I tried it!!

[imdying]

That would be valid if it were not for the very prolonged time that a learner must wait before being able to sit the restricted test. I think for an under 25 it is 12 or 18 months. That is an awful long time to be riding round a carpark!

It's 6 months. It's also a learner license, and one has to assume as the counterpart to the car learner license, it wasn't designed to traipse around the country side on.

To the OP, you were essentially being a prat, putting yourself in a dangerous situation, one you might not ride home from. You've plenty of years yet to accidentally kill yourself on a motorbike, why go looking for trouble so early on?

[hsvboy06]

Pretty tough in Wellington. You wanna leave town? Gotta ride in 100 zones.

When I was on my Learners, from Wgtn I went along the old Hutt Rd, up Ngaio gorge, through Ngaio and Khandallah to Jonsonville - max 70km/h so far - along the back road to Tawa (admittedly 100km/h but very little traffic and none going that fast), through Tawa and the "back road" to Porirua, then through Cannon's Creek to Whitby. Wellington to Whitby and (almost) never in a 100km/h zone.
So, was this safer than going on the motorway? NO!

OK, at the start I thought 100km/h was way too friggin fast, but after not too long I felt much safer on the motorway at 100km/h than fighting all the suburban traffic. IMHO the 70km/h limit encourages learners (at least those that insist on leaving the carpark) to ride in more dangerous places than the motorway. Thank goodness for CBTA...

Riding on the motorway at 70km/h is crazy - you're just asking to be killed.

[Kendog]

Oh shit!! :slap: When I was on my learners, I thought the most I could do WAS 80kmph!! So I used to do about 90, haha, lucky I never got pulled up, I would have had a massive argument with the cop, until he pulled out a road code or something I guess!
Mrs KD

[Leong]

Using your learner licence to teach yourself in places like carparks is fine if you live in a city. But there are many who live in rural areas, and the only roads have 100 km/h limits. Imaging riding trough the cromwell gorge at 70 kmh on a lovely wee 250 and being passed by 25 or more vehicles, including busses, all travelling at 100. In my opinion its much safer to travel at the same speed as other road users.

Do learner car drivers have to travel at only 70?

My point really is to keep away from traffic at the start, for your own sake!!.... Your chances of surviving single vehicle accident... ie falling off your bike, esp going less than 70km/h are probably good, unless you get hit by a car/SUV/truck. Think about our friends Scott, and John Banks who came off on the motorway last year. My suggestion of the carpark was only at the start.... just to sharpen the basic handling skills... not for the WHOLE learner period!!

In rural areas there is less traffic, especially off the main highways.... one could class the Cromwell Gorge situation as the equiv of a city motorway.... too dangerous. I agree that one should travel at the same speed as other traffic, except that I'm saying go where the traffic is travelling at 70km/h or less.

Cars are different.....Do learner drivers fall off their cars? Cars are much easier to drive... even if you go into a corner too quick, you can (more easily than a bike anyway) turn in tighter and stay on your side of the road...... it isn't fair but you are much more likely to get hurt on a bike if you make a mistake!!

If I was restricted to learning to ride in a car park I would go insane!! In my opinion the learners licence is as much a facility to get you used to traffic and dangers on the road as well as getting used to ride a bike. If you spent that 6 months in a car park, you wouldn't be prepared for the next step.

I've never stuck to the 70k rule. I tried once at the beggining and I almost got killed by crazy car drivers. Not trying to be rude, but did you even have learners/restricted licences to go through when you got your licence?

Sorry, my typo.... if you reread my post there was an "on" instead of "and"... As above, I said that after the carparks, do 50km/h areas etc.... not carparks for 6 mths.... I would have gone insane too

Actually, I rode a bike for the first time in September 2005 at a basic handling skills course and test. Got my learners and USED my L plate for the 2.5months before I got my Restricted via CBTA. I did what I've mentioned here. ie a few nights in the carpark ie the first 3-4hrs of being on a bike, then quiet suburban streets etc. Having read a bit about L Plates here at the time, I also considered taking the L plate off early, but resisted. Someone said that it's your "body language" and how you handle yourself on the road that determines how drivers react to you. I knew that to be true for car drivers, so worked on the skills and kept the L plate on. If you ride with confidence and awareness, then I believe you are less likely to have "situations" with car drivers.... it's all about "posture". (not necessarily saying that I have it!)

