L plates and speeding

[Str8 Jacket]

I tried searching to see if this questions been asked already, but couldn't find anything.
As you all know learner riders are limited at a speed of 70k's, but I was wondering if you would still be fined if say you were riding @ 75 (on an open road with 100 being the limit). In other words what kind of "leniancy" (sp?) do the cops give to this. The reason I ask is everyone keeps telling me that I can legally ride around at 55k's (around town) and that I would not be fined . So if they are correct by telling me this then surely you won't be fined going 5k's over the limit in any situation, or am I just plain wrong?!
BTW, I am completely new to the roads, as have never gotten round to getting my drivers licence - so sorry if this is a dumb question . . .

[MSTRS]

Probably not a problem. Until you meet one of 'them' who's having a bad day.

[Beemer]

I know someone who has been done for doing six kms over the limit so I'd be careful! You probably WON'T get a ticket, but if you meet a cop who is having a bad day, they could ticket you for breaching the terms of your licence if nothing else.

[Str8 Jacket]

Well im guessing that cops who are having a bad day don't give out any signs or anything to warn you . . . . Its funny that you both bought that up! Never thought of it like that, ive just always tried to keep just on or under the speed limit, you know, "just in case".

[Beemer]

Well im guessing that cops who are having a bad day don't give out any signs or anything to warn you . . . . Its funny that you both bought that up! Never thought of it like that, ive just always tried to keep just on or under the speed limit, you know, "just in case".

You're right there - cops having a bad day are like women having a bad day - they don't wear flashing neon signs saying "go ahead, make my day!"

We had three cops in the family at one stage and one would give you a ticket as soon as look at you some days!

[Eurygnomes]

Hey Str8 - youv'e been out on the mway haven't you? How did you find going 70kph on it? I've had a really hard time keeping myself orientated - the wind pushes me around something shocking (apparently, I'm not exactly 'low-profile') so I'd rather go faster than end up swerving all over my lane looking out of control.

[bugjuice]

you might find a lot of cops think the 70kph rule is stupid, and it is dangerous. They'll give you a 5 minute wonder at best and say 'don't speed' and most like not think anything of it. Just don't be acting all nervous on the road, cos that translates, and everyone can see that.. Just be cooooooooooooooooooool

[vifferman]

You're generally OK up to 12 km/h over the limit, but could be pulled up for less than that, as others have said. As far as exceeding 70 on your learners, it's a bit of a lottery. If you get Constable Peter Pragmatic, he'll turn a blind eye to it, knowing that you're safer at 100 than 70, as there isn't a huge speed differential between you and the rest of the traffic (although riding with a L-plate on is in and of itself enough of a hazard!) However, if you get Sergeant Sam Sticklerfor therules on a bad day, you could get a speeding ticket and another for breaching the conditions of your licence. It's your call what you do - if it was me, I would do the "snap the L-plate off and stick it in my bag" thing and travel at the same speed as the traffic, and make sure I didn't do anything that made me stand out from other motorists (as far as getting pulled up).

But then I am / was a naughty boy - I rode bikes without a licence, and then rode bikes bigger than I was supposed to when on my 'provisional'. And didn't obey the speed limits (although every other rule was observed).

[Str8 Jacket]

Hey Str8 - youv'e been out on the mway haven't you? How did you find going 70kph on it? I've had a really hard time keeping myself orientated - the wind pushes me around something shocking (apparently, I'm not exactly 'low-profile') so I'd rather go faster than end up swerving all over my lane looking out of control.

Hey Nomes, stay in the left lane, look straight ahead, put your head down and don't look at anyone . . . :whistle:

No, um I hate the fact that our handle bars are soo high up you look like your riding a chopper, cause I find that the lower I can put my head down, ie lie across the tank, the more stable I feel. However it's damn near impossible with those handle bars . .
I went up the gorge to Newlands in the weekend, and I was literally being blown from one side of the lane to the other - its most of putting, but I guess we'll get used to it! :ride:

Vifferman - :rofl: You crack me up, that was a very entertaining read. And yes im thinking it's about time to snap the L plate of . .

[Ixion]

Hey Nomes, stay in the left lane, look straight ahead, put your head down and don't look at anyone . . . :whistle:

No, um I hate the fact that our handle bars are soo high up you look like your riding a chopper, cause I find that the lower I can put my head down, ie lie across the tank, the more stable I feel. However it's damn near impossible with those handle bars . .
I went up the gorge to Newlands in the weekend, and I was literally being blown from one side of the lane to the other - its most of putting, but I guess we'll get used to it! :ride:

Vifferman - :rofl: You crack me up, that was a very entertaining read. And yes im thinking it's about time to snap the L plate of . .

