Moped 50 km/h blanket speed limit

[Badjelly]

I mentioned this here

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=1736436&postcount=3
but it didn't attract any attention. Perhaps some of the people who frequent the Scooters forum might be interested.

Various changes have been proposed to the Land Tansport (Road User) Rule 2004, see here:

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/consultation/road-user-amendment/index.html
In addition to compulsory headlight use, there's this one:

It is proposed that a person must not operate a vehicle
registered as a moped at a speed exceeding 50km/h.
By law, mopeds are not supposed to be able to exceed 50 km/h. But it's not illegal to actually exceed 50 km/h, provided you don't exceed the general speed limit for the road in question. It is proposed to eliminate this anomaly.

Submissions close 16 October.

[Dargor]

Yea, i think that sounds stupid. I dont like how they talk about a persons skill just because of the vechile the choose to ride.

[Willdat?]

Would be hard to justify why you should be allowed to do more than 50 km/h?

[sunhuntin]

id rather see a rule stating mopeds must be able to easily get to and maintain a min speed of 50k. that way they could stay with the flow of traffic and be able to ride in line with other vehicles as opposed to the cycle lane where theres a real chance they could be hit. many of the scoots i see struggle to get over 40k

[Flatcap]

many of the scoots i see struggle to get over 40k

Until one takes the restrictor cone out of the exhaust

[sunhuntin]

wish more of them would do that... they look so silly leaning soooo far forward but not actually going any faster.

[ManDownUnder]

Yea, i think that sounds stupid. I dont like how they talk about a persons skill just because of the vechile the choose to ride.

I understand - but consider the reverse situation - you can ride a moped with a car license. By implication a number of moped riders have not demonstrated their skill levels on two wheels so the question of skill raised is valid.

It's not fair or reasonable to blanket restrict people though. I'd suggest those not holding a motorcycle license (Restricted or Full) be limited to 50.

[Flatcap]

I understand - but consider the reverse situation - you can ride a moped with a car license. By implication a number of moped riders have not demonstrated their skill levels on two wheels so the question of skill raised is valid.

It's not fair or reasonable to blanket restrict people though. I'd suggest those not holding a motorcycle license (Restricted or Full) be limited to 50.

It's not really a blanket restriction on people though, it's a restriction on a class of vehicle.

Those with any form of motorcycle license can choose between a motorcycle or a moped - if a moped is chosen, then the restriction applies. It will essentially be a decision between speed vs cheap rego / no WOF.

[Del Fuego]

Just more backward thinking on behalf of our government. The fact is a restricted "moped" is a joke... and dangerous at that. Yes you can ride it on a car license... a car goes faster than 50. I have no problem about limiting the speed but any vehicle should be able to maintain the speed of traffic within an urban area including up hill. Unfortunately the restrictions are far from perfect.

A derestricted 50cc 2T has a top speed around the high 60's and will still get up a hill without too much hassle... but apparently allowing a derestricted machine is too logical.

[Ixion]

Not at all. Derestricted machines are allowed. You just have to have the proper licence.

Personally I see no problem with the proposal.

The exemption allowing car drivers to ride a 50cc is of very debateable logic (after all, by that token why should not someone with only a class 6L licence be allowed to drive a 1000cc car ?). But , accepting that it is, the rationale is that the mopde class is of such limited performance that a rider, provided they be familiar with the road rules (ie have some licence) is unlikely to get into trouble. The argument is dubious but there is some merit in it.

It is for this reason that a moped is, by law, supposed to be incapable of exceeding 50kph. In simple words if you have a moped that exceeds 50kph you are (a) breaking the law anyway; and (b) like as not endangering yourself and others.

You argue that someone on a car licence should be permitted to ride an "unrestricted" two wheeler. If that be accepted , then where is the limit? Why should anyone be required to have a class 6 licence? Actaully when I was young that was the case- a car licence holder could have a motor cycle licence for the asking. That was changed for very good reasons. Those reasons still hold

Rather than allowing the "motorbike without a motorbike licence" concept to spread, I would argue that it should be abolished. Want to ride on two wheels? Get a two wheeler licence. (And yes, extend that to pedal power too)

[xwhatsit]

Ixion's quite right -- you're welcome to have an unrestricted 50cc scooter, but as it will then fall outside the moped definition, you should then register it as a motorcycle (like any other scooter) and deal with having to have a proper motorcycle license, WoF, higher rego etc.

50kph is a little low though, it's a rare Auckland driver who'll do anything less than 55kph (mostly seems to be closer to 60kph) in a 50kph limit. Would be a shame to get a nasty fine and points for breach of license condition for simply keeping up with traffic flow. Perhaps a 60kph limit would be more suitable?

[Ixion]

I think the cops would allow the same 10kph tolerance. So effectively you would be OK to 60kph

[xwhatsit]

I think the cops would allow the same 10kph tolerance. So effectively you would be OK to 60kph
But yeah but nah but yeah but...

if you do get zapped, you're looking at mucho pain.


I like the moped class. It's so free of regulation, I hope they keep it up. The way I've looked at the regs, I could almost build my own frame and bodywork and chuck an old C50 (or, even better, a manual clutch 4-speed SS50 motor) in there and I could register it as a moped.

