Goodbye Loser

[Hawkeye]

:banana: Well 6 months and 4 day's later and I've now got a nice shiny new Restricted licence. No more loser plate. Look out motorway, here I come.....:woohoo:

[Drum]

Good on ya Hawkeye.

Feels good dont it!

[skidMark]

:banana: Well 6 months and 4 day's later and I've now got a nice shiny new Restricted licence. No more loser plate. Look out motorway, here I come.....:woohoo:

you stuck to the 70 kph on the mway oh you poor poor bugger

rules are made to be broken

[Hawkeye]

you stuck to the 70 kph on the mway oh you poor poor bugger

rules are made to be broken


Was quite happy to use the backroads to Welly. Lot's of twisties to gain confidence. Never went on the M'way as it was too boring. As for sticking to the rules. yeah right...:blip:

[The Pastor]

As for sticking to the rules. yeah right...:blip:


THAT WAS UNSAFE AND UNWISE I HOPE THE POLICE COME AND GET YOU!

[BeakerRAT]

Good on ya Hawkeye. :2thumbsup

[poorbastard]

Congrats. Didn't think there was many people that used an L plate anymore.

[jumma]

Well done on ditching the loser plates Hawkeye. Hopefully i'll be doing the same in six months or so.

[McJim]

Envious and green I am. I'm sentenced to another 2 and a half months of being a Yellow Arsed Cage Target - I still use the L plate despite hating it - despite being knocked off the bike on Auckland Side Roads coz I can't realistically use the motorway (which is statistically safer!) at 70kph.

Enjoy your freedom.

[BuRnS]

whats a L plate :not: no no just kidding
yer i can go for my restricted in 10 days wahoo

[skidMark]

i can do mine on the 16th wooohooo!!!!!

ill have to put an l plate on for the test then i have the pleasure of doing a burnout on it or some crap.....it's tradition i'm told....

and yer then ill be able to go on the errr motorway a whole new experiance never been on there before...

anyone fancy a tui?

[skidMark]

if my bike got a wof very recently but since then the tread has got a tad low if it wasn't to a wof amount of tread will they fail my retricted or doesn't that matter because it has a current wof?

[Colapop]

Hey!! You'll be able to sit with the grown up bikers now... instead of on a stool by yourself...:nya:

[scumdog]

Well done, keep yourself safe and get your 'Full' asap eh?

BTW You youn'uns seem to hold the 'L' plate in a lot more importance/loathing than it warrants - ALL learners for the last X years have had to have it.

Is it an ego thing?

It's a bit like having no hair round your balls, we were all like that once and we all know it - so it's no big deal once you have some - same as your 'L' plate, most of the older riders see "Yeehaa, got rid of my L plate" and think "hmmm, big deal, so what"

[dnos]

if my bike got a wof very recently but since then the tread has got a tad low if it wasn't to a wof amount of tread will they fail my retricted or doesn't that matter because it has a current wof?

Nah the tester can tell you to bugger off and get your bike up to warrantable standard and then you can rebook and repay for a new test.

[MikeyG]

Well done.

Only 10 more days till my test so hopefully will post the same in a week and a half.

Will there be a ritual L plate burning?

[Indiana_Jones]

Congrats man :rockon:

-Indy

[skidMark]

ahhhh bugger and the cheapest i can get a gpr 100 for is $215 fitted which is bloodey cheap**connections with wholesalers**

start saving my penny's i guess

[McJim]

Well done, keep yourself safe and get your 'Full' asap eh?

BTW You youn'uns seem to hold the 'L' plate in a lot more importance/loathing than it warrants - ALL learners for the last X years have had to have it.

Not all learners are young.

My problem with the L plate is as follows:

I'm not even allowed to prove I'm a good rider for another 2 and a half months.

I can't drive out to the beach coz the road is twisty and has a limit of 100km which means cages will approach me from behind with a 50km speed differential and poor visibility round corners.

Drivers automatically assume you're a spotty teenager and bully you safe in the knowledge that you won't have the balls to chase them and have a quiet word in their ear when they stop.

They get a bit of a surprise when I follow 'em home, remove the helmet, let them take in the difference between my size and theirs, the close cropped greying hair, the age and wind hardened features and I quietly say "Please watch, please think and please don't assume because I'm a learner that I wasn't using the road before you were born. Thank you for your time and enjoy your evening."

