OzSTOC
General Category => Active Polls => Topic started by: Diesel on July 19, 2012, 09:43:26 PM
-
:law :law :law PLEASE EXPLAIN!
You hear all sorts of stories about how the local police sergeant stood out in the carpark and said "Righto - ride around that bin and stop in front of me!.... OK sign here - you're done!" :law
And the licence was issued.
Well.... In my day it wasn't so easy. I had two instructors buzzing around me in traffic after they told me (and one other on a full-faired Beemer) the route to take to get out to a carpark they had set up with cones for me to do slow right angled turns, slalom, parking etc. Whilst performing a right angle manouvre (in an area not much bigger than the bike) the Beemer rider tipped over and was immediately 'dismissed' to try again another day after some practice. I was left there by myself with two eagle eyed officianados watching my every move!
I got through the test without loss except for one thing. I had to perform an emergency stop and locked the back wheel for literally 2/10ths of a second (40cm). I let the brake off and reapplied it and still stopped within the required distance, but I was made to do it again perfectly AND I lost 5 out of my 8 points for this indiscretion! Oh yes, they made sure I COULD ride and control the machine before they signed off on me.
It was a well earned licence. I was required to do the 'Stay Upright' safety course as part of the process as well.
Should have seen their faces when I showed up on this to do my licence test - (well - it WAS my bike!)...
A 1979 full faired CB900F Bol D'or - YEAH BABY!
(http://i48.tinypic.com/do2vc4.jpg)
She looked stoopid with "L" plates on her - I was glad to 'make it right" :grin
You'd have to have a good story too eh? Let's hear it! What bike? Easy or Hard? How many times did you do the test?
Cheers, Diesel
-
I got my license after I bought a Bike, a 1997 Kawasaki 250 ninga
(http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd499/ozstoc/MyBike3.jpg)
I bought the bike off a police officer who promptly booked me after buying it for riding on a learners license, I have always found that funny for some reason....
My test was much like diesels but I only had one fellow testing me, if I remotely made an error stopping, turning, parking, he made me go back around time after time after time until it was perfect, I didn't fail though, and yes I still paid my fine. And I only had to do my test once!
Cheers
Streak
-
I can't remember the exact year I got my bike licence but it was sometime around 1975/6 and I would have been 20/21.
The bike belonged to a nurse who was a friend of my girl-friend way back then. The bike a Honda CB 175 Twin (1969-73) was up for sale for about $500 so I bought it to use to and from work. Getting the "L" plate was easy as I had a car licence and was just a matter of applying for a bike learners permit.
Sometime within 3 months I went for the test which was simply a ride around the block. Including leaving and entering the car park at the registration office I had 6 LH turns to do. The tester followed me on his bike for the length of the on-road test. All I needed to do was use appropriate signals etc. when required and not be a danger to anyone else on the road. I passed.
Back in those days in SA it was teach your self and learn by your mistakes and I'm still here........lol
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4406/36047519960_b0e74e16f3_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/WVoXNQ)
-
I bought a Suzuki 80 in 1967 in Newcastle. I had a car licence and just had to answer a few questions to get the bike permit.
Rode around for a while, then went to the Motor Registry, rode around the block (by myself) and was given the licence to do what I liked. No P plates in those days. Promptly got booked for failing to signal a left turn. Can't remember why, but had to go to Court. Rode the bike into the city to Court and had the licence suspended for 3 months. Told the beak I needed a dispensation to ride home and he complimented me on my confidence and told me to walk. Pushed the bike around the corner and rode home.
I'm much better behaved these days!!
Mine was blue. There's more tales to tell, but they'll wait.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e136/Pixtor/SuzukiK10P1967red.jpg)
You'll notice real men had kick starters in those days (Streak!)
-
Sat my test in the UK in 1964 on a 200cc Triumph Tiger Cub.
Examiner, who is on foot, sets you a route through the middle of the city and runs around 'spying' on you at various points. At some point he jumps out in front of you and holds up his hand (Emergency Stop and you're not allowed to stall the engine or loose control) and then you continue on to the end. Happy to say that I passed 1st time. :hatwave
A friend of mine was doing his test on a red BSA C15 and was stopped by a Motorcycle Patrolman :law part way through. Whilst he was explaining to the copper that he was on a test, someone ran around the corner and told the copper that there had just been an accident down a side street. :eek
The copper took off to attend the accident. My mate put his helmet and gloves back on and followed his set route. He turned down one street and discovered his Examiner under another red BSA C15. The poor rider had been riding along, minding his own business, when some silly bugger jumped out and stuck up his hand totally unexpected to the rider who promptly cleaned him up. :fp My mate was given his licence but we never heard what happened to the other rider. :-[
Dave :wht13
-
I went to the local cop shop in a borrowed Datsun 120Y, did the written test then drove down the main street, did a centre park (straight through, in , out) did a blockie back to the cop shop, handed a car and open bike licence at the same time. The local cop knew I rode dirt bikes so he just wrote it out. My brother was pissed off as he did his a year earlier and had to ride through town with the cops following.. and he had to spend a year on a 250cc restriction. :wink1
I then started riding on the road on an XL250.
-
Did mine in UK as well back when Pontius was still in flight school. Four examiners at the four corners of a big square car park on a Saturday morning. Masses of traffic and one examiner jumping out from behind a public toilet to force the emergency stop. Stupid,ludicrous way to do anything but I passed and I'm still riding, even though I've come off a few times and put myself in hospital more than once!
Stay upright!!
-
:think1 :think1 Much the same as Biggles and Alan. Around '80 or '81 on a Honda CB400/4 :thumbsup
Got told to "ride around the block" when I got back the guy was already inside writing it out :rofl.
BUT I saw the Light in '86 and became an instructor and (hopefully) saved a few hundred from the same "learning curve" :grin
-
Was 1974 and I was posted to "Battle Wing"JTC Canungra. A group of us went for our License at the the same time. One of our blokes had a 250 Honda and after doing the written test we had to go to the bottom of the hill outside the cop shop, turn round without putting any foot on the ground and ride back up to the cop shop?
