There are weekend course at the airport matey... or 3 day weekday ones... its held at the airport parking lots by the Main Ferney border crossing. worth nipping past and writing down the number.

Ah really?  Ok cheers will look into that.  Thanks Charlie.

No more replies necessary... just found out everything - and all very easy and straightforward - feel free to mail me if anyone needs info... I'm now an expat expert on the motorbike licence process!!!  And knock me down with a feather... but it's also quicker, easier and CHEAPER than the UK!  I shit you not!

Hello Dean

can you forward me the motorbike information please? What bike don you have?

Thanks Chris

Hello Dean

can you forward me the motorbike information please?

Thanks

Claudio

Hi Chris & Claudio,

I might as well detail it here actually - Very happy to help.  And Chris, in the process of buying my bike now and considering a few top options, but the firm favourite is the Honda Shadow, possibly a Kawasaki VN - but I prefer the shaft drive, so Honda might be the winner - Black and chrome - proper bad-ass low riding with power.  Yes... I considered the Harley Davidson (or Hardly Moving Son) but they're about 30% more in price, and I can't seem to justify it other than the name... and not sure I really want the name either.

Anyway...

1.  Get your Student licence from the local vehicle registration office, mine is in Nyon and you receive it there and then - take a photo and your car licence and permit.  takes 10 minutes.

2.  Then you can book your course - you need to complete 3 x 4 hour courses (stage 1 basic manouvering crap - Stage 2 traffic hazard awareness and stage 3 mountain roads experience) - Cost - Chf 600 for the full 12 hour course.  I'm actually paying more (Delta driving school, Gland) to do each 4 hour course in the next 3 Saturday mornings in Nyon.  There's a website online called Simply City that do it for Chf 360, but the next course is in March... and I'm just far too impatient to wait.)

3. You then get your student licence stamped after each of the 3 courses - you then take that back to the vehicle office who give you a certificate so you can then book your exam.  NO THEORY required if you have a category B car licence.  Just the 3 x 4 hour courses, that's it.

4.  The exam is 50 minutes - you do the cone course - narrow path, figure of 8, slalom and emergency stop - Then you go out in traffic for the rest of it - I guess if you survive, you pass!

Wish me luck... and good luck to you guys, and anyone else.  I'll pop back to give an update on how it goes... and also which beast I end up buying.  Basically, I've wanted my licence for years - and THIS summer I intend on seeing some more of Switzerland with the wind in my hair and flies in my teeth!  No doubt with a little tent a cooking pot to really get the Nomad experience...  The Ironman itch was scratched last year, now I want to go faster and further!!  Next year I might buy a rocket!

Oh... ps - you can hire bikes for the courses, most bike shops do daily hires - if you're doing the FULL UNLIMITED Category A Licence, you need at least a 35kw power bike... same for your test obviously.  I think you have to do your test on your own bike... after your course completion you have one year to take your test, so you need to buy your bike in that time, get the grey card and present it at your test centre.  I think... I guess most people will want to do that anyway, so it's not really a concern.

Cheers

Thanks Dean...anyhow take also in consideration a Moto Guzzi in you whishing list...maybe a V7 Racer.

Ciao

Claudio

I agree.  I've wanted a Guzzi for a long time.

Is there a dealer in Geneva?

Ok... So I said I would report back with an update.  "I've got my licence!!"

Quick re-cap, I'm a Brit, and on 4th Feb I posted this forum question as I had no idea how to take motorbike lessons, get a provisional licence or how to pass my test in Switzerland... and today, 6 weeks later, I can announce that I have passed my test and now have an unlimited A cateogory licence... and it was all fairly easy.

So if anyone is ever in the same situation and you've found this thread, drop me a line and I'll happily answer any questions.  Also, I don't speak French, so I managed it all by just nodding confidently at the instructions and whenever in doubt just did what I thought was the obvious thing to do... even in the test you wear a radio ear-piece, so as long as you know the basic words for directions, then like me, you'll blag your way through well enough.

Oh.. and thanks for the bike-buying tips... but have opted for a Honda Shadow Spirit 750 C2... I've added some modifications, and now it's a truely bad-ass piece of kit... Swiss and French roads... here I come!

Summary of costs:

3 x 4 hours of instruction Total Chf 600 (3 consecutive Saturday mornings 8am to 12 noon)

Bike hire Chf 70 per day Total Chf 280 (3 days of instruction, 1 day for test)

Provisional (Student) Licence Chf 30

I also did a training exam with my instructor, so we simulated the full test a few days before, this was Chf 150, and I would recommend it regardless of your confidence.

...And here's the bike... my kids love it too!

Hi,

If anyone is looking for boots, I am selling a pair of Forma boots used just once on a 3 day trip. Size 42. Price CHF 180.-

Don't hesitate to contact me.

Attched pics for more details on model.

Kind regards

R

Dean

It sounds fantastic and I would really appreciate the information if you  have time.

Thnaks

Peter