But I hear what you're saying.:yes:

[phoenixgtr]

Well done mate. Now just comes the long wait til the full

[Hawkeye]

BTW You youn'uns seem to hold the 'L' plate in a lot more importance/loathing than it warrants - ALL learners for the last X years have had to have it.

Is it an ego thing?

It's a bit like having no hair round your balls, we were all like that once and we all know it - so it's no big deal once you have some - same as your 'L' plate, most of the older riders see "Yeehaa, got rid of my L plate" and think "hmmm, big deal, so what"

Youn'un - Thanks scumdog. Never been called that for years. Been driving a cage for 33 year and only recently moved to bikes. The 'L' plate was more frustration to me. I can go out and buy a 250 scooter, ride without 'L' plate and use the m'way but because it's a bike.... No m'way, no late nights and 70k. Even on the resticted I'm not allowed out after 10pm. Yet I can drive a 4L cage anytime.

[Hawkeye]

Not all learners are young.

My problem with the L plate is as follows:

Drivers automatically assume you're a spotty teenager




I totally agree. Having to prove to a tester following me in a cage that I can read the road and see the dangers, even though in 33 years of driving the cage I have never had an accident. I was driving when this guy was still in nappies. It's about time they introduced an accelerated path for old buggers like us eh Jim :zzzz:

[Ixion]

Youn'un - Thanks scumdog. Never been called that for years. Been driving a cage for 33 year and only recently moved to bikes. The 'L' plate was more frustration to me. I can go out and buy a 250 scooter, ride without 'L' plate and use the m'way but because it's a bike.... No m'way, no late nights and 70k. Even on the resticted I'm not allowed out after 10pm. Yet I can drive a 4L cage anytime.

No, you can't. Scooters have same rules as bikes, only mopeds (< 50cc, <2KW, <50kph) are different.

But the curfew stuff is stupid for mature learners. (Not too sure that it's not stupid, full stop)

[Hawkeye]

No, you can't. Scooters have same rules as bikes, only mopeds (< 50cc, <2KW, <50kph) are different.

But the curfew stuff is stupid for mature learners. (Not too sure that it's not stupid, full stop)

If that is the case then why the hell would anyone buy a 250 scooter if they already have a bike licence.
I've seen so many scooters without L's on.

I have never really looked into the road code regarding scooters. Decided that if I was going to ride on two wheels, then it had to be the real thing.:yes:


And yes, the curfew drives me nut's.

[davereid]

Yeah, the testers think they are all motorcycle/car/truck mechanical experts just like the pigs. They wont hesitate to fail you if they think your bike is not up to standard. Heres the good bit - even if an a-grade mechanic says your bike WAS ok its tough - you get to pay a new test fee.

[scumdog]

Yeah, the testers think they are all motorcycle/car/truck mechanical experts just like the pigs. They wont hesitate to fail you if they think your bike is not up to standard. Heres the good bit - even if an a-grade mechanic says your bike WAS ok its tough - you get to pay a new test fee.

And we all KNOW all bike owners are mechanical experts - unlike testers and pigs eh?:wait:

[davereid]

I was failed my first class 2 test after the tester refused to test me claiming my truck was not up to standard - after proving it was I had to pay another test - as well as paying to prove my truck was OK.

Yes it seriously pisses me that unqualified and often unskilled people make expensive decisions for driver and riders.

I wait with interest to see how often my stock standard XL1200 harley breaks the new "no louder than factory" but there is nowhere to measure it rules.

Thats a ticket that will be dished out for failing the attitude test, not for noise !

[rwh]

Not all learners are young.

My problem with the L plate is as follows:

I'm not even allowed to prove I'm a good rider for another 2 and a half months.

A problem with the licensing process, not the L-plate


I can't drive out to the beach coz the road is twisty and has a limit of 100km which means cages will approach me from behind with a 50km speed differential and poor visibility round corners.

A problem with the 70k limit, not the L-plate


Drivers automatically assume you're a spotty teenager and bully you safe in the knowledge that you won't have the balls to chase them and have a quiet word in their ear when they stop.

Haven't been bullied yet; I'll take your word for it.

I put mine on as properly and conspicuously as I could - none of this hiding the top right corner under the number plate so you can barely see the yellow.

