any advice on getting setup for a 50cc scooter please?

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hi

i have a provisional license as before Covid i was learning to drive, but for now i just want to get a reliable 50cc scooter just so i can get meds etc from doctors and pharmacy etc when needed for my family.

age around 40 so late starter as never needed a car or scooter.

i just need to know if i need a cbt and whats best brand of scooter to go for and do i need to be fitted for an helmet rather just buy one off the net?

thanks a ton for any help.
 
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If you don't already have a full car licence you'll need at least a CBT.

I'd advise getting a 2 stroke. 4 strokes are almost dangerously slow off the line pulling out of junctions and roundabouts in my experience.
 
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Do you have a car licence? If so, you'll be fine to get a little 50cc.

If you don't have a car licence, you'll need a CBT, in which case you may as well get a 125.

If you go for option 1, then get a two stroke and derestrict it. A four stroke 50cc, as mentioned above, is dangerously slow. A healthy 50cc 2 stroke twist'n'go will zip around traffic very well, however they'll top out at around 40-50mph so stay away from dual carriageways and whatnot (you're not allowed on most of them with a 50 anyway).

The most important thing about a 50cc twist'n'go is the transmission. They're very efficient at making sure that the engine is always at the peak of its powerband so you get the most performance out of it, however they do wear out over time (about 10k miles usually). To refresh them simply replace the rollers in the variator (these cost about a tenner, and are easily swapped) and it'll perform like new again. The amount of scooters I see riding around sounding as if they're fighting death is crazy, when a simple refresh will have them happy again.

Regardless of what anyone says, a little 50cc scooter is great fun. You can hop on and zip around without having to leather up as you'll never go fast enough to really hurt yourself, and they can be locked up and stored anywhere. Fling your helmet and locks and stuff under the saddle and you're all set. They also cost £lol in petrol to run.
 
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@Diddums check that, it depends when you passed your test - I passed in 2006 but I can only ride a 125cc on successful completion of a CBT, and with L plates.
 
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You'll need a CBT as said and try some helmets on at a shop and either buy there or look on the web for a slightly better price - Sportsbikeshop for example.

Having previously had four scooters I'd recommend getting a big name Japanese one (Yamaha Nmax and the Honda PCX are decent) - both are 125cc. The Nmax I had was well put together and gave no problems at all.

Apart from a helmet that fits properly, some boots, gloves and weather proof gear with some protection is worthwhile. My first lot of gear was all made by Weiss and it all worked very well for the cost. Try a jacket with a big fleece on underneath as you don't want to be too restricted in movement.

As also mentioned, if you have leave the scooter in plain sight stick some locks on it and maybe put a cover on it too.
 
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ok guys i wasnt expecting all this advice thanks so much i will zip through :)

i dont have a driving licence for a car, so i will mostly need to get this CBT then, when lockdowns ended anyway. I know everyone mostly says go for 125cc, but im not sure i will feel safe on a 125cc straight i dont know!
twist and go ! and then someone said Geared ?

i thought they was all twist and go, so i see the twist and go means you have to hold the handle in a position to stay at the exact speed? sorry total noob on these
 
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ok guys i wasnt expecting all this advice thanks so much i will zip through :)

i dont have a driving licence for a car, so i will mostly need to get this CBT then, when lockdowns ended anyway. I know everyone mostly says go for 125cc, but im not sure i will feel safe on a 125cc straight i dont know!
twist and go ! and then someone said Geared ?

i thought they was all twist and go, so i see the twist and go means you have to hold the handle in a position to stay at the exact speed? sorry total noob on these

That's a scooter, so basically no gears, you adjust your speed with twisting the throttle.

A geared bike works on the same premise as a manual car, - shifting through gears as you build up speed.

I had a 50cc scooter when I was 16, was great for getting to and from school/college. But my god was it slow, it topped out at 40, which was fine for residential roads. But I had a number of NSL roads between school and my house and only doing 40 in a 60 got a bit dangerous at time.
 
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That's a scooter, so basically no gears, you adjust your speed with twisting the throttle.

A geared bike works on the same premise as a manual car, - shifting through gears as you build up speed.

I had a 50cc scooter when I was 16, was great for getting to and from school/college. But my god was it slow, it topped out at 40, which was fine for residential roads. But I had a number of NSL roads between school and my house and only doing 40 in a 60 got a bit dangerous at time.

thanks.
i hear a lot of people saying the slower the worse with traffic, which i guess can be scary when a large lorry over taking you. im kinda stuck on what to do lol
 
Soldato
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Electric bike, zero legal stuff to worry about, no CBT, insurance, MOT etc. If you're only thinking about a few miles around town I'd stick with an electric bike.
 
