If you have a driving licence from your home country you can get a Cambodian driving licence very easily. Last time I bought one it was about $30ish bucks. Lucky Lucky Motorcycles on Monivong Boulevard can do it for you. Maybe $40ish now.

The thing that you need to bring is a good quality lid for your head. They only sell rubbish here. The Bike Shop has some Shark brand helmets but they're pricey - and you can get other makes back west.

Motos - depends on budget. $300 and up.

If you don't have experience of riding overseas it can be a little daunting locally.

Thank you:)

I don't have a license to drive a moped only a car in my home country.. Would I still be able to get a Cambodian driving license?

I have driven in Thailand before but only in the countryside not in crazy busy cities.

Would the moto need MOT's, servicing and insurance or do you not need any of this in Cambodia?

If you really want a driving license here, I believe you must have been here for 6 months or have min 6 month visa.

No need for MOT's or insurance. Obviously good insurance is advised but not specifically for the moto, more so for your own health

Servicing is a good idea especially if you buy from Khmer. Tendency is to drive it into the ground and then repair rather than servicing as you go along - so I'm led to believe, may just be a poor stereotype

No,not poor stereotype!
No maintenance here,it costs money.
A decent moto costs $700 or so upwards.
Buy from a barang who is leaving.
The licence costs $32 from lucky.

I would go with the comments from Michael.

If you have not got great experience on a bike (and I mean city riding) do not consider it.

The roads here are not for novice barangs.

Thank you for all your help!!

Go for it! You will have loads more independence having your own moto, just do some homework and buy something decent to start with.

I am looking at purchasing a moto, just have two questions I couldnt quite find the answers to:
1) do most expats here have drivers licence's for a moto, have been advised by a local that 99% of cambodians dont have licences so no need for one, whats your experience, especially with being stopped by police?
2)when purchasing one do you need to get it transferred into your name through a government department, or is having it licenced just mean buying one of those yearly stickers to go on it?
thanks

The law states you have to have a licence although as you point out most don't.

A driving licence from your own country can be used to obtain a moto licence for bikes up to 125cc. A separate licence is required for bikes over 125 cc. You will also need a passport and valid visa. The cost is approx $35.

The alternative is to pay the police at the time you get stopped approx $2.

They are tightening up on licence issues so I would advise that you top this. The yearly stickers are road tax nothing to do with the licence. No government agency is need to achieve this you just need to find someone who can assist you.

Hope this helps.

WOuld advise you to look at some of the electric bike options -would cost about 350-500 usd they are reliable as long as you don't plan to go out of town! The smaller versions (like a bicycle) don't need a motorbike license. they are a lot slower and thus safer too.

Otherwise consider a small automatic motorbike for about 500-1200usd.
Get a bike license from your home country and convert it here to a local license for about 30 usd a year. foreign license is valid for a month!
however I have ben here for 5 years ,and have not renew my my license , since it cheaper just to bribe the police.

I rely on a couple of good mechanics (khmer) who can source you a good 2nd hand bike with some sort of warranty. I tend to spend a little bit more for the service of a reliable mechanic!

Anyway let me know when your down, I introduce you to the mechanics!

regards
Rubenm

thanks, just seen that some people have an ownership card which they carry around, seems to have a photo of the first owner, is that necessary as the one I am looking at buying from an expat doesnt have one?

If it does not have a registration card in theory it is also not legal. Do not buy one that is not registered or you may also have problems. And to transfer ownership you may both need to go to Registration place to sign and thumb print etc.

Again many moto's do not have registration paperwork.

In my opinion you should try not to take heed of those who advocate bribing the police or paying fines. This country will never sort itself out if internationals keep advocating that. I know it is a way of life here but that does not make it right in my opinion. This is my personal opinion only.

KiwiKev, your personal opinion is dumb. Bribe away!

Elwood as responsible as ever I see.

Elwood has left town I believe and is now living with our communist neighbours and misses Cambodia.

Cannot find the "jaded" emoticon, so its for him

Elwood is alive and well and was last spotted handing over 5000r to a traffic cop on the corner of Monivong & Mao Tse Tung after being pulled up for having no helmet, wing mirrors or tax sticker while carrying his new 5 seater couch and double-door ice maker fridge home on the back of his Daelim with his 3 kids balanced on the couch and wife in the fridge.

So you are indeed being responsible then - well done Elwood

I'm backing up Kev. Getting legal is pretty easy in this country -- a matter of a few dollars and a couple of hours. Like any economy, if nobody pays into the system, it will disappear completely; you can help prevent this. It also means that when you're stopped, you have everything in order, so the police (who frequently target foreigners because we're perceived to be rich and naive) will get nothing from you. (Unless of course you did break one of the rules.)

Thanks Shucklemoon - I simply think we need to set an example if we can. it is fact that the police and authorities are clamping down on all sorts of illegal activities and we should respect this and try and assist them regardless of what most the majority of the population do.