can I buy a moped before I get my provisional licence?

My local motorbike shop has a Gilera Runner for around £500. I've only just
applied for the licence, but I have the money to buy the bike already. I
guess it depends if the shopowner asks to see the licence.

Tom

 

Nothing stopping you from buying the bike. Shopowner won't let you have it
tho, until you can produce an insurance certificate so he can register the
bike in your name.

Alan

 

I'm not even vaguely convinced that's true.

 

If he's DRIVING/riding it away, yup. But not if you turn up with a van/
estate car/trailer and lob it in the back.

 

Why do you think I added the word "driving" to my post?

--
Lozzo
Suzuki SV650S K5
Honda CBR600 FW trackbike
Yamaha SR250 Spazz-Trakka
Suzuki GSXR750 L
Suzuki TS50X
Suzuki TS50X

 

if they're delivering it, they also don't need to know anything about
licences or insurance.

 

Who said anything about driving away? If he doesn't even have a
provisional licence, I'd be amazed if he was driving anything anywhere.

 

yes, but since you don't have a licence, and so can't insure it,
you'll need to get them to deliver it, or turn up in a van.

 

Really? I was riding on the road from the age of 7, as was my brother &
several mates at the time. Mainly on dead-end country lanes, but there
were also the occasional longish road sections in mid Wales on trail
riding holidays.

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tiger 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

He can't insure it if his insurance company have actually asked to see
his licence ... which isn't that likely, IME.

 

leaving aside your shonky syntax, you're suggesting he insures it by
lying to the insurance company about having a licence?

Sure, why not.

 

Well he's prepared to risk collecting it from the dealer without a
licence, why should it worry him stretch the truth with his insurance
company?

Apart from anything else if he's applied for the licence and has no
reason to believe that it won't be granted then it's hardly a big
problem (from an insurance point of view) that he doesn't have it
physically in his hand yet.

 

In 30 years of insuring bikes I have never once been asked to produce
my driving licence by any insurance company, and I don't know of anyone
who has.

--
Lozzo
Suzuki SV650S K5
Honda CBR600 FW trackbike
Yamaha SR250 Spazz-Trakka
Suzuki GSXR750 L
Suzuki TS50X
Suzuki TS50X

 

good point.

Indeed.

Hell, who can truly say they haven't ridden unlicenced and uninsured?
Not me.

 

I'm with H&R insurance and they asked for a copy of mine.

Strangely I insured the 6R with them for years and they didn't ask to
see my licence, then I insured the 'prilly with them and they still
didn't ask, but when I took out a multi-bike policy with the Aprilia
and the Kwak on they insisted on a copy of my licence.

I also STR that I had to send a copy of my licence after I stuffed my
first 6R.

A mate of mine, about 15 years ago, had his TZR125 insured on a
provisional licence and then phoned his insurance company one day and
told them he'd bought an RD350 YPVS and could they update his
insurance. They never even asked if he'd passed his test (he hadn't)
never mind asking to see his licence.

 

But surely in these days of modern technology and interconnected
systems, the insurers can simply retrieve this information from the
DVLA's database, can't they?

 

I've only been riding for 12 years, but I've also never been asked to
produce a licence by the insco. I'm 99% sure I've never been asked for
it in ~25 years of car driving either.

 

I'm confused; the licence is 'to use' the bike, not 'to have' the bike,
isn't it?
If the bike is never 'used', it's just a possession, isn't it?
As I read it, the OP doesn't want to lose the option of a cheap bike.
I certainly had friends practising clutch control on their shite cars on
the drive before they were 16, let alone 17. Those *were* private sales,
the cars were moved on trailers and were run on private ground.

 

Wrong again! A registered dealer is technically the owner of the bike. He
HAS to notify the registration authorities of the new owner and he cannot do
that without a valid insurance for the bike. It is required by dealers, not
private sellers. Same as new bikes. I've just brought a new bike and did not
get delivery until insuance details were made available for registration.

Alan

 

You make a legal declaration that you have a valid licence when you apply
for insurance.

Alan