So 3 of us did it and the 4th or 5th bloke got to the bottom of the hill turned round and stops and started waving his hands? We all runs down and it turns out the bikes run out of petrol? So we push the bike back up the hill and the local sergeant gives everyone their licence, the owner of the bike, jumps on the bike, turns the tap to reserve and drives the bike back to camp :rofl
The next day or 2, I gets me a Yammy TX 500. Hmmmmmmmmm now how kool is this?????? It had a Disk Brake on the front
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/terryjohns/TX500.jpg)
-
:wht11 py
It was about 67/68 in Rotorua NZ on a 350 Kwaka .... went down to the lake front and back ..job done
about 1/2 a mile, 2 left, 2 right turns, 1 360 and 1 U- turn (and the eyes' popped :-[ )
Tipsy
-
I was a late starter and did the full "Stay Upright" bit now required in NSW which involved three intensive half day schools with lots of roadcraft lectures and heaps of slow stuff with witches hats etc. Road test was over 1 hour with instructor following. I always recommend this to older riders returning to the saddle after many years. I had never ridden before (at 57) and I found this program invaluable and has stood me in good stead ever since. I even now remember and apply things I was taught. I did it together with my eighteen year old son and we both passed first time (I would never have lived it down if he had passed and I didn't) but heaps failed and had to do it again. I rode my 250cc Kwaka Super Sherpa which I still have and enjoy riding. I have since done the "Stay Upright" advanced course at Eastern Creek raceway on my old Bonnie (Pre ST1300) over a full day. That was fantastic
(http://www.imgjoe.com/x/kawasakisupe.jpg)
Dick B :rd13
-
I did my Licence on a Kwaka Z250 in Midland WA around 1980. The test was pretty easy, with a bit of riding around white dots painted on the ground, an emergency stop and then out on to the road (Stalled the bike on the way to the road, but thanks to electric start I dindt have to stop and kick start [a fail]). Further down the road, had to do a stop, park the bike, then start and do a hill start and back to collect licence. A similar thing 18 mths later on a Suzi 650 shaft drive Katana.
-
:wht11 py
It was about 67/68 in Rotorua NZ on a 350 Kwaka .... went down to the lake front and back ..job done
about 1/2 a mile, 2 left, 2 right turns, 1 360 and 1 U- turn (and the eyes' popped :-[ )
Tipsy
And did the Examiner require you to drop the bike to qualify? :crackup
-
Got mine via the Qride system.
My history.....only been riding for 6 years.
Rode a 125 farm bike a couple of times as a teenager.
Did it thru a Qride bike shop.
First lesson on a 250 around the car park.
The rest of lessons on a VT750C and more car park riding.
2 lessons actually riding on the road.
Then the Qride day course which gave me the slip of paper to present to the Transport Department.
All waaaaaaaaaay too easy in my opinion. :-(((
That's scary!
-
I have been riding since I was about 5, down on the farm. my lerners permit consisted of wathching a 5 minute video then the written test, which I failed the first attempt, the instructor said "you only failed by 1 point, go to the RTA and do it again" which I did, the practical test was conducted on a 1973 Honda XL 250.
myself & three others followed the instructor to a small car park which had whiches hats already set up.
I was first up, pulled up to the line and was told "straight ahead 40kph front brake only emergency stop" fine except when I applied the front brake I must have hit some loose gravel, the front wheel locked and started to slide, not wanting to drop my bike I stood her up on the back wheel down the car park turned around whent back to the assessor and said can I start that again?
I was then told "see that tree? go sit under it" after about 5-10 minutes he came over and asked how long I had been riding, then said you are a smart arse but you passed.
-
I sat for both my car and bike license tests, Friday afternoon after school, 29th July 1968, my 17th birthday at the Hurstville Police Station (a suburb in Sydney).
It was also the last day in NSW that police did the license tests in Sydney, after that you had to go to the motor registry.
I did the bike test on my 1948, 98cc, two speed James. I don't remember much about it but passed.
I did the car test in my Austin A30 Estate Car. When asked to do a reverse park, I thought oh dear (or words to that effect) I haven't done one before, ended up failing my car license for slipping the car into neutral just before pulling up at a corner. This was a disaster because not only did I not get my car license on my birthday I had to pay for a another car permit and pay for my bike license which would had been free if I had passed the car license and got both together.
I don't remember much about my next car license test at the motor registry but passed it. This time I think I did it in my fathers Peugeot 403.
Both the James and the A30 had been basket cases abandoned by my older brothers that I had rebuilt almost from the ground up. The James was a classic, the gear change was via a lever operated by your left thumb while pulling in the clutch and had a two stroke Villiers engine with an exposed flywheel. I also remember that I would get almost a full tank of two stroke mix fuel for 20 cents. The A30 while mechanically very sound was not pretty, the duco was a hand brushed coat of red oxide primer which may not have impressed the Policeman when I first sat for my test.
This is a similar James
http://www.google.com.au/imgres?q=1948+James+motorcycle&hl=en&sa=X&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4SKPB_enAU387AU388&biw=1280&bih=550&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=bvYGNUOr0Mf6rM:&imgrefurl=http://www.geocities.ws/famousjamesmotorcycles/FJM1948JamesComet.htm&docid=ceYGNrJlT7SLAM&imgurl=http://www.geocities.ws/famousjamesmotorcycles/images/1948jamescomettrailor.JPG&w=640&h=480&ei=29AIUJSXHo-fmQWcwLilCg&zoom=1 (http://www.google.com.au/imgres?q=1948+James+motorcycle&hl=en&sa=X&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4SKPB_enAU387AU388&biw=1280&bih=550&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=bvYGNUOr0Mf6rM:&imgrefurl=http://www.geocities.ws/famousjamesmotorcycles/FJM1948JamesComet.htm&docid=ceYGNrJlT7SLAM&imgurl=http://www.geocities.ws/famousjamesmotorcycles/images/1948jamescomettrailor.JPG&w=640&h=480&ei=29AIUJSXHo-fmQWcwLilCg&zoom=1)
-
1976 I got the learners permit and bike licence (car licence came a few years later) on my Honda CD175 (one of my sisters bought it new and it had been through a few members of the family). Went to the police station, was told to go around the block while the paperwork was filled out. As I made it back, I passed.
