Power to weight restriction

[tychver]

I'm just starting learning. I have a 1985 CB250RS single. 26hp (at least it was when they were released, but I've read that the later years got 1hp more) and 125kg dry. 0-100 in about 7 seconds and top speed of about 150.

I'm 173cm and not exactly massive at 77kg and 12.5% bodyfat. I'm into weight training though. And can squat the dry weight of my bike.

I still can't imagine swinging my leg over a 200kg 650 cruiser right up on the 150kw limit though. But I'll admit that my RS does feel like a motorised mountain bike even to me...

[Big Zappa]

I havn't read through the whole thread (I'm supposed to be studying my road code.. but I think I'm done? Who'd know..) but this has me really worried, I wish I had known earlier because I'm in the middle of buying a Suzuki VL250.. if this law comes in then the value of it will plummet. I'm happy with the bike for the learning process, but as the thread title suggests, I pay top dollar for it now and get nothing for it when I move on.. at the same time I don't want to wait to get a bike, I want to be ready to ride all summer!

The power/weight ratio rule is either unfair (whether it includes an average rider weight or not) or inconvenient to enforce..

On second thoughts, I woke up this morning and realised the opposite is more likely, 250s will stay where they are, and 250+s will go up to where they should be. What do other people think will happen?..

In a thread in the 250 Club forum somebody was saying that if they adopt the Aussie list, most of the bikes on that list are either vintage or cruiser <650 bikes or dirt bikes, and that 250s will still hold their value because they are sensible option for people to learn to ride on.

I'm not fussed with my bike, I got it 2nd hand for an affordable price and hopefully it lasts me till I get my full.

EDIT: prices are always stubborn, and not always correspond to demand. I mean they do but not as much as people think. Think of it this way - you only need one buyer and if you're not in a hurry you could still probably get the price you want, provided it's a fair price etc.

[Kwakajack]

Last time I checked, RD 400s, like the 250 and 350 were strokers and pretty darn fast, ridden well, so a VERY odd option really. What about stroker motards then?

[Tony]

Sorry if this is a dumb question or has already been answered but what does this mean exactly? Does it mean that after 3 years on your L's you go to your restricted automatically? Or does it mean that if you don't get your restricted after 3 years you lose your learners??

Sorry, a little confused here

I asked the LTSA yesterday and they said that you could ride on a learners for 10 years. Unless....you already have a car license in which case it expires at the same time as your drivers license (in my case I got a letter telling me I needed to appy for a new license one month after I got my learners license).


See the thread on this here http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=81101

[imne1]

Oh crap !!!!!!! I literally only just (finally) got my learners, haven't even bought a bike yet ( and the POS scooter died). It would be good to expand my shopping options but at nearly 30 the idea of having to wait a year to get restricted and so on is thouroughly unappealing (but yay for no 70 limit).
Surely the LTSA would only give advice on current legislation and not pending maybe new law. Do they even know about the looming changes??

[ZK-Awesome]

Do we know an approximate time that the new laws will come in?

[s_devo]

I've just had a look at the land transport website and there's no mention of a timeframe for implementation. One of the 3 things that needed to happen was an ammendment to the Land Transport Act which has passed it's 3rd reading and came into effect on 1 August.

[GrayWolf]

I find some of the bikes included in the 'learners' list quite astounding.

I know that bike technology or evolution has progressed, hower the human motorcycle learner has not evolved at the same rate. Some of the bikes listed RD400 XJ650 were in their day 'rocket ships'. Its easy to sit back and laugh on the current bikes, over performance etc however; I can remember the 250 learner licence being reduced to 125 in the UK in the early 80's due to the 'over powerful' 250's ( Suzuki X7 and Yamaha RD250LC were the final straw). Yamaha had a 90mph (RD125LC) in the wings, so they put on a 12bhp power limit. It isnt about the bikes ability, the ability of a learner rider hasnt changed and to 'let loose' a novice on some of the listed motorcycles is I feel a liitle daunting. In reality the current crop of 250's are faster than we ever had and if you view the performance figures, these 250's are a fast on top speed or faster even, than the jap and brit bikes of 30 yesrs ago. I am not anti learner, hell I still remember the joy and smell of thrashing errrrr I mean riding an RD250. There in I fear lies the issue, the average young learner/rider will open up the bike in more situations than the older more experienced rider. They as learners on some of those bike EG: XJ's will be dealing with shaft reaction as well as the other skills, and as a past owner of an XJ They are quite rapid and will have a lot more overall power than a 250.
Please also remember in the UK you cannot ride a motorcycle or drive a car
untill 17yrs old. You can only ride a moped at 16, untill then its a pushbike.

[sleemanj]

So we are nearly a year on from the initial announcement of a LAM by my reckoning, has anybody heard if this is still on the cards with the new government?

[McDuck]

So we are nearly a year on from the initial announcement of a LAM by my reckoning, has anybody heard if this is still on the cards with the new government?

Not a peep. I hope they get on with it, i want to ride my own bike in my full test...

[firefighter]

hmmmm, I reackon it will happen around 2259

[mark247]

Not a peep. I hope they get on with it, i want to ride my own bike in my full test...

go to shop, rent 250 bike, done.

[McDuck]

go to shop, rent 250 bike, done.

The thing is i would need time to get to know it...

[quickbuck]

The thing is i would need time to get to know it...

Nope. You should be able to work out a bike within the first 100 metres.
Seriously....

I guess that I may have been riding a lot longer than many.
I forget that......

Anyhow, the only place I hear about the proposed law change is from Dealers at the moment.
Might do some digging in other avenues though. Will be interested to find out.
Wonder if my 50 will comply...??? It shouldn't

[mark247]

The thing is i would need time to get to know it...

If you cant ride a 250 to the level you have to ride to pass your full licence in the first 10 minutes of sitting on the bike ( which i very much doubt ) you are destined to fail. Sorry bro.