You can see this is my first post... I expected some kind of preview before submitting the post!

Just to clarify, the license is unlimited A.  And the websites don't apply I need a bike, but the imply I need my own bike...

A friend of mine here signed up with a school in order to learn to ride a bike and get his licence a couple of years ago.  Having completed the paperwork at their office and fixing the class schedule, they ended with something along the lines of "OK - just show up at 8:30 with your bike and we'll get you started".

He thought that he might have misunderstood, but he double-checked and found that he was, indeed expected to obtain a bike and then ride it unsupervised to the teaching centre.

He was going to buy a bike anyway, so that wasn't an issue, but he had to get another biking friend of ours to ride the bike there for him, and it was clear on subsequent days that the trip to the centre was very nerve-wracking for him.

He passed first time and has ridden on most days since, but it seems like a rather haphazard start to your riding career.

Andy

This says it most clearly.

Mark, 

If you can drive a scooter, you should be OK to drive a motorbike. Not sure what minimum cube is required for classes.

Yes, you need your own motorbike in order to get driving licence.

You may order your driving sessions (min 3 meetings) and rent a motorbike for those classes (like- take 3 classes in a row).

(to rent a motorbike ask for example Suzuki at rue de Lausanne)

1st class- "la place" doing "8" etc...

2nd class- city

3rd class- you are off to the mountains

If you pass (mean you drive ok and do not cross red lights), you will obtain a permission to drive for 1 year in order to practise. Within 1 year you take an appointement for the exam and eventually get your permit. :-)

Ta dah!

I'm so glad to get mine permit  in much easier way.

Hope it helps! If you want practise with a "normal" driver, let me know.

cheers, 

m

Thanks everyone for your replies!

It's surprising to find out that the driving school doesn't supply a bike.  I think I either need to rent a bike for the lessons and exam (however Suzuki doesn't rent per half day or hour, I assume others also have a minimum of 1 day), or just take limited A license...

Does anyone know a driving school that rents bikes for the lessons and exam or does anyone have a bike I can rent for these hours (with minimum 25kW)?

If I don't take the unlimited A license, but just take 8 hours of lessons and accept the limited A license, do I need to re-apply for a permit eleve, or can I use my current one?

Best regards,

Mark

Don't be tempted to take the quickest, cheapest or easiest route to being allowed out by yourslef on any powered two-wheeler.

Choose the option that gets you the best training so that you are best prepared for riding safely on the road.

Don't end up joining the huge number of untrained, reckless and dangerous scooter riders already on the roads here.

Riding is only fun if it's safe.  Riding safely needs training, practice and concentration.

Thanks Andy,

The problem is not that I don't _want_ to take these lessons (I do!), it's that I don't have the bike and so I _can't_ take these lessons.

I will write to the driving school for advice and relay their feedback here.

Mark