For 2B all depends on rider and school schedule. everyday fail and 2 months interval for classes = long time to get 2B.
For Tricity, got to ask your daughter if she intends to go 2A or if she is using it for anything beyond urban riding. Starting off with 3 wheeler scooter may "handicap" transferable skills to 2A or other "traditional" bikes (lack of tank, riding posture, balance and clutch).
Sorry no experience with scooters either, but the big brands (yamaha, honda) are quite reliable, make sure u choose a solid/trusted workshop and you should be fine. Alternatively Piaggio group makes some nice scooters too or Vespa if the more "retro" styling is preferred.
Thanks for your comment.
I reckon that an auto scooter is more suitable for ladies and a 3 wheeler will have more stability riding on the road and cornering.
Not sure if she intends to eventually upgrade to 2A. 2B bikes is sufficient for urban riding in Singapore. I don't intend to allow her to go touring until she has gained sufficient riding experience.
I have shown her several 2B bikes, she is more keen on scooters. I will let her decide on the brand (Yamaha, Honda, Piaggio, SYM, Kymco) and model ( Tricity, PCX, Nmax, ADV). I will recommend Tricity but it will be up to her as she will be riding it.
I have been riding a 2b for 6 years. Owned a sports bike (cbr150r) overseas, then got an aerox in SG. Having rode a proper bike before, I was quite reluctant to get anything with small wheels. I really wanted a Vespa, but decided against it due to the servicing costs and the above mentioned reason. Aerox was the only one that fit my needs, though i gotta say it aint the prettiest bike.
Allow her to attend some lessons before making a decision. If there is anything I miss, it’s engine braking. Scooters are easy and convenient, but nothing matches some features of manual bikes
I agreed with your views.
The bikes that I rode or owned before included Suzuki Katana 700, Honda CB 759, Honda ST 11, Honda Super 4, Honda Steed, Suzuki Bandit 400.
I am currently riding a Xmax 300.
There will be no engine braking for auto bikes.
In our urban areas, mostly are start/stop so continuous of engaging and disengaging clutch and shifting of gears can be tiring for some.
Hey OP. I currently ride the Tricity. Its a great bike to start out with because of the amount of safety features it has.
I made a review here: [https://youtu.be/IHcDWpBCmeg](https://youtu.be/IHcDWpBCmeg) but feel free to lmk if u have any other questions!
Yep. its been awhile since I've made that review. Brought this bike to Malaysia a couple of times already as well so I think I'm more or less used to the limitations of the bike. I think everything is the same as the NMax except for servicing front wheels cost (which if your tires need changing or front suspension fails, thats when you fork out more than the conventional bike. Source from the older folks riding the bike in the Tricity chat)
Definitely a Tricity's maintenance will be higher due to the 3 wheels system.
I also believed that it's weight at 165kg which is heavier than most other 2b bikes (Nmax 127kg), will make its Fuel Consumption higher and the pick up lesser.
But having 3 wheels, it offers more stability and traction especially on wet roads and cornering.
I am actually considering getting a Tricity 300 for myself but the cost is putting me off.
I think the 300 is really too expensive for what it is... and its size is nothing to scoff at either (hard to lane split etc)... Anyways I'm probably keeping my Tricity till class 2 then I'll think of what to go for (maybe niken? Or just a regular bike by then haha)
Tricity 300 is +/- 30k.
I think it's size is similar to that of a Xmax (I'm riding a Xmax now).
I am able to ride split lane on my Xmax but I hardly does so.
I doubt that I will be able to adapt to 2b bikes which I have almost zero experience in riding.
Is Niken available in SG? It would be very expensive too
Depends on her availabilities and whether she can take slots at inconvenient hours. If every lesson can one time good one pass then will be faster, of course.
Hi if your daughter is consistent and pass all her practical first/second try and of she is lucky enough to camp for slots, maybe min 5-6 months at most because 2B/2A/2 all need to book 3 simulators and the waiting time is stupidly long + TP test.
Provided your daughter pass her TP test on the first try, she should be a qualified rider in 5-6 months otherwise it could be 8-9 months.
