50cc scooter refresher course

In Japan, if you get a driving license for a car, you are also qualified to ride a 50cc scooter/motorcycle. The rules for these scooters, known as 原動機付き自転車 or 原付 in short, are covered as part of the lessons for getting a license. Actual hands on differ according to driving schools, but most don't really cover the practical part (except maybe like 10 minutes to tell you how to start and stop).

I thought I would put this license to use, and get myself a scooter. But first, it has been many years since I learnt to drive, and although the scooter was covered when I was learning to drive, hands-on was limited to that 10 minutes which I mentioned. I know how to ride a bicycle (I used to cycle to driving school) but something powered by an engine is very different from something powered by my legs. I decided to be safe and looked around to see if driving schools here offer refresher lessons for a scooter.

And realized that such refreshers are not common. There is a practical lesson at the license center when you get your scooter license (if you get it separately instead of with a driving or motorcycle license) but such lessons are not offered to those who already have a license. And driving schools usually don't offer them too. After some searching, I found the only driving school within commuting distance that offers scooter refresher course.

The place is the Futamatagawa Driving School. You can sign up for one or two periods (each period is 50 minutes). Of course, you can opt for more lessons, but most people go with one, at most two periods.

The nearest station to the registration/reception office is Futamatagawa Station on the Sotetsu Line. It is about 10 minutes walk. This is how the office looks like.

It is highly unlikely you can get a same-day lesson, so you will need to come back on another day for the lesson. The registration process includes paying 5,500 yen to become a student. This one-time fee is valid for a year, so if you decide to come back for other lessons in the future, as long as it is within a year, you do not need to pay this registration fee.

Each period costs 4,500 yen. So if you book one period, the total is 10,000 yen. If you need to rent a helmet, it is another 200 yen each time. You will need to tell the reception on the day of your lesson that you want to rent a helmet. Pay at the reception, and they will issue you a ticket. Bring that ticket to the driving course itself, and exchange it for a helmet. By the way, I was told that scooter refresher lessons are only available at night on weekdays. The earliest such slot is 17:10 to 18:00. The next period is 18:10 to 19:00, then 19:10 to 20:00.

On the day of your lesson, go to the reception at least 20 minutes before the start of the lesson. If you need a helmet, tell the reception and pay 200 yen for the ticket. Then wait for the shuttle to ferry you to the driving course itself.

This is how the driving course looks like.

It is actually a very simple course, with two long straights (about 60m each) and a shorting winding road, plus a slope.

For my 50-minute lesson, the instructor went through the basics of how to start and stop the scooter, accelerate and brake, and signal for turns. About 15 minutes was spent on this part, which was mostly the instructor talking and demonstrating.

Then came the actual practical, which was basically following behind the instructor on the scooter (I was assigned a Yamaha Vino). Accelerate on the straights, then slow down, turn, and keep doing this. Next was the actual practical for signalling turns, starting with right turns, then left turns. This was followed by a demonstration of how to do a two-step right turn. In Japan, 50cc scooters cannot make a direct right turn at intersections with three or more lanes. Such scooters need to make a two-step right turn, which is basically go straight, stop, then turn the scooter around to face the right, wait for the signal to turn green, then move straight in the new direction.

The instructor also went through how to start on a slope (uphill). This was followed by practice on a winding road. By then, time was almost up, so we did another round around the course before returning to the starting position.

I think 50 minutes was a bit short, but I don't think I need two periods. At least I got some practice and it helped to boost my confidence. Next would be to actually get a scooter, then practice in the neighbourhood before heading onto the main roads. Wish me luck!

 

Update August 1, 2021: It has been almost two months since I took delivery of my scooter, and I must really thank this scooter refresher. It was a short refresher, but it covered all the fundamentals, like how to move off from a slope, which proved to be very useful. I highly recommend this refresher to all new scooter riders.