Another L plate thread... but different?

[adamh]

I don't know if any1 has posted this question before as i did not check but I was wondering about the following:

1-Would a copper notice me on a 500cc bike with no L plate on??
2-Would a copper notice that its a bigger than 250cc bike if i put an L plate on a 500cc bike??

And I know that if im caught with no L plate and on a 500cc bike thats an $800 fine on the spot but would they notice if im not doing anything stupid??

Was just wondering.

[Toaster]

And I know that if im caught with no L plate and on a 500cc bike thats an $800 fine on the spot but would they notice if im not doing anything stupid??

Was just wondering.

And that is not doing anything stupid? Why risk $800 fine and 25 demerits and most likely a fine for exceeding 70km/h? As a bit of friendly advice, just be patient and learn to walk before you can run.

I am sure the local Taupo highway patrol boys and girls will be interested in playing the "spot the 500cc bike with the learner on it" game now.

[adamh]

And that is not doing anything stupid? Why risk $800 fine and 25 demerits and most likely a fine for exceeding 70km/h? As a bit of friendly advice, just be patient and learn to walk before you can run.

I am sure the local Taupo highway patrol boys and girls will be interested in playing the "spot the 500cc bike with the learner on it" game now.

Well i'm not going to be doing it lol i just wanted peoples opinion and to see if someone remembers something that i don't. Something like that anyway...

[kiwifruit]

don't do it, the cops will nail you

get a rg150
ride it

:)

[EJK]

^ As above :yes:

[Ragingrob]

I think the general concensus is that the one thing cops are a bit leaniant with is going over 70km with your L-plate as long as you are riding safely :). So that's what I do.

[Pancakes]

Almost no-one gets done for >70 w/ the L plate on a 250, on a bigger bike expext the book to be thrown at you! Dude, what are you going to do on a bigger bike that the po-po won't notice?

The answer is probably that yes, you could ride a 'busa around in such a way that you'd never get pulled over but why? You break one rule and it's a roll of the dice with the police, start looking like a smart ass and you may as well hand yourself in now, no-one likes a smart-ass, especially cops!

[Ragingrob]

It's kinda annoying that there're still so many restrictions on your restricted...lol who woulda guessed! But yeah looks like i'm not getting a bigger bike for like a year and a half. Hey pancakes would you say stay on the GN till full for something bigger, or maybe when I get my restricted trade for something like sporty? ya know, just to give things a go?

[adamh]

I'm not saying that i'm gonna do it but its just, could get away with it for like 2 - 3 weeks max? I go to school on my scooter everyday since I got it and havn't seen a cop and go to work everyday I have to and have only seen a cop like once every 3 weeks.

[adamh]

don't do it, the cops will nail you

get a rg150
ride it

:)

I was thinking of a 250 4 stroke instead now... but would still take a rg150 for the right price.

[Meekey_Mouse]

The cops are setting up check points all through town, have seen one already... they are checking licenses, wof's, regs and even checking vehicles themselves for tyres/rust etc... anything that could let them take it off the road. No jokes.

I was tempted to get a 400/600 before my full... but after thinking it through (no insurance and risk of getting caught) it's just not worth it. Besides, riding a bike to it's limit's is so much fun as it then expands your limits instead of just being able to roll the throttle back, you have to use lines etc...

I still am yet to get the RG to it's limits :sweatdrop

[Pancakes]

It's kinda annoying that there're still so many restrictions on your restricted...lol who woulda guessed! But yeah looks like i'm not getting a bigger bike for like a year and a half. Hey pancakes would you say stay on the GN till full for something bigger, or maybe when I get my restricted trade for something like sporty? ya know, just to give things a go?

I recon it's ok. Pity it's more profitable to have speed cameras than apply similar low power rules to 15 year olds in cars a?

As for the upgrade, depends what you want to be on in the end and your budget. If your gonna upgrade to a high power 250 it'll cost ya. When I thought mine was written off I started looking for another 250 then saw I could get a 2004 or newer Hornet 900 for the same price as a 10 year old VTR250!!