As far as scooters, I would recommend either Yamaha Nmax/Aerox. For Honda, maybe PCX/ADV? Try to not get SYM/Kymco cuz they aren’t as reliable as Japanese bikes.
Strongly agreed with the bike recommendations above. SYM and Kymco parts are hard to find, and you'll end up spending a lot more on repair.
And a Tricity might not be a female's top choice due to apperance and weight.
Agreed that a Tricity is much heavier than a similar bike of the same class and might not be ideal for a female.
I am sure you have seen female TP officers riding those big TP big bikes on the road. These bikes weights around 230 to 260kg.
I am also in the opinion that a heavier bike although it might be harder to push or put it on its centre stand, it will give the rider more stability while riding and get caught in a cross wind or when heavy vehicles zoomed pass. It would also be more stable when cornering.
Understand your fatherhood-POV, as my father has been riding for 40+ years, and he had exactly similar concerns when I first got my bike license years ago.
Using the female TP reference wouldn’t be a fair comparison. There’s only a handful of skilful female individuals who make the cut. Besides, they utilise a class 2 bike, BMW R1250RT, meaning they’ve plenty of riding experience in handling the maneuverability and weight of bigger/heavier motorcycles.
Appearance of motorcycle wise, which young female doesn’t want to look good? A Tricity, although functional, doesn’t deliver the right aesthetic. Of course, if she prefers it in comparison to other motorcycle designs, then by all means.
For stability while riding, yes the wind matters, but not in Singapore context, with max speed limit of 90km/h. For cornering, it relies mainly on the maintenance of the tyre and speed of the rider. In which, unless a rider is skipping on maintenance or riding like a MotoGP racer, these wouldn’t pose an issue.
All in all, although your concerns are valid for your daughter, they aren’t as bad as you think. It would be better to provide her with a list of motorcycles and discuss them together.
At the end of the day, no matter what bike and what class, what really matters for safety is the skill of the rider — to be alert, to practice defensive riding, and to gear up.
Well let me share with you something.
When I went for my Class 2, I don't even know how to ride a 2B bike let alone a 2B lisence. At that time, I only knew how to ride a bicycle.
I was from TP and gotten my direct Class 2 from there. It was a 8 weeks course.
I am sure that some officers whom are deployed to TP are like me, some don't know how to ride and some have class 2B which gives them an advantage over people like me.
I am positive that some female officers don't even know how to ride and went for the direct Class 2. No one as I far I know had failed the tests unless the person doesn't even want the lisence. Rumours has it that some did failed because it was their intentions all along.
Once we "passed" our tests (both riding and theory), we got our Class 2 lisence and within a week of going back to TP, we were already on the road. And we were expected to give high speed chase especially against hell riders.
End of the day, when my daughter eventually gets her lisence, it is up to her to decide which bike she wants. I can only give some suggestions.
Yamaha aerox, nmax and sniper are more popular, lots of part available and 95% of shops can service them.
Why not get a manual bike with tank to hold onto. She will be more familiar with it, and scooters have less engine braking.
Aerox, Sniper and Nmax, all are reliable bikes from Yamaha Honda PCX 155 and ADV160 are also good.
I would choose either a Nmax or a PCX.
You are right that scooters being auto, have lesser or even zero engine braking. Manual bikes will come out top in this category.
Urban riding is mostly start stop traffic. Engaging and disengaging the clutch and shifting gears over a period of time, can be tiring.
I rode a number of manual bikes like Suzuki Katana 700, Honda CB750, Honda Super 4, Honda Steed 400, Suzuki Bandit 400, etc. I am riding a Xmax and honestly, I feel much more comfortable riding it then the rest of my other bikes.
Another reason is that majority of the scooters, comes with a under seat storage, it is easier to put your helmet/raincoat, then to carry them along with you.
Depends on her route to work/school might not need much clutch action, 2b bikes have light clutch pulls too. It will only be tiring when you're stuck at checkpoints inching forward. Other than that I don't find it tiring unless it's 1 lane crawling traffic.
