Advice wanted on special bike for rental!

[CatWalk]

I thought this would be a good place to get some advice. I work for the CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust and we raise money to go towards research into finding a cure for spinal cord injury (www.catwalk.org.nz).
The Trust was lucky to be donated a Martin Conquest motorcycle designed for wheelchair users to ride directly from their wheelchairs (www.martinconquest.com). Some of you joined us on our national tour of NZ last year, or you may have seen it on the road.
The Conquest bike was auctioned last year and the lucky winner has kindly gifted the bike back to Burwood and Otara Spinal Units to use on a rotation basis. The bike is also to be available to others for hire when not in use by the spinal units.
The DHB's aren't too interested in taking on the administration and management of hiring the bike out, and CatWalk really doesn't haven't the resources to do this either. Hence we are looking for either a rental company or motorcycle group who may be prepared to take on the administration and management of hiring this motorcycle out on a nationwide basis.
Would love to hear from anyone who is keen to look at this, or any possible contacts.
Cheers!

[Hitcher]

What's the status of the Conquest: Is deemed to be a bike or a car?

If it's a "bike", then any disabled person wanting to hire it would have had to have had a Class 6 license prior to receiving their disability.

If it's a "car", then a Class 1 license will be all that's required.

[CatWalk]

Hi, thanks for your comments.

The Conquest was registered as a bike prior to us going on our two week tour of the country, but realise we do need to look into changing this as how many paraplegics could possibly get their motorbike licence after their accidents??!!

The bike is currently off the road as the braking system doesn't comply to NZ Regulations and we were lucky enough to get an exemption to be on the road for the two week tour. The bike is in the process of having a new braking system designed and hopefully the Conquest will be back on the road within the next couple of months.

Hence looking for a rental company/group to look after bookings etc for us.
Cheers

[CookMySock]

how many paraplegics could possibly get their motorbike licence after their accidents??!!

You should talk to the GDLS exemption crew. It will be doable with the right training and supervision, and the right person.

edit: I don't think you should put a car-licensed person in that trike. You have the potential to get a lot of bad publicity there. Putting them through the Class 6 licensing process with a licensed trainer will filter the people nicely for you.

I must say, what an awesome machine to have though. That will turn a disabled persons life around.

Steve

[CatWalk]

Thanks for your advice on the licencing of the Conquest bike. If we were to leave it registered as a bike, that would mean that every para who wanted to hire the bike would have to go through the motorcycle licensing process though and would probably mean lots of para's probably wouldn't go with this (?) Also I am presuming that they would need the Conquest bike to get their licence on?? Sorry I'm not too familiar with the licencing requirements, hence all your advice is truly appreciated!!

Also my original postings was in regards to someone (company/motorbike club) wanting to take up the administration and management of hiring this awesome bike out to others around the country. Can anyone please help??

[Hitcher]

Dispensation would be needed for a para biker who didn't have a full Class 6 license, unless Conquest decided to market a 250cc version of their most excellent product!

[Insanity_rules]

Gotta admit thats a cool device.

[CookMySock]

If we were to leave it registered as a bike, that would mean that every para who wanted to hire the bike would have to go through the motorcycle licensing process though and would probably mean lots of para's probably wouldn't go with this (?)

"Yes", and "I don't think so".

The class 6 license is not an onerous process. Everyone who attempts it passes it. I would say once paras who had a taste of such a machine, they would never look back.

I would suggest you did not register that as a car, as the untrained and the unaware will go kill themselves in it.

Also I am presuming that they would need the Conquest bike to get their licence on?? Sorry I'm not too familiar with the licencing requirements, hence all your advice is truly appreciated!!

Yes they will need the conquest bike, or some other bike, to get their license on. If I was in your position, I would filter for a group of five or six people (shouldn't be hard) and put them though the process.

Go to your friendly local Driver Licensing agent, and ask for a "GDLS Exemption form" and take it home to study. This is filled out by the applicant (with your assistance) and the process begins. The exemption, precisely, is to ride a motorcycle larger than 250cc while on their class 6 learners license. You will need to provide said learner with appropriate supervision and training - to LTNZs satisfaction, and then they issue a permit for each rider, and they may begin their training.

Also my original postings was in regards to someone (company/motorbike club) wanting to take up the administration and management of hiring this awesome bike out to others around the country. Can anyone please help??

I don't know anything about that. There are motorcycle hire companies in the main centers.

Steve

[Laxi]

I would imagine that this machine would be similar to the canam spiders that red baron sell, you only need a car lisence to ride/drive these so it might pay to talk to them about it, I agree with dangerous in principle but I think registering it as bike would limit the practicality of it in terms of rentals, it's an awsome idea and the more people that get to use it the beter

[inlinefour]

how many paraplegics could possibly get their motorbike licence after their accidents??!!

Here is 1 paraplegic that fought to retain his motorcycle licience. It was not that hard once I pointed out that I was fit to operate any motor vehicle with a appropriate hand control. I was disappointed about having to pull out of the the Taranaki legue of the national ride. But I had allready learnt to put my health first the hard way and riding in the middle of winter was the perfect recipie for getting sick. Its really awesome that someone has won the auction and then handed it over to the spinal units, it takes a special sort of individual to do that. Im unsure if I will ever return to Burwood, I certianly hope not as hospital aint my favourite place to be. Would be nice to have a go on it one day, I think that anyone doing the organising of this thing would want to be local to a spinal unit and be given free riding when its not in use. Surely that wouldnt be too muck to ask?

[Pixie]

I would suggest you did not register that as a car, as the untrained and the unaware will go kill themselves in it.

Or end up paraplegicer

[CookMySock]

I think registering it as bike would limit the practicality of it in terms of rentals

Politically, that is not a bad thing, unless it's so effective that it doesn't get used at all.

Two things I see ;

Some unqualified goon getting on it and killing their stupid selves - huge fallout not just for Catwalk, and unlikely such a program would ever be repeated, and if we are really unlucky the government will make a new rule. This must be avoided at all costs.

Catwalk has the opportunity to raise a huge amount of awareness with this vehicle. If it were me, I would be tempted to review the long-term goals and talk to a marketing company and see what could be achieved overall, rather than just parking it up "for hire". A massive wave of public support could be garnered should they get such people and this bike in the public eye. Why not have paras take it and park it in the middle of shopping malls and talk to people, or ride it from one end of the country to the other and get it on TV.

Steve

[sunhuntin]

db... essentially its a trike right? im pretty sure i wouldnt feel confident driving/riding a trike, even if i had my full. a trike is an entirely different beast to a two wheeler, and anyone using it would have to be shown how to corner and such. most two wheeled riders would have trouble adapting to it i should think.

[CookMySock]

db... essentially its a trike right? im pretty sure i wouldnt feel confident driving/riding a trike, even if i had my full. a trike is an entirely different beast to a two wheeler, and anyone using it would have to be shown how to corner and such. most two wheeled riders would have trouble adapting to it i should think.

Yeah ditto I agree. But how much more so for cagers?

Steve

[mujambee]

how many paraplegics could possibly get their motorbike licence after their accidents??!!

Unfortunately, lots of paraplegics already had a bike licence before their accidents.

I must say, what an awesome machine to have though. That will turn a disabled persons life around.

Have a look here, that is really awesome.

db... essentially its a trike right? im pretty sure i wouldnt feel confident driving/riding a trike, even if i had my full. a trike is an entirely different beast to a two wheeler, and anyone using it would have to be shown how to corner and such. most two wheeled riders would have trouble adapting to it i should think.

I agree.