We love travelling in Asia. One of the iconic sites when travelling in Asia is people riding scooters through the streets of some of the major cities we’ve visited. It’s always something we’ve wanted to do. Well, I have Bec, is on the fence about it.
You see, I fancy myself zipping through the back streets of Ho Chi Minh City or checking out some of the lesser-known beaches in Bali. We’ve never had the nerve to do it for a few reasons.
- We don’t have any motorbike riding experience
- We don’t have motorbike licenses
- We don’t have a motorbike
- We don’t want to kill ourselves or anyone else
- Are we too old (Mark, 51) and Bec (mid-40s)?
Are we too old to get motorbike licenses?
Age and experience are our primary concerns, to be honest. Bec is a very cautious driver in a car, and tackling the traffic in Asia on a scooter can cause some anxiety. I’m all guns firing or keen as mustard, as we would say here in Australia. I can’t wait to tackle the traffic and the places we can explore with the freedom of a scooter.
We also live in a small country town where it’s considered a traffic jam if you have to wait at a roundabout for more than two cars. We have city driving experience in Melbourne, and I have driven through European cities, such as Berlin, Amsterdam, Warsaw, and more, even though Bec would say I’m not the best driver.
So what do we have to do about these things? We will book in to get our motorcycle licenses. We weren’t sure what to expect when we signed up for this course, whether it would be intense, hard, easy, or all of the above. In the end, our instructor, Doug, made it really easy for all of us. It wasn’t too intense. It was simple and easy to follow.
They showed us all the essentials, we learned about the bikes. We did a little bit of riding on a tarmac, stopping, starting, changing gears, and weaving in and out of cones. We learned what we needed to be able to get out and ride a motorbike safely on our learner’s permit.
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We also bought ourselves a Honda SCV 100. It’s about 15 years old, and if you have hurricane winds behind you, it might crack 90 kilometres an hour. But it’s enough for us to gain the feel and road skills required to give us a firm footing when we get our full licenses.
I have been riding the scooter to work most days when the weather allows, and I must admit I enjoy riding it. It’s so much fun.The next step is when we book one last training session with an instructor later this year. Then, we can apply for our full motorbike licenses.
All this can be done from go to woe in as little as three months at around the cost of 1000 AUD.Yes, it costs $1000 to get a motorbike license. It’s a high price to pay for peace of mind, but we think it’s a good investment in our future as digital nomads.
Age is no barrier in the end. Have confidence in yourself and go out and try something new, just like us. If you see us in Asia cruising around on scooters, give us a wave.
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