Moped question

[aliportico]

Mostly aimed at Getorf but if anyone else has experience, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Dd1 will be 16 in November. She has been getting herself around town, to school/activities/friends, for 3 years now by bicycle. She's been talking about getting a moped when she turns 16 - so she has a decent amount of road sense, but obviously a moped will be different.

I don't really have an idea of how different though - how much more dangerous could it be? My immediate instinct is yikes but is it that bad? Is there a training course she can do?

There are training courses for new riders which are available from any motorcycle training school. a training course called CBT (Compulsory Basic Testing) MUST be taken before a rider is allowed on the road, this is a legal requirement in additional to a provisional licence. This course (CBT) is very basic and only allows the rider on the road but additional training is needed as the moped and bike tests are more complex than a car test and include and obstacle course test, a braking test from speed as well as a road test. A moped licence will only cover a bike up to 49cc and an additional 2 further driving tests along with restricted period will be required if the rider wishes to ride a bigger bikes.

some links

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

www.direct.gov.uk/en/motoring/learnerandnewdrivers/practicaltest/dg_178483

www.direct.gov.uk/en/motoring/learnerandnewdrivers/practicaltest/dg_178483

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

Brilliant, thanks. I just keep finding scary statistics, which isn't helping!

It has been a really good thing for my dd.

She got her moped for her 16th birthday (in reality she got it a few months before that), and passed her cbt a few days after.

Prior to that though her dad took her out for lessons on private land - so she was comfortable on the moped before she had her test. XP has a motorbike himself so that was helpful. If you have nobody in your family who knows about bikes I am sure you could book lessons at the same placce which does the cbt. Just google cbt and your town.

I did get very nervous about it but dd rides very well. The bike is limied to 30mph anyway. Also, a lot of kids round here have mopeds, I think they are perfect for large towns and small cities. I wouldn't let dd have one if it was going to be ridden on country lanes.

You can but brand new mopeds for about 600 quid on the internet but dd got a second hand one, it is. Few years old and cost a grand. Its probably best to spend as much as you can.

Dd loves it and plans to get a 125 (bigger bike) when she is 17.

She has fallen off - she skidded in the rain around a roundabout. She was a bit shaken but carried on riding and hasn't fallen off since. She does have very good road sense from riding her pushbike on the city roads in her teens.

I think it is a great idea - has given her a lot of independence, and running costs are minimal.

Avoid any Chinese or Italian made mopeds as they tend to be short lived and rubbish, good clothing is essential and although naff a luminous jacket/bib will be needed as will suitable footwear, a quality helmet and gloves, as already mentioned extra care is needed when travelling around roundabouts as you can get a lot of diesel spills at roundabouts which are nasty if the ground is wet, its a case of using your nose to smell it out before you reach it. Your daughter will certainly gain a lot on independence and roadskill/craft which will help her when she eventually decides to get a bigger bike or car, I started on a moped many years ago and although I do drive a car I still have 3 motorcycles which i use most times of the year including touring and the odd track day.

Yes forgot to say about the bike gear - she will need to have a good jacket (they do some nice ones on ebay, not leather but definite biker jacket material), a decent helmet and gloves, and I always insist that dd wears a high vis bib thing over her jacket (she moans about it but it is essential in teh winter months imo).

DD is very, very cagey at roundabouts now.

Lots of my friends and family were horrified that I let her have a bike, and continued to let her ride it after she fell off, so be prepared for a lot of opposition.

She will have to do CBT, I did mine in a day. After that she can ride with 'L' plates for two years.

Oh and I would apply for her driving licence now - dd's took ages to come through (you can apply when she is 15, it just won't be valid until her birthday).

The place where dd did her CBT you can have lessons, and they also provide the bikes, so she can have a go on a bike before you fork out for one.