Yes, you get used to it. It's seems more frightening than it really is.

About the handlebars, yes, in general, lower bars give better stability . Someone on the site (Mr Paul in NZ ?) helped Ms Jazbug5 replace hers with a lower set, which she apparently found much more satisfactory.

Back in the day, first thing anyone did when they got a "new" (to them) bike, was go down to the bike shop and select a set of bars that fitted them and the bike.

Then adjust everything so that it "fitted" and "fell readily to hand"

Hard to do with modern bikes, which is a pain.

[Sparky Bills]

Ahhh the old broken L plate excuse.
Used it many times. :Punk:

Just think...
If you got the l plate on you have to go 70, but if you dont, you can get away with doing 100 without being pulled over.
just something to think about.

[vifferman]

Vifferman - :rofl: You crack me up,
I crack me up too.
No wait - I'm cracking up... falling apart... crapping out - that's it. :confused:

[Wolf]

rode bikes bigger than I was supposed to when on my 'provisional'.
It's been a long time since I heard the term "provisional" for a licence - feeling quite ancient, now.

[Ramius]

A while ago, cops were told that people going more than 10km over the limit are to be fined. Anything less than 10km is at their own discretion.

I have been done for doing 112km with my learners licence, I was just up front with the officer and he only gave me a ticket for 12km over. WHAT A LEGEND! He never pinged me for failing to display my L plate either. Or failing to comply with the conditions of my licence. I imagine, when it comes to speed, it is the control that you seem to show as well (not that I had much control earlier in the year)

[spudchucka]

To my way of thinking the appropriate offence is the breach of licence conditions, $400. In a 100 kph area the learner M/C rider doing 85kph isn't riding in excess of the posted speed limit but they are breaching the 70kph restriction of their learner licence.

What I'm saying is that it would be wrong to issue a speeding ticket and a learner licence breach unless the rider was actually doing in excess of the posted speed limit. Getting a ticket for both offences when the speed was still less than 100kph, (if that was the current posted limit) would amount to double dipping, anyone in that situation should defend the tickets.

Anyway you wouldn't get a ticket from me because as I see it 70kph on a M/C in a 100 kph area is stupid and dangerous for the rider.

[Lee Rusty]

allowed for "speedo error" is 5% so at 50pkh you will get away with 52.5kph at 53 you get the ticket if the cops a stickler for the rules.

[gamgee]

i thought it was a 10km/h error range, 5% is in australia etc.

[Ramius]

i thought it was a 10km/h error range, 5% is in australia etc.

Points for you!

[Lee Rusty]

now it aint

[gamgee]

since when? do you have any proof of this because it's not like they can say "right we're going to change from a 10km/h error range to a 5% error range because everyone's speedo's are accurate now" i know for a fact that my speedo on my old bike was out by about 10km/h because everytime i went through one of those acc things that shows your speed i'd go through at about 60 and it would show up as 51-52ish

[spudchucka]

I've seen nothing to say there is a change away from the 10kph tolerance that is currently in practice.

[Ixion]

I think maybe this is a compliance thing (ie the standard when registering a new bike) - not a cop thing?

[vifferman]

It's been a long time since I heard the term "provisional" for a licence - feeling quite ancient, now.
Yesah, that's it. Ancient. I'm nearly had it.

[Lee Rusty]

your local LTSA

[Pancakes]

This is pretty interesting reading for me (got learners last Thursday and been commuting the NorthWestern daily since) and I was thinking the same thing, no L plate and your sweet to 100 unless you do something dumb enough to look like your worth pulling over. I've got the plate on because I'm a little angel like everyone else on two wheels of course but when the motorway frees up god help you if your still doing 70 infront of those cars (especially with the sun in their eyes like it is right now). I've been lane splitting too and saw a bike cop who just nodded to me so I said hi (nod) back but a picture of my wifes angry face last time I got a ticket did flash before me, she's so much scarier than any cop.

[flash]

when i got my learners licence the first thing i did was put on a plate, much to my fathers shock :oi-grr:
But about a week later it actually broke off itself and i never bothered putting another on (witch i wouldnt)
As for the speed part, ive never gone 70km in a 100km zone, its just plain dangerous, ild rather get the ticket than getting bowled by a truck trying to pass me for being slow :ride:

just my 2c

[raster]

I travel between 80 and 90 on motorway and found it not too bad, kept left and watched for merging traffic.

