Bloody good to see

**woody68** · 21st March 2005, 19:35

Man it's bloody good to see so many young bikers out on the roads.

I've been working on a building site on camron Rd in Tauranga across from the bike shop and there has been heaps of young guys and girls on bikes stopping and riding past it's good to see biking has a future in NZ.

With all the traffic problems now bikes are a good way to get around just wish the goverment would work this out and lower the Rego costs.

Don't they know bikes use less gas and do less damage to the roads. :spudwhat:

**bugjuice** · 21st March 2005, 19:55

but it hurts more when you bugger up..
good to see young peeps getting into it (had noticed myself actually), but hopefully they learn quickly to keep it rubber side down, and level headed!

good on ya

**strayjuliet** · 22nd March 2005, 10:02

I've also noticed, however most young people in my area of Hamilton ride those mossgetoes on wheels, (nifty 50's) which wolf has always told me can be very dengerious as they dont go fast enough to keep up with traffic, so you are forced to ride the left hand side of the lane, and risk getting knocked off by car doors being opened at the wrong moment and cars backing out of their driveway. At least they are giving it a go and I have to agree its good to see.

**Rainbow Wizard** · 22nd March 2005, 10:08

Originally Posted by woody68

I've been working on a building site on camron Rd in Tauranga across from the bike shop and there has been heaps of young guys and girls on bikes stopping and riding past it's good to see biking has a future in NZ.

I guess you work for Gary Riddell, chances are you fellers will be on my building soon.

Yeah the rego bludgers are a pain, especially because most bikes only do very little distance each year. I wonder how many of us here are addicted tourers.

**vifferman** · 22nd March 2005, 10:19

Originally Posted by woody68

With all the traffic problems now bikes are a good way to get around just wish the goverment would work this out and lower the Rego costs.

Don't they know bikes use less gas and do less damage to the roads. :spudwhat:

They were lower once, and were graduated according to bike engine displacement. Even larger bikes were cheaper than cars (I think; dunno, because I had a smaller bike at the time).
However, most of the rego cost is ACC levies, due to the "user pays" principle, and the ACC's weird way of calcaulating things based on statistics. If it were a true user pays system, rugby clubs would pay huge levies.

**Wolf** · 22nd March 2005, 11:16

Originally Posted by vifferman

They were lower once, and were graduated according to bike engine displacement. Even larger bikes were cheaper than cars (I think; dunno, because I had a smaller bike at the time).
However, most of the rego cost is ACC levies, due to the "user pays" principle, and the ACC's weird way of calcaulating things based on statistics. If it were a true user pays system, rugby clubs would pay huge levies.

If it were true "user pays" then they'd start giving discounts on "premiums" (all the taxes and levies they screw from my boss, my vehicle rego and my wages etc) for those who have been accident free for ages but they're nothing but a scum-bag insurance company with the usual "screw 'em and don't pay out" policy that all insurers have - only difference is that the govt has passed a law saying we have to have them as our insurer. They briefly dallied with "competing" (to a small degree) with other companies but couldn't hack it, had to get the govt to force us to pay them again. What we need is the govt to pass a law requiring the ACC to pay out.

As to rugby: I hear ya. In my early bike riding days, I visited A&E at the Hospital a few times. I'd be sitting in the waiting room, blood trickling down my leg, waiting my turn and a guy would be carried through the door by his mates - all dressed in rugby gear - covered in mud and blood from head to foot, incapable of standing or even giving his name to the nurse, looking like he's tangled with a truck - and he gets seen to first coz I only hit the road at 50-100km/h so I was in far better shape than he was. This happened about twice. Made me glad I was only riding a motorcycle - way safer passtime, IMO - QED.

**vifferman** · 22nd March 2005, 11:36

Originally Posted by Wolf

If it were true "user pays" then they'd start giving discounts on "premiums" (all the taxes and levies they screw from my boss, my vehicle rego and my wages etc) for those who have been accident free for ages but they're nothing but a scum-bag insurance company with the usual "screw 'em and don't pay out" policy that all insurers have - only difference is that the govt has passed a law saying we have to have them as our insurer.

And there's an obvious discrepancy in that if you own multiple vehicles, you still pay multiple ACC levies. My name is currently on the registration for three cars and a bike. How does that work? Do I collect multiple payments from ACC if I am injured? Of course not!! So it's nonsensical to call it "user pays", when it's not levied fairly at all.

**Ixion** · 22nd March 2005, 12:03

Originally Posted by vifferman

And there's an obvious discrepancy in that if you own multiple vehicles, you still pay multiple ACC levies. My name is currently on the registration for three cars and a bike. How does that work? Do I collect multiple payments from ACC if I am injured? Of course not!! So it's nonsensical to call it "user pays", when it's not levied fairly at all.