If it was me I'd stay on what you have until you can get something more than a 250. You know your bike now and no doubt have spent at least time and probably money fixing this and that and getting it how you like it.

I upgraded whan I got my restricted cos I'd been building GN's out of other GN's and had spent my fair share of time away from the kids etc fixing things up. If I had more money I wouldn't sell this, I'd still commute on it and take my Buell Lightning out in the twisties each weekend!

People will argue this and that but back in the real world buy price and running costs will have alot to do with your choice, you'll definatley want something more than the GN soon tho! If I had to have one bike a V4 400 would be close cos I'm not big and like a light feeling bike and would still be commuting 95% of the time.

[Ragingrob]

^^^

Cheers for your opinion man, sounds pretty good really. Haha yeah had the GN 2 weeks but yeah do wanna look after it and find out everything about it! I think my next bike on my full I'd look for a 400 too.

[adamh]

The cops are setting up check points all through town, have seen one already... they are checking licenses, wof's, regs and even checking vehicles themselves for tyres/rust etc... anything that could let them take it off the road. No jokes.

I was tempted to get a 400/600 before my full... but after thinking it through (no insurance and risk of getting caught) it's just not worth it. Besides, riding a bike to it's limit's is so much fun as it then expands your limits instead of just being able to roll the throttle back, you have to use lines etc...

I still am yet to get the RG to it's limits :sweatdrop

I saw them aswell and avoided it lol (not drive straight thru and :motu: lol) just didn't turn into the street.

I was not actually gonna ride it just wanted peoples opinion on if the cops are slack enough to not notice a tall 15yr old on a big 500cc bike lol.

[fireliv]

Well I wouldnt risk it. Down here the cops will make sure you have a court appearance, and probably lose the bike.

The other side of it is do you really think you know enough about riding to handle it? I mean just cos you can ride a scooter, you really think you could get away with a 500cc motorbike? If you think you can, then you so aint ready.

Get a 250 sports bike, you'll be surprised at what you can find

[adamh]

Well I wouldnt risk it. Down here the cops will make sure you have a court appearance, and probably lose the bike.

The other side of it is do you really think you know enough about riding to handle it? I mean just cos you can ride a scooter, you really think you could get away with a 500cc motorbike? If you think you can, then you so aint ready.

Get a 250 sports bike, you'll be surprised at what you can find

Which is wat I was going to do.
fix 500 sell 4 bout $2000 or so and buy a 250cc bike or a 150cc 2 stroke or I could fix 500 and trade for a 250cc bike.

[Mikkel]

And that is not doing anything stupid? Why risk $800 fine and 25 demerits and most likely a fine for exceeding 70km/h? As a bit of friendly advice, just be patient and learn to walk before you can run.

Actually that would most likely be 50 demerit points since you're breaking two different license restrictions... Add that on top of whatever the fuzz pulled you over for to start with. (right?)

Yeah - don't do stupid... But hey, it's your life you decide - just don't post a whiny thread when they grab your bike, license and life savings. :p

Besides - I'm sure you would be able to find a 250 cc that would be fast enough... unless you're a complete speed nut in which case I'd recommend the drag strip or a race track. :)

[maneac]

if u want a bigger bike have a look at a hyosung 250 the same size as a 600 pick them up pretty cheap. In 2 weeks last year i clicked up about 2 g in fines and just maneged to keep my licence

[90s]

I saw them aswell and avoided it lol (not drive straight thru and :motu: lol) just didn't turn into the street.

I was not actually gonna ride it just wanted peoples opinion on if the cops are slack enough to not notice a tall 15yr old on a big 500cc bike lol.

This is not always going to be an option - then what will you do? Panic and run? Lol indeed.

The cops pulled me over last week for NOTHING, and I have been 20 yrs without a speeding fine, never lost a point, am armoured to the wazoo and ride safely. Cop checked over licence and rego; even though he said there was no reason for having pulled me over I didn't bait him (as there was nothing he could find).

