We’ve all been there: you get to the campsite, pitch the ’van, set up the awning, rearrange the interior just how you like it, and then realise that, annoyingly, you’ve forgotten something, and the shops are a bit too far to walk. This is why many people tow a car behind their ’van.
The trouble is, towing a car behind a motorhome involves mucking about with a large, heavy trailer and then having to unstrap the car and drive it off the trailer (via bulky ramps).
By the time you’ve got the car off the trailer, it’s debatable whether this really is a labour-saver. And on top of that, taxing, insuring and maintaining a car can be pretty costly.
Happily, there is an alternative, in the form of two wheels – a motorbike or a moped. These offer a much greater range than a bicycle and you don’t have to be as fit as Bradley Wiggins to ride one. They’re available with electric or internal combustion engines, sip fuel and cost peanuts to insure and tax. In many cases, you don’t even need a special licence to use one.
Modern motorbikes and mopeds are easy to ride and far lighter than the steel-framed bikes you might have experienced back in the day.
But before you start shopping for riding leathers, with visions of Peter Fonda in Easy Rider or Clay Morrow from Sons of Anarchy, there are a few essential things you need to know…
CHECK YOUR DRIVING LICENCE
To ride a motorbike, you’ll need to have the category code A1, A2 or A on your driving licence. If you only have a car licence (category B), you will need to take additional training to be licensed,