Imagine that. I could ride an Xwhatsit XW50-R

[davereid]

But yeah but nah but yeah but...

if you do get zapped, you're looking at mucho pain.


I like the moped class. It's so free of regulation, I hope they keep it up. The way I've looked at the regs, I could almost build my own frame and bodywork and chuck an old C50 (or, even better, a manual clutch 4-speed SS50 motor) in there and I could register it as a moped.

Imagine that. I could ride an Xwhatsit XW50-R


I completely agree !

Its neat to have a class of vehicle thats not overwhelmed with regulations, rules and expensive accounts from the queen.

Long live the Moped !

[Willdat?]

You can register basically ANYTHING as a moped, I had a chinese goped rip off registered, just took the application form in, no inspection, no nothing. Had bike lights front and rear and a hooter as a horn, bmx front brakes modded to fit, 37km/h on 4 inch wheels was damn scary!
Was a bit of a bugger when it seized at 30km/h or so with the rear wheel locked up, I even managed to get respect from Harley riders, who pulled over o see if they could help get me going again!

[Del Fuego]

I have no problem at all with having a restriction of what you can or can't ride on a car licence. The Moped restriction is fine except that the speed allowed is ridiculous.

in a perfect world we would adopt the UK's 125cc on car license scenario as it is more befitting the local terrain. However I can live with 50cc as the rule... the problem is the restrictions further imposed ie the 50kph problem. The majority of traffic does not flow at 50 and more importantly NO traffic flows at 30kph which is around what speed a restricted 50cc will manage up most reasonable hills.

A derestricted 50 is a much more useful machine and if speed is your measure of danger then only slightly less dangerous. If you however measure danger by the likelihood of being crushed between an SUV and a Commodore then the restricted machine is much more dangerous.

Assuming the law is passed then the 10kph tolerance thing is fine except that if the police see you doing 51 on a moped they can now do you for 2 offences (if they get anal) speeding and illegal use of a moped class vehicle. A 60kph limit makes more sense to me... in saying that 60 is about as good as most derestricted 50cc machines will achieve. The fastest one tested to date is 67kph... and it takes about an hour to get to that speed. this means that the normal traveling speed is betweed 50 and 60 kph... about right for most roads... and close to 50 on most hills meaning you are not a menace to traffic.

[davereid]

....A 60kph limit makes more sense to me... in saying that 60 is about as good as most derestricted 50cc machines will achieve. The fastest one tested to date is 67kph... and it takes about an hour to get to that speed....

Next time you are in Levin call in and see me.

My TGB moped has done 43,000 km, and it will go 67 in the blink of an eye...

[nodrog]

but how will they see through the blanket? will it have eye holes?

[Usarka]

They're putting blanket restrictions on aircraft too.....

http://www.reiffpreheat.com/blanket.jpg

[Slicksta]

Next time you are in Levin call in and see me.

My TGB moped has done 43,000 km, and it will go 67 in the blink of an eye...

Tested Via GPS?

[Swoop]

So long as 50cc is kosher... with a NoS kit fitted!:woohoo:


They're putting blanket restrictions on aircraft too.....
That's not a blanket, it's a sleeping bag!:whistle:

[pritch]

I think the cops would allow the same 10kph tolerance. So effectively you would be OK to 60kph

Which makes the proposed amendment completely superfluous?

If the moped was limited to 50kph max then it would have to be doing less than that most of the time. It's slow enough now with my fat arse on it.

The indicated 60kph I can get on downhill slopes is my compensation for the one or two hills I have to struggle up at 30.

[Badjelly]

Which makes the proposed amendment completely superfluous?

If the moped was limited to 50kph max then it would have to be doing less than that most of the time. It's slow enough now with my fat arse on it.

The indicated 60kph I can get on downhill slopes is my compensation for the one or two hills I have to struggle up at 30.

Er, I think 1 or 2 people derestrict their mopeds. But don't tell anyone :whistle:

[pritch]

Er, I think 1 or 2 people derestrict their mopeds. But don't tell anyone :whistle:

Well I do believe it's possible that whoever owned mine previously may have done just that... Even if they did, it didn't make *that* much difference.

It's hard to tell because the speedo only goes to 60kph, but I suspect that some of the performance claims one sees hereabout may be a tad dubious?

[Badjelly]

It's hard to tell because the speedo only goes to 60kph, but I suspect that some of the performance claims one sees hereabout may be a tad dubious?

Dubious claims on kiwibiker? That'd be a first. :whistle:

I do not have a moped, I don't expect I ever will, and I have no opinion on whether the law change is a good thing or not. (Oh hang on, yes I do: it is a good thing. OK then, no strong opinion.) I started this thread to alert other people who might give a damn.

[Markconz]

As has been said, limit of 60kph would be far safer.

[ICE180]

alot of people put 70cc kits on a 50cc so it will keep up with the speed of traffic up hills

the other thing I ask about this 50kph speed limit is it up a hill or on the Flat ???

[scootnz]

Today is the final day for submissions on this proposal. You can still send in a submission by email.