Your New 50 CC Moped - The First Journey
It is always a good idea to be prepared, when you first buy your new 50 CC moped or scooter, it's a very good idea to spend a few weeks familiarising yourself with it.
This is even more the case if it's your first moped.
Assuming you have passed your CBT, it's a good idea to get some miles under your belt on the open road, in relatively clear and traffic free conditions before committing yourself to the hurly-burly of the rush-hour.
The first thing I did after passing my test, was to take my new 50 CC moped for a spin down my street.
I really wish I hadn't done this.
The moped I had learned on was quite different from my own bike, in terms of acceleration and braking.
The first time I stopped in traffic I accidentally rolled my hand over the accelerator, the bike front wheel reared up, and I promptly fell off the back of it while the bike rolled into the gutter.
Not a good start.
At this point, I decided my best tactic would be to wait until a quiet Sunday and to take it around a local car park which I knew would be empty in the early hours of the morning.
Even a 50 CC moped is capable of speeds of around 30 mph, so in the confines of an outdoor car park, I rarely reached this speed.
However the experience allowed me to practice the handling starting stopping and turning of the scooter.
I recommend any new rider to do something similar.
Take a little bit of time to familiarise yourself with your new moped in a safe and traffic free environment.
After riding around the car park for over an hour, I decided to make my way back home following a slightly longer and more adventurous route than I might have otherwise taken.
It was still quite early on a Sunday morning, so the traffic was minimal.
However doing this, I got plenty of practice moving up with traffic at junctions, and in stop-start situations.
This really tested my control of the moped in a real-life environment.
Later that day, with a little more confidence, I decided to run a few errands on my little 50 CC moped.
Taking a trip to the local supermarket to buy bread and milk (which I stored in the helmet compartment for the journey back).
There was more traffic again during this trip, and once again I felt as if I was growing into both my confidence and ability as a new rider.
I was learning about the specifics of my moped.
It's easy to think that once you have passed your CBT, that you should just jump on your bike and head for the open road.
For some people I'm sure this is all they need.
However, for many, taking your early experiences with your new moped in easy small steps is a good idea.
If you are new to moped and scooter riding, take the time to familiarise yourself with your vehicle.
Consider practising first in safe areas off the main highways, and then progressing to lightly trafficked areas on the road.
Your confidence will grow as your ability with your new moped improves, and this will make the whole process much safer both for you, and for other road users.
This is even more the case if it's your first moped.
Assuming you have passed your CBT, it's a good idea to get some miles under your belt on the open road, in relatively clear and traffic free conditions before committing yourself to the hurly-burly of the rush-hour.
The first thing I did after passing my test, was to take my new 50 CC moped for a spin down my street.
I really wish I hadn't done this.
The moped I had learned on was quite different from my own bike, in terms of acceleration and braking.
The first time I stopped in traffic I accidentally rolled my hand over the accelerator, the bike front wheel reared up, and I promptly fell off the back of it while the bike rolled into the gutter.
Not a good start.
At this point, I decided my best tactic would be to wait until a quiet Sunday and to take it around a local car park which I knew would be empty in the early hours of the morning.
Even a 50 CC moped is capable of speeds of around 30 mph, so in the confines of an outdoor car park, I rarely reached this speed.
However the experience allowed me to practice the handling starting stopping and turning of the scooter.
I recommend any new rider to do something similar.
Take a little bit of time to familiarise yourself with your new moped in a safe and traffic free environment.
After riding around the car park for over an hour, I decided to make my way back home following a slightly longer and more adventurous route than I might have otherwise taken.
It was still quite early on a Sunday morning, so the traffic was minimal.
However doing this, I got plenty of practice moving up with traffic at junctions, and in stop-start situations.
This really tested my control of the moped in a real-life environment.
Later that day, with a little more confidence, I decided to run a few errands on my little 50 CC moped.
Taking a trip to the local supermarket to buy bread and milk (which I stored in the helmet compartment for the journey back).
There was more traffic again during this trip, and once again I felt as if I was growing into both my confidence and ability as a new rider.
I was learning about the specifics of my moped.
It's easy to think that once you have passed your CBT, that you should just jump on your bike and head for the open road.
For some people I'm sure this is all they need.
However, for many, taking your early experiences with your new moped in easy small steps is a good idea.
If you are new to moped and scooter riding, take the time to familiarise yourself with your vehicle.
Consider practising first in safe areas off the main highways, and then progressing to lightly trafficked areas on the road.
Your confidence will grow as your ability with your new moped improves, and this will make the whole process much safer both for you, and for other road users.