was lucky to get it back in working order, they tend to be torched or dumped in a lake/river. I think I was lucky in that the bike is decent-looking so they wanted to "show it off" or keep it.

    - Older ones will experience quite a few problems, all niggly. The average repair costs only about £50-£100 though which is great :) I would recommend buying one which is mainstream, so parts are easily replaced.

    - They are a bit dangerous. You'll find that cars will overtake you for no reason and do so at dangerously high speeds in pedestrian areas. Other motorbikes may undertake you, lorries may clip your back end. You have to be really sensible on a bike otherwise you'll wipe out.

    - You can't give people a ride. I've also found a hint of snobbery from some people who own cars and look down on you for driving a chicken chaser.

    - Weather. WEATHER. That 15 mile trip you talk about is a bit of a ballache when you have to do it on a cold winters day, where your extremities are frozen solid, your whole face is numb and you have to concentrate on avoiding ice on the road! :D

    P.S. Don't buy a 75cc!!
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