Motor scooter

I've been thinking about getting a more fuel efficient way of getting to work. I used to have a small pick-up truck that I used for work while we have a minivan for the family to use. But the truck is gone now (I should write about that some day) and we tried just using the minivan for everything. Usually, I just took the minivan to work and Cindy and the kids borrowed my mother-in-law's car when they needed it. Or Cindy would drive me to work and pick me up again at night. That was twice the miles per day to get to work, though. Also, the minivan gets pretty bad gas mileage. So, I'd been thinking about getting a motor scooter to use on days when Cindy needs the car. I shopped around and priced them and weighed the various benefits of different models and decided on a Honda Elite 110cc motor scooter. Being over 50cc engine size means I have to register it and get a motorcycle license but the mileage is incredible. The cost of the scooter, the insurance, the registration and the license fee (not to mention the cost of gas) are MUCH less than what we'd need to pay for a small, fuel efficient car.

I bought the scooter two days ago, on June 19. I've registered the bike and got a learner's permit for a motorcycle license. That's me and my son Evan in the picture. He's only 13 years old and won't be driving it - yet. I'm sure to have some stories to tell as I learn to ride it correctly and get my full motorcycle license. It's already been an adventure just getting the learner's permit. They give you a test of 25 multiple choice questions. I thought it would be easy but I studied the motorcycle handbook published by the registry of motor vehicles. You only have to get 18 answers correct to pass and get the learner's permit. A piece of cake.

But the first two questions were about the penalties to junior operators (16.5 to 18 years of age) when operating a car. That wasn't in the handbook that I'd studied! So, I got the first two answers wrong. I had to get 18 of the next 23 questions right. They threw in a few more questions about penalties that I hadn't studied and I ended up having to get 4 of the last 5 answers right to pass. I got exactly 4 of the last 5 questions right and ended up with 18 correct answers - just enough. I'd passed but I was completely embarrassed. The lady at the counter said they didn't care. She tried to make me feel better by saying they threw in those "penalties to junior operators" questions because they think learner's permits will be taken by young people and they want to warn them about the consequences. Well, all it's done is make me really nervous about the final written test. And what about the road test? I thought it was going to be easy. But now I'm not so sure.

[Update - Well, there was no "final" written test. This was the one and only written test. I wish I'd known that when I went to take my road test. More about that in this post.]