Reminds me of the time I transferred registration from ACT to Victoria (far cheaper at the country rate) while at university. It was pouring rain at the time I went for the roadworthy (a GT750 Suzuki that I bought in Canberra to replace the CD175), and bloke just did the paperwork as he reckoned the bike must be ok if I was able to ride around in the rain. Ah, the good old days..but I wish now that there was rider training more available back then as it would have made riding a lot safer that the suck it and see approach.
-
Did both my car and bike on same day in 1975. Took copper round the block in car and had to ride bike to corner and back, easy. The cop knew I came from a farm and asked how long I had been driving? 'Since I was nine' seemed be the correct answer and I walked out with paper for the Motor Registry, paid the money and away!
Hey Glen, this was NSW on 4th December 1975 and the cops still did it then.
:bl11
-
I did not start riding until I was 50 some 15 years ago. Did the full test along with four other young blokes and it was the worst day of my life . I was no where ready to go for it , but I have never failed in anything I have attempted so there was no question I would pass with flying colours .
So before each of us took of for our test , (off set cones , tight turns , emergency stops , ) the examiner said that when each rider returns from the test and I give the thumbs up it would be nice if you gave the rider a bit of a hand clap and congratulate him.
The first three young blokes took off and passed easily , flipping through the cones, stopping on a dime and as each one returned from the test we would give them a hand and congratulations.
I was the last to be tested and proceeded to hit two cones which put me out straight away. When I rode back to the group who were all watching ,there was some awkwardness from the group as I obviously did not get the thumbs up and no hand clap.. Dammmm
After the other guys got all the paperwork , I asked the instructer if I could walk around the coarse ,which he agreed. I took a pen and pencil and measured the coarse out , distance between cones , turning circle etc.
I then went down to the local airport parking area every Sunday for a month , set up the cones , measured out the turning circle , and braking area. After 4 weeks of this I went for the test again and this time I got the congratulations I so wanted the first time.
Life is funny , when I look back on the experience I am so happy I failed as I probably would have killed myself if they had passed me and let me out on the roads. Some times Life knows whats best for us , even when we disagree.
-
Did both my car and bike on same day in 1975. Took copper round the block in car and had to ride bike to corner and back, easy. The cop knew I came from a farm and asked how long I had been driving? 'Since I was nine' seemed be the correct answer and I walked out with paper for the Motor Registry, paid the money and away!
Hey Glen, this was NSW on 4th December 1975 and the cops still did it then.
:bl11
Steve,
Did you do it in a country town or in a major city?
-
Glen, did in Tamworth.
:bl11
-
Glen, did in Tamworth.
:bl11
I revised my post to "in Sydney" :)
-
Tamworth is a city, just located in the country. :)
:bl11
-
:wht11 py
It was about 67/68 in Rotorua NZ on a 350 Kwaka .... went down to the lake front and back ..job done
about 1/2 a mile, 2 left, 2 right turns, 1 360 and 1 U- turn (and the eyes' popped :-[ )
Tipsy
And did the Examiner require you to drop the bike to qualify? :crackup
Had lighter bike and better balance back then.... only dropped when out with friends trail riding in paddocks
with street bike.
Regular trips on Mondays to get new indicators. :whistle :whistle :whistle
-
Did the 'test' in 1977 in a little country town. Got the car licence first, 10 written questions, took the local copper for a short scenic drive out of town, came back, went home and got my brothers 360 Yammie motocross bike and back to the cop shop. Rode there unaccompanied. The officer accompanied me outside, stood on the footpath and said ride down to the intersection and come back. When I came back, he was nowhere to be seen. Went into the cop shop and there he was at the type writer tapping away on the keys typing out my car licence and my OPEN bike licence. In those days, if you did the test on a bike larger than a 250cc, bingo, an open licence. I only owned a 175 Yammie at the time, which I had owned for a couple of years and no doubt had been spotted riding it on the roads a few times prior to me being licensed. It was kind of accepted that you had been behind the wheel of a car and in charge of a motorcycle long before you legally could. Was driving as soon as I could reach the pedals but not on the roads at that early stage of course. Ahh. Life in the country was sweet.
-
You're right Skip (mainly- I had a few run-ins with Cops while living in the country).
Compared with the laws we're required to abide by in the city, (e.g. parking, traffic lights, lanes etc etc) the country is paradise.
-
I started riding at the age of 13 around the Morayfield/Caboolture area (roads, trails it was all good :wink1) and as soon as I could I went for my motorcycle test at the department of transport.
The instructor had me start with an emergency stop and I lost traction on the rear tyre due to a stone on the road and he failed me on the spot (Still took my money though) :cuss
After many years of riding all over the place (on just a learners licence :whistle) I stopped in to the local bike shop to get a new rear tyre and was looking at the second hand bikes. Anyway to cut a long story short-ish I brought a VT750 and had them pay for me to do the QRide as part of the deal so I would be licensed to ride it.
For the QRide I went to the instructor’s house on my CB250, had a chat and watched a video then went riding to the local park on his GS500 naked bike.
Did the slow riding and figure eights without an issue then came the emergency stop… :fp
I did it 3 times, lost traction on the rear tyre every time (we were under a tree in the carpark and I kept running over twigs and seeds) :||||
After the 3rd time he asked what speed I was doing I said 60 and he said I was only supposed to be doing 40 :eek (nobody told me that) anyway he said he could see I knew what I was doing and gave me a pass. :thumbs
After that went for a ride over Clear Mountain and around the place for an hour or so after which I got the piece of paper saying I could ride and got my licence and the new bike...
