Bloody good to see

[woody68]

Man it's bloody good to see so many young bikers out on the roads. :niceone:

I've been working on a building site on camron Rd in Tauranga across from the bike shop and there has been heaps of young guys and girls on bikes stopping and riding past it's good to see biking has a future in NZ.

With all the traffic problems now bikes are a good way to get around just wish the goverment would work this out and lower the Rego costs.

Don't they know bikes use less gas and do less damage to the roads. :spudwhat:

[bugjuice]

but it hurts more when you bugger up..
good to see young peeps getting into it (had noticed myself actually), but hopefully they learn quickly to keep it rubber side down, and level headed!

good on ya ;)

[strayjuliet]

I've also noticed, however most young people in my area of Hamilton ride those mossgetoes on wheels, (nifty 50's) which wolf has always told me can be very dengerious as they dont go fast enough to keep up with traffic, so you are forced to ride the left hand side of the lane, and risk getting knocked off by car doors being opened at the wrong moment and cars backing out of their driveway. At least they are giving it a go and I have to agree its good to see. :niceone:

[Rainbow Wizard]

I've been working on a building site on camron Rd in Tauranga across from the bike shop and there has been heaps of young guys and girls on bikes stopping and riding past it's good to see biking has a future in NZ.
I guess you work for Gary Riddell, chances are you fellers will be on my building soon.

Yeah the rego bludgers are a pain, especially because most bikes only do very little distance each year. I wonder how many of us here are addicted tourers.

[vifferman]

With all the traffic problems now bikes are a good way to get around just wish the goverment would work this out and lower the Rego costs.

Don't they know bikes use less gas and do less damage to the roads. :spudwhat:
They were lower once, and were graduated according to bike engine displacement. Even larger bikes were cheaper than cars (I think; dunno, because I had a smaller bike at the time).
However, most of the rego cost is ACC levies, due to the "user pays" principle, and the ACC's weird way of calcaulating things based on statistics. If it were a true user pays system, rugby clubs would pay huge levies.

[Wolf]

They were lower once, and were graduated according to bike engine displacement. Even larger bikes were cheaper than cars (I think; dunno, because I had a smaller bike at the time).
However, most of the rego cost is ACC levies, due to the "user pays" principle, and the ACC's weird way of calcaulating things based on statistics. If it were a true user pays system, rugby clubs would pay huge levies.
If it were true "user pays" then they'd start giving discounts on "premiums" (all the taxes and levies they screw from my boss, my vehicle rego and my wages etc) for those who have been accident free for ages but they're nothing but a scum-bag insurance company with the usual "screw 'em and don't pay out" policy that all insurers have - only difference is that the govt has passed a law saying we have to have them as our insurer. They briefly dallied with "competing" (to a small degree) with other companies but couldn't hack it, had to get the govt to force us to pay them again. What we need is the govt to pass a law requiring the ACC to pay out.

As to rugby: I hear ya. In my early bike riding days, I visited A&E at the Hospital a few times. I'd be sitting in the waiting room, blood trickling down my leg, waiting my turn and a guy would be carried through the door by his mates - all dressed in rugby gear - covered in mud and blood from head to foot, incapable of standing or even giving his name to the nurse, looking like he's tangled with a truck - and he gets seen to first coz I only hit the road at 50-100km/h so I was in far better shape than he was. This happened about twice. Made me glad I was only riding a motorcycle - way safer passtime, IMO - QED.

[vifferman]

If it were true "user pays" then they'd start giving discounts on "premiums" (all the taxes and levies they screw from my boss, my vehicle rego and my wages etc) for those who have been accident free for ages but they're nothing but a scum-bag insurance company with the usual "screw 'em and don't pay out" policy that all insurers have - only difference is that the govt has passed a law saying we have to have them as our insurer.
And there's an obvious discrepancy in that if you own multiple vehicles, you still pay multiple ACC levies. My name is currently on the registration for three cars and a bike. How does that work? Do I collect multiple payments from ACC if I am injured? Of course not!! So it's nonsensical to call it "user pays", when it's not levied fairly at all.

[Ixion]

And there's an obvious discrepancy in that if you own multiple vehicles, you still pay multiple ACC levies. My name is currently on the registration for three cars and a bike. How does that work? Do I collect multiple payments from ACC if I am injured? Of course not!! So it's nonsensical to call it "user pays", when it's not levied fairly at all.

Yeah that irks me too. I'm down for 2 bikes and two cars. But I can only ever drive one at a time. And when I'm not driving them they stay in the gargre. So why can't the levy be based on *me* not the vehicle?

[Wolf]

And there's an obvious discrepancy in that if you own multiple vehicles, you still pay multiple ACC levies. ... So it's nonsensical to call it "user pays", when it's not levied fairly at all.
Good point. Then there's the fact that you boss pays ACC for hiring you and you pay ACC out of your income tax - but despite this you only get 80% of your wages if you're off work AND you're not covered for the first week if the accident occurred outside of work.

In six weeks off work due to a non-work-related accident I lost 2 weeks' worth of wages and I had to pay "ACC surcharges" for all of my physiotherapy on top of paying for medication - I can't afford drugs and massages on my full wages, I certainly can't afford them on 80% of my wages.

We need to scrap ACC entirely and go with whatever insurer we personally find gives us the best deal. I'd happily pay an insurance company to cover both me and my bike in case of an accident - providing I wasn't already paying through the nose to another insurer at the time and providing I had reason to believe I was getting value for money - that they would pay up as promised.

For what I lose in vehicle registration fees and taxes, I could afford real insurance cover, not ACC bullshit, and still have change.

Vifferman could probably insure his extended family, his house and business.

