I tried it!!

[knee_scraper]

After my fine for speeding and not having an 'L' plate I decided I'd have a go at keeping every rule there was on a learner licence for once, just to see what it was like and this is my experience....


Riding home lastnight after work in semi heavy traffic north bound in Wellington on the motorway. I refused to exceed 70kmh and yes I have a big phat 'L' plate on me and my bike! Surprisingly, although this was a one off occassion, I didn't get anyone honk their horn at me, the only treatment I got and this was 50-60% of the time, was tailgating which didn't feel nice. Apart from that it felt damn weird and took an extra 7 minutes for me to get home. anyway, it felt good, lol knowing if any cop pulled me over I could stick it to him. haha

So I guess after all its not that bad sticking below 70kmh on a learners. Ah, one other thing, I used next to no gas, lol.

[skelstar]

You are saying that people often honk their horn at you?

Ive done some dodgy manouvres at times and have only had a horn honked at me once in 20000kms. That was in the Sth Island coming into Kaikoura. Perhaps Im not very dodgy .

[R6_kid:Me]

Perhaps Im not very dodgy .

LIAR!!! I've seen what a few beers turns you into

[Leong]

Without wanting to be a wet blanket, prude, or showing my age but......

Whats wrong with the attitude that rules were made so that people can live together in harmony. Think of the chaos if there weren't any rules.

Maybe the Learner License is a license to "LEARN" to ride, and NOT to use the bike for everyday transport. And this learning should be in a safer environment, like an unused carpark on with more experience, quiet residential streets where the limit is 50km/h. And perhaps the 70km/h rule was made so that newbies wouldn't use the motorways, where any accident could have tragic consequences! After some experience, perhaps you could obtain a restricted license, use the bike more freely.

I'm glad your experience keeping to the rules wasn't too bad.... and I hope you are encouraged. Ride safe!!! (and have fun!)

[marty]

imagine that! a $400 lesson learnt!

[MSTRS:Me]

It's still damned dangerous being the odd one out in the traffic flow. Whatever it is you do to be the odd one out.

[Jantar]

...
Maybe the Learner License is a license to "LEARN" to ride, and NOT to use the bike for everyday transport. And this learning should be in a safer environment, like an unused carpark on with more experience, quiet residential streets where the limit is 50km/h. .... and I hope you are encouraged. Ride safe!!! (and have fun!)

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 kmh 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?

[phoenixgtr]

Learner car drivers have to travel at 80

[Jantar]

Exactly. So why only 70 for motorcyclists?

[phoenixgtr]

Maybe the Learner License is a license to "LEARN" to ride, and NOT to use the bike for everyday transport. And this learning should be in a safer environment, like an unused carpark on with more experience, quiet residential streets where the limit is 50km/h. And perhaps the 70km/h rule was made so that newbies wouldn't use the motorways, where any accident could have tragic consequences! After some experience, perhaps you could obtain a restricted license, use the bike more freely.

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?

[phoenixgtr]

Exactly. So why only 70 for motorcyclists?

It seems pretty unfair. 80 is a much more sensible number imo. There is alot of 80k zones around. To be restricted to 10k less than the limit seem rediculous

[Ixion]

..
Maybe the Learner License is a license to "LEARN" to ride, and NOT to use the bike for everyday transport. And this learning should be in a safer environment, like an unused carpark on with more experience, quiet residential streets where the limit is 50km/h. And perhaps the 70km/h rule was made so that newbies wouldn't use the motorways, ..

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.

[SPORK]

Learner car drivers have to travel at 80

Where did you pull that out of your arse? That's the biggest load of BS I've ever heard. Please read the road code.

[limbimtimwim]

And perhaps the 70km/h rule was made so that newbies wouldn't use the motorways, where any accident could have tragic consequences!

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

[imdying]

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.