Help I want to get my licence . . .

[Str8 Jacket]

But I don't know where to begin?! One of my mates told me about this site and suggested that I get the info I need from here.

So here goes . . . .
I've only ever been a pillion and my first ride was over the Rimutakas on a 1000cc, it was one of the scariest things i had ever done at the time, but have really come to love it!
The only thing now is that I broke up with my partner who owned the bike and havent been on a bike since
What im wanting to know is, is there anywhere in Wellington that will let me "hire" a bike so that i can get my confidence up to get my "handling certificate"? Also should I go for a 250cc or smaller?!! HELP PLEASE?!! Bearing in mind that I really haven't got much fof a clue!

[johnny]

But I don't know where to begin?! One of my mates told me about this site and suggested that I get the info I need from here.

So here goes . . . .
I've only ever been a pillion and my first ride was over the Rimutakas on a 1000cc, it was one of the scariest things i had ever done at the time, but have really come to love it!
The only thing now is that I broke up with my partner who owned the bike and havent been on a bike since
What im wanting to know is, is there anywhere in Wellington that will let me "hire" a bike so that i can get my confidence up to get my "handling certificate"? Also should I go for a 250cc or smaller?!! HELP PLEASE?!! Bearing in mind that I really haven't got much fof a clue!

I dont think you can hire a bike if you dont have a full licence and if u go to the traing school they will provide a bike for you to learn on so dont worry, just go to your nearst motorbikeshop ask for the detail of a trianing school!! Good Luck!! I just got my learner not long ago!!

[Maximus]

Hello, welcome to the nut house . . . glad you could make it!

[Str8 Jacket]

I dont think you can hire a bike if you dont have a full licence and if u go to the traing school they will provide a bike for you to learn on so dont worry, just go to your nearst motorbikeshop ask for the detail of a trianing school!! Good Luck!! I just got my learner not long ago!!

Thanks, that's what I wanted to know Do you know what the training schools are like, how long, $$, anything like that?

[Ixion]

Thanks, that's what I wanted to know Do you know what the training schools are like, how long, $$, anything like that?

I don't know the training schools in Wellington, though I think there are several. How long (and thus $$$) is pretty much up to you, how much you need to feel confident. If you've ridden a pushbike (and thus understand balance and steering) or can drive a car (and thus understand clutch and traffic and road code) that helps a lot. Most people take 2 or 3 hours training and then go and practice lots.

For your first bike I think most would recommend a soft tuned 250cc. It's better to get a bigger motor that is not highly tuned than a small engine that is very high tuned and thus unforgiving. The Suzuki GN250 is very popular and good value, lots of people here have them.

I'll be very heretical also, and say that if you are completely new to motorvehicles (no pushbike, no car) you might want to consider starting with a scooter (oww, arggh , don't hit me guys ). They often have auto transmissions and other "user friendly" stuff which makes it a bit easier to concentrate on the actual learning bit. You'll probably want to move on to a full blown bike in time though.

Once you have a bike, find a parking lot close to you and drive round and round it on a quiet weekend. Then practice riding on some quiet local streets Be VERY careful at intersections. Remember the reality is that bikes have no right of way (we do legally speaking, but that's not much comfort when you're squashed under a car that should have given way but didn't)

Welcome to the biking world. Have fun ride safe. You'll have a wonderful time. (PS There's quite a few other lady memebers here so you're not alone) .

[Str8 Jacket]

I don't know the training schools in Wellington, though I think there are several. How long (and thus $$$) is pretty much up to you, how much you need to feel confident. If you've ridden a pushbike (and thus understand balance and steering) or can drive a car (and thus understand clutch and traffic and road code) that helps a lot. Most people take 2 or 3 hours training and then go and practice lots.

For your first bike I think most would recommend a soft tuned 250cc. It's better to get a bigger motor that is not highly tuned than a small engine that is very high tuned and thus unforgiving. The Suzuki GN250 is very popular and good value, lots of people here have them.

I'll be very heretical also, and say that if you are completely new to motorvehicles (no pushbike, no car) you might want to consider starting with a scooter (oww, arggh , don't hit me guys ). They often have auto transmissions and other "user friendly" stuff which makes it a bit easier to concentrate on the actual learning bit. You'll probably want to move on to a full blown bike in time though.

Once you have a bike, find a parking lot close to you and drive round and round it on a quiet weekend. Then practice riding on some quiet local streets Be VERY careful at intersections. Remember the reality is that bikes have no right of way (we do legally speaking, but that's not much comfort when you're squashed under a car that should have given way but didn't)

Welcome to the biking world. Have fun ride safe. You'll have a wonderful time. (PS There's quite a few other lady memebers here so you're not alone) .

Hey Thanks heaps Ixion, yea was kinda thinking bout a GN250, tho my mate has a 96' bandit 250, that is comfortable and my feet can touch the ground!!
In my 25 years ive never gotten round to getting my D/L but have ridden lotsa a mountain and road push bikes so think i may be alright (fingers crossed!)
Now all I need is to find out where these school are . . . .

[bear]

Hi and welcome,
Check out the LTSA site for details about licencing (http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/licensing/motorcycle/index.html), if on a provisional licence you're restricted to a bike no bigger than 250cc.
For riding schools and basic handling certificates you could start with Stephen's Driving/Riding school in Lower Hutt, or Roadsafe in Tawa (http://www.roadsafe.co.nz/).

Enjoy

[Ixion]

..have ridden lotsa a mountain and road push bikes so think i may be alright (fingers crossed!)
..

You'll be fine once you get the hang of the clutch and gearbox bit. Really it's just a bigger pushbike, but you don't have to pedal

[MrMelon]

Yeah give roadsafe a call. They do a learn to ride course and basic handling skills course in the same morning and they'll teach you everything you need to know if you've never ridden a bike before. They provide bikes too. All you need to do after that is go pass your scratchy test and pay the feee and you'll have your learners license.

[Str8 Jacket]

Yeah give roadsafe a call. They do a learn to ride course and basic handling skills course in the same morning and they'll teach you everything you need to know if you've never ridden a bike before. They provide bikes too. All you need to do after that is go pass your scratchy test and pay the feee and you'll have your learners license.

Hey thanks heaps everyone, it sounds soo easy, but I know its not going to be! Just realised that Im gonna have to get a road code etc, bleh!

New problem . . .
Just been talking with the guy's at work and some of them seem to think that I would be better of starting on a smaller bike?! Now im confused (and being a women it dont take much!) I thought that buying a 250cc would be better cause then I would get the experience etc that I need faster, then theres the fact that i wouldn't have to "update" it quite as fast?!!

Does anyone know if the riding schools would allow me to "try out" the different CC-ed bikes etc or do they just have 250's? Sorry to be a pain, I just really wanna be riding ASAP!

[Ixion]

..
Just been talking with the guy's at work and some of them seem to think that I would be better of starting on a smaller bike?! ..

Real question is not what SIZE bike, but how POWERFUL . Some 250's are very highly tuned (4 cyclinders full fairings etc). They are very fast but harder to learn to ride on. You certainly don't want something like an RGV250 or NSR250 - or even an RG150 really.

But bikes like the GN250 are very easy to ride - they're good for learners. Nowhere near as fast as the sports 250's and you may wnat to upgrade once you're comfortable with riding. A GN250 SRV250 SR250 isn't going to be powerful enough to get you into trouble (assuming you're sensible of course).

I'm sure some of the other lady memebrs (many of whom have 250's ) will give some advice here

Don't go for something too small - 50 cc bikes are quite dangerous in my opinion.

[Str8 Jacket]

Real question is not what SIZE bike, but how POWERFUL . Some 250's are very highly tuned (4 cyclinders full fairings etc). They are very fast but harder to learn to ride on. You certainly don't want something like an RGV250 or NSR250 - or even an RG150 really.

That's what all the guy's say!

Yea but the POWER bit is what I meant - Told you I had no idea!

[Ixion]

That's what all the guy's say!

Yea but the POWER bit is what I meant - Told you I had no idea!

Innocently ignores opportunity for double entendre - we don't want to scare you off so early. Once you're hooked - heh heh

But seriously , you wouldn't want anything less powerful than a GN250, if you want to use it on the open road . You need enough power to be able to keep up with traffic (yeah I know about the 70kph limit on a learners. yeah. )

Anything under the GN250's 20 odd HP is only going to be usable for local commuting, and won't help you learn the skills needed for a bigger bike later.

(Says he who learned to ride on a BSA Bantam with all of 5 HP. But we were insane in those days )

[Str8 Jacket]

Innocently ignores opportunity for double entendre - we don't want to scare you off so early. Once you're hooked - heh heh

But seriously , you wouldn't want anything less powerful than a GN250, if you want to use it on the open road . You need enough power to be able to keep up with traffic (yeah I know about the 70kph limit on a learners. yeah. )

Anything under the GN250's 20 odd HP is only going to be usable for local commuting, and won't help you learn the skills needed for a bigger bike later.

(Says he who learned to ride on a BSA Bantam with all of 5 HP. But we were insane in those days )

Not one to get hooked into these kinda things, if im gonna sit in front of a computer voluntarily then its ONLY going to be to play my PS2 . . .

And yea I will be using the bike lots to go to Rotorua, Auckland, and everywhere so it would be nice if I could get there within a week! (hopefully more like 2 days!)

Im quite "lightish" in weight too, so im gathering that a GN would be easy enough to manouvre etc?

[Waylander]

Not one to get hooked into these kinda things, if im gonna sit in front of a computer voluntarily then its ONLY going to be to play my PS2 . . .

And yea I will be using the bike lots to go to Rotorua, Auckland, and everywhere so it would be nice if I could get there within a week! (hopefully more like 2 days!)

Im quite "lightish" in weight too, so im gathering that a GN would be easy enough to manouvre etc?

Yea you can do those rides if you can put up with sitting on a bike for that long. Talk to Riff Raff. She did from Auckland to Wellington on a Rebel 250 a while back. But if you stretch the trip out over two days you should be alright. And a 250 will certainly make the trip but you have to watch out for other vehicles that will be going much faster than you.