Liscence

[wkid_one]

I know plenty of people who got their bikes first and license second (road bikes that is)....the actual risk of being pulled over is small (only been pulled over for speeding on the bike - my own fault).....however the penalties without license are huge.

I did mine through Passrite - and have to agree with the comments. Did it on the tennis courts of Royal Oak School - got in to second gear once (I think) and never went over 25kph. Hardly inspiring to then go on the road.

Basic Competence essentially means you can start, stop and steer the bike.......

Rider training is worth while after your licenses. In all honesty, I had NEVER ridden a bike before I did my test (actually one in a drive way one way)...and it wasn't hard at all. If you can ride a bike - you should be able to pass the test. The theory is harder than the practical.

After that - I agree with the others - find people to ride with who are prepared to help you and seek rider training if you feel like it.

[marty]

crikey it's a 10 minute $70 job to get your 6L. a decent blow-job costs more than that. compare that against a $400 fine for wrong class or no licence, plus if you don't have any licence at all you may be forbidden to drive anything and subsequently risk having your vehicle impounded.

pay the $70 and get your licence for goodness sake. if you can't get into a busy auckland licence place, go rural - waiuku/pukekohe/wellsford/warkworth - even dargaville. the licence shop in my home town never has any queues, and if you ask nicely they may even help you with the questions. if you don't think that you can pass the learners, for god's sake don't even THINK about sharing the road with me.

[bluninja]

Craig Wiffen of Auckland Motorcycle Club would be my punt. taught me to ride and gave me the comptenecy test at the same time ie. "now you're going to learn how to slalom between cones" *do this a few times before getting it right with his help *. "ok... good, you can do that (ticks box). "right, lets learn how to do hill starts" (some hours later, a box gets ticked!)

he's good value and a very helpful instructor. look them up in the yellow pages

You do the training in a closed car park below the club rooms in Ellerslie on 100cc Kawasakis...maybe this is where CK got the passion for kwaks The bikes will pull 2 up wheelies and get both wheels in the air at the top of the ramp (though I don't think Craig teaches this ). Try calling Craig on Phone 09-444-6261 (from AMCC website)

[Rocket]

crikey it's a 10 minute $70 job to get your 6L. a decent blow-job costs more than that. compare that against a $400 fine for wrong class or no licence, plus if you don't have any licence at all you may be forbidden to drive anything and subsequently risk having your vehicle impounded.

pay the $70 and get your licence for goodness sake. if you can't get into a busy auckland licence place, go rural - waiuku/pukekohe/wellsford/warkworth - even dargaville. the licence shop in my home town never has any queues, and if you ask nicely they may even help you with the questions. if you don't think that you can pass the learners, for god's sake don't even THINK about sharing the road with me.

Relax, no one said anything about driving on the road. I was thinking more about actually being able to get on a bike and be familiar with the basics, turning it on, braking on a driveway, actually sitting on one. Before spending 80 bucks on something that u havent done before and possibly failing and waisting cash. Hope you see where i am coming from here.

[marty]

it's actually about $40 to apply to sit the licence, then another $40 to sit it - if you fail then you just pay another $40. it's really not that hard, and i would encourage you to do it. one reason you should - no licence - no insurance. 3rd party F & T on a GN125 would be naff all, but could save you a packet if you bump the back/side of a lexus. there is NO ride test to get your 6L, just a written/oral. get your 6L, then take the bike out for quiet sunday rides around town, out in the country etc, then in 12 months go for your restricted (6 months if you do a ride course).

just a note to all learner licence holders................when the new rules come out, if you are caught speeding above 110kmh on the open road, your speed limit is always 70k regardless, so you will be exceeding your limit by more that 40kmh, and will be suspended immediately - it happens now with learners over 120k, so will happen then too. the same goes for driving a car on your learners.

[k14]

I am pretty sure that with a car learners the speed limit is the same as the posted limit. It is only with bikes that there is the 70kph limit. It is so stupid anyway. I had my learners for 4 years and only got a L plate for my restricted test and always did the posted limit on the open road and never got any tickets for that.

In my opinion it is more dangerous to do 70kph and let cars pass you than it is going 100kph and keeping up with the flow of the traffic.

[jrandom]

In my opinion it is more dangerous to do 70kph and let cars pass you than it is going 100kph and keeping up with the flow of the traffic.

Oh yes, of course. I did however once get pulled over for a 'random check' after carefully sticking to 100kph down the motorway in front of a cop - he followed me off and pulled me over. At the time I was on 6L with no yellow plate... he could have stuck me for $800 ($400 for no plate, $400 for exceeding 70kph) and 50 demerits. And I hadn't actually being doing anything that would normally invite a pullover.

So be careful and just *avoid* the cops, don't happily cruise around in their vicinity thinking you won't get pulled over if you don't do anything dumb.

[marty]

I am pretty sure that with a car learners the speed limit is the same as the posted limit. It is only with bikes that there is the 70kph limit.

yes you are right. my mistake. the reason is because a learner bike rider is riding on his own, whereas a car driver (should) have an overseer. here's a question - can a learner biker have a pillion with a full licence?

[jrandom]

can a learner biker have a pillion with a full licence?

well no, but it'd be handy if you could, wouldn't it?

I suppose the rationale is that having an experienced rider on the back doesn't help a learner much, since they can't really communicate or grab the controls or whatever like when sitting beside a car driver.

[k14]

yes you are right. my mistake. the reason is because a learner bike rider is riding on his own, whereas a car driver (should) have an overseer. here's a question - can a learner biker have a pillion with a full licence?

Yeah, that is a good question. I would probably tend to think that you arent allowed any pillions at all, even if they have had their full licenses and everything.

When i did my restricted it was so funny. The instructor had to drive his 1970 piece of shit datsun ute. It struggled to do 50 and i had to go through some 70 areas. Had to pull over a few times to let him catch up

[bungbung]

Marty - "there is NO ride test to get your 6L, just a written/oral"

There is not an oral test anymore, just multiple choice scratch and win (30 questions). If you show up without a basic handling skills certificate, you will get told to come back when you have one. So there effectively is a ride test, but it is run by ride schools.

Because the clientele of these classes don't already have a 6L licence, training can not occur on the road, hence 25km/h carpark action.

If the price is right, post 6L training on the road more be a more useful-to-real-life event.

[marty]

well there you go. shows you how much i really know (and to think i thought i knew everything!). it's a long time since i sat my 6L (i think it was called an 'A' class back then)

and hows this for a laugh - rode the aprilia up the main street of cambridge today dressed in a santa suit - with no helmet! santa can get away with anything man.