Is the 2 year restriction silly?

phoenix0250

Dont get me wrong, im all up for safety but, is it not silly that there is a two year restriction after you pass a test showing that you are indeed capable of riding a motorbike?
Is there truly a need for it for people to get more experience on 'castrated/restricted bikes'?

Sorry if it is a repost, but i just had this discussion with some of my friends and would appreciate your opinion.

Cheers!

honeybadger

its a load of bollix it is,,the fun is gone out of everything in this country

JohnnyCrash

I'd agree. I think its like holding a dog on a lead.As soon as you let him go,hes gonna run like fcuk anyway:D

jayok

Ok - I'm gonna play devil's advocate here and support the two year restriction.

Why? Because at the extreme end there is potential for an unskilled rider to legally hop on a CBR1000 and simply not be able to manage it. Now that's not to say at the end of two years that he/she will still be able to manage it, but there is a better chance they will have more respect for the machine.

I also think that the 2 year wait is to do with age as well. If you cannot get a full A until you are 18 then, you cannot have a full powered bike until you're at least 20. The sorry facts are that young (male) riders are an incredibly high risk. This seems to hold water with the Direct Access in the UK being for people over 21 only.

NOW - this is the key in my support for the two year restriction. If additional regulated training (like an RoSPA or something) is undertaken and a standard reached then I believe the restriction should be relaxed. Pretty much what they've done in the UK. This should be optional if you want to shorten the wait time.

At the end of the day it comes down to practicals and trying to save lives. It doesn't always work. For example, if I pass my test today and and never ride after it in 5 years time I can hop straight on a Hayabusa and go flat out. This compare to someone who achieves something like Gold in RoSPA but still has to wait.

But then again life is never black & white....

professore

jayok wrote: »

For example, if I pass my test today and and never ride after it in 5 years time I can hop straight on a Hayabusa and go flat out.

Strictly speaking you can't you can only do a maximum of 120 kph on it. If you're sticking to the rules that is.

JohnnyCrash

professore wrote: »

Strictly speaking you can't you can only do a maximum of 120 kph on it. If you're sticking to the rules that is.

He would be sticking to the rules!!! If he passed the test now but didnt ride for 5 years,his license would be restriction free for 3 years.

goodlad

JohnnyCrash wrote: »

He would be sticking to the rules!!! If he passed the test now but didnt ride for 5 years,his license would be restriction free for 3 years.

I think he was refering to speed limit laws rather than any type of licence restriction.

JohnnyCrash

goodlad wrote: »

I think he was refering to speed limit laws rather than any type of licence restriction.

Being pedantic then. I think he knows what he meant;)

Cionn

A better approach might be to bring bikers in line with the proposed new driver restrictions. Double the penalty points for the first two years and a lower alcohol limit.

I would feel bad advocating for a continuation of the restrictions as I only observed it myself for a few weeks once I got my licence.

C

EvilMonkey

You pass a test showing that you meet the minimum basic requirements to be allowed on the roads. Most people are better riders now than two years ago, so no its not silly. Its not perfect. You could pass your test, not touch a bike for more than 2 years and hop on what you like. We could also do with some form of Direct access. But i don't think its silly(probably because im not restricted any more )

Cionn wrote: »

A better approach might be to bring bikers in line with the proposed new driver restrictions. Double the penalty points for the first two years and a lower alcohol limit.

I would feel bad advocating for a continuation of the restrictions as I only observed it myself for a few weeks once I got my licence.

C

eh no

meg3178

I do agree that rather than have a total 2 year restriction, you should be able to lower the restriction wait by doing ROSPA courses if you want a more powerful bike sooner. This would also give more awareness of a powerful bike and lower insurance rates.

I also think however, that car / lorry drivers need to have an awareness lesson or more built into their training, as so many safe riders are injured or killed by these road users not looking properly, or airing their tanks, leaving a dangerous road for riders.

ambasite

is this restriction enforced? the rare occasions i was stopped at a checkpoint when on a restricted licence the issue never came up.