I know this is not the 'cool' thing to say, but at 15 I doubt you should be on the roads at all, let alone trying to sneak up to a 'big' bike just because you may not get caught.
I was legally on the roads at 15 too on a 50cc, and a bigger bike would, in retrospect, have been my undoing. You have the luxury of getting an RG150 (one on TM at the mo for just over $1200) which can crack 180kph or a 250 bike. Why would you jeopardise riding those legally for getting on a bike that you will not be able to handle.

And note that every young buck that has come along on KB saying "I can handle the big rides" straight away against advice they have been back within months having dropped it, lost their licences or worse. You may be different. But the odds are against you.

Stick with the law. You'll enjoy riding more. And when you get a big bike you'll have earned it.

[discotex]

And that is not doing anything stupid? Why risk $800 fine and 25 demerits and most likely a fine for exceeding 70km/h? As a bit of friendly advice, just be patient and learn to walk before you can run.

Might as well ride at 110km/h with a pillion after 10pm to throw them off the scent eh!

I don't see the point in rushing to a bigger bike but if you're stupid enough to try there is one bike you might pull this off with. It'd be the Hyosung GTR650. Just get some 250 decals and you can't tell them apart without checking the rego :niceone:

[Toaster]

Actually that would most likely be 50 demerit points since you're breaking two different license restrictions... Add that on top of whatever the fuzz pulled you over for to start with. (right?)


Only the first offence demerits are counted per ION (event).

[Tank]

Remember - its not just the cops and fines that you have to worry about.

Its pretty easy to have a run in with a car - and there are a lot of cars out there that are worth a lot of money and that are very expensive to fix if you have no insurance.

I had a friend do 7.5k's worth of damage to a VW Tougrag only a few months ago and you could hardly see the damage (personally I would have left it - but if you are in the wrong, un licenced and uninsured Im guessing that you will be paying for it a long time).

Not worth the risk!

[vifferman]

The cops pulled me over last week for NOTHING, and I have been 20 yrs without a speeding fine, never lost a point, am armoured to the wazoo and ride safely. Cop checked over licence and rego; even though he said there was no reason for having pulled me over I didn't bait him (as there was nothing he could find).
Huh.
I've been riding since 1974ish, and I've been pulled over only once for a licence check. Every other time I've been pulled over it's been for speeding (4 times: 1975 x2, 2003, 2007), apart from in 1977 when I had no mirror on my bike (blardy thing vibrated too much to see anything) when they'd just changed the legal requirements. If you don't ride like a dick (or even if you do, as I almost always do), you're pretty much OK.
My last speeding ticket (73 in a 50) was only because it was after donut+coffee time. I almost NEVER see cops at my usual commuting time, but was 90 minutes late that day, so there were a few about. Lunchtime seems to be the worst - I saw about 15 in Albany one day last week. Must've been a MassDonutForagingExpedition.

[Pwalo]

It's your choice, and any problems that you have are yours also. That's it.

What's wrong with riding a 250 anyway?

[adamh]

I'm not saying i'm gonna do it, and i'm not asking wat the punishment will be if I get pulled over for doing it either, what I want to know is if u think a cop will recognise a 6'2 boy on a 500cc bike, and if they would realise its 500cc if its got an L plate on it.

I'm only asking because I can get a 500cc bike cheap and I will have to keep it for a couple of weeks so I can sell it.

[vifferman]

I'm not saying i'm gonna do it, and i'm not asking wat the punishment will be if I get pulled over for doing it either, what I want to know is if u think a cop will recognise a 6'2 boy on a 500cc bike, and if they would realise its 500cc if its got an L plate on it.

