So whats different in NZ?

[ferretface]

Ok - lets clear this one up....I've lived in the UK forever pretty much and know the cost difference.

Insurance could be a bit cheaper over here compared to the UK IF your an old timer with full no-claims.

Insurance is big money in the UK and younger riders get royally shafted on premiums - often costing many times what it is to buy the bike / car for.

Ever wonder why young'uns drive around in V8's and big bikes over here......its a rare sight in the UK!

Ohh and MOT's are very stringent in the UK (unless you know a slack garage - is always good!) There hot on emmision testing and have noise regs for pipes (bloody EU) (no loud ones unless you swap em over after the MOT)

£377 is fully comp insurance for 4 harleys thru Carol Nash Insurance

My wife pays £256 to insure her Ducati and a BSA lightning again thru Carol Nash

MOT in england is a joke compared to the WOF in NZ, especially if you want to modify anything, have put the same bikes thru both tests, NZ is again becoming the poland of the south pacific with all its restrictive leglislation

Oh and by the way I did £$$%% off back to england, not because it was great but because NZ is so bloody restrictive and suffers from the tall poppy syndrome

the only thing I miss is the great roads in the South Island

[Troll]

[QUOTE=chris]So you're saying that I'm lying?

get real I have quoted actual facts and you disputed them

the facts are quite simple I can insure 4 harleys in the uk cheaper than insuring 1 harley in nz

[Macktheknife]

Best decision you could ever make in my opinion, came here many years ago and went back on business a couple of years ago. Great to visit, wouldnt want to live there now though!
Seriously, the roads are mostly equivalent to A and B roads and the people are wonderful. Most of the country is bike heaven and unless you really want to live in the deep south, you dont have to ride in the snow and ice.
Let us know of your arrival and we will introduce you to some good local brews and rides.
Welcome to KB by the way

[Troll]

Ohh and MOT's are very stringent in the UK ???????


my experience is that there is very little difference and in fact the nz regulations are actually tighter and more restrictive

a bike can pass a uk mot test legally and that it would fail the wof test in nz

uk does not need rear vision mirrors

uk you can modify frames

uk can use any type of indicator

nz tail lights have to be a certain size, light lenses have to be from approved sources

nz has put restrrictions on changing brakes without certification

nz has outlawed fittting of some stainless steel brakelines

it is no wonder that there are a lot more custom bikes in the uk and nz because of all of the above



there are swings and roundabouts comparing both tests but in reality if a bike is up to standard in one country it would probably pass in the other and vice versa if it were to fail in one it would probably fail in the other.

however anybody complaining that the tests are too stringent needs there head read, who would want to ride something that is not up to spec and who wants other unsafe vehicles on the road

[ferretface]

Not everyone rides Harleys mate - the average Joe Bloggs who rides a GSXR, CBR, ZXR etc (i.e. performance bike)....will get hammered by insurance in the UK. Its supposed to get cheaper after you hit 25 but in reality it doesn't really.

The UK has gotta be one of the worse places in the world for high insurance rates....and its compulsory unlike here.

I agree there certain regulations over here might be tighter but they are behind in others...NZ are bringing in emission testing this year....UK have had it for donkeys.

Buck for buck, NZ is a better all round place for biking IMO - cheaper fuel, less traffic, cheaper to insure...ohh and better weather!

[Troll]

agree with most of what you say except you have missed two import things

earnings in the uk generally are higher than nz and this negates a lot of the increased costs in the uk

nz has some great roads but it is a long way from the rest of the world, £30 return on the cross channel ferry (thats what I paid sep last year) and you are into europe with some equally stunning roads

[buellbabe]

Biggest difference you'll have to adjust to is the beer is cold and tastes good.

Bikes are bikes, roads are roads and corners are corners.

EXACTLY! And cities are cities, ya gotta expect congestion and all that goes with it. That said, I've lived in the UK and travelled extensively thru Europe, the ONLY other places I would wanna live other than GodZone would be Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
NZ has seemingly endless coastlines, fantastic roads and some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet. Whats not to like?

[Grahameeboy]

EXACTLY! And cities are cities, ya gotta expect congestion and all that goes with it. That said, I've lived in the UK and travelled extensively thru Europe, the ONLY other places I would wanna live other than GodZone would be Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
NZ has seemingly endless coastlines, fantastic roads and some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet. Whats not to like?

What congestion..........the only congestion I get is getting on the ferry......!!

Germany eh.........very clean place.....loved the mono rail in Wupertal (spelling??).......but ya can't beat NZ although my only other place would be Scotland.....lots of Munro bagging.....yum yum...

[terbang]

New Zealand is like a sleepy town and that, initially, tends to wind a lot of poms and yanks up when they come here to live. Thats fine because the ones that fail to look closer and adjust continuing to whinge generally piss off back home before long thus doing us all a favour. Having ridden motorcycles in many parts of the world I think that I can safely say that NZ is as pretty close to Motorcycle Mecca as any country could be. This is not widely known in the big wide world that finds it hard to comprehend that a smaller downunder country could offer better. This is also very good leaving the great riding experience a nicely kept secret to the lucky few that chose to live here.