I figure that if I stall at the lights (which still happens occasionally, especially on hill starts), I'm more likely to be given a break by the person stuck behind me - seems to be valid so far; I haven't even had a toot yet :-)

No problems for me.

The 70k limit and the curfew I do have problems with.

IIRC when the graduated system first came out (I got in just ahead of it for my car licence), the requirements for a restricted made a bit more sense too - the supervisor just had to be an older person, not necessarily a driver at all. They were there to make sure teenage drivers were being sensible, not to assist with the driving. I don't think the curfew applied with a supervisor present either. Now, it seems to be nothing to do with ensuring teenagers behave themselves - I don't see the point at all.

Richard

[McJim]

If that is the case then why the hell would anyone buy a 250 scooter if they already have a bike licence.
I've seen so many scooters without L's on.

Apart from you, me and rwh NO LEARNER uses an L Plate anyway. People who listened to The Who buy scooters. I knew of a fella put an RD350 engine in a Vespa back in the late eighties.

But yeah the 50cc scooters are actually called mopeds by the government (despite a lack of bicycle pedals) as are the little 50cc street magics (so long as they're restricted to 50kph).

Never take legislation in New Zealand literally. It's specifically designed to be obscure and open to interpretation to allow maximum lattitude to the courts. I feel sorry for the police having to enforce these ambiguities.

Allegedly the 70kph rule for learner motorcyclists was voted for by a panel of 'Experts' who wanted to find a way to keep learner motorcyclists off busy motorways. At least one of the experts suggested the following wording "Learners are not allowed to use motorways" (such as is successfully employed in the UK) but this lacked the neccessary ambiguity for New Zealand law hence the 70kph rule was proposed and the sensible voice was drowned in the ensuing democratic idiocy.

[Blairos]

Nice work on making the transition from 6L to 6R

My 6R test is in 16 days

I do have a question though - given I am well over 25, and the opportunity will exist to reduce the time required to go from 6R to Full Class 6 status... These "LTSA Approved" courses that will help me achieve that - what exactly are they?

[McJim]

I do have a question though - given I am well over 25, and the opportunity will exist to reduce the time required to go from 6R to Full Class 6 status... These "LTSA Approved" courses that will help me achieve that - what exactly are they?

Apparently they are a modernisation of the old 'Defensive Driving Courses' but where the previous one was class room based I think the new ones have a practical element too.

I'd like to know full details too

[race me!!!!]

good on 4 losing the big L! i dont ride with an L because i know traffic will treat me differently if i do!!! i no i do when i see one ironic lol anyway good on you!!!

[Hawkeye]

Apparently they are a modernisation of the old 'Defensive Driving Courses' but where the previous one was class room based I think the new ones have a practical element too.

I'd like to know full details too

So would I. The word on the street is that these courses are geared up for cage drivers not bikes. 33 years of cage driving has seen me in good stead.
I'm not saying I could not learn something (we all can) but I would prefer it to be based on the bike not the cage.

[Hawkeye]

Haven't been bullied yet;

I put mine on as properly and conspicuously as I could No problems for me.



Same for me. I have never had any problems caused because of the 'L' plate.
Probably due to how narrow the bike looks from behind. It makes my ample frame look huge in comparison. (you know that windcreens add at least 10 pounds to you :blip: ).

[McJim]

Hawkeye, rwh - I accept that you haven't been bullied because of your L plate and I've discovered the reason - you guys are riding in Wellington - I'm riding in Auckland.

Doesn't make me any better than you - I'm not getting on my high horse or anything like that I just think it may just explain how threatened I feel on my commute.

[skidMark]

Since I Am A Man Of Infinate Wisdom And Greatness


ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS ...


2000th Post!!!

[pritch]

ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS ...

2000th Post!!!

Ummm is it possible you need to get out more? :-)

[skidMark]

Yes But Auckland Weather Is Shit....and Hey This Took Me Over A Year

[Dave C]

if my bike got a wof very recently but since then the tread has got a tad low if it wasn't to a wof amount of tread will they fail my retricted or doesn't that matter because it has a current wof?

