Which Bike or Scooter?

Before you embark on an expensive motorcycle training course you need to be clear exactly what you will be using your two wheels for to ensure you end up with the right licence and a bike which fits your needs. There's a lot to take into account.



50cc is sufficient for short distance commuting but no more. Click on images for larger versionsThere are legal restrictions on your choice of engine size (also called engine capacity or cc) and power, explained in the licence guide (click here), and in the smaller classes this provides a reasonable indication of what you can expect to do.

If you want nothing more than an urban commuter for regular short trips, up to five miles or so, then 50cc is adequate and very economical. The top speed is only 30mph so dual carriageways are ruled out and it’s not allowed on motorways, but it’s light, very easy to manage and very cheap to run too. Most 50cc machines are classed as mopeds so if you have a full car licence you might not need to take a test or training. I’d recommended it though, the school of hard knocks is unforgiving when it's heavy traffic...

Up to 125cc gives you 60mph or more, just about enough for occasional dual carriageway use and sufficient for commuting up to 15 miles or so, although plenty of riders travel further than that quite happily. You’ll feel much safer than on a 50cc as you can keep up with or ahead of urban traffic, rather than being consigned to the gutter by overtaking cars and lorries. The A1 light licence covers this.

A 250cc bike is the practical minimum for regular motorway useFor longer journeys, regular motorway or dual carriageway use, riding with a passenger and so on you’ll really need a bigger engine. 250cc is just about sufficient but has little in reserve – to maintain the pace of the fastest traffic you’ll need 400cc or more, and something close to the full 33bhp allowed in the first two years of a category A full licence. This gives you a top speed of around 100mph, but bear in mind against a headwind and up even a gentle slope this can fall to 85mph or less, so you’re at the bike’s limits on a fast moving motorway. Even bulky winter riding gear takes a surprising edge of high speed performance.



* Warning! Motorcycles are fun and addictive!
You might well believe now that a 125 is sufficient for your needs because all you want to do is commute, but many people fail to account for how much they end up enjoying themselves on a bike and start to want something bigger, faster, more stylish or more versatile. Make sure you read the ‘Why Two Wheels?’ section before making your licence decision, otherwise you could regret your choice of licence later.



* Scooter or Motorcycle?

Scooter brakes are laid out like a bicycle's and the tranmission is automatic so these are easiest to rideMany riders choose scooters because they’re the easiest to ride, largely due to their automatic transmissions – front and rear brakes are on the handlebars like a bicycle and all you do is twist the throttle (the right hand grip, which does the same job as the accelerator pedal on a car) and the scooter moves forward. The idea of changing gear with your foot and operating the clutch by hand while trying to balance a motorcycle and control the power is intimidating, but in practice it comes to most people quickly and naturally. Indeed, many find it easier than a car eventually, as it’s the clutch which requires the most delicate control and you’re operating it with your fingers, a lot more sensitive than your left foot!

Scooters also offer better weather protection than most motorcycles, although you will still need wet weather gear so this isn’t the big advantage it might seem. The main difference is they keep your feet drier, so if you wear shoes they won’t be affected too much. Many scooters also have integrated storage space beneath the seat, although in most instances this won’t be large enough for a briefcase so you’ll need a separate rear box for that, which you can also fit to a motorcycle.

A big surprise though for many people is that scooters are generally not as economical as motorcycles, so if this is your prime concern, go for a geared motorcycle. The reason is the scooter’s automatic transmission is inefficient compared with a motorcycle gearbox, and economy suffers as a result. A typical 125cc scooter might achieve 90mpg, where a motorcycle will be 100mpg or more (Honda’s CBF125, click here for test, can manage more than 130mpg), and the motorcycle will also have better performance.



Common sense points to known brand names like Vespa, they've endured for good reason * Which model?

I will be expanding the database of scooters and small motorcycles on Ashonbikes.com in the coming weeks and months and compiling a list of recommended machines, but until then there is a simple, broad guide which will stop you making a bad mistake:
Make sure your machine is from a reputable brand.
And if you don’t know the reputable brands, this means anything European (Piaggio, Vespa, Derbi, Aprilia, Gilera and Peugeot), anything Japanese (Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha), two Taiwanese makes, Kymco and Sym, and two Korean ones, Hyosung and PGO. Other brands, especially the Chinese, and especially the tat available on the internet in places such as eBay, can offer very attractive prices. But motorcycles and scooters are not buy-and-forget purchases, like cars you will need dealer servicing, spares support, reliability and a dependable warranty, and in far too many instances you get few or none of these. You might well save no money anyway even if you are lucky enough to avoid problems (unlikely...) because depreciation of many other brands is catastrophically bad – some year-old Chinese scooters are about as valuable as a year-old railway season ticket, and they’ll look as tatty too.



* There are broad types of motorcycle and scooter to consider:

* Types of Motorcycle
Street or naked
The standard motorcycle to many people, with no or little bodywork, an exposed engine and a fairly upright riding position. Can be anything from very sporty to commuter use, although tiring for continuous high speed riding as there’s little wind protection.

The ultimate for many aspiring bike riders is a cool Harley-Davidson cruiserCruiser/custom
American-inspired styling with plenty of chrome, high bars, forward footrests and a laid back riding position. Bought mostly for their cool looks and image, but still fine for commuting and other duties. Note the wide bars can make slipping through traffic more difficult at times and they often have small fuel tanks that limit the riding range.

Sports
The highest performance bikes in their capacity groups, from 50cc machines to superbikes capable of 180mph. Fine for commuting, okay for touring although comfort isn’t always good, but mainly for thrills and riding satisfaction. Great handling and performance.

Sports tourers
Softer versions of sports bikes with improved comfort, aimed at all round use with a sporting edge.

Adventure bikes such as the BMW R1200GS make excellent touring machinesAdventure/trail bikes
Machines with off road looks, and sometimes off road ability too, which make surprisingly good road bikes. The high riding position helps see well in traffic and comfort is good where the seat isn’t too narrow, although less good for higher speeds unless there’s additional bodywork. Can make excellent commuter machines, although usually best suited to taller riders.

Touring
Usually with big capacity engines, these have bulky bodywork for the best weather protection and very often a box and panniers for carrying luggage. Unwieldy for commuting, but still much better than public transport or a car!



* Types of scooter

Peugeot Ludix is a typical, basic, budget but stylish scooter Standard
A typical scooter will have storage space beneath the seat – check if it takes your helmet as this is a very useful but not universal asset, and maybe a cubby hole or two in the front bodywork.

Sports
Less bodywork so weather protection is not so good, but brakes and handling are better. Storage space is usually less than a standard scooter.

Executive
More extensive bodywork, increased storage space and high levels of equipment. These tend to be heavier and not quite so easy to manoeuvre when parking, but the larger capacity versions are fine even for very long distance commuting, and summer touring too.