5 years later I upgraded to the :wht11 then 9 months later to the :blu13 :grin
-
:) :) :thumbs
I started riding/driving @ about 12 yo - commence work Jan '64 - purchase 1st 2 wheels @ 15yrs 9 mths - 1964 K11 (80cc) Suzuki Sport - One Hundred Fifty Four POUND Nine & Sixpence - OR for the younger members - $308.95 incl on roads & Insurance - Licence 2 mths later - known to local Sargeant - "Ride up the street - right blinker on - u-turn -come back here - right blinker on - u-turn & stop where I am"- trouble was - when I got there - he wasn't - bike on side stand walk towards Station - out he comes - "here's your licence - now do the right thing or I'll know all about it" and he handed me my paper licence @ 15yrs & 11 mths (Legal age was 16yrs & 9mths for Permit - 17 yrs for Licence.
No helmet required in those days - wind in the hair etc etc - its a wonder I still have any at all - No goggles - tears streaming from eyes - still alive though - must've beeb doin' somethin' right.
Will continue for a long while yet - too.
Regards
Bob
:dred11
-
When bike licenses were introduced in SA back in about 1973, I didn't own a bike. All I had to do to get my "unlimited" motorcycle license was to find a mate who owned a bike and get him to sign a document that said I rode his bike regularly. No written exam, no training, no testing, no dollars spent. This probably explains why I can't ride for shit.......... :thumbs
-
Hi All, Those were the days my friend.
My friendly Sargent just said if you can't Bloodly well ride by now don't come back and He just stood on the steps of the cop shop and watched, (I had been caught in a Police Road Block at the age of 11 driving a 3ton farm truck) this was now 6 years later.
quote author=bobSTer link=topic=1850.msg17577#msg17577 date=1343035029]
:) :) :thumbs
I started riding/driving @ about 12 yo - commence work Jan '64 - purchase 1st 2 wheels @ 15yrs 9 mths - 1964 K11 (80cc) Suzuki Sport - One Hundred Fifty Four POUND Nine & Sixpence - OR for the younger members - $308.95 incl on roads & Insurance - Licence 2 mths later - known to local Sargeant - "Ride up the street - right blinker on - u-turn -come back here - right blinker on - u-turn & stop where I am"- trouble was - when I got there - he wasn't - bike on side stand walk towards Station - out he comes - "here's your licence - now do the right thing or I'll know all about it" and he handed me my paper licence @ 15yrs & 11 mths (Legal age was 16yrs & 9mths for Permit - 17 yrs for Licence.
No helmet required in those days - wind in the hair etc etc - its a wonder I still have any at all - No goggles - tears streaming from eyes - still alive though - must've beeb doin' somethin' right.
Will continue for a long while yet - too.
Regards
Bob
:dred11
[/quote]
-
17 & 9 months got my permit the day after 18th birthday went to testing station, copper came out said go out the driveway turn right 2nd set of lights turn right 2nd set of light turn right 2set of lights & your back here & don't get bloody lost :law past my test no probs tho they got harder as I went along after that (had my license cancelled 9 times :eek)
I was 30 b4 I had my full license :runyay & got my car license that year
-
Got mine in 72 rode my 750/4 down to the registry rode down the road 100m then did a U turn without putting my feet down rode back same U turn deal, went inside and got my licence.
Stopped riding for a while went and did a refresher course and a advanced course, in reflection wonder how I lasted so long in my previous life I knew nothing........but had a @*$# load of fun.
-
I've only been riding for about 7 years, no experience whatsoever before doing my METAL (Motorcycle Education Training and Licencing) courses. Did basic (learners) and intermediate (restricted) two weeks apart, then 3 months later did the advanced course to do the early upgrade. Was riding my ST1100 only 6 months after getting on a bike for the first time :grin flew Darwin to Sydney on the redeye, taxi to the bike shop, paperwork done and on the road to Melbourne by 9:30am. Spent a couple of days with my grandmother in Melbourne before heading to Adelaide to pick up my Shadow trailer, then 2 and a half days up through the centre to Darwin. I had a ball!!! :grin :grin :grin
:bl11
-
1. FEB 2007 - Bought a KLX 250 off a mate.
2. MAR 2007 - Studied the Queensland transport MC learner online test. There were only 15 questions, 5 of which would be shown at any time. Answers also given. Hitting
REFRESH for30 minutes gave me all questions and answers. Next day I attained my Learners.
3. That next weekend took the bike to my parents 3 arcres, and rode for the very first time. All up about 4 hours.
4. Two weks later, and not having any riding time in-between, did a 1 day Q-Ride course. Used my bike, and as such was only able to get a restricted liense (250cc). The bike
was so light that all manouves were easy. In fact the instructor borrowed my bike to show off, doing some pretty cool low-speed stunts. I PASSED easily, only having to repeat
the emergency stop as the KLX didn't go down the gears fast enough and would go into neutral by default.
Two weeks from learners to license, not good enough really.... I will say the Q-Ride mob I went with were VERY good with teaching safety though!
5 Then I rode to work every day for 2 years without misshap.
6. 2009 - I moved to Sydney for work, changed my license to NSW, and because the NSW RTA didn't acknowlege restricted 250cc licenses, was upgraded to a full unrestricted license without ANY TEST whatsoever.
