Can't drive a car but desperate to get on a scooter

Londonleo · L Plate Warrior Joined: 21 Mar 2011 Karma :

I've decided that my horrible rush-hour commute in London is not worth the stress and am taking the plunge to get a CBT and a scooter (Piaggio Liberty 125 I hope!). I'm very excited about it but the thing is, I can't drive a car and don't have a bicycle.

Do people think I will need extra training to get good enough to ride the scooter on London's roads? Should I just practice lots before riding to work? And will I be less likely to pass my CBT as I'm a non-driver?

Any tips appreciated!

B · Scooby Slapper Joined: 09 Jan 2011 Karma :

What I think, if you have a bicycle then you should be fine with balancing on a scooter.
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Willson · Traffic Copper Joined: 26 Jun 2010 Karma :

A CBT is training, not a test as such.

It will teach you how to control a motorcycle/scooter and will teach you the square root of fuck all about the roads.

As you plan to commute through London I would be tempted to get trained and a license first. Or take to a push bike.

Last year I was doing London to Birmingham city centre and had a few close calls as a learner. The training makes ALL of the difference.

But that's just my view Smile

HTH

Willson
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Paivi · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Sep 2005 Karma :

During the CBT, you'll only spend a couple of hours on the roads, which isn't enough for a rush hour commute. So, why not take the bike out at night or on a quiet Sunday afternoon to work out the route and check out any issues you need to deal with, such as potholes, poor road surface, diesel patches or metal manhole covers (both lethal when wet), so you know where to expect them when you ride 'blind' (as in, you're following too closely behind a car to see them early enough to avoid them).

Liberty is a great bike for London's crappy road surfaces due to its big wheels.
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Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

CBT is Compulsary Basic Training.
Clue is in the name, its TRAINING not a 'test'.
You merely have to do it to 'validate' the 'Provisional' entitlement of your driving licence, which affords you the privilidge as an UNQUALIFIED motorised road user, to ride THE MOST DANGEROUSE form of motoristed transport.... UNSUPERVISED, in order you may 'practice' before taking your TEST..... NOT 'instead' of taking a test!
Yes, ironic isn't it? Cant jump in a car and drive without passing a test, cant jump in a truck, van, lorry... but they let folk out alone, on the roads on a motorcycle.......
Answered your own question yet?
Do CBT..... use provisional entitlement for what it was designed for, to PRACTICE, in your own time, when you are 'comfortable' with the riding conditions.... after you have had a few evening 'strolls' round quiet housing estates and practices some of your CBT manouvers on your own on a deserted insdustrial estate, you might, between lessons, like to venture a bit further ffield, visiting relatives or something, and possibly raising the game a bit, trying heavier traffic conditions.....
WHEN you are comfortable, you might like to tackle rush hour traffic...... but first few times, you dont want to be doing that to a dead line, like getting to work on time.
Sure go for AM rides when the roads are quiet, but ride home, then get to work the normal way, after a coffee!
CBT to full licence, if you go about it right shouldn't take more than six to eight weeks.
From where your at now, I'd say plan getting the TEST done, before tackling the commute.
And maybe after you have dumped the L Plates, you might want to get a bit more experience before tackling heavy traffic AND worrying about 'other things' like getting to work.
First rule on bikes..... "Dont Rush" its a sure way to get hurt.
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Paivi · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Sep 2005 Karma :

Bendy · Mrs Sensible Joined: 10 Jun 2002 Karma :

I agree with Paivi.

I rode a scooter in London for 3 years before doing my test, and my training taught me absolutely nothing I wasn't already aware of from reading books and bitter experience. Indeed, after I passed, my instructor went through a list of 'test standard' things which were better ignored and replaced with 'keep you in one piece in the real world' techniques.

When I passed my CBT, I spent the next weekend working my way up from tooling around an empty carpark to doing the route to the office, but in Sunday traffic. Which let me learn which lane I should be in on roundabouts and things like that, without the rush hour pressure. Just take your time.

Londonleo · L Plate Warrior Joined: 21 Mar 2011 Karma :

Thanks everyone for some really useful advice. I think I'll do the CBT and get the bike - and then just take it easy getting to know the roads. I'll let you now how I get on!!

Piercee100 · Trackday Trickster Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Karma :

This is an excellent idea. I rode through the centre of london last week and was amazed at how fast those scooters filtered through the traffic, I'm sure they're quite mad. I couldnt keep up at all since even my little bike seemed so much bigger- that and only having one mirror made filtering awkward (gotta find a matching pair for next time).
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