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Electric bike, zero legal stuff to worry about, no CBT, insurance, MOT etc. If you're only thinking about a few miles around town I'd stick with an electric bike.

Just to clarify, @clv101 is referring to an electric bicycle here, not an electric motorcycle.


Do your CBT, then get a 125. For convenience you'll want a scooter as they have better weather protection, built in storage, USB chargers and all manner of other little things which makes them a lot more convenient than an actual geared bike.
 
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If it's to get meds and whatnot have you considered using a delivery service like Lloyds Echo? Mrs and I recently moved over to that instead of the usual ballache of getting a px -> go to pharmacy -> repeat and using Echo is so much simpler! It's just free royal mail delivery and you request the meds through their website.
As others said though, if you want the freedom of transport also just get a CBT and 125 scooter, be aware that it only lasts for a certain amount of time (12 or 24 months iirc) so you may need to redo it unless you take your full bike test in that time!
 
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If it's to get meds and whatnot have you considered using a delivery service like Lloyds Echo? Mrs and I recently moved over to that instead of the usual ballache of getting a px -> go to pharmacy -> repeat and using Echo is so much simpler! It's just free royal mail delivery and you request the meds through their website.
As others said though, if you want the freedom of transport also just get a CBT and 125 scooter, be aware that it only lasts for a certain amount of time (12 or 24 months iirc) so you may need to redo it unless you take your full bike test in that time!

thanks very much for the helpful info and i will consider everything, and now i have more things to think of which is great with be so many options. and yeah i think CBT and 125cc is the better and safer option everyones said if i go the scooter route.

the scooters at 125cc i still scooters right and not actual bikes? as ive seen some people on tube taking tests and they are on bikes and not scooters?

just on the off chance what are good brands to look at for the Ebikes, just incase later i want to get one for my kids. as theres so many out there
 
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thanks very much for the helpful info and i will consider everything, and now i have more things to think of which is great with be so many options. and yeah i think CBT and 125cc is the better and safer option everyones said if i go the scooter route.

the scooters at 125cc i still scooters right and not actual bikes? as ive seen some people on tube taking tests and they are on bikes and not scooters?

From what i understand yeah you can get 125cc twist and go scooters, also vespa style scooters that have gears you change using a twist grip on the handlebars rather than using your left foot. I'd think you can request a non-geared scooter for your cbt if preferred, or be taught how to use gears if that's your preference.
 
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Just to echo the Lloyds online suggestion, we've found Pharmacy2u to be amazing for medication to your door for various people in our family.

I would also look at ebikes (not e micro scooters) if it's just local trips etc. No license or CBT needed and as easy as riding a bike.

If you're going the petrol moped route, decent gloves, boots, lid and jacket. It's your skin, don't be tempted to cheap out "cos it's only a scooter"... that's what 17 year olds do! And a good lock.
 
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As above, you can get 125's in different types of bike:

Twist and go scooter with no gears
Semi-auto motorbikes such as the Honda Cub which has gears but no clutch
Manual motorbike with a clutch and gears

The difference between a 50cc and 125cc would be quite a lot. So the one day CBT course is worth it to get onto a 125 (a CBT certificate only lasts two years and has to be retaken unless you pass a full test in that time). The CBT can be taken on either an automatic scooter or a geared motorbike. It doesn't affect what you can ride afterwards.

I went with a fully geared 125 (Yamaha YBR) and also took my CBT on a geared 125 because I aim to progress to a full license. I could have taken the CBT on a scooter and still aimed for a full license btu I wanted to instructire to teach me how to use the gears. If all you want is some transport and are OK with displaying L plates then you won't need to take a full license and can stick with two yearly CBT's. Or you could look at an e-bike instead.

EDIT: Also as mentioned above, allow some money for protective gear. Despite only having a relatively slow 125 I always ride with a helmet (legal requirement), gloves, armoured jacket, armoured jeans and motorcycle boots. Only the helmet is a legal requirement but I value my skin.
 
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Don’t get a 50cc as others have said a 125cc will be much more useful and be able to keep up with the majority of traffic on most roads. But do your cbt on a geared 125.
I had Aprillia Sr125 two stroke scooter when I was 17 back in 2003 then got a RS125 and passed my test in 2006. Ride bikes year round apart from snow days or stupidly rainy days.
 
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