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Thread: "L" plate in Te Atatu- learners yarns

  1. #1
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    22nd March 2005 - 14:03
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    Wink "L" plate in Te Atatu- learners yarns

    hello- just telling me learners story. Girl gets bike & all that.
    i just started riding- i did the classic thing of falling for a bike i liked & bought it before i had a liscence... anyway I'm street legal now.

    NB. first thing i did wrong was buy an open face helmet that was on special (going for a more classic look)- a shoei- nice brand, but with no visor i get nailed by bugs and every spec of dust on the motorway. full face helmet is now on order.

    so the first few times i take my baby for a spin i go round the block from home, hoping every turn was a left turn and that i'd never have to stop at roundabaouts in case i stalled..

    finally i get the hang of stopping, sort of, and i go for my first night ride. I'm cruising around te atatu north at 9.30 at night hoping it's gonna be quiet, which it mostly is. doing my dodgy almost take-offs, my sort of OK geared slow-to-a-stops and finally i end up at the roundabout in the main street. i spy a car coming from the right, which isn't indicating, but eventually exits before it gets to our que. but the car full of hoons behind me has started to go banana's yelling get off the road you f*ck and the like, (just 'cause i didn't go like a bull at a gate around the round-about)and I'm going- just calmly drive off... hoping to god i don't stall. they taunted me and my "L" plate round a few more roads. still finguring out if I can exact any revenge on my te atatu neaigbours...

    That seems the worst bit of the learners process so far- that and parking with the front wheel faced in to a steeply sloping cerb so a can't actually get the bike reversed out of the park. all this in full view of a BBQ party on a deck in ponsonby.

    I think it's quite hard core going back to being a learner on the roads after so many years driving a car- and forgetting how much there is to concentrate on when you are actually learning to master the machinery.

    anyway- as i say, i'm just learning- commuting to the CBD- and looking forward to getting enough time to take the odd drive to the coromandel...

    ps. about the "L" plate on the motorway- I have to go on the motorway to get to work- I wear the "L" plate, but go wahtever speed the slow traffic is going in the left lane up to 100ks. I figure this way i don't cause ques- but the L plate might alert other drivers take a bit of care. vein hope may-be...

  2. #2
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    Hello surfchick, welcome and all that.

    Do you live in Tatters Norf, then? That makes, um, must be four of us, now.

    You'll have to come out for a wee ride sometime.
    kiwibiker is full of love, an disrespect.
    - mikey

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by surfchick
    ps. about the "L" plate on the motorway- I have to go on the motorway to get to work- I wear the "L" plate, but go wahtever speed the slow traffic is going in the left lane up to 100ks. I figure this way i don't cause ques- but the L plate might alert other drivers take a bit of care. vein hope may-be...
    Despite what some people say on here, don't take your L plate off so you can go on the motorway with no problem. If they do get ya, its 400 bucks for no L plate, not worth it. I've been on the motorway a few times but whenever I've seen a cop, I've always slowed down to at least 80kph

    Wilkommen to the site

  4. #4
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    Go the Westies!
    I used to live down Edergton.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by alarumba
    Despite what some people say on here, don't take your L plate off so you can go on the motorway with no problem. If they do get ya, its 400 bucks for no L plate, not worth it. I've been on the motorway a few times but whenever I've seen a cop, I've always slowed down to at least 80kph
    Don't listen to alarumba, he's a big pussy.
    kiwibiker is full of love, an disrespect.
    - mikey

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by jrandom
    Don't listen to alarumba, he's a big pussy.
    Argh, I got ticket for 80 bucks when I though I was doing the limit, I'm not a pussy, I'm just really paranoid

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by alarumba
    Argh, I got ticket for 80 bucks when I though I was doing the limit, I'm not a pussy, I'm just really paranoid
    She's a chick, dude, she gets ticket immunity on account of not being an ugly fecker.

    Anyway, cops tend to be much, much more lenient on 70kph and L-plate licence restriction breaches than they are on speeding, you filthy would-be murderer.
    kiwibiker is full of love, an disrespect.
    - mikey

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by jrandom
    She's a chick, dude, she gets ticket immunity on account of not being an ugly fecker.
    You callin me ugly

    I'ld rather save speeding for the racetrack... or the country roads

  9. #9
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    15th November 2004 - 12:53
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    Cool

    welcome....

    Hey I am just over the bridge in Tat South..

    I do come over that way quite a bit.... on my bike...
    Have yet to meet the other KBers over there yet.

    So it would be good to meet ya all.

    Ride as much as possible... and dont be put off by your local hoons...
    They are just jealous that they dont have a bike....

    If you need a hand to practise any manouvers (sp) with the bike PM me anytime... (hill starts, the way to park etc etc...)

    Just ride at the speed that you are comfortable with... you will soon get the confidence to go faster...

    Just tak e care out there.

  10. #10
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    3rd April 2005 - 19:19
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    When I started out on my learners a wee while ago I rode with my L plate on, though took it off after about 4 months because people would do anything to get around you when they saw the L. Almost no one would stay behind even if I was already going 10kph over the speed limit. When I took it off there was an instant improvement to the other drivers attitudes. This was in the great city of Wellington though, so probably different to smaller towns.

    I was actually stopped at a checkpoint one day (when I had the L plate on) and the female officer asked ME what the restrictions were for a learner bike rider. Weird.

  11. #11
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    Send me a pm if you want to borrow a book about bike rider saftey actualy written in nz by a author authorised by the ltsa and acc.

    The Bikers Bible, by (forget first name) Allardice.
    Excellent book written as a basic guide for beginners but also good for medium experience riders looking to upskill. Good quality stuff.

    I also live in TA NTh let me know if you want some tips on "Survival tactics in the suburban environment".

  12. #12
    Hiya...
    Another one.... Tat North!
    Plenty of us around, if you need help there will always be someone...

  13. #13
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    22nd March 2005 - 14:03
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    4 of us.. yay

    "Do you live in Tatters Norf, then? That makes, um, must be four of us, now."



    yeah- i live on the peninsula- i've seen some other 250's tootling about on the main drag. definitely super keen for some riding buddies. my flatmates are sick of me going on about riding...

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by surfchick
    "Do you live in Tatters Norf, then? That makes, um, must be four of us, now."



    yeah- i live on the peninsula- i've seen some other 250's tootling about on the main drag. definitely super keen for some riding buddies. my flatmates are sick of me going on about riding...
    You wanna try my new workmates hearing about the bike I bought but don't have yet at a job I have only been at for three days. lol

  15. #15
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    Ah the bikers bible, good read.

    But seriously riding with the L plate is way to dangerous for me anyways, had mine on for a week took it off after people started tailgating me so bad it was unbelievable, most tossers that did that found themselves getting there cars jabbed with some carbon knuckes or given the "big finger".

    I have had a ticket for 180$ or abit more forgot actually, but nothing will make me put my plates back on except the restricted test.


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