Moped - cost of ownership

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
Hi guys,

I have spend a while trawling the forum for some information (very helpful thanks ) but have a few more questions ...

a) Does anyone have an idea of the annual cost of ownership of a 50cc moped for a 16 year old ? He had a Moby but wants to upgrade.

b) I think I am correct in thinking you can drive a 50cc on a car (B) permit but am not 100% sure ...

c) assuming B above is yes, would this be covered by my car insurance or would I need additional insurance for me.

Thanks in advance

Bren

2
You need to specify what you are talking about here. A moped (Mofa in SG) is one of those 50cc things with pedals that is (in theory) restricted to 30 Kmh. I suspect you are talking about one of those 50cc scooters that go a little faster.

3
Yes I am talking about a 'proper' moped. he already has a mobylette (with pedals to start) but wants to move up to a more reliable form of transport when he turns 16.

Obviously petrol costs will depend upon mileage but I am interested to know the general cost of running something like this for a year.

Also I have looked through various sites and believe that a 50cc moped can be used with a 'b' category driving license (car) but I am not certain as there are 3 categories of motorbikes / mopeds listed in addition to the Mobylette (M) license category.

Thanks

Brendan

4
I think I am getting a little confused and could do with some clarification is anyone out there knows.

I have been trawling more sites and now believe ..

1. A 50cc scooter limited to 45kmh with a Plaque jaune can be driven by anyone with a normal car 'b' permit.

2. A 50cc scotter NOT limited needs at least 8hrs training to use ... even with a normal driving license.

Can anyone confirm ??

I am still unsure how often they need to be 'expertiser' or how much it costs per year for :

1. Insurance (adult and 16 year old)

2. Expertiser (mot ??)

3. plates

4. anything else other than fuel ..

As an out and out car (and push bike ) user ... this is all very confusing ....

Bren

5
a "proper moped" has pedals..................

you seem to be talking about something completely different.

which is not unusual on this forum and i don't think it's just a language problem.

6
thanks.

7
I'm a little confused as you are (I believe) talking about your son and yourself. The answer to each quesition differs depending on whom we are talking about.

http://www.motards.ch/le-permis should help (in french).

Having a B permit ( being 18+) and wanting the licence for A1 (up to 125cc and 11k/W) requires a total of 8 hours course. That's it I think.

For your 16yr old they would need to do the works (i.e. no B permit) for the A1 licence (restricted to 50cc). This means first aid course, road awareness course, theory exam , the 8 hours of course AND the practical exam.

I imagine insurance for the vehicle is on top of your regular car insurance but best to contact your insurance company. If the 16yr old is the primary user than I imagine the insurance will be quite high. Petrol usage varies but 10chf for 150-200km on a 125 wouldn't seem too high. A 50cc I imagine would be more economical again.

Just for clarity, I've never owned a moped or scooter in Switzerland but I do have friends with them and have done the motorbike course with folks who already had their B licence (and those who didn't).

I hope this helps somewhat but I would advise you to contact your cantons motor office and/or a motorbike school/instructor for further clarification.

Good Luck!

8
thanks for what?

i'll try to be more helpful.

# a mobylette is an old french make of moped which has pedals...............

there are not so many of these on the roads in switzerland, i sold mine yonks ago.

from personal experience i can say that a year 2000 honda scooter 50cc bought new by my son aged then 16 does not have pedals. it did then have yellow plates and was limited to 45 km/h.

he drove it for a year or 3 and among other experiences he was pulled by plod while travelling at speeds well in excess of 45 and had all the souped up parts confiscated as well as a hefty bill.........

the rules changed a few years later and i had it souped up to white plates 65 km/h status 3 years ago ( 2010) and my daughter ( now aged 22) has been driving it since then. she passed her car driving test in december 2012 and consequently also with a certificate from the driving school for the required driving hours (8) also has now the L plate on the scooter removed............

it's at the moment still registered to my son with allianz insurance at Fr.150 a year , this we will change soon since i just took it the mfk last week which cost Fr.40.

i already have a quote to insure it by the mobiliar insurance for Fr.100 /year in her name.

logical indications are DO NOT insure with the allianz ( that's another story which i've already posted about here) and do not call any 50cc vehicle a moped.

bon weekend.

9
Mopeds in the UK or Ireland are basically the "small" motorbikes you see (called scooters in europe?) as the pedal started things aren't really seen there. This may be where some confusion comes from.

10
whether they are "seen" in ireland or not, they remain mopeds in the rest of the world including switzerland which is where we are..........

definition of a moped is a motor driven 2 wheeler with pedals and is not a scooter.............

my motorized 2 wheeler experience started in the UK with an NSU quickly , 2 wheels, 50cc and pedals.

but that was a long tyme ago.

11
I have a Piaggio 49 ccm restricted 45 Km/h scooter, insured with Generali (Not comprehensive, just 3rd party) and when I drive 5 km to work every day, my total costs average out at around CHF 80 per month.

12
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moped

Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals (the source of the term, motor + pedal), but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their restricted engine displacement, speed, and/or power output.

13
Thanks guys.

It would appear then that I am talking about a scooter .. not a moped.

To be fair for those of us from the 4 wheeled community, I always thought they were synonyms but obviously I have been living in ignorance for far too long and I thank you all for the education.

I now realise what I want is a scooter ... one with a 'plague jaune' which not only limits the speed to sub 50kmh ... but also the insurance, general costs AND will hopefully also limit my son to an appropriate speed.

As a 'limited scooter' any 'b' driving license holder can ride it with no tests.

So back to costs once purchased .....

1. Scooter (A1) test for a 16 year old ... any idea re costs ?

2. Insurance. Looks like 100 to 150 sfr

3. Yellow Plates. Any idea of costs per year ?

Thank again,

Brendan

14
I wasn't trying to explain the rights or wrongs of it, just where the confusion may have originated.

Regarding the cost. As stated above, a 16yr old would need to go through many of the steps required to get a B driving permit. These prices are relative to your canton and where you do the various courses but to give you an idea.

First aid course - 150chf

Eye Exam - 15chf

Theory Exam - Learner Permit - Practical Exam - 170chf ish (for the 3)

Road awareness - 99chf

8 hours of basic instruction - 320chf

The Practical - price included above.

Once done I don't think they need to be redone for the B permit (with the exception of the first aid which has a 2 year validity..?). You may also get a discount if you do all the courses with the same school.

Hope that helps.

15
Just to be clear, in Switzerland if a small motor cycle has pedals it is a Moped , and not a Roller, Scooter or motor bike.

I am stating the obvious because I was riding my yellow plate 49 ccm small scooter on a road restricted to Mopeds and Cycles, and I was fined SFr 40,--