Scooters (twisties) v geared bikes

When doing a CBT you can do it on a geared or automatic bike (commonly known as a scooter or 'twistie') - which is better?

First the definitions to understand what the legal difference is between the types of bikes.

Moped

- The engine cannot be more than 50cc.
- The bike does not weigh more than 250kg
- It is not capable of more than 50kph - which is just over 30mph
- It can be manual or automatic
- If it was built before August 1977 it must be able to moved by pedals

Scoooter

There is no clear definition of the 'scooter' (unlike the Moped, which is clearly defined). However its defining features can be roughly be descriped as:

- It has two wheels (though there are three wheeled scooters) which are generally between 8 and 14inches in diameter - which is smaller than a motorbike wheel
- They have a step through frame i.e. you don't sit astride it as on a standard motorbike
- The engine tends to be low down and near the rear wheel, unlike a motorbike whose engine is in the centre
- There is no limitation on top speed or engine size (there are some "Super scooters" which can have 500+cc engines such as the Suzuki Burgman)
- They are automatic with what is effectively one gear so don't have a clutch (though there are some Vespa scooters that have clutch and gears and these are technically considered manual motorbikes)

Geared motorbikes

The simple definition of these are that they have a clutch on the handle bars and gears.

Motorbike gears are controlled using the riders left foot and the clutch is controlled by the left hand (in the majority of modern motorbikes). The gears on a stardard 5 speed bike are in a 1 - neutral - 2 - 3 - 4 -5 format.

The easiest way to visualise this is by putting your left hand in front of your face (with the back of your hand toward your face) with the thumb pointing down and spread your fingers. Then the gap between your thumb and first finger is neutral, your thumb is first, your first finger is second gear, middle finger is third and so on, by doing this you can see that you have to go through neutral to get from first to second and it helps understand how to find neutral.

This means to pull away, you need to put the bike in first gear by pushing down on the gear lever. To change into second, hook your foot under the gear lever head and push the gear lever up past neutral and into second. If the bike is in neutral, there is normally a green light on the speedometer that will be illuminated.

 

So which should I do my CBT on?

This is a personal choice really but it can be determined by the question:

What do you want to take your CBT test for?

If the answer to that is just to be able to ride a scooter and you have no intention of progressing to obtain your full motorbike licence then a scooter is probably sufficient and is easier to ride, since there are less controls. A scooter is far more nimble than a motorbike in traffic and around towns. They are cheaper to buy and run and ideal for shorter distance commuting as they generally offer more protection from the elements than a standard unfaired motorbike. However you cannot ride a geared motorbike if you take your CBT on an automatic as your license will be restricted.

If however you want to ride bigger bikes and take your Direct Access or A/A1 test, then you should do your CBT on a geared bike as you cannot progress to do a full motorbike test without passing a CBT on a geared motorbike.

But what ever way you do it you should not exceed your limitations. Don't think that because you can ride a scooter you can automatically ride an R1. Good road skills and experience are life savers. Car drivers who are not motorcyclists do not think about motorcyclists. So the once you have passed your CBT it is worth sticking with the scooter (whether geared or not) for a good few months to put the skills you learnt on your CBT into practice and learn good road sense. Once you have good motorbike road sense then think about progressing to larger, quicker motorbikes.

Direct Access age laws to change

 

Cheap scooters to learn to ride on

If you are looking to buy a scooter to practice on or to ride on when you have passed your CBT, then Rock scooters start at only £799 for a 50cc and £899 for a 125cc . For £799 you get a great deal, not only do you get the 50cc Rock XT-50 is the 4th best selling Moped in the UK you also get:

- VAT included so £799 is what you pay
- Road tax
- and DVLA registration fees
- free delivery or a free Takachi helmet worth £45

and you can't get much better value money than that

If you are looking for something that rides like a full sized motorbike then Rock also sell enduro motorbikes from £899 which go up to 200cc.

For a first bike you will not find better value than that for a brand new scooter or motorbike.

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