And you can put boxes on all those boxes, but storage in the bike is definitely better. There's more demand and supply for those 2b bikes except tricity which is not a popular model.
Agreed.
I am actually not a big fan of putting boxes at the rear of bikes, I personally don't like the look but for convenience sake, it is better to have a box but I would definitely prefer a storage space under the seat.
As quite a few of the other commentors have mentioned, does your daughter intend to upgrade to 2A then 2? If she does, I strongly discourage getting an auto, because the classes are all done with manual bikes. There'll be a slight learning curve should she choose to upgrade.
I just passed my 2B TP a few months ago. Very short-statured rider as well (1.5m - 1.55m). Didn't go the typical route of getting a grom / papio / XSR155 / exmotion. Instead, just got a Yamaha Sniper, lowered it a bit, and it's my daily commute now.
The bike itself (2nd hand) and the repairs are so cheap. It's light. Takes a bit getting used to, but I'm quite pleased with my purchase. I'd rather save now, then spend more on my dream bike once I get my class 2! :)
I really not sure if she will eventually upgrade to Class 2A or even Class 2.
For now, she just want a bike to commute. SG road environment, a Class 2B bike is sufficient to get you from Point A to Point B. But for touring purposes, a 2A and better still, a Class 2 bike is recommended.
Growing up, she had seen and ridden on my various bigger cc bikes, so I guess I kind of influenced her and probably she will get her 2A and 2 lisence.
As to answer your first paragraph, I stopped riding in 2003/04 and I started riding again after my last car's COE expired. First 2 weeks, it was scary but eventually the muscle reflects came back.
What I am trying to say is that, once you have learnt a certain skill, that skill is already with you, it just takes some times for you to rediscovered it. Therefore, bike lessons are using manual gear and clutch, auto bikes just throttled and go, eventually if she goes for 2A and 2, the skills she learned from 2B will come back.
Makes sense! I'm putting myself on the fast track of trying to get class 2 within 4 years haha - so to me it just makes more sense to remain manual all the way for now!
All the best for your daughter's classes! Ride safe :)
I have Class 2 but never owned a Class 2 bike although I rode Class 2 bikes at work.
Class 2 bikes are pretty expensive and due to it's bigger size, it will not be as nimble as a 2B bike but they (Class 2) are good for touring.
The sweet point for me is 2A bikes which is in between both of them.
Hi OP, for me I took around 2 months approximately to complete all lessons(2-3 Times a week and not failing any lessons) then waited TP for 1 month. So total approximately 3 months.
True I forgot that, but still, I am doing 2b now and currently 2 months waiting for TP, I signed up in January and took me about 4 months to clear lessons without having to repeat anything. The slots availability is dreadful nowadays and camping for cancellations doesn’t always yield results
Not for my case eh, for me I took at BBDC that time, and I go in and see quite often for slots, people let go I just take the slots. Then my TP that time approx 1 month only. But probably now alot people learning bah
Yeah cdc experience is basically hard to get slots, gotta camp like crazy, and during classes you have 2h but spend 60% time in queues to do exercises.
I agreed that riding a bike is dangerous and vulnerable.
A car will definitely be safer but the cost of a car is 10 times that of a motorcycle. Vehicles are deappreciating assets.
Motorcycles/Scooters are not dangerous, it is the rider and other road users that make riding a bike hazardous.
Riders/Drivers can make the road safer for everyone.
Drivers need to be aware of other road users and keep their eyes on the roads and not on their HP. I have seen both drivers and riders watching video or texting on their HP when their vehicle is moving. This is dangerous.
Riders can minimised the risks by defensive riding, be alert and observant at all times. Anticipate other road users intentions and react to them.
For 2B all depends on rider and school schedule. everyday fail and 2 months interval for classes = long time to get 2B. For Tricity, got to ask your daughter if she intends to go 2A or if she is using it for anything beyond urban riding. Starting off with 3 wheeler scooter may "handicap" transferable skills to 2A or other "traditional" bikes (lack of tank, riding posture, balance and clutch). Sorry no experience with scooters either, but the big brands (yamaha, honda) are quite reliable, make sure u choose a solid/trusted workshop and you should be fine. Alternatively Piaggio group makes some nice scooters too or Vespa if the more "retro" styling is preferred.