When I moved back to QLD, naturaly I bought an ST..... :grin
-
I've only been riding for about 7 years, no experience whatsoever before doing my METAL (Motorcycle Education Training and Licencing) courses. Did basic (learners) and intermediate (restricted) two weeks apart, then 3 months later did the advanced course to do the early upgrade. Was riding my ST1100 only 6 months after getting on a bike for the first time :grin flew Darwin to Sydney on the redeye, taxi to the bike shop, paperwork done and on the road to Melbourne by 9:30am. Spent a couple of days with my grandmother in Melbourne before heading to Adelaide to pick up my Shadow trailer, then 2 and a half days up through the centre to Darwin. I had a ball!!! :grin :grin :grin
:bl11
We must have been within weeks of each other picking our bikes up from Victoria. Mine was owned by a 45 year old (at the time) lady rider who lived in Bendigo and that was May 2006
-
I've only been riding for about 7 years, no experience whatsoever before doing my METAL (Motorcycle Education Training and Licencing) courses. Did basic (learners) and intermediate (restricted) two weeks apart, then 3 months later did the advanced course to do the early upgrade. Was riding my ST1100 only 6 months after getting on a bike for the first time :grin flew Darwin to Sydney on the redeye, taxi to the bike shop, paperwork done and on the road to Melbourne by 9:30am. Spent a couple of days with my grandmother in Melbourne before heading to Adelaide to pick up my Shadow trailer, then 2 and a half days up through the centre to Darwin. I had a ball!!! :grin :grin :grin
:bl11
We must have been within weeks of each other picking our bikes up from Victoria. Mine was owned by a 45 year old (at the time) lady rider who lived in Bendigo and that was May 2006
I got mine from a bike shop in Sydney (can't remember which one) in Feb 2006. Rode back to Darwin via Melbourne and Adelaide. Absolutely awesome trip that I want to repeat one day :grin
:bl11
-
I've only been riding for about 7 years, no experience whatsoever before doing my METAL (Motorcycle Education Training and Licencing) courses. Did basic (learners) and intermediate (restricted) two weeks apart, then 3 months later did the advanced course to do the early upgrade. Was riding my ST1100 only 6 months after getting on a bike for the first time :grin flew Darwin to Sydney on the redeye, taxi to the bike shop, paperwork done and on the road to Melbourne by 9:30am. Spent a couple of days with my grandmother in Melbourne before heading to Adelaide to pick up my Shadow trailer, then 2 and a half days up through the centre to Darwin. I had a ball!!! :grin :grin :grin
:bl11
Wow that's an amazing start to motorcycling
-
I first got my "L" class (<= 250cc) in 1991 here in WA. I had never ridden a bike before, and the reason to do start was simply to save $$ on the long commute of about kms from Freo to Garden Is.
I did the usual thing, started with some lessons with an instruction school. First few lesson were on a Suzi GN250 - really easy to ride. Then switched mid-way to a CB250 - quite the opposite - horrible brakes. In the middle of a lesson doing a quick-stop I locked up the front wheel and she went down... that was the last time I've ever ridden a bike without gloves. :spank I think I'd rather break a bone - totally debilitating having lost much of the skin off both palms. All I can say is that my wife & I had a new level of intimacy never experienced since! >:()
6 months later I managed to get back on a bike to continue lessons (that's how long it took to heal). All good, did well. On the day of the test: it was like a wet-season in the NT - absolute cat's & dogs teaming down. It was a puckering moment when I had to grab a handful of brake for a quick-stop for the fist time in standing water - during my test.
In the end all good - but again - unprepared. Totally soaked.
Had to repeat the process for the "big bike" licence. All prepared this time though - 100% perfect score on an old beat-up GSX 500.
-
Rob, you talk about "...a new level of intimacy", many years ago in UK when married to my first wife I was riding regularly to and from work through Southampton when one morning a brain-dead pedestrian walked out between two parked cars right in front of me. I missed him...just, but went over the handlebars into a big heap on the other side of the road. Busted my left wrist in lots of places and took the top off my right collar bone. :well
By the time the docs were finished, my left arm was in plaster from 1st finger joint to elbow, and right arm was strapped to my chest and not moveable. As you can imagine this made doing anything 'personal' extremely difficult.
To cut a long story short, one day shortly after the incident, my wife went shopping and left me at home with her mother, she took 4 hours shopping instead of the promised 1 hour and I was finally forced to ask my Monster-in-Law to assist me in having a pee, with all the "new level of intimacy" associated with that procedure. :eek :eek :eek
Trust me our marriage was not the same thereafter, and didn't last too much longer!!
-
... I was finally forced to ask my Monster-in-Law to assist me in having a pee...
OK. You win that one! :hatwave I have to ask though, you said your marriage didn't last... did you marry your ex mother-in-law?
-
:well :well :well :well
Too much info required Rob.
-
Rob, you talk about "...a new level of intimacy", many years ago in UK when married to my first wife I was riding regularly to and from work through Southampton when one morning a brain-dead pedestrian walked out between two parked cars right in front of me. I missed him...just, but went over the handlebars into a big heap on the other side of the road. Busted my left wrist in lots of places and took the top off my right collar bone. :well
By the time the docs were finished, my left arm was in plaster from 1st finger joint to elbow, and right arm was strapped to my chest and not moveable. As you can imagine this made doing anything 'personal' extremely difficult.
To cut a long story short, one day shortly after the incident, my wife went shopping and left me at home with her mother, she took 4 hours shopping instead of the promised 1 hour and I was finally forced to ask my Monster-in-Law to assist me in having a pee, with all the "new level of intimacy" associated with that procedure. :eek :eek :eek
Trust me our marriage was not the same thereafter, and didn't last too much longer!!
Is that why they call you Whizz??
-
Rob, :eek :-((( :eek >:() NEVER!!!, and that is a mental picture that I really didn't need in my head, thanks a lot...NOT
Scarp, No, but it does sort of fit, doesn't it :crackup :rofl
-
Way back in 1976 on a yellow Honda 750 F1 , it was borrowed from the Yamaha dealer , he followed me up to the Police station & the Sargent come out said ride up to bridge do a U turn and come back & we will do the paper work , he knew I could ride because we rode in the bush together .
Mystic2
:dred11
-
I don't have a MC licence. MC is multi combination.
I do however have a HC and an R.
In New Zealand it was 20 questions and a ride around the block with a person behind you watching. The Police used to do traffic and general duties.
I eventually got on first name terms with the officer who took me for the first ride. He caught me several times for speeding.
You used to be able to do a six week riding school which reduced the time you were on "Ls"
:blu13
-
I grew up on a dairy farm and at the age of 8 had to learn to drive the tractor because my Dad had accidentally poured boiling hot Caustic Soda down his Gumboots >:() and someone had to drive the tractor while Mum moved the irrigation pipes. When I was 15 Dad got a Yamaha a AG175 :thumbsup to get around on the 500 Acre property and I loved it. I would offer to go round up the cows, change the irrigation pipes as long as I could head out on the bike. :runyay
As soon as I turned 17 and 9 months I was at the local Police station in a country Town NSW in 1979 and got my learners for the car licence.
Went and joined the Army and went on to get an Army truck licence and went into Albury and upgraded my Car licence to a Truck licence. At that stage I think it was a 2 tonne limit. Got posted to QLD and they didn't have a 2 tonne limit they had a 2.5 Tonne Limit, so my licence was "upgraded" to 2.5 Tonne :thumb. Gor posted back to NSW and their next limit was 5 Tonne so again an "upgrade" :thumb to 5 Tonne. Back to QLD on leaving the Army and the next category for the truck licence was Heavy Rigid (HR), so another 'upgrade'. :thumb
On my birthday in 2006 I had to take my wife's 50cc Scooter in for a service and wait around to bring it home so asked if I could do the Q-ride test while I waited. I hadn't been on a motorcycle other than the wife's scooter since I was 17-18, however for many years I had been riding racing bicycles at breakneck speeds and understood cornering, emergency braking and the hazards of locking up the wheels. The lovely lady at Q-ride was very thorough and was adamant she wasn't going to give me a teh paperwork to get the licence if I didn't display the appropriate abilities.
So after watching the video, asking a lot of questions and talking through a lot of the Hazards we set out on a Honde VT750C so I could go for the Open R licence. Rode out to a Carpark of a local Park and did slow riding, figure eights, and emergency stops. Teh last one was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated, because whilst doing the test it started to rain and the the Car-park was full of loose gravel. Eventually I was able to pull it up with in the required distance from 60 km/h without locking up. She then got me to put the bike on it's stand and made me walk a further 12 metres from where I had stopped. Apparently she had deliberately made the stopping distance shorter than required because she believed that the regulation distance was too long in a true emergency.
We then went on a ride for about 30 minutes through traffic and out onto the Bruce Highway and then back to the shop.
When we got back she asked me if I thought I had done anything wrong. The only thing I could think of was I knew I had forgot to indicate leaving a roundabout, and she was pleased to know I was conscious of that error, because she said it was the only one I'd made. She filled out the paperwork and I picked up the Wife's scooter after the service and rode to the Department of Transport and got my licence. :runyay
14 months later I bought my first bike a Yamaha V-star 650 Custom. :runyay 6 weeks later I stacked it on a bend :|||| because I entered a bend too fast. I then rode it almost daily until August last year. Back in November last year I bought the ST1300 :runyay and 13 days later in the wet going what I considered very slow (80 km/h) through the bend at Deagon Deviation flyover had the rear tyre let go without warning >:(). These mistakes I think I would have made if I had been on L's or P's because the first one was an unsigned bend and looked wider than it was and teh second one, I suspect, was a combination of tryw quality and spilt diesel or oil in the wet.
I've had many instances where motorists have not seen me and required emergency breaking, and every time I'm grateful of the extra effort my instructor put in to ensure I could do it safely. :thumb :thumbsup :thumbs
Cheers,
Gadget
-
I've had many instances where motorists have not seen me and required emergency breaking, and every time I'm grateful of the extra effort my instructor put in to ensure I could do it safely.
Great post there Gadget, fantastic to see people who take the time to make sure people are doing things safety!
when I first started riding my brother in law who was much more experienced than I made me go to all the safe riding events that were on, and also paid for me to do a stay up right course, he has always been safety first riding second, for every close call I have had, I thank him for making sure that I know what to do to come away in one piece. :thumb
Cheers
Streak (Graham)
-
I don't have a MC licence. MC is multi combination.
I do however have a HC and an R.
Malcolm your such a wanker >:()
Mind your language Scarp. There might be wowsers reading this post. :rofl :crackup :rofl :crackup :rofl
:blu13
-
Has anyone ever wondered why and how those that got their Motorcycle Licenses basically by signing a piece of paper?????? how they have survived for so long without the benefit of expert????? instruction and the Zillions of dollars the Govt has spent on such????????
Has anybody ever wondered why the Motorcycle Fatality Statistics has basically stayed the same (In relation to Motorcycle Registrations and Licenses) since the introduction of all this expert training and advice??????
Being one who knows nothing, I have wondered?????? but then again I ride 6 out of 7 and see those that have gone through the training to get their licenses every day :think1
Remember when you stop. One foot on the ground???? one foot on the brake????? and look in your rear view mirrors for cars that aren't stopping :rofl
Can't see anything up close behind my bike when I'm stopped. Should of done the course eh
-
My first licence was a riders licence as a 17 yo about 37 years ago in Ipswich, Qld.
In Ipswich, the police were not friendly to youths in those days - I remember one time when I was 18 four Police came into a pub where I was having a drink with friends, singled me out to check my age. I thought they looked inebriated themselves, and refused to show them anything. One copper grabbed me and I pushed him back and he tripped and fell over. I said to myself, "Oh - oh! I'm in the crap now". The next thing I know is I'm in the slammer for the one and only time in my life and was let out at two in the morning if I promised to behave myself. The graffiti on the cell walls was interesting though.
As far as the riding test goes, two officers came out of the station and told the four of us to ride around the block and they would follow. That's it - we all passed. BTW I had the exact same bike (Yamaha TX500) that TerryDJ provided a photo of - thanks mate - that brought back so many memories - including the one where I rode off the road while leaning down listening to the hum of a brand new 8 valve DOHC twin.
Talking about learning to ride, having just bought a 2003 ST1300, I am still having trouble getting smooth on it, especially doing low speed turns, like u-turns and roundabouts. If I fail to concentrate fully for a half second I either get a deceleration surge from engine braking or an acceleration surge from the fuel injectors. In both cases the bike lurches and my throttle control is erratic.