Can't say it wasn't scarry but then I have only spent an hour total on the Mway.
I spend that much time twice a day in a cage.

[N4CR]

I'm usually never on the motorway because I don't have to go that way etc, but today I was on it going to te-atatu for my IT contracting job (just after the truck hit the bridge... only a 100m que when I was there). On the way there I noticed a police van chocka with police slowly bearing down on me.. while I was being all innocent in the Slow lane behind a van doing 80~. They slowly caught up and then sat behind me, while I just kept with the traffic. Got up to 95~100 at one stage and they didn't even care. L plate flapping away like nuts too.

I do get weird looks from cop bikers when I'm in the slow lane (probably expect me to lanesplit and wheelie my way down the mway :oi-grr: ).

So as far as my limited time with the police is concerned, they don't mind on the mway.

[Lias]

I only ever had a L plate on for my restricted test.

Never got pulled over once in 6000+km of tootling around on the GN250 with no L plate on while a leaners. Only time I've ever been pulled over was when I was driving around the neighborhood familliarizing myself with the bike before I did my basic handling skills (IE no bike license).. Even then the cop was reasonable about it, it was just down the road from home and he accepted that I was just getting used to the bike before doing my license.. He gave me a $400 fine for wrong class of license (car not bike) but wrote on it that if I got my license within 28 days it would be waived.. I did and it was. One of the better experiences I've had with the law :-)

[Str8 Jacket]

I only ever had a L plate on for my restricted test.

Never got pulled over once in 6000+km of tootling around on the GN250 with no L plate on while a leaners. Only time I've ever been pulled over was when I was driving around the neighborhood familliarizing myself with the bike before I did my basic handling skills (IE no bike license).. Even then the cop was reasonable about it, it was just down the road from home and he accepted that I was just getting used to the bike before doing my license.. He gave me a $400 fine for wrong class of license (car not bike) but wrote on it that if I got my license within 28 days it would be waived.. I did and it was. One of the better experiences I've had with the law :-)

Yea, everyone seems to lose their L plates till they sit their restricted. I felt that I needed mine, as I hade never ever driven on the road, so it was a HUGE, big new experience for me in so many ways . . .
I still go between 90-100 on the motorway withthe L plate, but am actually going to "lose" it this week.

[Lias]

Yea, everyone seems to lose their L plates till they sit their restricted. I felt that I needed mine, as I hade never ever driven on the road, so it was a HUGE, big new experience for me in so many ways . . .
I still go between 90-100 on the motorway withthe L plate, but am actually going to "lose" it this week.

Strange as it may seem, drivers generally seem to act more dangerously when you DO have an L-Plate on.. I swear when I've ridden friends bikes with L plates, and the few days I had an L plate on, cagers were far worse to be around than normal.

[Gremlin]

Strange as it may seem, drivers generally seem to act more dangerously when you DO have an L-Plate on.. I swear when I've ridden friends bikes with L plates, and the few days I had an L plate on, cagers were far worse to be around than normal.
Everybody seems to say this... but I haven't really had too many bad experiences. I have had one car undertake me, but thats about it...

But I haven't ridden without the plate, so maybe it gets even better?? :whistle:

The best suggestion was the someone here said if they are up your arse/ass whatever, just start practising your countersteering... :clap:

[mstriumph]

you think YOU have problems? the trumpy is still calibrated in miles per hour! :no:
since when? do you have any proof of this because it's not like they can say "right we're going to change from a 10km/h error range to a 5% error range because everyone's speedo's are accurate now" i know for a fact that my speedo on my old bike was out by about 10km/h because everytime i went through one of those acc things that shows your speed i'd go through at about 60 and it would show up as 51-52ish

[gamgee]

it's someone elses problem now :whistle:

[gixxer rider]

I tried searching to see if this questions been asked already, but couldn't find anything.
As you all know learner riders are limited at a speed of 70k's, but I was wondering if you would still be fined if say you were riding @ 75 (on an open road with 100 being the limit). In other words what kind of "leniancy" (sp?) do the cops give to this. The reason I ask is everyone keeps telling me that I can legally ride around at 55k's (around town) and that I would not be fined . So if they are correct by telling me this then surely you won't be fined going 5k's over the limit in any situation, or am I just plain wrong?!
BTW, I am completely new to the roads, as have never gotten round to getting my drivers licence - so sorry if this is a dumb question . . .

I'm prertty sure most cop's will give a 5kph tolerence but hope and pray you don't catch him on a bad day.Probably a smack on the hand is all you'll get. :nono: