An exclusive club?

[rogson]

Here are some interesting statistics from the LTSA.

Last year (2004) there were 82,000 new full car licenses and 2,835 new full motorcycle licenses issued. In other words only 3.3% of new licenses issued were to motorcyclists!

You may think - so what! Well, it seems to me that if this ratio continues we can kiss goodbye to any hope of effectively lobbying for consideration of motorcyclist's opinions and rights. For example, there has already been talk of increasing the ACC levy on motorcyclists - are you happy to pay $500 or more per year to register your motorcycle?

[jrandom]

a shrinking minority of the population on bikes? consequent oppression starting to hurt?

heres a solution for you.

apply the same safety standards to imported used vehicles as are applied to new vehicles offered for sale in nz.

the invisible hand of mr smith will do the rest...

[Ixion]

Here are some interesting statistics from the LTSA.

Last year (2004) there were 82,000 new full car licenses and 2,835 new full motorcycle licenses issued. In other words only 3.3% of new licenses issued were to motorcyclists!

You may think - so what! Well, it seems to me that if this ratio continues we can kiss goodbye to any hope of effectively lobbying for consideration of motorcyclist's opinions and rights. For example, there has already been talk of increasing the ACC levy on motorcyclists - are you happy to pay $500 or more per year to register your motorcycle?

True (well, I'll assume it is ) , but looking at the total numbr of licenses might tell a different tale. Quite a lot of riders never upgrade past the restricted stage . Either they lose interest, get killed, or, they are using the bike for commuting and don't see a need for anything larger than 250cc.

And it also excludes the by no means insignificant number riding 50cc jobs on a car license.

[WRT]

Be interesting to see the stats for this year and next, as a consequence of ever increasing fuel costs.

[rogson]

[QUOTE=Ixion]......... Quite a lot of riders never upgrade past the restricted stage . Either they lose interest, get killed, or, they are using the bike for commuting and don't see a need for anything larger than 250cc.[QUOTE]

There were 2,036 restricted licenses issued. If half of those don't upgrade (unlikely) the number of new motorcyclists is up to 4.5% of the total - whoppie!

[Jonty]

It is an interesting ratio indeed. However, I wonder whether the ratio has anything to do with the shrinking rural population? The reason I say this is that when you think about it, motorcycles are difficult for someone new to bikes to master and it may have been in the past the rural population with years of experience on bikes where keeping the numbers up.

I may be completley wrong here, but just a thought. What made me reach this conclusion was remembering when i tried to teach my "townie" flatmate to ride my old farm bike and he had absolutley no idea. He ended up trying to ride it like horse

It maybe that the growing lack of the basics of riding a really preventing any growth in motrocycling

[Ixion]

Unfortunately it is very difficult ot get a figure for the number of ACTIVE motorcyclists. I have a feeling that the number is growing , after shrinking dreadfully for the last 10-15 years.

Due to the "born agains" , people who got a bike lkicence in their youff, then gave it away (kids, mortgage etc) and are now restarting.

In terms of influence this is probably good. More likelly to be taken seriously by orfority, not so easily fobbed off.

So it may be that the number sof bikes on the road is actually increasing - I seem to see a few more nowdays, though still nothing compared to what it was 30 years ago. But people have grown soft nowdays.

The reason that youff are not taking it up is that nowdays youff are a bunch of soft pansies whose Mummies keep them wrapped up in cotton wool, and won't even let them walk to school, let alone ride a bike .

[Motu]

The reason that youff are not taking it up is that nowdays youff are a bunch of soft pansies whose Mummies keep them wrapped up in cotton wool, and won't even let them walk to school, let alone ride a bike .

Bet they didn't walk to school in bare feet either,learn the intricacies of the fountain pen,or take the cane across their arse like a man.When learning to ride also meant learning how to start your bike....by the light of the silvery moon,under the old oak tree and crying in the rain.When ''going home'' after work was not a solid statement of fact.Bikes go into the ''too hard'' basket....too ''real''.

[TerminalAddict]

I can vouch for that .. having a 17 year old nephew who is currently being kept away from me :P

[ajturbo]

The reason that youff are not taking it up is that nowdays youff are a bunch of soft pansies whose Mummies keep them wrapped up in cotton wool, and won't even let them walk to school, let alone ride a bike .

you have hit the nail on the head!!!

i make mud boy walk to school..haha!

poor little bugger has to walk a whole 1.2ks to school..... am i evel or what!!

[cowpoos]

when I was a weeee fulla...back in the day...hic---burp!!!....I had to walk to school in bare feet....hic---burp!....uphill all the way there.....hic---burp!....up hill all the way home.....hic---burp....in the snow....snowed alot back then....hic---burp!!....had mouldy bread wraped in newspaper for lunch twice a week...hic---burp!!...and newspaper for lunch the other days....hic---hic---burp!!!...

errr.....weez me fuck bran....hic---burp...dy gone....

They breed "em" hard back then....


hic---burp....

[limbimtimwim]

The reason that youff are not taking it up is that nowdays youff are a bunch of soft pansies whose Mummies keep them wrapped up in cotton wool, and won't even let them walk to school, let alone ride a bike .

That's not quite right, I don't think that has much to do with it. Most parents I know (I was a teenager only a short time ago) are more like "You are old enough to make your own choices! Do what you want". If they mean it or not, well..

I think not too many yoofs get bikes these days because cars (And I'm talking the twin turbo kind) are cool and cheap. I mean, this car ( http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/a...7&key=41354691 )has a buy now price of $3000. Plus you can cruise with mates while blasting out rap music you don't really enjoy. Oh yeah, they'll think 'to hell with the amount of Ks on the clock, and fuck insurance - I want a lowered twin turbo with big wheels and I can afford one'.

Seriously, most teenagers who has not had a ride on a motorcycle when faced with a 250 or the Subaru would take the Subaru.

[Dadpole]

Agree with limbimtimwim there. These days being a boy racer is the "kewl" thing to be.
PLUS: They are softies. We rode in the snow and hail until our noses frozes.

[Phenoix]

Maybe a few of the more experiance (Crazier) riders need to show them some of the KEEL stuff that can be done on bikes.
Cheap jap imports have been publisied alot and they look good.
But then put a 1000cc bike on one wheel going past them, which looks better now ?

[Ixion]

Maybe a few of the more experiance (Crazier) riders need to show them some of the KEEL stuff that can be done on bikes.
Cheap jap imports have been publisied alot and they look good.
But then put a 1000cc bike on one wheel going past them, which looks better now ?

Yeah. But youff can't get a 1000. Not legally anyway. And bikes cost more than cars , especially once you factor in all the gear . Which is absurd.

What is desparately needed (apart from blowing up the LTSA) is CHEAPER BIKES.

After all, someone said that one advantage of cars is that "you can cruise with your mates" But that, by definition, pretty much implies that said mates don't have wheels of their own. If they could get a decent (secondhand, obviously) bike for $500 surely they'd be into it (the cost of gear is another problem, but I still think heretically that this is overrated).

My first "decent" bike cost $30 (15 quid actually). With Corker Skid Lid thrown in (to my chagrin " awwhhh Mum do I REALLY have to wear that thing ") .At the time, a 18 year old could pull down about $40 a week. That was cheap and (by the standards of the day) reliable transport for less than a weeks wages . I got ripped off but, my mates pointed out better buys, there were plenty around. By today's incomes, that would equate to maybe $600 - $700.

And really, that's about all that 20 year old 250s should fetch. $2000/$3000 for a 1980 something 250 is way overpriced (I know, it's the market that sets the price. It's still too dear)