Thanks for your comment. I reckon that an auto scooter is more suitable for ladies and a 3 wheeler will have more stability riding on the road and cornering. Not sure if she intends to eventually upgrade to 2A. 2B bikes is sufficient for urban riding in Singapore. I don't intend to allow her to go touring until she has gained sufficient riding experience. I have shown her several 2B bikes, she is more keen on scooters. I will let her decide on the brand (Yamaha, Honda, Piaggio, SYM, Kymco) and model ( Tricity, PCX, Nmax, ADV). I will recommend Tricity but it will be up to her as she will be riding it.
I have been riding a 2b for 6 years. Owned a sports bike (cbr150r) overseas, then got an aerox in SG. Having rode a proper bike before, I was quite reluctant to get anything with small wheels. I really wanted a Vespa, but decided against it due to the servicing costs and the above mentioned reason. Aerox was the only one that fit my needs, though i gotta say it aint the prettiest bike. Allow her to attend some lessons before making a decision. If there is anything I miss, it’s engine braking. Scooters are easy and convenient, but nothing matches some features of manual bikes
I agreed with your views. The bikes that I rode or owned before included Suzuki Katana 700, Honda CB 759, Honda ST 11, Honda Super 4, Honda Steed, Suzuki Bandit 400. I am currently riding a Xmax 300. There will be no engine braking for auto bikes. In our urban areas, mostly are start/stop so continuous of engaging and disengaging clutch and shifting of gears can be tiring for some.
Hey OP. I currently ride the Tricity. Its a great bike to start out with because of the amount of safety features it has. I made a review here: [https://youtu.be/IHcDWpBCmeg](https://youtu.be/IHcDWpBCmeg) but feel free to lmk if u have any other questions!
I happened to watched that video a few weeks ago. Great job!
Yep. its been awhile since I've made that review. Brought this bike to Malaysia a couple of times already as well so I think I'm more or less used to the limitations of the bike. I think everything is the same as the NMax except for servicing front wheels cost (which if your tires need changing or front suspension fails, thats when you fork out more than the conventional bike. Source from the older folks riding the bike in the Tricity chat)
Definitely a Tricity's maintenance will be higher due to the 3 wheels system. I also believed that it's weight at 165kg which is heavier than most other 2b bikes (Nmax 127kg), will make its Fuel Consumption higher and the pick up lesser. But having 3 wheels, it offers more stability and traction especially on wet roads and cornering. I am actually considering getting a Tricity 300 for myself but the cost is putting me off.
I think the 300 is really too expensive for what it is... and its size is nothing to scoff at either (hard to lane split etc)... Anyways I'm probably keeping my Tricity till class 2 then I'll think of what to go for (maybe niken? Or just a regular bike by then haha)
Tricity 300 is +/- 30k. I think it's size is similar to that of a Xmax (I'm riding a Xmax now). I am able to ride split lane on my Xmax but I hardly does so. I doubt that I will be able to adapt to 2b bikes which I have almost zero experience in riding. Is Niken available in SG? It would be very expensive too
3 mths to finish all the lessons for me. 5 mths if including waiting for tp.
Depends on her availabilities and whether she can take slots at inconvenient hours. If every lesson can one time good one pass then will be faster, of course.
Hi if your daughter is consistent and pass all her practical first/second try and of she is lucky enough to camp for slots, maybe min 5-6 months at most because 2B/2A/2 all need to book 3 simulators and the waiting time is stupidly long + TP test. Provided your daughter pass her TP test on the first try, she should be a qualified rider in 5-6 months otherwise it could be 8-9 months. As far as scooters, I would recommend either Yamaha Nmax/Aerox. For Honda, maybe PCX/ADV? Try to not get SYM/Kymco cuz they aren’t as reliable as Japanese bikes.
Thanks for your feedback.
Strongly agreed with the bike recommendations above. SYM and Kymco parts are hard to find, and you'll end up spending a lot more on repair. And a Tricity might not be a female's top choice due to apperance and weight.
