Scooters are usually more practical for inner city living. There’s more storage, you’re never in the wrong gear with an automatic, and there is a huge range to choose from at a cheaper price point. If you’re looking to stay local, hit the beach, and pick up something for dinner on the way home, scooters are the way to go.

Bikes make more sense if you’re looking to maybe commute during the week, but would like to get out of town on the open road come the weekend.

First stop – drop into your local NSW services centre, or visit the roads and maritime services website. They can provide you with current advice for your individual requirements.

You can choose either the automatic licence course for a scooter (up to 160cc), or if you choose the bike licence, you can ride bigger LAMS approved bikes and larger scooters up to 660cc in NSW. There are however some variations on licensing, so make sure you get the right advice at the RMS when you book in.

You’ll book into a test centre, where an instructor will teach you the basics. Once you’ve passed this, you’ll sit a driver knowledge test. Once this is completed, you’ll get your learner permit and you’re ready to ride!  

It can seem a bit intimidating when you start to look, so a good way to approach it is to ask yourself what you expect from your new ride, and importantly whether it’s realistic on your budget.

Are you likely to be riding on the freeway, or only around locally perhaps, maybe within 60 or 70kmh zones? If you’re sure you’re going to be staying local (and you’re not going to be going over the bridge for example), you’ll probably be ok on a 110 or 125cc bike or scooter. If you’re going to be regularly commuting in 80 or 90kmh plus zones, or riding further afield, you’ll need something bigger.

New entry level commuter bikes and scooters start from around $3500. There are some cheaper options out there, but as with most things in life, you get what you pay for – best to stick to the better known and supported brands in our experience.

You’ll need a helmet, jacket and gloves, so budget for a minimum of around $500 there, which will give you some decent entry level options to choose from. We also carry a range of boots (sneaker style) which are a good idea if your budget allows. 

Insurance can be arranged by shopping around, and can often be paid by the month to spread the cost. This cost will vary depending on your age/experience, the style of bike, how much it’s worth, street parked or garaged at night etc.

We’ve got a great range of riding gear at our Redfern store so come in and sit on a few LAMS bikes and scooters to see what fits. Daryl has been selling and fitting riding gear to new riders for thirty years, so there’s not much we don’t know if you want professional advice.

For scooters, the smart money is new. If you’re looking at spending 30k on a new car, it’s worth trying to find a good used one for 20k. But if you can buy a new scooter for under $4000, it’s difficult to see the value in a used one (rego/warranty/worn parts vs new, etc).

Motorcycles are often more expensive, so it’s worth having as look online at the used ones out there to save some money. Buying a used bike, however, will require some due dilligence. Especially in the LAMS market. These are, by definition, usually bikes that have been owned by first time/inexperienced riders, and may be poorly maintained or even damaged. You’ll get peace of mind and a warranty with a new bike. However, all our used bikes are workshop inspected prior to sale, so you can be sure that if you buy a bike from us, it won’t need tyres/brakes or immediate costly repairs when you ride away. If you do find a promising bike from a private seller, our workshop can arrange pre purchase evaluations.

We stock both new and used scooters and bikes, so drop in to see which will suit your needs and budget.