AgileMyth

Different story if you need to claim on insurance though.

ambasite

AgileMyth wrote: »

Different story if you need to claim on insurance though.

true, it seems that this law is there just to suit insurance companies rather than promote safety.

honeybadger

probaly was a pre condition to why sean quinn could borrow so much money in the beginning not good business sense ,,,,,i want to ride my bike i hve no intention of crashing sean,wot to fook hav you done to so many of us lol sell out out out out and ya will still have your mercedes car there sean and ow 3 billion

KamiKazi

I would have:

While on learner permit: 40BHP
First year after passing the test: 80BHP
Second year after passing the test: 110BHP

cantdecide

Two year restriction is simply a very low tech solution to a very complex problem. Double points/ alcohol/ re-sitting test 'if you do the following etc etc are all great ideas. However, there's no one listening. Then there's no incentive to get trained up.

Like everything else in this country; All stick and no carrot.

With the training and effort I out into my riding, I was every bit as safe a rider as I am now after 6 months of riding. I was still 30 months into my riding career before my restriction came off.

Del2005

The EU 33bhp restriction was always supposed to have DA, we just weren't allowed it by our carring government( who then ruined DA for the Northies also) as we aren't trust worthy. BTW it was nearly a null point as at the time a huge % of bikers where only on provisionals anyway.

But the EU is now going to bring in a 48bhp restriction for all new bikers with no DA option.

IMO it's stupid. You can exceed the safe speed on any motorbike. Training is the key, for all road users.

goz83

EvilMonkey wrote: »

You pass a test showing that you meet the minimum basic requirements to be allowed on the roads. Most people are better riders now than two years ago, so no its not silly. Its not perfect. You could pass your test, not touch a bike for more than 2 years and hop on what you like. We could also do with some form of Direct access. But i don't think its silly(probably because im not restricted any more )



eh no

+ 1

I bought a varadero 125 10 months ago. Rode it 3 times and have not used it since. It'll probably be lying around for another year, so I won't have the experience and I could then decide to jump on a monster and get killed, or kill someone else from lack of experience. Although I chose the Varadero 125 because it is a nice bike and not as dangerous as the sports 125's in my opinion.

jayok

professore wrote: »

Strictly speaking you can't you can only do a maximum of 120 kph on it. If you're sticking to the rules that is.

Hmmm... semantics. Strictly speaking it's an EU license, I could do 130 km/hr in France or if I am near an unrestricted German Autobahn as fast as I like. Sticking to the rules at all times of course!

unklerosco

My only problem with it is that it should be 2 years after u pass ur test and not 2 years after u get ur licence... Seeing as it too me 23 months to send in my licence :p

I've to wait another 2 years before the restriction is lifted... :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Oryx

I get the reason for it, but its not working. Id say a large majority of prov and newly qualified riders never had restrictions till Quinn etc started asking for certs. And even then, once they get the restriction they go home and remove it straight away because they know theyll never get caught. I know of very few who obeyed the two year rule. So the rules arent effective, and encourage fraud instead of safety.

galwaytt

KamiKazi wrote: »

I would have:

While on learner permit: 40BHP
First year after passing the test: 80BHP
Second year after passing the test: 110BHP

Won't, can't work, for several reasons:
1. Power alone is a completely bogus arbiter of anything. E.g. 40bhp in a Honda CBR250 is not the same as 40bhp on a, say......Harley 883. Weight is a big, big factor.
2. Who, and How, to police it ?
3. As mentioned, no correlation between 'date of test' and hours in the saddle/miles on the road. Hours, and training, is better.

cantdecide wrote: »

Two year restriction is simply a very low tech solution to a very complex problem. Double points/ alcohol/ re-sitting test 'if you do the following etc etc are all great ideas. However, there's no one listening. Then there's no incentive to get trained up.

Like everything else in this country; All stick and no carrot.

I dunno, I did my AXA assessment yesterday, because I wanted the 15% off my insurance today. Nothing like a €€ to incentivise people imho.

Del2005 wrote: »

The EU 33bhp restriction was always supposed to have DA, we just weren't allowed it by our carring government( who then ruined DA for the Northies also) as we aren't trust worthy. BTW it was nearly a null point as at the time a huge % of bikers where only on provisionals anyway.

But the EU is now going to bring in a 48bhp restriction for all new bikers with no DA option.

IMO it's stupid. You can exceed the safe speed on any motorbike. Training is the key, for all road users.

Training, training, training. And then some. Besides, it's fun. I did a spin with 56 other bikers on Sunday in the company of 3 x GTC on their force bikes: great. Probably quicker, on average, than another spin I've been on. And yet, not a limit, broken. Speed isn't the issue, never has been - it's always been about skill.

No DA as a blanket ban, is dumb, though. My SO is in a similar limbo atmo