Whats the go with getting a bike license these days?

Hi all

I want to buy myself a bike in the near future and was just wondering
whats the go with getting a licence these days. I had one (about 20
years ago!) but let it expire when i sold the bike.

I'm in my early 40's with a gold car license, what restictions would i
have on a Learners ? am i limited to just a 250 or can i go bigger?.
seem to remember that when i was on L's years ago i wasn't limited to
any size because of the full license. or that could of been P's ....
can't remember.

how long do i have to stay on L's ? is it just 3 months?

I don't really want to fork out for a small bike and then sell it soon.
but if i must i must.

Can i do the P test on any size bike ?
Mate has a Ducati that i can "borrow" for the test if need be, if i
don't have a bike by then.

Also .......

Whats the going price on the old Katanas these days. Had a 1100 years
ago and wouldn't mind getting a 750 or 1100 to restore/ride. Don't see
many around anymore. Local 1100 bike for sale for 6 grand, which sounds
WAY to rich for my liking.

cheers Dave

 

Rules vary from state to state, visit your local RTA equivalent's
website for plenty of info. The really short version

NSW - For a gold licence holder who is over 30 *only* - Do a 2 x 1/2 day
course to get your Ls, on your L's and P's you can ride only learner
approved motorcycles (the LAM list is on the RTA website) which includes
bikes up to 660cc (below a power/weight threshold). A minimum of a week
later you can book for your p's test, if you pass that you can ride any
motorcycle - you have an open licence with one caveat - no pillions for
12months

QLD - either of - Ls and Ps as per normal or Qride - costs some $s for a
weekend course and then you can ride anything

ACT, you can ride anything that meets the power to weight limit on your
Ls (including hoglys), don't think they have a concession for over 30s
going straight to opens though

Vic, SA, WA, Tas no idea

 

NSW - For a gold licence holder who is over 30 *only* - Do a 2 x 1/2 day

Thanks for the info .... I'm in NSW .. forgot to mention that.
I'll check out RTA site

cheers

 

How did you let your license expire?

I also stopped riding about 20 years ago, but my license (NSW btw) still
has the 'R' under the license class, indicating an endorsement for
motorcycles. I have done nothing except renew the license every 5 years.

David

 

Way back in the dim dark late 70's we used to have two licenses. One for
car, one for bike. You could let either one expire and keep the other, also
you could lose one and keep the other. Don't know when the licenses were
combined, only Zebee has the time to google up that info.


--
smack

"Then I'll be insignificant no more!...Conehead"
"Thats right... I aren't sure"... kiwipete

 

for fucks sake be careful.

most of the people getting killed these days on bikes are either young
sportsbike riders or older-havent-ridden-in-20-years harley riders.

and dont pay attention to the long time wankers, i mean posters to this
newsgroup.

 

In the 60's we had three licences. They wouldn't let the dog drive, though

 

Early to mid 80's from memory they combined them.

I had seperate bike Ls and car blacks (I got my bike licence first ('84)
but because there were no points on my Ls it meant I could never lose my
licence, so I didn't do the test for several years until they closed
that loop hole

JL

 

**** you mate !

JL
(med term wanker)

 

Righto, google up the LAMs list or have a dig on the rta website (search
under LAM, it's hard to find though).

You're probably best to get a 250 to get your hand back in, if you've
been riding occasionally over the years you might pass the Ps test first
go, but to be honest I'm dubious I'd pass it without practise and i've
had a bike for most of the last 20 years I've had a licence, bike only
for a slug of it. Modern 250's will be an eye opener ! They're about the
same performance (and with far better brakes and handling) as many of
the larger capacity machines you may remember riding. A VTR250 will eat
a Bonnie for breakfast through any windy road, and not give away all
that much in top speed for example, and it comes with real brakes not
jokes

The Katana you mention is indeed a classic, but i suggest you try riding
a few of the modern bikes first, you'll be gobsmacked by just how good
they are.

Sardo is correct in stating that a significant portion of riders having
accidents (including fatals) are people like yourself - been off it for
15 or 20 years. The two things to do are firstly be conscious that
you're not in a cage at all times - ride defensively, and secondly get
as much training as you can get your hands on. Stay Upright, Superbike
School, whatever's available, spend the couple of hundred bucks - let's
face it, you can afford it now, it's cheaper than hospital stays.

JL

 

Don't we pay extra for our bike licence? ie - if I don't pay the
extra, then the bike licence will lapse?

Cheers

 

Back in those days they were a separate license, when I sold the bike I
didn't bother renewing it. had to pay my car rego the other week and I
asked if it was still on record of having a bike license. .. no record
found, don't know how hard he looked thou. Only took him 30 seconds.

 

He probably checked your car licence records, just like you asked, and found,
just like you knew, that you never had a bike licence on your car licence
because it was on a separate licence.

When computers were invented and they had to key in all the data about licence
holders, it's highly unlikely that they would have keyed in all the
information about expired/lapsed licences and merged that into the database of
unexpired licences.

Nev..
'03 ZX12R

 

Nev.. wrote:

No, I let my separate Vic bike licence expire in about 1987. When I
went to renew my car licence in 1993, the counter-person asked if I
wanted to restore the bike licence. It was just inside the threshold
for re-issuing without a test, and it wouldn't cost anything because it
was now just an endorsement, so I said "Yeah, why not?"

If it hadn't been for that nice young lady I probably would not have
bothered getting back into bikes.

I think nice thoughts about her from time to time.

Moike

 

They did with mine.

 

I had let my bike licence lapse in the late 70's. When I enquired in 1990
about reinstating it, they looked it up, (took about twenty seconds), it was
listed as lapsed, and I only had to do a ride-test to get the bike
endorsement on my licence.

That was in Victoria.

 

In Tas? Don't know, paid it once two years ago, think I have 3 more years
till it's due again. Sounds unlikely to me


smack

 

Moike said....

Hmm. Just how "nice" are these thoughts....?

Is it something that we should discuss in a public forum, especially
when there clearly are children reading?

 

Seeing as you don't say where you are you must be a Sydneyite.
Dunno what their rules are.

 

As a mature age rider, you still have to stay on the LAMS listing (250cc 4 stroke, or a number of other 4 strokes up to 660cc
for the few days you stay on your L's.

Basically rock up, do your prac (2 1/2 day)/theory for L's, wait a couple of days and then attend a P's test
( http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/downloads/most.pdf ) to do thelow speed maneuvering. I suggest
that you do a lot of low speed practice, turns, starting, stopping, S weaves, etc.. prior to attending the P's test.

RTA Main page
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/hubpages/hub_motorcycle.html
Mature riders info
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/gettingalicence/motorcycle/mature_aged_riders.html
Course info from stay upright
http://www.stayupright.com.au/course.htm

Oh yeah, for the harshweekists
www.fuckinggoogleit.com



Mike.S