I'm only asking because I can get a 500cc bike cheap and I will have to keep it for a couple of weeks so I can sell it.
A couple of weeks?
Unless the cops around TowPaw know/recognise you, I reckon you'd be relatively safe either not attaching the L-plate (unless you ride in such a Nooboid fashion that it's obvious you're a noob) or attaching it and risking them not pulling you over. The second is the LEAST safe option, as the BigYellerL is like a giant "Kick Me!" sign, or a homing beacon for weirdos/cops (or weirdo cops).
Plus you run the added risk of all those dickheads on the road for whom the "L" is like a red rag to a bull.
Except we all know bulls are colourblind, and that urban myth comes from the fact that in bullfights pulls are tormented by picadors, and will attack anything flapped in their faces; capes just happen to be red (or grey to a bull).

[_Shrek_]

I'm not saying i'm gonna do it, and i'm not asking wat the punishment will be if I get pulled over for doing it either, what I want to know is if u think a cop will recognise a 6'2 boy on a 500cc bike, and if they would realise its 500cc if its got an L plate on it.

I'm only asking because I can get a 500cc bike cheap and I will have to keep it for a couple of weeks so I can sell it.

if its a single you can get away with it most times & not riding like a clown coz most of our cops aren't idiots but may well turn a blind eye

[adamh]

One other thing is this bike is a slow 500 and is said to be the best bike to learn on in america with the horsepower laws i think.... It's a gpz500r

[Tank]

I'm not saying i'm gonna do it, and i'm not asking wat the punishment will be if I get pulled over for doing it either, what I want to know is if u think a cop will recognise a 6'2 boy on a 500cc bike, and if they would realise its 500cc if its got an L plate on it.

I'm only asking because I can get a 500cc bike cheap and I will have to keep it for a couple of weeks so I can sell it.

Sounds like you have made up your mind and are simply looking for people to agree with you.

Seriously how the fuck will we know if a cop will recognise this? Make up your own mind if you think its worth the risk and do it (which it sounds like you want to do), or not (the more sensible approach).

You throw the dice - you take the chances - just dont bother coming back moaning about how you are a poor little boy with no money and a $800 fine all because of some 'bloody cop'.

geesh.

[Pancakes]

You probably could get a way with it but why? Ride your 50, keep the 500 and spend the $400-$1000 potential fine money on getting it ready for when you have your full.

That is the best idea I recon, risk free, takes advantage of the cheap bike you can get now and sheesh, it's just one year. You'll have a sweet ride and have learned heaps from spending time on it.

kinda off topic. I plan to get my little guy his first car a few years before he's legal, after spending his own sweat and money getting it real nice I hope he values it more for the work done than a kid who's put a dollar deposit on a WRX.

[90s]

I plan to get my little guy his first car a few years before he's legal, after spending his own sweat and money getting it real nice I hope he values it more for the work done than a kid who's put a dollar deposit on a WRX.

I hope that you mean your son and this is not some sort of euphanism :oi-grr:

Its a good idea - I like it a lot.
I got a 1972 mini 850cc 'special' (in every sense) before I had a car licence, and I rebuilt and painted it, put a fibre-glass clam-shell front on etc etc. Kitted it out for good (ie. not bass-overkilled) sound. Certainly I was not mad for then getting it smashed up. Didn't stop a fair bit of hooning mind!

Let's hope after all that care an unlicenced kid on a bike too big for him doesn;t smash into it :eek:

[Pancakes]

I hope that you mean your son and this is not some sort of euphanism :oi-grr:

Its a good idea - I like it a lot.
I got a 1972 mini 850cc 'special' (in every sense) before I had a car licence, and I rebuilt and painted it, put a fibre-glass clam-shell front on etc etc. Kitted it out for good (ie. not bass-overkilled) sound. Certainly I was not mad for then getting it smashed up. Didn't stop a fair bit of hooning mind!

Let's hope after all that care an unlicenced kid on a bike too big for him doesn;t smash into it :eek:

My "little guy" spends too much time in the "garage" thats how I got an actual little guy to get a car for! Heh heh heh!

[adamh]

Sounds like you have made up your mind and are simply looking for people to agree with you.

Seriously how the fuck will we know if a cop will recognise this? Make up your own mind if you think its worth the risk and do it (which it sounds like you want to do), or not (the more sensible approach).