The rule is the bike has to be 'in warrantable condition' never mind what the sticker says. What's probably more important is that it is seldom a good idea to try and get that last couple of k's out of a tyre. The black round things are horribly expensive (says he still feeling the pain of forking out $350 for a Pirelli rear a week ago, and that was with a small discount!) BUT sliding down the road on yer arse because a past-its-use-by-date tyre let go is not going to be cheap either! Buy the best tyres suited to your bike and your riding style that you can afford - it can save a lot of repairs to metal, plastic and skin in the long run.

Good luck with the step up to the full licence - back in the olden days when I got my bike licence it involved doing a written test, answering a few questions, and (in my case) riding to the end of a short street and doing a feet-up u-turn, then riding back to the cop who stood on the footpath and watched. He then went inside and wrote out my 'full' licence, which entitled me to go out and ride anything I liked with no restriction at all about bike size / speeds / times / places, even though I had never had proper rider training. Those were the days! Mind you it did mean a few guys got a licence one day, bought something like a Kawasaki triple screamer the next, and very quickly found themselve making high speed contact with walls / trees / posts / cars, with occasionally fatal results. So while the new system is no doubt a pain and probably needs some tweaking (e.g thinking about horsepower limits rather than 'cc'; considering previous driving experience, training , etc...), it ain't all bad!

[skidMark]

only getting my restricted sigh....long way to go until full :(

[Blairos]

So would I. The word on the street is that these courses are geared up for cage drivers not bikes. 33 years of cage driving has seen me in good stead.
I'm not saying I could not learn something (we all can) but I would prefer it to be based on the bike not the cage.

I might just send a message to the LTSA and see what infinite words of wisdom they come spouting forth with - yeah right :)

[Blairos]

Right-o...

I ended up phoning the LTSA Driver Licensing call centre - what a bloody waste of time that was - the girl was obviously reading off the website (which has sweet F A info on it about what course applies to Motorcycles)
She said she couldnt tell me anything other than it is a Course... never mind...

So, I thought, hang on, lets ring the guy who issued my Basic Handling Certificate!
So I rang John Wright... His impression was that it was a Defensive Driving course, when I asked him if it was any different for Motorcycles, he told me that it was primarily classroom-based, and yes, it was geared more towards the Cage species... One thing he recommended, was to ask the testing officer at the time of my 6R test, and that he/she should be able to point me in the absolute right direction. This was good advice, and more helpful than the LTSA (surprise, surprise)

one little gem I got from the LTSA was when you dial their Driver Licensing Call Centre, you can press 2 to find out how many demerit points you have - 0800-822-422 (this didnt really affect me, I dont have any :) )

[skidMark]

one little gem I got from the LTSA was when you dial their Driver Licensing Call Centre, you can press 2 to find out how many demerit points you have - 0800-822-422 (this didnt really affect me, I dont have any :) )

i wish i was you

[hXc]

I know how you feel mate. I got mine today and I'm very happy without the L plate in tow. I'm sure the bike is happier too. Lost a bit of weight:doobey:

[gijoe1313]

So how have people being attaching their L-plates? The last one I had on was whipped off sometime during my 1st day of riding! I came back home and thought "bugger" time to print off another one!

Any advice greatfully recieved! :yes:

And congrats to all those who got their R! I'll be counting down the days till I can sit mine! :wait:

[hXc]

So how have people being attaching their L-plates? The last one I had on was whipped off sometime during my 1st day of riding! I came back home and thought "bugger" time to print off another one!

Any advice greatfully recieved! :yes:

And congrats to all those who got their R! I'll be counting down the days till I can sit mine! :wait:
A hole in the number plate already existed, so just bolted it in there.

[judecatmad]

Nice work on making the transition from 6L to 6R

My 6R test is in 16 days

I do have a question though - given I am well over 25, and the opportunity will exist to reduce the time required to go from 6R to Full Class 6 status... These "LTSA Approved" courses that will help me achieve that - what exactly are they?

From memory when I did my 6L test through Passrite in Auckland, it's a course only run by them but approved by the LTSA (as I understand it) and it was experimental 18 months ago - not sure if they are still doing it. Might pay to contact them. It also means you can apply for an exemption to do your test on a bigger than a 250cc bike if you want. They were pretty good at explaining it, I just can't remember all the details, LOL

No such opportunity now that I live in Wellington that I'm aware of :( ...not that I've bothered to even get my 6R yet! :soon:

[race me!!!!]

good on you bro cant w8 till i lose mine