Learner license

[snuffles]

I Know this has probably been done to death, but it pisses me off and therefore I must make my stand and whinge about it to all and sundry.....

Mrs S has just got a L plate, she is now legally allowed to ride on all roads.....but she can only do 70 on the open road....now is it just me or is that fucking silly, lets put a new rider in the position, that she can get over taken by some pratt in a 2 ton cage on the same license class that shes on.

what do you guys think.

I will be removing her L plate and putting it under her seat when I start teaching her motorway riding. who betide the cop who stops me and her!!!!!

[gamgee]

i think you mean woe betide...
it is stupid thats why i never wore an L plate :shake:

[Str8 Jacket]

I left my L plate on the GN for a couple of weeks, but that was only cause I had never ever driven/ridden on the roads before and thought it'd be best to warn others around me. Didn't take long before I took it of though, and I was really lucky when I got pulled over for speeding- the coppa fulla didn't do me for no L plate, in fact he didn't say anything about it at all!

[SlowHand]

I don't use L plates nor do i follow the 70k rule. I live on an open road, and I would be absolutely suicidal to ride 30ks under the av. speed. I've often come around corners in a car and got and gave frights to cyclists and ppl that do follow the 70k rule.

Im sure the cop will understand unless he is a prat. And I said in another post, if you have a 50cc scooter or RS50 that can crack a hundy, your somehow safer without any 2 wheel licence.

[ManDownUnder]

I Know this has probably been done to death, but it pisses me off and therefore I must make my stand and whinge about it to all and sundry.....

Mrs S has just got a L plate, she is now legally allowed to ride on all roads.....but she can only do 70 on the open road....now is it just me or is that fucking silly, lets put a new rider in the position, that she can get over taken by some pratt in a 2 ton cage on the same license class that shes on.

what do you guys think.

I will be removing her L plate and putting it under her seat when I start teaching her motorway riding. who betide the cop who stops me and her!!!!!

And yet strangely... if you head out onto selected stretches of road (the NW Motorway comes to mind)... sometimes I DREAM of being able to do 70

Funny old world huh?

[Squiggles]

getting over 70 in central auckland is a rarity, i rode with the l plate on for 6 months, was bloody dangerous having cars come up behind me doing 100 then changing lanes and pulling back in infront of me

[Smorg]

Didnt wear L plates, dont ride a 250, never stayed under 70 on my learners............why would you it's fucken retarded.

Give her a thou and stcik her on the motorway she'l be sweet mate..........honest :Pokey:

[spudchucka]

Its a stupid rule that puts the M/C rider in a dangerous position.

[cowboyz]

Yes the 70k erstriction is just plain stupidity. Dangerous and irrisponsible (would look better if I could spell).


Added to that the time restrictions on the licences should be ddone away with. They should have gratuated licences but when YOU think that you are ready for the next licence then you should be able to go for it. Make the tests tougher and more comprehensive too. Then if you pass the test then you get the next licence. If you fail then you get a standdown of a month or so.

[yungatart]

I do use an L plate-but only because I don't want to get stung by my insurance co if I have the misfortune to hit someone- however I hate it and can't wait to get rid of it. I don't stick to 70 ks tho, prefer to go with the traffic flow as I consider it to be safer. L plates can be a real magnet for people wanting to be arseholes tho- they seem to bring out the worst in other drivers.

[Beemer]

I doubt your insurance company would refuse to pay out if you didn't have an L-plate - I never used one except when I went for my licence! Well, I actually had one attached to the plate (those were the days when you didn't have those huge yellow ones) but it swung up quite nicely underneath it when not required! I never got pulled over once, and after doing 100kph once on the motorway, I would never willingly travel at 70kph. It is suicidal, mainly because the majority of car drivers have no idea it is the legal limit for those on a learner's motorcycle licence so they think you are going slow to piss them off.

If they are going to have a speed limit for learners, car drivers should be subject to it as well. If they are exempt, so should motorcyclists. Next they will be making us ride at 30kph instead of 50kph because "it's safer". There won't be any statistics, but it would be interesting to know how many near misses there are where car drivers nearly rear-end learner motorcyclists travelling at 70kph.

[sunhuntin]

i wore the l plate and rode to the 70k limit once....will never do that again. i keep with the flow of traffic, and sometimes ahead by a few k.

[ducatilover]

i think if i used an L plate it would attract a bit too much attention.........hmmmm look a learners on a bros650.........most definately speeding..........thats my quota for the week said the cop:nono:

[Mokoro]

This issue really needs to be petitioned. I've felt very strongly about it since I got my licence..
Now, the idea of going 70kms in a 100km zone, totally has skipped me. I almost forgot I was supposed to follow that rule. Its that retarded.

What are the restrictions over in Australia compared to New Zealand in this aspect? anyone know?

[Ixion]

The L plate requirement (though perhps not teh 70kph limit) may eventually self destruct.

Many years go (long before most of you were around), learners in NZ were required to display L plates. This ws change , previously they were unknown.

After some yers the requirement was dropped, because it was found that half the cages on the road displayed them, on account of Dad teaching sprog to drive, and could not be farked to take the L plates on and off each time

So some intelligent person at the precursor of LTSA decided it was silly, the L plate indicated nothing, and the requirement ws dropped and for many decades we had none such. Until some idiot resurrected it a few years back, to the vexation of everybody

I am aware that the law says you may not display the L plate unless you are a learner - so it was then but this was in the days of the MOT snakes who were more sensible than our present enforcers. And got sick of being berated by indignant Rotary Club presidents.

[pyrocam]

the L plate is to keep noob riders OFF the frikken motorways.

of course my plate was magical (http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=36435696)so was happy in my backpack those 6 or 7 months

but my points for and against:
L plates make cagers treat you like shit on the road. overtake you dangerously while your going the speedlimit etc
I got pulled up for 88 in a 50 and didnt get ticketed (or mentioned) about the L plate (must of been securing future revenue from me)
$400 for going 100 on the motorway with a L plate on is better than $800 for going 100 on the motorway with no L plate on.
The chances of getting pulled when your riding safely are minimal.

[Stevo]

When I had my learners (not all that long ago, 18months) I was working in Rakaia and would ride to Templeton if going to town, then put the L plate on for driving round Chch.
My reasons were:
1) If I was knocked off it was ten times more likely in the city.
2) I wasn't sure of and didn't investigate the insurance claims of being hit in the city
3) I wasn't going to do 70 on the open road. It's bloody ridiculous!
4) If I stalled or some silly mistake in town, at least the L plate was on.
5) I did not have the L plate on when driving outside my hours, but thought that I could talk my way outta that, seeing as being fully licensed car driver for over 12 years.

My 2 cents

[TerminalAddict]

I wore my L plate today for the first time.

Only so I could visit the friendly NZDL dude ;)
Had two cages push past me, which hasn't happened before

[Darkman]

Yip..screw the L--plate. Never used it, never will. Think it will look stupid on the blackbird anyway..ha ha..going 70km/h on the motorway is a HAZARD!!!

[What?]

Many years go (long before most of you were around), learners in NZ were required to display L plates..
Remember too, that when the 70K law for learner riders was introduced, the limit for trucks and trailers was 70K and for cars was 80K.
Personally, I never had the L sticker. I also never had a bike under 500cc.