Need a bit of help.

Binomate · 15-02-2006 3:52pm #1

I've got an interview tomorrow for job as a driver for Dominoes pizzas. I've got about two years and a bit experience on the road and about 8 years experience cycling on the road. I've plenty of experience on the back of mopeds and motor bikes but I've only ever driven a moped once for about 5 minutes in a field. Are they easy enough to pick up on? Do you think I'll get the job with no experience having driven a moped or a honda 50 (I think thats what they use) before? I'd very much doubt it's as hard as learning to drive a car.

madrab · 15-02-2006 4:02pm

so basically this will be your first time driving a bike on the road, no training, no licence?

surely an integral part of working as a deleviery boy is actually being able to drive the vehicle?

if you want advice get some lessons as driving a bike/scooter is alot harder & more dangerous than driving a car, & if you dont know what you are doing then it makes it alot harder for everone else

EDIT: oh and get yourself proper safety gear

Binomate · 15-02-2006 4:04pm

I have full drivers licence and two years driving experience. It's not a motorbike that i'll be drinving, it's a moped. No gears or anything. Like a motorised push bike. You know the ones the dominoes pizzas drivers drive.

That kind of thing.

madrab · 15-02-2006 4:22pm

honda 50's have gears

seamus · 15-02-2006 4:22pm

I don't think Dominos will give a crap so long as you have a full licence for the vehicle (are they class M vehicles?).

Binomate · 15-02-2006 4:28pm

Yeah I think they are class M. I have a class B licence but I heard somewhere that if you have a class B licence or a full drivers licence for a car that you are covered to drive class M type veichles. Is this true?

If you hold a provisional B licence (and have never completed the driver theory test), you are entitled to have categories M or W without the need to sit the theory test. Likewise, if you hold a category A licence, you are entitled to A1 or M without needing to sit the theory test. Holders of category A1 are entitled to category M without needing to sit the theory test.

http://www.oasis.gov.ie/transport/motoring/categories_of_motor_vehicles_and_minimum_age_of_drivers_in_ireland.html?CONTACTSID=a9c443a83cddd7bd7b40f312d8fa87db

What I understand from that is that if you have a provisional drivers licence you can drive a moped legally, but it says nothing about a full catagory B licence.

Binomate · 15-02-2006 4:34pm

Never mind, I've found it.

Q.I have a full B (car) licence. Does this entitle me to drive a motorcycle?
A. It entitles you to drive a moped up to 50cc with a maximum design speed of 45 km/hour.

http://www.transport.ie/roads/licensing/faqs/index.asp?lang=ENG&loc=1838

That means I should be legaly able to drive the pizza bikes provided they're catagory M. \o/

madrab · 15-02-2006 5:20pm

still dont think a honda 50 is classed as a moped as it has gears

Binomate · 15-02-2006 5:35pm

Another bit of confusion. On my old provisional licence it permited me to drive anything kind of bike less than 125cc, but on the website it says less than 50cc. Anyone have a clue regarding the licencing issue?

seamus · 15-02-2006 7:16pm

Binomate wrote:

Another bit of confusion. On my old provisional licence it permited me to drive anything kind of bike less than 125cc, but on the website it says less than 50cc. Anyone have a clue regarding the licencing issue?

M - Up to 50cc.
A1 - Up to 125cc
A - All bikes (technically)

They are essentially the three grades of motorcycle licence. As long as you bike falls within the category you have, you're covered. So you can drive a moped on an A1 or A provisional licence, but you can't drive a 125cc scooter on an M licence (full or provisional).

The only anomaly is if you hold a full licence in category B, you are automatically licenced to drive vehicles in category M. You don't actually need to have this category stated on your licence.

Whether the 50cc vehicle has gears or not is irrelevant. So long as it complies with the restrictions of category M, you're licenced.

Binomate · 15-02-2006 7:20pm

Ah right. Thanks for explaining.

tk123 · 15-02-2006 8:16pm

good luck with the interview!!!

Binomate · 15-02-2006 8:19pm

tk123 wrote:

good luck with the interview!!!

Thanks.

Binomate · 16-02-2006 10:52pm

I got the job despite not being able to ride a moped. :v: The bikes are under 50cc I think but they have three gears with out a clutch. They'resemi automatic bikes. I don't think they should be too hard to get the hang of. Just like a cross between a moped a and a pushbike with gears.

selephonic · 21-02-2006 4:02am

I suugest taking a lot of care on these things, I drove for them a few years back. The bikes aren't well kept, and the box on the back makes things worse. You can easily find yourself doing wheelies or unable to brake.

But maybe they've improved since then.

Binomate · 21-02-2006 9:48am

I don't have the job any more. He tried to get me on the company insurance but apparently im not qualified because the bikes are actually more than 50cc (90cc I think). He said the insurance companies wanted me to have a category A licence or an A1 or something. I was on the bike for a couple of minutes. It doesn't seem too hard to pick up. He started me off up a hill which wasn't bad untill I had to turn around. I'm not used to a throttle on the handlebars so it was quite jumpy which was a little scary. I'd say with about 5 hours experience on those things you'd feel like you'd have been driving them your whole life. They're a lot easier to pick up than cars imo.

seamus · 21-02-2006 9:59am

Binomate wrote:

They're a lot easier to pick up than cars imo.

To figure out how to drive - yes. You have better fine motor control in your hands than in your feet, which makes clutch control that little bit easier to get the hang of. Years of riding bicycles also helps.
To drive correctly - No. The size of bikes gives you much more freedom and space on the roads, which presents more danger and requires more skill to master than a car. You're also much more susceptible to the laws of physics, and even the slightest change in the road requires a complete change in the way you ride.

Tree · 21-02-2006 1:28pm

seamus wrote:

You're also much more susceptible to the laws of physics.

oooooooooooooh, im taking this to teh physics forum

but i hate driving mopeds anymore, i think they're desparate, riding position is wayyyy too high. and it takes more than a few hours to get really used to any bike

Binomate · 21-02-2006 2:47pm

seamus wrote:

To figure out how to drive - yes. You have better fine motor control in your hands than in your feet, which makes clutch control that little bit easier to get the hang of. Years of riding bicycles also helps.
To drive correctly - No. The size of bikes gives you much more freedom and space on the roads, which presents more danger and requires more skill to master than a car. You're also much more susceptible to the laws of physics, and even the slightest change in the road requires a complete change in the way you ride.

True. The clutch on these bikes was an automatic clutch. You control the gear shifts and the automatic clutch does the rest of it. The one thing I don't get is how you are able to steer the bike and use the throttle as well. Are you meant to twist your wrist forward and use the throttle as a grip or are you meant to control the bike mostly with which ever hand isn't using the throttle?

tk123 · 21-02-2006 9:52pm

Binomate wrote:

Are you meant to twist your wrist forward and use the throttle as a grip or are you meant to control the bike mostly with which ever hand isn't using the throttle?

I 'use the throttle as a grip'...if you were only controlling the bike with one hand you'd go on your ear one you hit a bump!

Need a bit of help.

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