OK, OK, I know….! 😉

A possible change of circs may mean that a scooter becomes the commute vehicle of choice. Early days, but pondering the idea. So, STW – Tell me the following;
What do I need to do to get on one? (Full car licence, etc)
What should I buy? (Looking for something bargainous but safe, sound etc)
Are there any that don’t make you look like a male chicken?
Running costs, real world experiences etc?
What else do I need to buy? Beyond a helmet, obviously!

Do your best/worst (as applicable!)

Thanks.

You want one of these, Kevin wishes he had never sold his

Personally I’d get a proper bike, they have more road presence and the acceleration can be handy for getting out of trouble or away from idiots in cars.

What else do I need to buy? Beyond a helmet, obviously!

Lots and lots of chrome mirrors.
Lots and lots of lights
A NATO parka
An RAF roundel
A pair of nice suede Hush Puppies
A Wiggo suit & tie and a pork pie hat.

Somewhere to store your self esteem. 😀

No need/want for a proper bike, flaps. I know the arguments there. Just looking for super cheap, easy, low involvement transport. Scooters seem the best option to handle what I need. (And besides, I know that if I started with a proper bike, it would all escalate and before you know it I’d have some loony tunes r1200 GS or something!)

Domino’s Pizza Delivery Driver Cap’n? 😉

😆

STW never fails to deliver! 🙂

Seriously, you want Mr Poddy cos he knows about them. 🙂

HTH

You should take a look at EVT electric scooter’s too. No road tax no license. Limited to about 20 miles a charge though.

How about this for being a bit different:

Apparently you get the scooter thrown in for free 😉

I’d get a CBT under my belt and then you have access to a 125cc scooter that will let you get up to 50-60mph easily. A 50cc scooter will be like riding a childs bike.

mcn 5 great scooters

torygraph article on scooters and 125s

You moving to HK to corner the Asian paperclip market flashy?

How you think you’ll look….

How you’ll actually look…..

What distance are you looking at?

You need to do a CBT (takes a few hours, cost about a £100), this will license you to ride up to 50cc with L plates. Remains valid for 2 years unless you do your full test.

Lid (legal requirement unless you wear a turban), waterproof jacket and pants with armour, don’t need full motorbike boots but something solid with ankle protection. Decent gloves. Hi-vis also helps. Don’t be a ninja and dress head to toe in black.

Would suggest doing your CBT on 125cc instead and get a bike, my first was a Honda CG, bulletproof bike and great to learn on.

I saw oodles of those three wheeled jobbies in Germany. I’d definitely be getting myself one of those. Especially for wet roads. You can’t be dropping paper samples in the wet. 😯

Does look quite nifty (the three wheel thing). Apparently you can lock and unlock the tilt thing, so can have it upright to park / go slow (never put a foot down at junctions) and then unlock it for bends. Plus less likely to wipe out on Diesel spills etc.

http://www.bikeexpert.co.uk/vespa-piaggio/mp3/advice/three-wheel-oddball-great-fun-to-ride/

Thanks, labsey. Useful stuff.

Those three wheel things look damned clever. Will research more!

got this around a year ago , 2005 px125 disc with electric start , can honestly say it the best thing , should have got 1 years ago , i use it on dry days for work trips 20 mile round trip , it does struggle on the hills , stick it in third and full throttle and will do just about 50 ish flat out but in windy conditions it gets interesting , i drive it with a cbt and a full car licence , think i got a bargain at £1000 dont see many around that price , let me know if you need anymore info cheers

If you get am mp3…

Giz a go
Giz a go
Giz a go
Giz a go
Giz a go
Giz a go
Giz a go
Giz a go

😯

They corner as well:

If you want a sensible answer, email me. I’ve been using scooters to commute on for years now. In a nutshell, stick to Italian made ones. They’re the best b

They corner as well:

Nice! Are they any good as a 125? Or woefully wheezy? Am thinking a 125 on a CBT looks the right approach here.

Distance – Just too far for an easy bike trip, sadly, but no desire to be on public transport! 😉

They’re pretty nippy: 125, 250 and now 500cc versions!

“The twin front wheels married to electro-hydraulic suspension give exceptional roadholding and beg the rider to corner fast. With twice as much rubber gripping the road at the front, it’s virtually impossible to slide the front end, let alone lose it! Emergency stopping distances are also 20 per cent better than on two wheels.

But if 250ccs still aren’t enough, Piaggio’s sister brand Gilera launched the Fuoco 500 IE at the 2007 Milan show.

It’s a whacky-looking MP3-style scooter with a whopping 500cc engine. It works exactly like the MP3, with a hand-brake lever at the front and a toggle-switch that locks and unlocks the suspension.”

Ok, it’s the only 125cc I want – looks a scream:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN0FWm_EE1o&feature=related[/video]

If you’re over a certain age your car licence allows you to ride a 50cc without L plates, without the CBT, and with a pillion.

How about something with a roof?

Put BMW C1 into the search engine of your choice…

Don’t think that’s the case anymore. I could be wrong but check this out from the direct.gov website…

When CBT is not needed
You don’t have to take CBT if you have a:
full moped licence from passing a full moped test after 1 December 1990
full motorcycle licence for one category and want to upgrade to another

You will also be free from taking CBT if you live and ride on specified offshore islands. However, if you ride across to mainland UK you will need to complete a CBT course.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/LearnerAndNewDrivers/RidingMotorcyclesAndMopeds/DG_4022430

That direct.gov page and one of the links from it would support what I said.

In the ‘If you have a car licence’ section on that page and the same section one of the linked pages – information for moped riders.

I’ve got a Vespa gt250 for riding round That Town. Bought it from the Vespa dealer just off the Farringdon Rd, It’s an 07 and done 5k, best thing ever for getting about on, beats the fixie on most days and I get MrsBouy on the back too.
I’ve also got a PX125 but that stays in Florance, you really can’t beat a scooter.
Done short and long distances on both, around town only then you’ll be happy with a 125, longer and the 250 is much nicer and smoother and way quicker.
I’ve got a windshield and leg covers, it’s all you really need.

And a pair of wayfarers obviously.

Those three wheels things are expensive and costly to service, popular though.

Flashy, whatever you get, make sure you leave strava on. 😈

The Piaggio LT400 can apparently be ridden on a car license in the UK (wheels are far enough apart to count as a 3 wheel car)
Presumably no need for a helmet either.

Kenny Senior – Member
That direct.gov page and one of the links from it would support what I said.

In the ‘If you have a car licence’ section on that page and the same section one of the linked pages – information for moped riders.

Right you are sir. Hadn’t read that far. Would still recommend doing a CBT even if you don’t need to. Really good introduction to riding.

No doubt.