Do I really need an L-plate?

[Dean]

You can ride without an l plate, it really depends on your confidence,skill.
If the police can see you are in control and look confident they may think you are a restricted rider.But then again having your L plate has its advantages, foreinstance some (not all) cagers will give you room, space if they see you are struggling a little. So if you make a mistake their is a chance that the cagers will be within braking distance.
But a disadvantage to not having your l plate on is cagers will treat you like a full licenced rider, most cagers dont know your cc or much about bikes.They will expect you to do manouvers or put you in situations that require a while of experience.

[nivram]

L Plates or optional for learners just like helmets

[dpex]

Use it!
It is not the target that plenty claim it to be. The cost of not having it far outweighs the cost of having one.
Can you afford the $400...in multilples?

I disagree, entirely.

A friend of mine...yes, I have one friend...new to biking, complete with L-Plate, kept on about feeling he was being attacked. So I chose to experiment, clipped on an L-Plate to old Zimmer and rode in what I presumed was the hesitant fashion of a newbie. Bugger me! The number of attempted shoves, tail-gatings, over-takings went off the scale.

I kept a good record of the week I spent with an L-plate and reported my experiences to LTNZ. They actually took it seriously and assert they're looking at changing the legislation.

Yeah. L-Plates are, in my opinion, an invitation to idiots to get their rocks off.

[MadDuck]

Yeah. L-Plates are, in my opinion, an invitation to idiots to get their rocks off.

I disagree. If I see an L-Plate rider I know that I need to take care when passing. If they dont have an L-Plate and behave like a prat they will get a signal from me that is most unbecoming a lady but most becoming a harley rider

[McWild]

Might as well, I had mine for the whole period and didn't have any more problems than I do now. If it's an image thing, then you have to wonder who you're riding for.

Main reason if you ask me though is to keep those insurance companies happy... you get rear ended after an emergency stop or whatever and that insurance company will be looking for any excuse not to pay the whole some.

[Manxman]

Conditions of Licence... Christchurch is not the same as Auckland. There's not as many "cocks" down here.

Yup. No cocks, just pussies.

Just kidding...

/back on topic/

[Monolith NZ]

I had no plate for the first 5 months. I was pulled twice with nothing but a warning. But I got unlucky and the same cop who pulled me the first time saw that I still didn't have it on.

Resulted in the $400, BUT the amount of fun I had riding from Nelson to CHCH twice over the xmas holidays were very fun valuable experiences (travelling above 70km/h of course). Totally worth the $400.

It really depends on wether having the plate on has any real serious restraints on you or not. Your call.

[Squiggles]

Just remember, you are riding outside your license conditions (and, if noted down in the event of an accident), this could affect your insurance...

I've always suggested people put it on, then ride safely (100k where required to avoid being tail gated/prevent holding up traffic)

[Supermac Jr]

I've always suggested people put it on, then ride safely (100k where required to avoid being tail gated/prevent holding up traffic)

Trip home yesterday at 100km/h with a cop behind me - yes with a L-plate. No trouble at all. I don't really want to make a donation to Cop-City Council. I haven't had any trouble with the plate. If someone give you attitude you would've copped it with/without an L-plate.

Your choice. ...

[Harvd]

i never put mine on, not even when i rode to the basic handing test and then to the learner licence, the only time i did was for the restricted test. the main reason being i had to ride a fair few 100k roads and like hell i was going to be a danger to myself by riding at 70 and getting passd like a lycra clad cyclist...


and theyre gaaaay

[Maha]

I disagree. If I see an L-Plate rider I know that I need to take care when passing. If they dont have an L-Plate and behave like a prat they will get a signal from me that is most unbecoming a lady but most becoming a harley rider

Being able to lick your eyebrow is not exclusive to Harley Riders...

[CookMySock]

Use it! It is not the target that plenty claim it to be.

I agree. Use the L plate.

Dicks in cages will still be dicks with or without the L plate.
If you never have an accident, or never pulled by the plod...then it's not an issue. Otherwise... $

Dicks in cages are USUALLY only being dicks because they feel frustrated following a slow wobbly L-Plater. Like this ;

I disagree, entirely. [...] clipped on an L-Plate to old Zimmer and rode in what I presumed was the hesitant fashion of a newbie.

What mr dpex isn't getting, is that there two combined things there - the L-Plate and the riding around in front of people going slow and blocking the traffic. One or the other could be creating the problem - you decide.

I have taught two P-Platers to ride, and one of them rode very carefully and the other one was a 15 yearold lad (you can make up you own mind about how he rides.. )
One of these riders had all sorts of stupidity done to them, and the other one had NOTHING happen to them. So, make up your mind for yourself about that, but I suggest to you that its all about you, and not about them. (isn't it so often like that?)

For myself, I didn't ride with an L-Plate because I didn't want to - it was embarrassing to ride a huge noisy vtwin 650 with L Plates on.. Plain and simple. Although, I was riding a very new looking bike, with very new looking gear, and I rode it and made it look like I knew what I was doing.

I didn't get stopped. I was lucky. Ya pay ya money and ya rolls ya dice.

Steve

[robo555]

I only had the L plate on for half a day, the day I took my restricted.

I never behaved badly, and hardly rode out of town during my learners period though, so chance of police stopping me was slim.

[Tubbsy]

In my limited experience, it does feel to me like it's an invitation to car drivers to try and overtake as soon as they can, resulting in tailgating and them beiong annoyed. It's almost like it's conditioned like Pavlov and his dogs. L-Plate = must overtake. I still won't be taking mine off....but I can def see a difference in the way I get treated by cagers to the way non-plated riders do.

Although in saying that....I still think they're a good thing because it tells motorists to give you room, whether they do or not.

["Rambo"]

For 7 months now I have had my l plate on, don't have the funds to sit my restricted yet. And every rally I go to people say take it off. I have it on for a reason, $400 is a start, hopefully the respect other riders give me and the space I could require if needed. But I sit on 100km with no police problems, at least I'm not holding up traffic or being a dick then whats the problem. Part of the conditions of your license is the have your L-plate attached to your bike, I know 70km is a stupid speed for those that can handle the extra speed but there there are others out there that can't handle going faster.