I'm thinking about getting either getting a scooter or a motorbike for my journey into work. A scooter would save me £80 pound a month with no station parking charges, A bike would save me just under £300, obviously less the relevant costs.
I dont think my license covers any kind of bike, so i think i need to do an introductory course followed by the full license, i definatly wouldn't feel confident riding from watford to london everyday without full training.
Anyhow my question is does anybody know of decent schools in the watford area that can at least get me started. Tried looking on the internet but couldn't seem to find any.
Thanks
Tony
|
|
Your car licence should cover you to ride a m-bike/scooter up to 50cc on L plates, providing you've first completed CBT (compulsary bike training) Most, if not all m-bike shops should be able to point you in the right direction for CBT places.
|
IIRC, if you passed your car test before 1/1/2001 you can ride a moped (30 mph restricted) without CBT.
Otherwise it's up to 125cc, with CBT.
IMHO restricted mopeds are suicidal on UK roads.
|
Agreed Brian - especially in city areas.
The CBT is almost in effect a cycling (except on motorbike of course!) proficiency test.
Personally if you can afford it I'd get at least a 100cc bike and if you can, your licence and a bigger one. As I am looking to return to London soon I am looking into getting back into biking but from when I lived in London before, I have seen way too many moped riders in horrific accidents.
Your life is worth more than the money it'll cost you first time round. Once you've got that licence and bike you can save money afterwards!
Out of interest, you ride into London frequently don't you Brian? What bike do you use? I'd probably get myself something that doesn't attract attention but does the job - prob a Honda CB250 but what else would you recommend?
|
|
Booked in for my CBT on saturday, thanks, found a place via lloyds of watford, had my license for about 10 years but i want to do all the training i can, saving £300-costs is all well and good but not when you end up in some accident on the way into the city. Even that it might not have been your fault is little consolation.
|
|
|
DANJ,
I did a long reply, but lost it on time-out. DAMN, DAMN, DAMN!!
Will try again later.
I do use a Honda 250 CDU.
|
No worries Brian though if you do get the time would appreciate your comments! You can always send them to daniel_r_jeffery@hotmail.com (note odd surname spelling) so even if the backroom stuffs up I get it.
I was a "funky moped rider" at 16 and loved every minute of it though lived in a very quiet area. Going anywhere busy was extremely hairy given the bike's inability to keep up with traffic speed and acceleration-wise.
Going back to London a bike would be very tempting, even if I wasn't using it every day for transport. Had a look at the Honda website and the 500 "traditional" bike looks very nice as well!
Better think about getting my full licence. Seems much more sensible now that you *have* to take your test on a big bike instead of a daft little 125. Never forget the story of the yuppie who'd brought a brand new hugely overpowered Kawasaki. First thing he did after passing his test was wheelie out of the test centre and crash the bike into a wall! Could be an urban myth I suppose :)
|
|
My mother used to work for an insurance brokers specialising in bikes and it wasn't unusual for the guys to come in and arrange the insurance in the morning and come back for a claim form in the afternoon.
|
|
|
|
Dan
Quick recap of what I was trying to post:
Mopeds are dangerous outside towns, maybe even more so. Limited to 30, soon to be 27, you are being constatly overtaken by traffic going at up to 70.
I've had 3 CD250U's. They suit my stature and weight (5'8" and 11 stone). Manoeuverability in traffic good. Reliability excellent, 80k out of 1st one, no on-road breakdowns apart from punctures. 60k on present: ditto. Economical: 90 mpg, 4 litres per day for 80 miles. Cheap to buy, my 3 cost £1500, £950 and £250. Cheap to insure (<£100 p.a.)
Faults: tyres could be wider, front brake collects salt in winter; rear sprocket comes loose; chain uncased and wears fast and can't be upgraded to a heavier one as insufficient clearance.
Performance a little sluggish.
I also have a Honda Pantheon scooter (125) which performs almost as well.
For shorter distances (say 20 miles each way) my wife's Honda Bali 100 is adequate.
Can't comment on other bikes as I've stuck to and been happy with the 250's for the last 8 or 9 years.
HTH : apply for further details.
|
|
|
|
|
Try www.camrider.com/
It\'s not really your area but there may be a suitable link.
Good luck!
Don\'t use angle brackets when you post a link, just the *full* URL. I fixed your link. Mark.
|
|
|
