In Italy you can get a car driving license at the age of 18 only. Until a decade ago, if you had a car driving license (patente B) you were entitled to drive motorbikes, too.
Of course, my bad lucky being always on, a couple of years before I was 18 the law changed and to drive big motorbikes (above 125 cubic centimeters of power) you had to get a motorbike driving license.
The only good point of this all, was that you just had to give the practical test if you already gave the theory part. But rumors had it that this was going to change, too, and that in a short while you were supposed to give a theory test specific for motorbikes - which, of course, you were going to pay.
So for years I went by like "I want to get a motorbike driving license before it gets too costly" but I had nobody who could lend me a motorbike. And motorbike rent services are not so common here, unless you live in one of the biggest cities of Italy which, of course, I don't.
This year I was taking the final decision to take this driving license because a collague of mine offered to lend his motorbike. But the hurdles were yet to come.
First of all, the practical test consist of a two parts: in the first one you have to go along a fixed route, namely a 8-shaped route, a narrow path and a fast slow-down (during which you have to change gears, in case you are using a motorbike with gears). In the second part you are guided by the inspector along a route in the city.
If you take the exam with a motorbike that has automatic transmission, then your license will be limited to automatic motorbikes. For this reason I want to get a full un-limited driving license, since I want to take (and pay) this exam once in my life - dreamin' of a coast to coast in the US. ;)
Taking the exam privately costs about 98 euros, against 180 euros (or above) with a driving school. Since I am greedy I went for the 98 euros option, then realized that the 8-shaped route is *really* hard with the mtorobike I was thinking to use.
Well, the problems are:
1) 95% of the people I know who own a motobike have an automatic model
2) the remaining 5% have a motorbikes that is too big to be able to go through the 8-shaped route, because they are too heavy and don't steer enough.
Now I have paid all that I had to pay, the 98 euros, and am motobike-less.
I asked to all the driving schools of the area if they rent bikes, and they replied that if I wanted to use their motorbike I was going to pay the full price with them and re-open the file with the driving inspectorate as a driving school candidate.
The nearest rent-a-motorbike service charges 127 euros per day for a motorbike (and 40 euros a day for a car!!!!). So renting a motorbike is more expensive than going to a driving school.
This is absurd!
It is not only me who has this problem: a lot of people want to buy a motorbike which is too big to be used to take the driving license practical test. If I were richer enough I would open such a service, for a lot less than 100 euros a day.
This is collusion. This is Italy.
che vergogna!
RispondiEliminama, abbiamo le spalle larghe, e possiamo proseguire la nostra vita comunque
nice post. thanks.
RispondiEliminaI think the same is true here, for both cars and motorcycles, that they cost more to rent than getting a license. And, actually, I don't even know if you can rent motorcycles here. If you can, I've never seen it.
RispondiEliminaHi there, awesome site. I thought the topics you posted on were very interesting. I tried to add your RSS to my feed reader and it a few. take a look at it, hopefully I can add you and follow.
RispondiEliminamotorbikes
It's none of my business, of course, but the point of the driving test is that you should be able to handle the motorbike you're driving - so if you can't do the 8-shape in the driving test on the bike you're planning to buy, then I'd say that bike is too big for you. It's no shame to be a beginner, so just accept that and get a bike that you can handle - even through the test :-) I'm from Denmark, here you can't even take a test without being enrolled in a driving school, which cost more than 1.000 euro... anyway, so cheer up, it could be worse - and I hope you got the license, riding motorbikes is awesome!
RispondiEliminaCompliments to your site Poala, very informative!
RispondiEliminaI thought i would share my experience. I did my CBT in the U.K but never had time to do the rest of the course so as i was working in Italy i transferred my G.B. driving license for an Italian driving license.
Once that was done and all ok i applied for a motorcycle test. I did not have to do the theory test due to having a full car license.
So i enrolled into a school, they organised the paperwork and i had to pay approx 400 euros in total. 280 for the school and the rest to the government which you have to pay at the post office. (this included both medical exams which are required)
This school fee included 1 lesson for 1 hour which i did and then i took another lesson an hour before the test.
At the test centre, the first part of the test is to complete 4 obstacles safely before they let you on the road for the second part of the test. This comprised of:
1, From stop position - straight run in between cones
2, From stop position - straight run in between cones + emergency stop with front wheel inside a marked box
3, From stop position - straight run in between cones + avoid box ( above no. 2) and carry on for another 10 metres.
4, From stop position - Slalom in between straight run in between 4 cones, onto a marked circle and back the opposite way.
(without knocking over any cones)
I DID NOT have to do an 8-shape! I did ask and they said no need.
ok, so then onto the road for 30 minutes with the instructors behind in a car.
DONE thank you very much. :)
Now i will convert my license to a G.B. license. This costs a lot less and is much more easier and simpler as well as less time consuming.
Sure, many people would argue and say that i should have done it in G.B as its stricter + around 500 pounds more! but time is money and money doesn't grow on trees so now i can put that extra money i saved towards a bike.
Ciao for now!
TRENTO, 16.06.2015
excuse me , No 4 should say >
EliminaSlalom in between 4 cones then straight onto a marked circle and back the opposite way.
Also, this cost included the use of Honda Hornet, Helmet, Gloves, Jacket + trousers.
Compliments to your site Poala, very informative!
RispondiEliminaI thought i would share my experience. I did my CBT in the U.K but never had time to do the rest of the course so as i was working in Italy i transferred my G.B. driving license for an Italian driving license.
Once that was done and all ok i applied for a motorcycle test. I did not have to do the theory test due to having a full car license.
So i enrolled into a school, they organised the paperwork and i had to pay approx 400 euros in total. 280 for the school and the rest to the government which you have to pay at the post office. (this included both medical exams which are required) This cost included the use of Honda Hornet, Helmet, Gloves, Jacket + Trousers.
This school fee included 1 lesson for 1 hour which i did and then i took another lesson an hour before the test.
At the test centre, i was first up, It was raining lightly so nothing new to me as England is like that all the time :) The first part of the test is to complete 4 obstacles safely before they let you on the road for the second part of the test. This comprised of:
1, From stop position - straight run in between cones
2, From stop position - straight run in between cones + emergency stop with front wheel inside a marked box
3, From stop position - straight run in between cones + avoid box ( above no. 2) and carry on for another 10 metres.
4, From stop position - Slalom in between 4 cones, then onto a marked circle and back the opposite way.
(without knocking over any cones)
I DID NOT have to do an 8-shape! I did ask and they said no need.
ok, so then onto the road for 30 minutes with the instructors behind in a car.
DONE thank you very much. :)
Now i will convert my license to a G.B. license. This costs a lot less and is much more easier and simpler as well as less time consuming.
Sure, many people would argue and say that i should have done it in G.B as its stricter + around 500 pounds more! but time is money and money doesn't grow on trees so now i can put that extra money i saved towards a bike.
Ciao for now!
TRENTO, 16.06.2015
It's a learning post. Italy had made a good law of getting driving license at the age of 18 only. You are really praiseworthy as you showed your courage of giving the exam. But It's so much expensive of 40 Euros for a car where 127 Euros for bike!!
RispondiElimina