Riding in the UK

[_Fergus_]

Hey people,
I'm thinking of heading over to the UK later this year, early next, and I'm struggling with understanding their laws can anyone explain UK licencing laws to me and what I would have to do to ride there. Some basic info; I'm 19 and on my full.

[ellipsis]

1 down and 4 up and don't get caught speeding .

[cheshirecat]

There's some great rides, cars will give you a run for your money off the lights, roundabouts are fast and bikes own the white lines.

[idb]

Unless it's changed in 7 years just take your bike and your licence to the UK...get on said bike...start her up and you're off.

[kiwi-on-wheels]

Make sure you have insurance.

Illegal to drive / ride uninsured there, BIG penaltys.
Read up on the brittish Road code, if you are in the wrong lane on the motorways, you are in for big fines, also illegal to pass on the left on the motorways. You want to pass someone, indicate and overtake, on the right.

Drivers are a lot more courteous than they are here, abd a LOT more aware of bikers

[f2dz]

I moved to the UK last year and you can legally ride here for one year after you land here.

After that you have to get your license converted to a UK one. I'm just about to start that process as I'm almost a year in to my visa. From what I understand I just have to send it away with a passport sized photo and some documentation to get a UK one back.

Being 19, I'd be more worried about insurance. I'm 25 and I pay the same amount of insurance as I did in NZ on a GSXR750 fully comp but on a SV650 and third party only, so it's a bit ridiculous. No claims in NZ accounts for nothing in the UK so you effectively start with 0 no claims bonus, plus forget trying to get insurance on anything with fairings.

[mulletman]

I moved to the UK last year and you can legally ride here for one year after you land here.


Im going over next month and hiring a car can I assume my NZ licence is ok to use and don't need a International licence.

[Ifsn8u]

Im going over next month and hiring a car can I assume my NZ licence is ok to use and don't need a International licence. Yes that's all good you don't need to worry.
.

[Old Steve]

You can park on the other side of the road facing towards the traffic.

[Swoop]

They have real roundabouts.
Not the pimple-sized shite we have here.

[TheDemonLord]

You can ride/Drive on a full NZ licence as an International Licence - however as others have Said, Insurance is a must - when I was last over in the UK, I could only hire a car from one Car hire place (at 21) - all the others required me to be 25

[hec]

As others have said you can ride on your NZ license no problem .. https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence
Renting a bike is the only easy (aka expensive) option, insurance is the challenge in the UK if you were thinking you could just buy a bike and ride it in the UK without specialist underwriters you will find most insurance companies you can only insure a bike yourself in the uk if you are registered owner and keeper and a uk resident .. definition of which can mean have your main residence in the uk registered with a medical practitioner been in the uk for at least 12months etc..
Riding in the UK is different, once you get over the higher population density there are some notable differences in highway code and etiquette.. there are similarities.. the cagers out to kill you with their callous indifference.

[f2dz]

Im going over next month and hiring a car can I assume my NZ licence is ok to use and don't need a International licence.

You'd want to check with the company, I could see that going either way.


You can park on the other side of the road facing towards the traffic.

That really surprised me when I first saw it, cos I remember getting a ticket for that once in NZ..


Riding in the UK is different, once you get over the higher population density there are some notable differences in highway code and etiquette.. there are similarities.. the cagers out to kill you with their callous indifference.

Drivers here are a lot more courteous and patient though. I didn't think this was true when I first arrived but, after having recently gone back to NZ then returned, it's true.