[dhunt]

Man it's bloody good to see so many young bikers out on the roads. :niceone:

I've been working on a building site on camron Rd in Tauranga across from the bike shop and there has been heaps of young guys and girls on bikes stopping and riding past it's good to see biking has a future in NZ.

With all the traffic problems now bikes are a good way to get around just wish the goverment would work this out and lower the Rego costs.

Don't they know bikes use less gas and do less damage to the roads. :spudwhat:
Yeah I've noticed lots more bikes at uni this year than in previous years, will be interesting to see how long they stick round once it cools down. What I really think is stupid is number of young bikers (inc scooters) that wear little or no protective clothing. Scooter riders are the worse as they think they are riding little scooters that don't go very fast at all.

[Wolf]

Man it's bloody good to see so many young bikers out on the roads. :niceone:
What I liked seeing last time I was in central Wellington was the number of dedicated bike parks and how full they were. I don't know about South Island cities, but it looks like Wellington is "Motorcycle City".
Compared with Hamilton with its couple of bike parks and shit-loads of cars... which I note generally have only one person in 'em when they come and go to town - self-indulgent wankers, most of 'em - I can understand that a few people would have good reason to bring a cage five minutes into town and drive it back again but I don't believe that that many people need to travel by car by themselves. Not when Wellington Central has a lot more bikes than cars - in addition to busses, trams and the Unit.

With all the traffic problems now bikes are a good way to get around just wish the goverment would work this out and lower the Rego costs.

Don't they know bikes use less gas and do less damage to the roads. :spudwhat:
We also take up less room when parked in town. You can fit a fair few bikes in a car-sized parking space.

The rego fee is dirt cheap for bikes - around half that of a car, if you read the itemised account. The ACC levy is over twice that of a car (used to be around the same or a tad less but PI's charge a hell of a lot of money to follow people around and videotape them, so ACC had to up their levies accordingly)

[Waylander]

I think city size and population might have something to do with it Wolf, but yea there just aren't enough bikers in Hamilton. Have noticed an increase in them once school started but as someone earlier said be interesting to see how many stick around once it gets cold, or wet. The disturbing aspect of this is that most of these riders don't wear enough gear if any at all. Keep seeing them on thier sport bikes in shorts and sleevless shirts. Have yet to see anyone on a cruiser without leathers but maybe that's cause most of the cruiser riders are older and wiser? or just go for that biker gang look...

[woody68]

I hate seeing guys riding in T shirts.
I've had crashs and thank god I had leathers on even at 50k you will get hurt bad without leathers.

[woody68]

Hi Rainbow wizard. :spudwave:

Is your Voxan the black one I've seen around ?

I'm going on the TOMCC 100 mile run on the 9th April with a mate be good to have you along for the ride also some sunday rides would be good.

A Ducati and a Voxan add a Moto Guzzi and an Aprilia and you got heaven in the hills. The sound would make Harley owners tremble. :2thumbsup

[Rainbow Wizard]

Hi Rainbow wizard. Is your Voxan the black one I've seen around ?
No mate, mine's silver. If it's a black one then it's either a Street Scrambler or it's been repainted. And so far I have yet to see another Voxan anywhere other than in a shop. Have you really seen one on the street? And in this city? I wonder what else it could have been, any suggestions you lot?

[woody68]

It could have been a street scrambler I know it is a Voxan I've seen it a couple of times also think I've seen the silver Voxan.

[What?]

... So why can't the levy be based on *me* not the vehicle?
I asked ACC that very question. Their reply was that Govt would not go for it as it would be unpopular with enough people that it could cost them an election. They provided no response at all to my question about why they still pay out to unlicensed drivers who prang unregistered cars if the system is "user pays"; just replied that they were bound to do so by legislation.

[Wolf]

They provided no response at all to my question about why they still pay out to unlicensed drivers who prang unregistered cars if the system is "user pays"; just replied that they were bound to do so by legislation.
Of course they can afford to - Vifferman is paying, as is anyone else paying ACC levies for multiple vehicles.

I wonder what legislation says they have to shell out $10,000 each for 2 broken legs sustained when attempting to break out of prison while a law abiding citizen whose cab is struck by a drunk driver only gets $3,000 to compensate for losing three jobs and never being able to drive professionally ever again.

And what legislation permits them to hire PIs to follow and video-tape people they suspect are dicking them over?

[Wolf]

... So why can't the levy be based on *me* not the vehicle?I asked ACC that very question. Their reply was that Govt would not go for it as it would be unpopular with enough people that it could cost them an election.
That I cannot understand. Surely it would be a popular move - Joe Bloggs has a car, he pays one levy; John Doe has a car and a bike and pays one levy; Mr and Mrs Jones have a car each so they pay two levies but when Mr Jones hits his mid-life crisis he can get a bike and still they only pay two levies.

I think it was a bullshit excuse because the truth - "we're making money hand over fist the way we are now, why should we drop our income?" - would cost the govt an election

[peterjdaly]

Hey, check out the bike I ride, a bloody scooter. I love the little Italian beastie, but having to pay more to register my Gilera than my Toyota really irks me.

This is election year, and every MP in the country wants to keep their job. Get on to their email address, and ask them to justify any damn thing they talk about. I'd love to see a reason for me having to pay as much as I do to register my scooter..........maybe ACC will pay for the counselling I need after everyone takes the piss out of me for riding a scooter............. :2thumbsup

[Wolf]

maybe ACC will pay for the counselling I need after everyone takes the piss out of me for riding a scooter............. :2thumbsup
Dude! No one pays that much in premiums to ACC! ;)

[peterjdaly]

aaarrrggghhhhhhh............

[Waylander]

aaarrrggghhhhhhh............Would actually be cheaper to go and get yourself a Harley or Ducati or both.Or someother expensive bike. Maybe get Jesse James to build you a chopper.:niceone: