Can I ride a 50cc moped ?

Still got the scars & tarmac embedded in my knee.

 

I used to ride bikes for many years ... never took a liking to road bikes, so opted for trail bikes which can be used on public roads, and easy and light to zip through city traffic

the best bike I owned was a yamaha XT-500 .... second best was a Honda XL-500S .... smallest bike was a Suzuki TS-185

would love to own a BMW F 650 Dakar, but my wife is anti-bike

my advice is never let your children own a motorbike .... my second piece of advice is never buy a 50cc, rather get a 125 or a 175, for the sole reason that you have a bit more power on tap to get out of tricky situations

I would not even consider a moped or a vespa scooter

I never came off a bike, but many of my friends did, and 9/10 times it was due to cars, buses or trucks

 

As a car driver, I totally agree with this.

The number of times I've been really worried about the youngster in my rear view mirror who is not being an idiot, but is doing his best with absolutely no experience.

Here are some of the common high risk errors I see most frequently:

1. Someone is tailgating me, but aligned with the centre line of my car, such that if I had sudden engine failure (as has happened to me in the past - fortunately with no consequences that time) or if I have to suddenly jam the breaks, then they have no possibility whatsoever of avoiding going over my roof. If he'd aligned himself with the offside line of my car, or better still left a bit more gap, then if I have to decelerate unexpectedly then at least he has a chance of either stopping or taking evasive action.

2. On a dual carriageway, checking whats happening in one lane of traffic before switching to another lane, without properly checking BOTH lanes. I saw a lad do this one time and he very nearly had a fight with a lorry.

3. Riding in my blind spot on the offside. I still do all my observations properly so I usually know they are there, but if I was less observant (as many drivers are) it would be so easy to wipe them out by suddenly changing lanes.

A bit more than 6 hours of riding around a car park in a figure of eight and those riders would have a good chance of not making these potentially fatal mistakes.

 

In answer to your question I have no idea.

But you have reminded me of happy days!!!






And this could be you!!!

 

I like a man who has no idea

 

UK Law is you can not have more than 50cc to start with, even though as you know the more "reasonable" power the safer ie:- it can get you out of the "mistake" you made

Unfortunatley hindsight and age are a thing younger people do not yet possess
give them 1000cc and they will use it to kill themselves not to protect themselves

Jack McHammocklashing

 

UK LAW is you can not have more than 49cc to start off with
You know that more reasonable power is safer as it can get you out of the "mistake" you made

Hindsight and age are not things a young person possess
Thus they would use 1000cc to kill themselves rather than protect themselves

Jack McHammocklashing

 

I think you'll find Jack learners can ride up to a 125cc now. I believe that's what my daughter learnt on.

Picture of my son and daughter.

 

Ziggy dont do it book a block course for your young one if you can afford it and get them to take a proper bike test them hair dryers are dangerous.The block course should take 5 days and they hire the bikes for the course.

 

All this talk of mopeds reminds me of my first motorised transport when I started work at the tender age of 17.
Most of my friends had flash 'mopeds' like the Yamaha FS1-E or similar, capable of reaching 50 or 60mph, quite legal for a 16/17 year old at the time.
What did I have? A Puch Maxi.
Did anyone else have one of these infernal contraptions?
To say it was temperamental would be doing it an injustice. It was psychopathic.
I lost count of the times it would randomly conk out on the journey to or from work, usually when it was raining or I was running a bit late. :gaagh:
It handled terribly on snowy or icy roads, gleefully dumping me in the road at every opportunity.
A good cross wind would send it veering across the road if I wasn't careful and the engine would splutter to a halt almost every time I went through a puddle. :wallbang:
I grew to hate it with a vengeance (I think the feeling was mutual) and I rejoiced the day I finally got rid of it and upgraded to a proper motorbike.
(Rant over, I feel better now :o)

 

To show my age,my first bike was a BSA 250cc and then Triumph bonnie 650cc both would do 100mph on a good day down hill but hey I would gladly give my right arm for them now.

 

I had forgotten that I still have a bike!

I bought this 4 months ago thinking that I could get out and enjoy myself after packing up racing in 2005.
I got it home, rode it into the shed, and just thought to myself "I want a quiet hobby" It has sat ever since in the shed. :(

 

John, my sons bike was an 800cc Ducati Monster and my daughter's a Honda Fireblade 900cc. Both bikes have been sold now. My daughter emigrated in May. My son emigrates tomorrow and they both intend to get bikes again eventually. My whole family have/had bike connections and I doubt I'll here the rumble on my drive again. A sound I will miss! :(

 

I might be wrong, but I don't think it goes by engine capacity any more, since someone finally realised that you can get a finely tuned 125 that could easily outrun some 600+cc plodders.

I think it goes on break horse power (BHP) now. 12.5bhp limit for those 17 or over that have done their CBT I think, 25bhp for those that have done the first half of their proper bike test (which is in two halves these days I think) and then a balistic missile on wheels for those that have done the second half of their full test.

I think there is still a feeble limit for 16 year olds, around 4.5bhp I think.

To be honest, for mopeds, I never did understand the argument about needing more power to get out of trouble. When I was 16 I once crashed my moped, and given that I was at full throttle at the time I hit the garage door after losing control, I was very glad that it could only muster a feeble speed otherwise the accident would have been painful, rather than merely embarrassing.