Is getting a motorcycle licence in NZ too difficult?

[rogson]

I was talking today to a couple of 18 year old boys I know quite well who were telling me how cool "Thump"? bikes were. These blokes are "into" racey/customised/loud cars, etc., and applied for their licence immediately they turned 15 - i.e. normal 18 boys. They were telling me how these Thump bikes can be hotted-up - turbocharging was mentioned - eh?

It occurred to me, why aren't they interested in getting a motorcycle licence and riding a real bike? I'm 100% sure they would love to have a motorcycle licence - so why don't they get one? Is it too difficult, expensive, time consuming - what?

One thing seems sure, this reluctance is not good for the long term future of the motorcycle industry in NZ.

[John]

Because they are scared of real speed - and the fact they cant transport their P labs on their bikes - or so I hear....

[WelshWizard]

I am an 18 year old guy (19 on sat) and yes, it's stupidly insane. If you are 25 or older no problem, but if your under 25 the things you have to go through not only put you off, but make things mighty difficult. Only reason I have bothered (out of nearly 300 of my year level at school) is becuase 2 wheels have ruled my life since I could walk (god bless motorbikes ) and I hate cars with avengance, don't have, or want a cager license ever...

[blocker]

Just back from 3 weeks in Europe and it was amazing how many bikes were everywhere. In many of the southern europe countries it still seems pretty common for young people to get bikes first and then move up to cars later.

In comparison to here I can make my 20km trip to work each morning, see a few thousand cars and maybe 2 bikes.
Given the current wah about fuel prices and energy efficiency isn't it in the countries interest to make more incentives for people to ride bikes rather than the 1 person per car on the road mentality. i.e. cheaper bike regos, cheaper licencing, etc

I am one of the plus 25 oldies starting riding in later age (well 29..). Finding it pretty bloody handy at the moment given my other vehicles a gas churning turbo subaru. Hopefully the fuel price thing will help get more people on bikes.

[Jeremy]

It sucks getting a class 6 license when your under 25. There's a wonderful 2 year wait where there's no sense of progression. Wow you can remove your L-plate after getting your restricted license, that's such a great reward. Oh well only another 14 months to go.

If you're on your restricted then there are two changes that I want.

1) You can take pillions who have their class 6 license.
2) If you're in a group ride with people who have had their class 6 full for two years, then you can drive past 10pm.

Better yet if this also applied if you were travelling in a convoy with people with their full class 1. But I'd doubt that happen.

Also the artificial inflation due to the cc restriction is a bit of a pain.

[John]

power ratios would be the go if you ask me, would make the market so much more attractive.

[GR81]

ive had my learners for 8 years now... slack... but no real incentive to go forwards...

... might book my restricted tomorrow... just for the hell of it.

[Ixion]

The reason is simple. The old old old grey boring dreary insipid bunch of ancient wallies who comprise the LTSA hate hate hate HATE motorcycles.

They are constantly haunted by the suspicion, to them dreadful beyond words, that people riding motorcycles might actually be having fun. That is anathema unspeakable to them, because admitting that people can have fun would show their own lives for the boring pointless tedious meaningless grey bland worthlessnesses that they are.

They DESPARATELY want to get us off the roads completely and will do ANYTHING they can to accomplish this.

Since they don't have enough clout to simply ban bikes , the best way to achieve their goal is to make beginning as a motorcyclist so tedious, difficult, expensive, and painful , that noone will bother. Then, once the old farts like me have died off, noone will replace us.

God I hate the LTSA. And I hate old people. Look at Andy Knackerswhatever - what a miserable apology for a human he is. He should have topped himself 20 years ago. Why on earth don't those ghastly old creatures at the LTSA just go and cut their throats and do themselves and the world a favour.

Argghhhh - Where's the dried frog pills. Sorry, just had to rant there, I do SO hate old people. And the LTSA

[sanchez]

You are awesome.

[thehollowmen]

yeah, it took me ages even with the CBTA course.

Magg was talking to me about it on the trip to the pissed penguin, and I know others... on thier learners for like forever but can't get to their full any time soon because of the 18 months ( we dont have the CBTA this far south and the debarcale to get your license after the CBTA... well that's a long story) .. that's just too long I think.

I think some time should be taken off the restricted time if you've had your learners for more than a year.... maybe... I dunno.

But it is really harsh.. I couldn't get an exemption to carry my wife or anything and that stung for a while because I still had to cage a lot of places for two years...

[Timetogo]

See there was a nice commnet in the auckland harold yesterday, soem idiot at the AA recomended that people shouldn't start riding bikes to conserve fuel cause you were up to 80 times more likely to be injured..... arsehole.
If some of the wankers who drove cars were more competent and actually looked before the changed lanes, began overtaking etc then bikes would be a lot safer, perhaps the AA should encourage defensive driving and trying improve the standard of driving
Actually the best thing would be for all car drivers to have to spend a compulsory 2 years on a bike before they were allowed to drive a car

[Lou Girardin]

As Ixion said, grey people, grey lives, grey thoughts.
Although, the graduated licencing scheme has saved lives. It just needs rejigging.

[dhunt]

I got my learners or the equivalent of (which allowed me to ride with a licensed pillion) at 17 and my full 1 month later. Only reason I waited that long was that's what you had to do. Been riding ever since. My brothers and my cousins have all got their learners at 15 here. Well worth doing as soon as you can.

Didn't get my cage full until last year sometime. Took much longer as I didn't have a car and I wasn't supper motivated to get. Bike much more fun

[TwoSeven]

The big problem with the license here is you have to have absolutely no skills and training to get it. Its just scratch and win, followed by a couple of rides around the block to ensure you dont fall off or break any road rules.

People say its hard to get because it takes a couple of years. Thats bullshit. It should be hard to get because its bloomin difficult to do all the training and pass the exams and practicles. It should take a couple of years while you do all that.

Also, I was looking at returning to the UK to do my bike instructor training at some stage. Seems there is no authorised instructor standards for bikes here. As far as I can make out, all the organisations are self taught.

I watch people riding in town and some days i'd agree with the AA and say that bikes are more dangerous than cars.

[James Deuce]

It's too easy and cheap to get any license in NZ. Back when it was still East and West Germany in the early eighties I went to school with a German Exchange student whose family paid DM10000 for him go through the licensing process prior to coming to NZ.

The more expensive the license process is, the better the standard of driving, and the better the understanding that it is a privilege not a right, or indeed, a rite of passage. His license took a year to get and included training on specific aspects of car control, driving at speed, anticipating road conditions and other road user's behaviour. He was horrified to find it had taken me 6 weeks and $80 (including lessons aimed at what you get tested for, and license application fee) to get my license at 16, a full license as it was then.

The graduated licensing system for bikes isn't too bad as Lou says. At least it encourages one to upskill to get through the process of graduating to a full license in a shorter period of time. I work with guys that have been driving around with funny coloured car licenses for years. They just don't bother going through the process as there is no way to tell if a driver is driving an innappropriate vehicle, or disobeying license conditions, short of stopping everyone under 20.