The Best Scooters and Motorbikes for Commuting

If you haven’t booked your CBT training to get on two wheels yet, you will after reading this!

One of our favourites has to be the Piaggio Vespa. 125cc bikes don't get any more classic than this. But there are more sporty alternatives we like including the Honda CBF and the KTM Duke.

All of them come with their own upsides and downsides so have a read decide which one best suits you.

The benefits are obvious, our seasoned commuter and marketing chap Matt goes into the full detail here. For now, here’s 4 quick reasons to swap the tube or bicycle and find the best scooter for commuting:

• Arrive feeling relaxed - Science has proved motorcyclists are among some of the happiest commuters in the UK. Why? Because of the simple reason you are in control of your journey and not at the mercy of tube strikes or traffic jams.
• Arrive feeling fresh - As well as the ‘fresh’ city/countryside air you’ll have in your face to wake you up on the way to the office, you’ll also arrive looking like a normal person..I mean this with the greatest respect to cyclists (as a regular lycra warrior myself) but turning up to the office or meetings hot and sweaty from public transport or from just beating your Strava time to the office, doesn't look too good. And the better the weather, the more bedraggled you’ll arrive to work.
• Save a ton of cash - You can get the full low down on the costs of motorcycling here, but in a nutshell after the initial purchase costs and taking your CBT, scooters especially will save you hundreds if not thousands of £££’s on your commute each year.
• Get your day back - On average those who commute by motorbike save around 3 hours a week. Personally when I first got my scooter to commute from Fulham to London Bridge, my commute across London went from 2 hours a day to 1 hour, that’s 20 hours a month I got back!

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Top Motorcycles You Can Ride on a CBT Licence

Contrary to a lot of articles you might read online where they suggest you spend £10,000 on a brand new 1000cc superbike and take your full motorcycle licence to commute on, we believe anything you can ride on a CBT licence, and therefore under 125cc, will do the job for people in a city just fine.

If you’re planning to commute a longer distance; 1 hour or more, you may well consider something a bit bigger and more comfortable.

So without further adue, our 5 best scooter and motorbikes for city commuting:

Piaggio Vespa 125cc

I’m biased as my first scooter in London was a Vespa. But from personal experience it’s been such a great and reliable bike, it’s obvious why they are so popular. You can often pick up a gem second hand if you’re not looking to blow the budget on a brand new one. Check out the recent limited edition colours they've released for something a bit different.

Scomadi TL125

Stand out from the Vespas and Lambrettas lining the streets of London. Launched in 2009 Scomadi are bringing their take as a ‘Modern Classic’. A beautiful scooter to look at, Scomadi is a great choice for the city rider looking for something a little different. At £2,796 new, it’s cheaper than a Vespa too.

KTM Duke 125

The more upright riding position makes it a good bike for city riding and dodging those traffic jams, The Duke is unbeatable off the line with its sensational power-to-weight ratio coming from it’s low dry weight, making it nimble round town and fun in the corner too. A great motorcycle for beginners which you can ride on a CBT licence.

Mutt Motorcycles - The Blackest Sabbath 125 LTD

Birmingham-based bike builders Mutt Motorcycles, have reinvented the small capacity custom market with their range of 125cc 'Cafe Racer inspired' bikes. Our favourite of the range; The Blackest Sabbath 125 offers a ultra lightweight stealth matt black frame which is perfect for any new rider who has the Tom Hardy/David Beckham look in mind but not quite the wallet or licence yet...

Honda CBF 125

Cheap, reliable and a great learner bike. If you take your CBT on a 125cc manual it’s likely to be one of these. A good bike for someone wanting to get experience riding a manual bike and progressing to something bigger later on. Cheap too; brand new for £2,699.

So providing you are over 17 and have passed your CBT licence, you can ride any scooter or motorbike up to 125cc. However you can’t take passengers and will need to show L plates. Dreaming of something a bit bigger like a Triumph or Moto Guzzi? Sign up to our newsletter to get the next blog on best big bikes for beginners - coming soon.

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