L plate hazard

[MaxCannon]

Has anyone else found their L plate to be a bit of a safety hazard ?

When I first got the bike I had it mounted on the left side of the licence plate where the previous owner had put it.
Problem was it was blocking the indicator a bit.

Once I figured this out I moved it to the centre where it hands above the rear tyre.

Today on the way home something didn't feel right with the bike.
I thought perhaps the rear tyre was going flat so I pulled over.

The L plate had become folded up somehow (It's pretty stiff plastic so I don't know how) and was rubbing on the rear tyre.
It's now got a chunk missing from it (the L plate not the tyre).
I've cut it down so it's not as tall as it was before.
Can't wait to get rid of the damn thing.

[Seraph]

Haha yeahh a little while ago the rear on mine dropped so low it hit the tyre and actuly got ripped off...I know it didnt drop off cos I found it sitting on the back of the swing arm a week later..

[zeocen]

Just get rid of it now, I too thought the yellow L of doom was just all speculation and ghost stories but I actually IMMEDIATELY noticed danger increase 87.4% when I put it on.

[ZeroIndex]

Throw it away, L-plates are only necessary for your restricted licence... just give them a "everyone is after me" story if a cop ever asks...

[vifferman]

They're farkn stupid. In theory, drivers on the road should be alert and considerate, and shouldn't need extra prompting to make them take care. However, (in D'Auckland at least) the L-plate is like a target on the back of your bike. For some reason drivers are scared that if they follow someone with an L on their car or bike, they're in dire danger and must overtake at all costs. I was absolutely stunned when teaching sons #1 and #2 to drive at how reckless and rude other drivers were. It was OK in Tauranga, where I started teaching #1, but in D'Auckland I had people passing dangerously, tooting, cutting us off. And it wasn't situational: I once left the plates on the car, and drove to Glenfield Mall and back, and despite travelling at well over the speed limit, I had cars still trying to pass. Wankers!

It was better back in the Pleistocene when I was a looner; there were no L-plates, and if you were on your provisional bike licence, you were supposed to have a rego sticker with a discrete L on it. Of course if you didn't, it was no biggie.

If I was a looner now, there's no way I'd stick one on my bike. I'd go with the "bolt it on, snap (most of it) off" method. Sounds reasonable to me. I wouldn't stick to the 70? 80? km/h speed limit either. (Mind you, I don't stick to the speed limits now, although I'm trying to. It's a very strange sensation...)

[fjones]

Been experimenting as of late, and find people tailgate much closer with the "L" on. Mainly in the efforts to pass at all costs.

Didn't think of bolting it on and snapping it off though. I'll do that tonight. Or maybe I'll just explain I value my safety more that the $400 fine for removing the target off my very exposed ass......

[discotex]

The L plate had become folded up somehow (It's pretty stiff plastic so I don't know how) and was rubbing on the rear tyre.
It's now got a chunk missing from it (the L plate not the tyre).
I've cut it down so it's not as tall as it was before.
Can't wait to get rid of the damn thing.

Hehe I had exactly the same thing happen. When I mounted it I jumped up and down on the bike to make sure there was plenty of clearance but somehow it managed to get hooked up anyway.

Burned out the exact shape of the tyre on a run down the southern motorway. I'm guessing it was something to do with the compression of the suspension under acceleration and the suction of the tyre spinning. I didn't notice any performance hit tho.

I can't wait to be rid of the damn thing but mainly our of pride than anything else. In 3 months I haven't been pinged at ~110km/h on the motorway and I've been past plenty of cops. Seems like they're pretty relaxed on the 70km/h rule.

As for the cagers targeting the L plate.. I just make sure I'm far enough in front of them

..Matt

[Babelfish]

Wow...it would be an um...."shame"....if it folded into the rear tyre again and um....tore off, leaving only the top corner of it wouldnt it....officer

[vifferman]

Didn't think of bolting it on and snapping it off though. I'll do that tonight.

Just stick the broken off part in your bag, under your seat, or whatever, and if pulled up you can say some vandal just broke it off and you're going to put it back on when you get home/to work/the bike shop.

[Static]

yea i diddent and still dont use one yet apparently i diddent get a happy cop as i used that everyone is out to get me story and he still gave me a $400 fine

[MaxCannon]

Just the other morning on the way to work I was on the motorway keeping up with the traffic which was doing about 105 (the GN only does 110 on the flat)

Passed cop who was stopped at the side of the rd.

Just as I think he hasn't seen my yellow plate of shame he pulls onto the motorway (no lights though so maybe he wasn't after me)

I was just coming up to an exit and not wanting to chance a ticket I pulled off and threaded my way up the queue.

I've no idea if he was planing on pulling me over but doing 70kph on the motorway is just stupid.
Given I pretty much have to travel on the motorway to get to work I think the broken L plate in the bag might be a good call.

[YLWDUC]

but I actually IMMEDIATELY noticed danger increase 87.4% when I put it on.

And 75% of statistics are made up on the spot.
Sex Panther: "60% of the time, it works, everytime..."

You could always buy a cheap high vis vest and get a black vivid and mark out an L on the back. That way, if you feel like being a nanna and riding at 70, the cage drivers will think you're a safety freak anyway and stay well clear of you. if you want to go faster, tuck the vest up in a pocket and away you go.

But I agree with y'all: the 70 speed limit for an 'L' doesn't work.

[Stirts]

Yeap, have to agree....the 70k limit is STUPID, and as a learner myself, I would have thought it better you go with the flow of traffic?....I mean if they are doing 90ks +, surely you would be safer matching ???? of course staying within your limits also....but why set us up to piss other road users off by limiting us....I mean hell we are limited to a 250cc...is that not enough...and.....why not limit drivers too, some cars out their are too powerful for the moron sitting behind the firken wheel! NANA MOMENT OVER!

But I guess that is just too simple for our simple minded law makers

As for the L plate....I haven't noticed any difference actually...I think it actually just comes down to the fact that majority of drivers in Auckland are a*#holes......and yes I confess I was one not that long ago amazing how, all of a sudden you see all these bikes on the road

[2stroke or no stroke]

The whole not going over 70 on open roads is bs man its dangerous at best because people try and run you off the road. coming back from welsford the other day i was tailgated by a guy in a ute and i was going at 130 so i dont know what the deal with that 70kph shit is

[Hanne]

My first L plate (bolted on) snapped off.

My second L plate (taped on) fell off.

Today I had my restricted test. No more L plate, yaaaay!
I think just put it where you can see a fair portion of it and not obscuring anything important.