MasterGreen
14th February 2000, 03:11
Living in Singapore : (a series of 1000) - Driving Motorbikes.
Caveat: What follows is my experience and opinion. The legal bits are, to the best of my knowledge correct. If in doubt check.
Singapore Driving Licenses – are easy to obtain if you go about it the right way. In fact, the whole motoring scene (and indeed many other areas in Singapore) can be summarized simply as “Attention to Detail”. If you intend to drive in Singapore bring an International Driving License with you that is valid for as long as possible (1 Year) : plus, of course your original license from the issuing country. Ensure that they both indicate ALL the classes that you intend to drive – specifically the motorcycle.
As a new resident in Singapore you are allowed to drive on the International license for up to one year. After that you must obtain a Singapore Driving License. In this first year you get a full bye on the driving test for all your indicated groups on the original license. The only requirement is to sit a “tick test” on the Highway Code. The little study book is $5 from good bookshops and the rules of the road are standard UK/European. All road signs and documentation are in English. There are no excuses <g>. Get this damn test out of the way ASAP. You have to book it in advance, and that takes two or three weeks to come through. Once it is done you get a Singapore license for a 1 year probation (I believe its called). If after 1 year you haven’t done anything stupid or amassed too many RTA tickets (no demerits for parking unless you are very silly) – you then get a permanent license.
If you don’t have a FULL bike license forget riding a bike. Singapore is NOT the place to learn to ride…. A bike is the best way to get from A-B when it is not raining. When it is raining there are no extra problems except for those big rain drops – they can really hurt !! Since it rains so often here you don’t get the nightmare problems of some places of rubber build up and leaves. The biggest hazard on a bike is yourself. It is town driving everywhere. Mr. Toad would be hard pressed to find the “joys of the open road” here. Traffic is often heavy although rarely unmanageable. The roads are well maintained and drained and generally traffic speeds are low and speed limits reasonably well observed. The problem for bikes is, in the main, other bikes and taxis. Both are unpredictable. To keep safe on a bike you need a neck on a swivel and good concentration. Having the right sort of bike helps also.
The Right Bike. The local limits on bike capacity are > 175 > 400 >unlimited. So once the locals get their full license they often go for the larger cc machines. The 300>400cc group is most in demand for intermediate drivers and can be pricey. However a 400-750cc is pretty much the best option both in price and effectiveness. The Max legal speed in Sg is 90kph – mostly 80 kph, practically there are few places that much more than that is required. However there are lots of traffic lights and mostly it’s stop / go action. A few extra ccs are very useful in keeping your own space and acceleration is a premium. I run a old 500cc Honda and that seems about perfect for the conditions. Since road tax and insurance are cc related why have much more.
The cost issues on motorbikes are not anything like the heartache with cars. In fact there is a glut of second hand bikes in the 400-750cc range and finding a good one at a reasonable price (by any standards) is easy. Petrol is S$1.32 / litre (92 octane) so a half decent 500 will give you 15 k/L on average. You get a hefty refund on the road tax from ERP (Electronic Road Pricing – more later) and running costs (road tax / tests / insurances) (excluding petrol and repairs) run out at less than S$500 a year. Very manageable.
The area where people come unstuck is paperwork. There is a rigid and effective control on COEs / Road Tax / Insurance and annual inspections. You just have to get it correct. The system will not let you beat it. Having said that, you spend a few minutes getting it straight in your mind and then get on with it. It works, you can’t avoid it. Doing it right first time is the easy option.
In summary then. A bike is a perfect way to get around Sg most of the time. You need some riding experience and a clear head to keep out of trouble on the roads here. Licensing is no hassle and costs are reasonable. Paperwork and procedures are very controlled but once you understand the system – it’s easy as…. Riding a bike….
Caveat: What follows is my experience and opinion. The legal bits are, to the best of my knowledge correct. If in doubt check.
Singapore Driving Licenses – are easy to obtain if you go about it the right way. In fact, the whole motoring scene (and indeed many other areas in Singapore) can be summarized simply as “Attention to Detail”. If you intend to drive in Singapore bring an International Driving License with you that is valid for as long as possible (1 Year) : plus, of course your original license from the issuing country. Ensure that they both indicate ALL the classes that you intend to drive – specifically the motorcycle.
As a new resident in Singapore you are allowed to drive on the International license for up to one year. After that you must obtain a Singapore Driving License. In this first year you get a full bye on the driving test for all your indicated groups on the original license. The only requirement is to sit a “tick test” on the Highway Code. The little study book is $5 from good bookshops and the rules of the road are standard UK/European. All road signs and documentation are in English. There are no excuses <g>. Get this damn test out of the way ASAP. You have to book it in advance, and that takes two or three weeks to come through. Once it is done you get a Singapore license for a 1 year probation (I believe its called). If after 1 year you haven’t done anything stupid or amassed too many RTA tickets (no demerits for parking unless you are very silly) – you then get a permanent license.
If you don’t have a FULL bike license forget riding a bike. Singapore is NOT the place to learn to ride…. A bike is the best way to get from A-B when it is not raining. When it is raining there are no extra problems except for those big rain drops – they can really hurt !! Since it rains so often here you don’t get the nightmare problems of some places of rubber build up and leaves. The biggest hazard on a bike is yourself. It is town driving everywhere. Mr. Toad would be hard pressed to find the “joys of the open road” here. Traffic is often heavy although rarely unmanageable. The roads are well maintained and drained and generally traffic speeds are low and speed limits reasonably well observed. The problem for bikes is, in the main, other bikes and taxis. Both are unpredictable. To keep safe on a bike you need a neck on a swivel and good concentration. Having the right sort of bike helps also.
The Right Bike. The local limits on bike capacity are > 175 > 400 >unlimited. So once the locals get their full license they often go for the larger cc machines. The 300>400cc group is most in demand for intermediate drivers and can be pricey. However a 400-750cc is pretty much the best option both in price and effectiveness. The Max legal speed in Sg is 90kph – mostly 80 kph, practically there are few places that much more than that is required. However there are lots of traffic lights and mostly it’s stop / go action. A few extra ccs are very useful in keeping your own space and acceleration is a premium. I run a old 500cc Honda and that seems about perfect for the conditions. Since road tax and insurance are cc related why have much more.
The cost issues on motorbikes are not anything like the heartache with cars. In fact there is a glut of second hand bikes in the 400-750cc range and finding a good one at a reasonable price (by any standards) is easy. Petrol is S$1.32 / litre (92 octane) so a half decent 500 will give you 15 k/L on average. You get a hefty refund on the road tax from ERP (Electronic Road Pricing – more later) and running costs (road tax / tests / insurances) (excluding petrol and repairs) run out at less than S$500 a year. Very manageable.
The area where people come unstuck is paperwork. There is a rigid and effective control on COEs / Road Tax / Insurance and annual inspections. You just have to get it correct. The system will not let you beat it. Having said that, you spend a few minutes getting it straight in your mind and then get on with it. It works, you can’t avoid it. Doing it right first time is the easy option.
In summary then. A bike is a perfect way to get around Sg most of the time. You need some riding experience and a clear head to keep out of trouble on the roads here. Licensing is no hassle and costs are reasonable. Paperwork and procedures are very controlled but once you understand the system – it’s easy as…. Riding a bike….