Boring Numbers

[rastuscat]

Heres some dull and boring numbers.

There are around 495000 people who hold some form of Class 6 licence. This includes 6F, 6R and 6L.

Each year around 6000 obtain a 6L.

Each year around 3500 of those do CBTA tests to progress their license. So 2500 progress through the traditional process. Of course, there is some overlap, with some using one process for the 6R test, and the other for the 6F test.

At the peak of the riding season there are around 135000 with current licence labels. This is on February. In winter this drops to about 65000-70000, as around half of bikes go on hold over winter.

Commentary: that's a shed load of people who got a license, rode a bit, or even for some years, but who now don't and who likely will never ride again. I for one have a 2F and a 4F, which likely I'll never use again. I have no idea how to drive a modern truck.

The idea that once we have a licence it's a licence for life makes me wonder if it's the best system in terms of road safety.

[F5 Dave]

My wife went for her learners bike license when a teenager. Didn't progress past there and likely will never ride a bike again.

Her drivers license will say 'Learners' ever more, and apparently there's no way to remove it aside from sitting and passing her bike license. I mean that's a bit inflexible.

[Kickaha]

I for one have a 2F and a 4F, which likely I'll never use again. I have no idea how to drive a modern truck..

I have held my class 5 HT since I was 18 which is a long time ago, I drove a 20T truck to Invercargill and Back and then to Taupo and back for the bike club a few years ago, only time I have ever needed it

[R650R]

Very interesting point Rastus. Perhaps as technology progresses we could have a safe kms travelled type rating system linked to insurance. Of course it would be patently “unfair” to those that drive little bit cause all accidents....learners and “experienced” alike

We have a new safety thing at work where if you haven’t done a particular work process or driven particular type of vehicle in six months you can say no without penalty.

[george formby]

The idea that once we have a licence it's a licence for life makes me wonder if it's the best system in terms of road safety.

Indeed.

I know plenty of old bikers, well, lets say mature and greying, who ride the same roads and the same style of bikes. They are all good riders with a coffee or a beer in their hand. But it's a different story watching them on the road. Some of them are bloody scary.
A recent post berated someone on a CBR for crossing and leaning over the centre line. Very common...

Unknowingly I was in this category until I became involved in some training a few years ago. Had my original licence which was carved into a clay tablet and regarded myself as a good average rider. Cobblers, I was pants. Road craft was ok but handling skills and knowledge of bike control was shockingly poor to my mind.

I got trained up ASAP and continue to try and improve my riding.

Should be compulsory - further training. You don't know what you don't know.

[husaberg]

Heres some dull and boring numbers.

There are around 495000 people who hold some form of Class 6 licence. This includes 6F, 6R and 6L.

Each year around 6000 obtain a 6L.

Each year around 3500 of those do CBTA tests to progress their license. So 2500 progress through the traditional process. Of course, there is some overlap, with some using one process for the 6R test, and the other for the 6F test.

At the peak of the riding season there are around 135000 with current licence labels. This is on February. In winter this drops to about 65000-70000, as around half of bikes go on hold over winter.

Commentary: that's a shed load of people who got a license, rode a bit, or even for some years, but who now don't and who likely will never ride again. I for one have a 2F and a 4F, which likely I'll never use again. I have no idea how to drive a modern truck.

The idea that once we have a licence it's a licence for life makes me wonder if it's the best system in terms of road safety.

I think the answer lies in the system when you have a learners on a motorbike you can ride by yourself
on a learner car you can't.
My son hasn't bothered to get his restricted as he has a car now and no road legal bike anymore.

[rastuscat]

I think the answer lies in the system when you have a learners on a motorbike you can ride by yourself
on a learner car you can't.
My son hasn't bothered to get his restricted as he has a car now and no road legal bike anymore.

We see so many of those cases. People who rode a bike when young. Then gave it away. Only to come back years later, still on their 6L.

[F5 Dave]

In the old days we only had a bike as form of transport. Rode it every day in every condition for years. Hobby riders don't have that introduction.

[husaberg]

We see so many of those cases. People who rode a bike when young. Then gave it away. Only to come back years later, still on their 6L.

He's not lost to bikes, just to the road he still has a YZ450F.
He's always had a bike since he was 5 he went through a period when he was about 12-14 when he lost interest though

In the old days we only had a bike as form of transport. Rode it every day in every condition for years. Hobby riders don't have that introduction.

Once bikes were cheap transport these days they are a luxury item.

[rastuscat]

Once bikes were cheap transport these days they are a luxury item.

More of a lifestyle choice than a luxury item.

[JimO]

In the old days we only had a bike as form of transport. Rode it every day in every condition for years. Hobby riders don't have that introduction.

all the young sifters i grew up with started out on road legal trail bikes except for 2 guys who both bought new gt380's and one had a new suzuki 50, mainly because cars were expensive until jap imports arrived

[Gremlin]

The idea that once we have a licence it's a licence for life makes me wonder if it's the best system in terms of road safety.

Well this is probably no surprise... but it isn't the best system. It's a perishable skill, but all the politicians see it as suicide... so instead they write up nice documents and say, we don't want anyone to die. Right, smashing, we're awesome, lets have lunch.

Or, oooh, this corner is dangerous, lets spend millions re-engineering it, cutting away the bank etc. Great, now people crash on the 2nd most dangerous corner... Meanwhile, plenty of flushing and poorly maintained roads abound right across the country.

[SaferRides]

I went nearly 20 years without riding from 32 to 52. It was definitely more good luck than any skill on my part that I survived to 53.

It is a real issue but I don't know what would be a workable solution.

Sent from my SM-S906E using Tapatalk

[Al Bundy 4eva!]

Well since this is a thread for boring numbers,

Statistically speaking, if your not riding a motorcycle for 10 days or 10 years, your not going to die on a motorcycle, you can die several hundred alternate scenarios, just not on a bike...because your not riding a bike.

Now if you ride every day like me,even though my skills are improving, the chances of me getting killed on a bike are dramatically increased by thousands...because I'm actually on a bike, you know... the death machine between my legs.

Now if I lay in bed for the rest of my life, The only way I die is possibly obesity, or lightning hitting my house and catching fire, limiting the ways you plan to stop dieing limits your life.



I bet I just blew your minds...

[Al Bundy 4eva!]

^^I actually believe we need less regulation and control in all aspects our lives.

I'm sure people mean well, but unless you know the people who die weekly on motorcycles, I doubt you gave them much of an afterthought.

Similar to a surgeon who's patient just died, or the funeral home director whos on his 6th customer of the day.