So... YES I am speaking from very recent experience... albeit accelerated by CBTA!!

That would be valid if it were not for the very prolonged time that a learner must wait before being able to sit the restricted test. I think for an under 25 it is 12 or 18 months. That is an awful long time to be riding round a carpark!

And remember, unlike car learners, the learner motorcyclist must pass a test of competancy BEFORE gaining Learner status. So any carpark wobbling should have been done before sitting the Basic Skills test.

And the 70kph limit is,in my opinion, not defensible. If the learner is unsafe at 100 then they are unsafe at 70.

With due respect...

I agree that the learner period is too long.... I guess the rules have to be made for the least competent. I didn't mean that the whole period tb spent in a carpark... see reply above.

I got my basic handling skills certificate about two hours after I first rode a bike!! Yes I did pass the test but I was by no means competent. I thought I needed some time in the carpark before venturing out into traffic. AS for unsafe at 100 > unsafe at 70, I assume you mean bike handling skills rather than speed differential in traffic. Agree with you BUT suggest that the outcome of an accident at 70km/hr would be more favourable than the same at 100.

After driving cars for thirty years, I have been surprised by how comparatively difficult bikes are to ride competently. Some learners take to it like ducks to water, others struggle... but the law has to cater to the strugglers. Don't think anyone here will argue that motorcycling can be dangerous and I think learners, like the original poster, and especially the younger ones, should at least give themselves time to get skills and experience up before exposing themselves to the dangers of heavier vehicles and faster traffic!! Am I right to generalise that most of the serious motorcycles accidents we hear about involve other vehicles, and that single vehicle accidents are comparatively less serious?

[KLOWN]

I suspect that the 70km limit on your learners is so that you're obliged to stay away from places like motorways that you haven't got the experience to use safely. You'd have been stopped, and nicked for travelling too slowly I imagine.

The slowest speed you can go on a motorway (traffic not accounted for) is 30 or 35k (can't remember which) it was on motorway patrol, guy wanted to drive his new tractor from auckland to wellington, he rang ltsa and they said as long as he could keep a constant speed of 30(35) he could use the motorway

[Jantar]

In rural areas there is less traffic, especially off the main highways.... one could class the Cromwell Gorge situation as the equiv of a city motorway.... too dangerous. I agree that one should travel at the same speed as other traffic, except that I'm saying go where the traffic is travelling at 70km/h or less.

As there is no public transport available between Cromwell and Clyde/Alexandra, many learners (both car and motorbike) use the cromwell Gorge road. Do you know of an alternative route where taffic is travelling at 70 kmh or less?

Unfortunately our learner licence rules are written for teenagers who live in cities and are not suitable for rural areas where alternative transport is not available.

[imdying]

The slowest speed you can go on a motorway (traffic not accounted for) is 30 or 35k (can't remember which) it was on motorway patrol, guy wanted to drive his new tractor from auckland to wellington, he rang ltsa and they said as long as he could keep a constant speed of 30(35) he could use the motorway

I would expect an officer to take into account the vehicles top speed... the tractor obviously wasn't trying to be nuisance.

Rural teenagers are no better prepared to ride in 100km/h zones when they're learners than city teenagers. The law is in fact suitable, as it keeps both groups out of a place where they have no business as an inexperienced rider. A learner licences only job is to prepare you to take your restricted test, not to be used as a ticket to transport.

[Ixion]

I actually argue that 100kph on a motorway or state highway is actually safer than 50kph around city streets. Motorway in particular, no idiots pulling out of driveways and side streets, all going the same way, noone u-turning in front of you, city streets on a bike are full of perils. The extra 50kph I think is irrelevant, speed itself is never dangerous.

[imdying]

Things do happen faster at faster speeds though. You'll have been in situations yourself where you though 'glad I wasn't going any faster'. I originally got a motorbike, because I could solo straight away on my learners, which gave me instant transport. I imagine other youngsters do the same. Doesn't mean I was using my bike within the intentions of the law though :/ If as a learner you believe you're competent enough to take on motorway riding, that's your choice, I'm just suggesting that behaving like an idiot on the motorway (i.e. riding at 70km/h) isn't in ones best interests.