I have a theory about the cause. Could it be the Two Brothers exhaust. They make a great note that I really like and Desty told me the bike has much more power because of them. However, my mechanical understanding tells me that the only way an exhaust system can increase power is by reducing the level of baffling. This means the exhaust system is more free-flowing and loud. Can this also cause the bike to be more abrupt than one fitted with standard but quieter (more baffled) exhausts.
The other day I was coming out of a basement car park when a trolley guy lost control of a trolley train that veered straight at me and caught me by surprise. I veered to one side and just missed him but slightly over throttled and surged and almost collected a parked car. I mentioned the distant ditch (far canal) and got away without damage but was pissed at my lack of control.
So does anybody else think that mufflers can cause increased surging? I don't think there is any problem with the accelerator cable - it is smooth with no slack at all. I'm thinking of asking Desty to send me the original mufflers to see if there is a noticeable change of smoothness.
Waste of time and money or not?
-
You might as well have the originals, Gregory. At worst you can sell them to someone else.
The key to tight turns is to keep the revs up and slip the clutch against rear brake.
Someone will probably pop in here soon and say that is BS, but it's what works for some of us and what I was taught at Q-Ride.
The fact is, the bike won't stall and you will have constant power without any unhelpful surging.
-
You are spot on Biggles. That is the way I do it too!!!!
-
The key to tight turns is to keep the revs up and slip the clutch against rear brake.
Someone will probably pop in here soon and say that is BS, but it's what works for some of us and what I was taught at Q-Ride.
Can't agree more :thumbsup
The GP riders all use their rear brake in corners, just a touch but they use it.
If they didn't need a rear brake it wouldn't be on the bike.
And yeah they will say its BS????
Just check out this Ozstoc link: http://ozstoc.com/index.php?topic=2472.0 (http://ozstoc.com/index.php?topic=2472.0)
their telling me you lean the opposite way to the bikes lean??
-
You are spot on Biggles. That is the way I do it too!!!!
:thumb :thumb :thumb :thumb :thumb :thumb
Ahhhhhhhhh but I've been told different???????
See post above
-
I had been riding bikes in the bush around moorooka for about 6 years with a group of about six mates. Rode anything we could get our hands on old bsa,s triumphs and aj,s. Conned my dear old Dad into going guarantor for me and bought a brand new Honda XL100. After 3 months traded it on a Honda cb350 twin. By now I was 17 and could go for my licence. Back in 1974 in Qld if you went on a 350 you got a open licence if you went on a 250 you got a 250 licence. A few mates had cb250s so they just borrowed my side covers. The test it self was really if everything on the bike worked ride out of the Cooparoo testing centre making sure you stopped at the line before the footpath. follow the tester for a while. He then waved you around followed you for a while then directed you to stop on a steep hill at Camp Hill. If you took off with out stalling it was straight back to the centre for your brand new paper licence. It wasnt to long before I bought a CB7504. looked pretty odd with P plates on. One day on my way to tech college I was pulled up by a pretty police woman she handed me back my P plate saying it had fallen off. I thanked her and she replied you realise you have lost your licence for failing to display P plates. With mum and dads help I avoided the police who turned up at home to get my licence. after about 3 months they caught me at home one day. Handed over my licence and asked when I could get it back. They said the suspension was for 1 month but that was 3 months ago so come down in the morning a pick it up.
Thats how this terrible addiction started. Where are my keys Im off for a ride.
Cheers Greg
-
Got to love little country towns.....1987, had my car licence and lived and worked on a Dairy farm and been driving lots things for many years, first few bikes where AG bikes then a strip down TS185, PE250, XT500 then a Husky WR490....,when I traded it on a road bike got the bike shop owner said "better give you a good deal on your new one.....this one is only half worn out....only ever seen it on the back wheel ".
Took my mates ER185 to do the test at the Police Stn.....Local Sgt said about time you called in to make your riding about legal....(he had shaken his finger at me a few times). He stood on the steps, told me where to ride, park, figure8 up the Police Stn street. I concentrated so hard on my task that I didn't notice he had gone inside after I rode off....rode back, he asked "did I fall off" and here's your licence.
Cheers
Chris
-
My first licence was a riders licence as a 17 yo about 37 years ago in Ipswich, Qld.
Talking about learning to ride, having just bought a 2003 ST1300, I am still having trouble getting smooth on it, especially doing low speed turns, like u-turns and roundabouts. If I fail to concentrate fully for a half second I either get a deceleration surge from engine braking or an acceleration surge from the fuel injectors. In both cases the bike lurches and my throttle control is erratic.
I have a theory about the cause. Could it be the Two Brothers exhaust. They make a great note that I really like and Desty told me the bike has much more power because of them. However, my mechanical understanding tells me that the only way an exhaust system can increase power is by reducing the level of baffling. This means the exhaust system is more free-flowing and loud. Can this also cause the bike to be more abrupt than one fitted with standard but quieter (more baffled) exhausts.
The other day I was coming out of a basement car park when a trolley guy lost control of a trolley train that veered straight at me and caught me by surprise. I veered to one side and just missed him but slightly over throttled and surged and almost collected a parked car. I mentioned the distant ditch (far canal) and got away without damage but was pissed at my lack of control.
So does anybody else think that mufflers can cause increased surging? I don't think there is any problem with the accelerator cable - it is smooth with no slack at all. I'm thinking of asking Desty to send me the original mufflers to see if there is a noticeable change of smoothness.
Waste of time and money or not?