You throw the dice - you take the chances - just dont bother coming back moaning about how you are a poor little boy with no money and a $800 fine all because of some 'bloody cop'.

geesh.

What do u mean?
I'm not asking people to agree with me I just want peoples opinions on weather they think a cop will recognise a 500cc if it has or has not got an L plate on it.

[mazz1972]

Just how do you think the police would know your age as you ride by? Unless you are proudly displaying your school uniform.... If wearing proper gear no-one could tell your age from a distance.

But in terms of invalidating your insurance (presuming you actually have some) it would be pretty dumb...right?

[caesius]

Just do it. F*ck the Poe-lease. Or more to the point f*ck the LTSA for making stupid dangerous laws like the 70km one.

I fricken almost got blown of the road when I commuted on my 250cc to Welly's every month, I would've killed for a bigger bike. If you're not fined for that you'll just be fined for something else cause you're young and staying within the bounds of the law is too boring. At least make it a fine for an offense that's retarded anyway.

400cc bikes on your restricted :rockon:. I can legally ride a KR-1S on my learners...nuf said.

[Hawkeye]

You probably could get a way with it but why? Ride your 50, keep the 500 and spend the $400-$1000 potential fine money on getting it ready for when you have your full.

That is the best idea I recon, risk free, takes advantage of the cheap bike you can get now and sheesh, it's just one year. You'll have a sweet ride and have learned heaps from spending time on it.

Totally agree with this sentiment. You have the perfect opportunity. Use the 500 as a project. Strip it down, spend the time to learn about the mechanics of it. Lovingly restore it to it's former glory. Then when you get your full, you can take her out with pride knowing you have achieved something.


;kinda off topic. I plan to get my little guy his first car a few years before he's legal, after spending his own sweat and money getting it real nice I hope he values it more for the work done than a kid who's put a dollar deposit on a WRX.

Amen to that! I have bought the kids push bikes over the years which just get wrecked. It's amazing the mind set change when they use their own money to get a new one. All of a sudden it needs cleaned if it gets wet and dirty! The chain needs oiled more than once in it's life!

My second cage was spotless when I first got it. Not a mark. My 18 year old uses it on a daily basis now and I can see it getting worse before my eyes. Bumpers marked, scratches, inside filled with crap.
Very shortly he is looking to get his own cage. (dad's car is not cool enough!).
It will be interesting to see how he looks after that.

[Gubb]

Yes, bar the Hyoguns, 500's are much larger than your normal 250's (which is the reason I settled on it, being 6'4"), and I seriously doubt, that at 15, you have the skill, co-ordination, and talent to handle a 500cc bike safely.

I know I surely couldn't, but that's why i'm in the process of learning how do do it safely.

Don't be an idiot.

[Pancakes]

In my view the size of the motor isn't an issue. I've gone from small to litre + sports bikes, a V-Max a few times etc and you don't HAVE to gas it. Since I had a knock to the head when I got hit and have been recovering I've been learning from the therapists about brain function etc. The part of your brain that says "DON'T" comes on-line fairly late, sometimes 25 and if you add a dose of 15 yo homones into the mix the rider, not the bike becomes the dangerous part. It's not like young people obey every law if their on a 250 and will sit on redline on anything bigger, the thought is more, someone giving it everything on a 250 isn't going as fast as someone doing the same on a bike twice the size. Thats why I'm more in favour of power limits not size limits (better on a 750 single than an RGV250r eh!) and more than one step.

As we all know driver training combined with a desire to drive correctly not the bike or car is the first and most crucial step to safety.

Just take your time bro,

[FROSTY]

What do u mean?
I'm not asking people to agree with me I just want peoples opinions on weather they think a cop will recognise a 500cc if it has or has not got an L plate on it.
Straight question straight answer---depends on the cop.
2 Towpoo cops I have met ride bikes -One of em a VERY nice prillia --so they will KNOW what you are riding.