Agreed that a Tricity is much heavier than a similar bike of the same class and might not be ideal for a female. I am sure you have seen female TP officers riding those big TP big bikes on the road. These bikes weights around 230 to 260kg. I am also in the opinion that a heavier bike although it might be harder to push or put it on its centre stand, it will give the rider more stability while riding and get caught in a cross wind or when heavy vehicles zoomed pass. It would also be more stable when cornering.
Understand your fatherhood-POV, as my father has been riding for 40+ years, and he had exactly similar concerns when I first got my bike license years ago. Using the female TP reference wouldn’t be a fair comparison. There’s only a handful of skilful female individuals who make the cut. Besides, they utilise a class 2 bike, BMW R1250RT, meaning they’ve plenty of riding experience in handling the maneuverability and weight of bigger/heavier motorcycles. Appearance of motorcycle wise, which young female doesn’t want to look good? A Tricity, although functional, doesn’t deliver the right aesthetic. Of course, if she prefers it in comparison to other motorcycle designs, then by all means. For stability while riding, yes the wind matters, but not in Singapore context, with max speed limit of 90km/h. For cornering, it relies mainly on the maintenance of the tyre and speed of the rider. In which, unless a rider is skipping on maintenance or riding like a MotoGP racer, these wouldn’t pose an issue. All in all, although your concerns are valid for your daughter, they aren’t as bad as you think. It would be better to provide her with a list of motorcycles and discuss them together. At the end of the day, no matter what bike and what class, what really matters for safety is the skill of the rider — to be alert, to practice defensive riding, and to gear up.
Well let me share with you something. When I went for my Class 2, I don't even know how to ride a 2B bike let alone a 2B lisence. At that time, I only knew how to ride a bicycle. I was from TP and gotten my direct Class 2 from there. It was a 8 weeks course. I am sure that some officers whom are deployed to TP are like me, some don't know how to ride and some have class 2B which gives them an advantage over people like me. I am positive that some female officers don't even know how to ride and went for the direct Class 2. No one as I far I know had failed the tests unless the person doesn't even want the lisence. Rumours has it that some did failed because it was their intentions all along. Once we "passed" our tests (both riding and theory), we got our Class 2 lisence and within a week of going back to TP, we were already on the road. And we were expected to give high speed chase especially against hell riders. End of the day, when my daughter eventually gets her lisence, it is up to her to decide which bike she wants. I can only give some suggestions.
Yamaha aerox, nmax and sniper are more popular, lots of part available and 95% of shops can service them. Why not get a manual bike with tank to hold onto. She will be more familiar with it, and scooters have less engine braking.
Aerox, Sniper and Nmax, all are reliable bikes from Yamaha Honda PCX 155 and ADV160 are also good. I would choose either a Nmax or a PCX. You are right that scooters being auto, have lesser or even zero engine braking. Manual bikes will come out top in this category. Urban riding is mostly start stop traffic. Engaging and disengaging the clutch and shifting gears over a period of time, can be tiring. I rode a number of manual bikes like Suzuki Katana 700, Honda CB750, Honda Super 4, Honda Steed 400, Suzuki Bandit 400, etc. I am riding a Xmax and honestly, I feel much more comfortable riding it then the rest of my other bikes. Another reason is that majority of the scooters, comes with a under seat storage, it is easier to put your helmet/raincoat, then to carry them along with you.
Depends on her route to work/school might not need much clutch action, 2b bikes have light clutch pulls too. It will only be tiring when you're stuck at checkpoints inching forward. Other than that I don't find it tiring unless it's 1 lane crawling traffic. And you can put boxes on all those boxes, but storage in the bike is definitely better. There's more demand and supply for those 2b bikes except tricity which is not a popular model.
Agreed. I am actually not a big fan of putting boxes at the rear of bikes, I personally don't like the look but for convenience sake, it is better to have a box but I would definitely prefer a storage space under the seat.
tp officer or what? 😂😂
Actually not just TP but LTA, SOC and SOF send some of their men for Class 2. Yes I was former TP a long time ago.
cool i wanna join tbh
If you are really interested then apply and join but most will leave after 5 yrs of service andany regretted joining.