Yeah that irks me too. I'm down for 2 bikes and two cars. But I can only ever drive one at a time. And when I'm not driving them they stay in the gargre. So why can't the levy be based on *me* not the vehicle?

**Wolf** · 22nd March 2005, 12:24

Originally Posted by vifferman

And there's an obvious discrepancy in that if you own multiple vehicles, you still pay multiple ACC levies. ... So it's nonsensical to call it "user pays", when it's not levied fairly at all.

Good point. Then there's the fact that you boss pays ACC for hiring you and you pay ACC out of your income tax - but despite this you only get 80% of your wages if you're off work AND you're not covered for the first week if the accident occurred outside of work.

In six weeks off work due to a non-work-related accident I lost 2 weeks' worth of wages and I had to pay "ACC surcharges" for all of my physiotherapy on top of paying for medication - I can't afford drugs and massages on my full wages, I certainly can't afford them on 80% of my wages.

We need to scrap ACC entirely and go with whatever insurer we personally find gives us the best deal. I'd happily pay an insurance company to cover both me and my bike in case of an accident - providing I wasn't already paying through the nose to another insurer at the time and providing I had reason to believe I was getting value for money - that they would pay up as promised.

For what I lose in vehicle registration fees and taxes, I could afford real insurance cover, not ACC bullshit, and still have change.

Vifferman could probably insure his extended family, his house and business.

**dhunt** · 22nd March 2005, 12:35

Originally Posted by woody68

Man it's bloody good to see so many young bikers out on the roads.

I've been working on a building site on camron Rd in Tauranga across from the bike shop and there has been heaps of young guys and girls on bikes stopping and riding past it's good to see biking has a future in NZ.

With all the traffic problems now bikes are a good way to get around just wish the goverment would work this out and lower the Rego costs.

Don't they know bikes use less gas and do less damage to the roads. :spudwhat:

Yeah I've noticed lots more bikes at uni this year than in previous years, will be interesting to see how long they stick round once it cools down. What I really think is stupid is number of young bikers (inc scooters) that wear little or no protective clothing. Scooter riders are the worse as they think they are riding little scooters that don't go very fast at all.

**Wolf** · 22nd March 2005, 12:40

Originally Posted by woody68

Man it's bloody good to see so many young bikers out on the roads.

What I liked seeing last time I was in central Wellington was the number of dedicated bike parks and how full they were. I don't know about South Island cities, but it looks like Wellington is "Motorcycle City".
Compared with Hamilton with its couple of bike parks and shit-loads of cars... which I note generally have only one person in 'em when they come and go to town - self-indulgent wankers, most of 'em - I can understand that a few people would have good reason to bring a cage five minutes into town and drive it back again but I don't believe that that many people need to travel by car by themselves. Not when Wellington Central has a lot more bikes than cars - in addition to busses, trams and the Unit.

Originally Posted by woody68

With all the traffic problems now bikes are a good way to get around just wish the goverment would work this out and lower the Rego costs.

Don't they know bikes use less gas and do less damage to the roads. :spudwhat:

We also take up less room when parked in town. You can fit a fair few bikes in a car-sized parking space.

The rego fee is dirt cheap for bikes - around half that of a car, if you read the itemised account. The ACC levy is over twice that of a car (used to be around the same or a tad less but PI's charge a hell of a lot of money to follow people around and videotape them, so ACC had to up their levies accordingly)

**Waylander** · 22nd March 2005, 14:35

I think city size and population might have something to do with it Wolf, but yea there just aren't enough bikers in Hamilton. Have noticed an increase in them once school started but as someone earlier said be interesting to see how many stick around once it gets cold, or wet. The disturbing aspect of this is that most of these riders don't wear enough gear if any at all. Keep seeing them on thier sport bikes in shorts and sleevless shirts. Have yet to see anyone on a cruiser without leathers but maybe that's cause most of the cruiser riders are older and wiser? or just go for that biker gang look...

**woody68** · 22nd March 2005, 17:04

I hate seeing guys riding in T shirts.
I've had crashs and thank god I had leathers on even at 50k you will get hurt bad without leathers.

**woody68** · 22nd March 2005, 17:12

Hi Rainbow wizard. :spudwave:

Is your Voxan the black one I've seen around ?

I'm going on the TOMCC 100 mile run on the 9th April with a mate be good to have you along for the ride also some sunday rides would be good.

A Ducati and a Voxan add a Moto Guzzi and an Aprilia and you got heaven in the hills. The sound would make Harley owners tremble.

**Rainbow Wizard** · 22nd March 2005, 18:34

Originally Posted by woody68

Hi Rainbow wizard. Is your Voxan the black one I've seen around ?

No mate, mine's silver. If it's a black one then it's either a Street Scrambler or it's been repainted. And so far I have yet to see another Voxan anywhere other than in a shop. Have you really seen one on the street? And in this city? I wonder what else it could have been, any suggestions you lot?