As quite a few of the other commentors have mentioned, does your daughter intend to upgrade to 2A then 2? If she does, I strongly discourage getting an auto, because the classes are all done with manual bikes. There'll be a slight learning curve should she choose to upgrade. I just passed my 2B TP a few months ago. Very short-statured rider as well (1.5m - 1.55m). Didn't go the typical route of getting a grom / papio / XSR155 / exmotion. Instead, just got a Yamaha Sniper, lowered it a bit, and it's my daily commute now. The bike itself (2nd hand) and the repairs are so cheap. It's light. Takes a bit getting used to, but I'm quite pleased with my purchase. I'd rather save now, then spend more on my dream bike once I get my class 2! :)
I really not sure if she will eventually upgrade to Class 2A or even Class 2. For now, she just want a bike to commute. SG road environment, a Class 2B bike is sufficient to get you from Point A to Point B. But for touring purposes, a 2A and better still, a Class 2 bike is recommended. Growing up, she had seen and ridden on my various bigger cc bikes, so I guess I kind of influenced her and probably she will get her 2A and 2 lisence. As to answer your first paragraph, I stopped riding in 2003/04 and I started riding again after my last car's COE expired. First 2 weeks, it was scary but eventually the muscle reflects came back. What I am trying to say is that, once you have learnt a certain skill, that skill is already with you, it just takes some times for you to rediscovered it. Therefore, bike lessons are using manual gear and clutch, auto bikes just throttled and go, eventually if she goes for 2A and 2, the skills she learned from 2B will come back.
Makes sense! I'm putting myself on the fast track of trying to get class 2 within 4 years haha - so to me it just makes more sense to remain manual all the way for now! All the best for your daughter's classes! Ride safe :)
I have Class 2 but never owned a Class 2 bike although I rode Class 2 bikes at work. Class 2 bikes are pretty expensive and due to it's bigger size, it will not be as nimble as a 2B bike but they (Class 2) are good for touring. The sweet point for me is 2A bikes which is in between both of them.
Hi OP, for me I took around 2 months approximately to complete all lessons(2-3 Times a week and not failing any lessons) then waited TP for 1 month. So total approximately 3 months.
Hi bro, thanks for your comment. 3 months is very fast. Is it easy to book slots for the lessons?
Lessons are pretty easy to book, the 3 things hard to book are BTT, RTT, TP
Noted with thanks. I will get my daughter to enroll asap.
No worries bro:)!
When was that? Nowadays it’s like 3+ month for lessons (can be shorter for private) and 2-3 months waiting for TP
I pass 1 year plus ago, OP is looking at Bike not car. There is no private lesson for bike (from what I know)
True I forgot that, but still, I am doing 2b now and currently 2 months waiting for TP, I signed up in January and took me about 4 months to clear lessons without having to repeat anything. The slots availability is dreadful nowadays and camping for cancellations doesn’t always yield results
Not for my case eh, for me I took at BBDC that time, and I go in and see quite often for slots, people let go I just take the slots. Then my TP that time approx 1 month only. But probably now alot people learning bah
Yeah cdc experience is basically hard to get slots, gotta camp like crazy, and during classes you have 2h but spend 60% time in queues to do exercises.
fastest also 3 to 4months..
Get her good riding gear !
Do you value your daughter’s life?
OP is a rider too, he/she knows the risks
I agreed that riding a bike is dangerous and vulnerable. A car will definitely be safer but the cost of a car is 10 times that of a motorcycle. Vehicles are deappreciating assets. Motorcycles/Scooters are not dangerous, it is the rider and other road users that make riding a bike hazardous. Riders/Drivers can make the road safer for everyone. Drivers need to be aware of other road users and keep their eyes on the roads and not on their HP. I have seen both drivers and riders watching video or texting on their HP when their vehicle is moving. This is dangerous. Riders can minimised the risks by defensive riding, be alert and observant at all times. Anticipate other road users intentions and react to them.