Greg,
I would be surprised if the mufflers are causing your problem. I fitted staintunes and didn't notice a change. But also have fitted one of these and I think it helped with fine throttle control.
http://www.g2ergo.com/g2-tamer-throttle-tubes-1.html (http://www.g2ergo.com/g2-tamer-throttle-tubes-1.html)
-
I'd been riding bikes on a car licence (and before...) for years and years (decades actually), and would just produce my car licence at the station the following day if I got pulled up or booked. :nahnah
Then they added a column to the 'produced licences' book headed 'Licence Type'... :eek
After about my fourth unlicensed charge a magistrate took the unusual step of ordering me to obtain a motorcycle licence once his cancellation had expired. Bit odd, I thought.
He then explained that my next unlicensed would include contempt of court and a gaol sentence... :fp
So, 12 months later, I fronted at the Pineapple Street, Zillmere testing centre on my Wideglide.
That caused serious conniptions for the poor buggers because it wasn't a 250... back then you needed 12 months of 250 before you could get an open endorsement.
I argued that I had a court order, this is my ride, test my ability on it. Testing me on a featherweight 250 would put my life at risk. Made quite a fuss and eventually some senior guy realised I wasn't going anywhere, and offered to do the test.
He told me where to ride, and we did Gympie Rd in peak hour, and a series of back streets for the walking pace stuff and the slow turns. 45 minutes later we were back at the testing centre, and he asked me how long I'd been riding.
"Since I was 14..."
He said, well, I could fail you because even though you stopped, you never put your foot down at 6 stop signs, but it's about making sure you can survive out there, and you'll be fine. Just remember to plant a foot at the stop signs.
He gave me my endorsement, and ever since, at EVERY stop sign... STOMP! :thumbs
The Wideglide was taken by the family court, which probably saved me some vertebrae, but Brutus clears the way ahead better and it heaps more fun in the hills. :wht11
-
Went down to police station for L permit. Got five wrong. Cop ripped it up, filled it in saying you can only get three wrong. Went back an month later, paid the money and got the full licence. Nice people come in unifforms somedays.
Car licene was similar, no L permit but walked in paid money and got paper.
Does that rank as way too easy.
-
Ian,
It may have been "easy" to get the bit of paper (read Licence) in that era but by jimminy gosh - we learnt to ride properly - paddocks, streets, highways, street & highway drags with the men in uniform - and the list goes on but that proved to be the ideal "learning"
We are better riders for it - "too easy .....NO !!!"
Bob
I ride
:dred11
-
Well,
I thought my course was great at the time, I learnt a lot.
Pretty sure even way back then it was called "Stay up right".
On the 16th and 17th of December I'm doing 2 advanced riding courses.
Figured that with a 15 year break I could use a refresher.
What really got me interested in doing the courses again was the SMIDSY youtube link someone posted in here.
I bloody loved it and thought if I can get so much from such a short lesson imagine what other tips I could pick up.
Thanks to the admins and to all those who contribute to the content of the ozstoc forums, I've benefitted greatly from the words of wisdom I've found in these forums.
Cheers,
Mech.
-
week after I got that licence I was off the bike more than on. Getting taught by a motorcycle cop how to stop quickly by going down a very steep grass slope. Went from learning not to fall off under full lockup and stopping where told to the motocross track and then the highway. Bruised and battered over an eight week period. But still thankful for the input. Instilled a lot of automatic behaviour.
Traffic officer here is going to try and get his superiors interested in doing the same sort of thing. You guys in SE Qld could be the first guinea pigs since he's riding a white ST.
-
week after I got that licence I was off the bike more than on. Getting taught by a motorcycle cop how to stop quickly by going down a very steep grass slope. Went from learning not to fall off under full lockup and stopping where told to the motocross track and then the highway. Bruised and battered over an eight week period. But still thankful for the input. Instilled a lot of automatic behaviour.
Traffic officer here is going to try and get his superiors interested in doing the same sort of thing. You guys in SE Qld could be the first guinea pigs since he's riding a white ST.
I might take a rain-cheque on the "steep grassy slope" and the "bruised and battered".
But more training sounds good.
-
: :think1 Now that's going back a fair way ! Been riding bikes since 15 years old on my uncle's sheep station in South Australia.
Christmas leave from the army 1966. Six months suspension (riding without bike license) finished the day before getting back to Perth from Pucka.
Jumped on the old BSA A10 and off to Subiaco Police Station at 7:30am - bit keen :wink1 with driver's license (car only) in pocket.
Doors opened at 8:00am - first in and up to front counter (in army uniform) every little bit of 'niceness' counted. :thumb
:cop Sarge - " What do you want ?" Me - "Motorbike license please. " Hands over car license bit of paper. :cop Sarge - " Yeah - OK - Got a bike here ? " Me - "Yes - it's parked out the front now." :cop Sarge - "how did you get it here without a license ? " Me - "My mate rode it over - I drove my Mom's car. " :cop Sarge - " OK then - go out and get your bike started - I'll be out in a minute. "
Goes out and sits on bike.
:cop Sarge comes out and points up the road - " Go up there, first corner turn left. Go up that road next corner turn left again, go along that road to the first corner you come to, turn left again. Go down that street, first corner you come to, turn left again. Then come up the road and park here again - Got that ? " Me - "Yes - anything else ? " :cop Sarge - " Naw - get going. "
A few minutes later parked bike in front of him again (He's still standing where I left him having a smoke)
:cop Sarge - " Well, you didn't fall off - here's your license."
Hands back license paper now with 'D' (?) written on it. His signature / regimental number and the date. EASY ! :hatwave :runyay :thumbsup
Had another look at my license and saw he'd also written across the middle of it - ' TEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN ' :eek :fp
Who said they didn't have a sense of humor back then ??? :rofl :rofl :rofl
:wht11
-
Love it Flip! I knew Subi copshop well. Wonder if it was the same Sarge that used kick our arses in ''62- '63. :clap
I was Armying in Singapore in the early '70's @ had bought a new CB 500. A few of us decided we'd ride to Penang (Top of Malaysia) thus we thought a licence may be a good idea. So 4 of us trundled into a Police Post and tried to climb over the language barrier. One of them, who'd worked with the pommie MP's saw the bikes, asked for our Army ID's & issued all of us with every licence on the books. :thumbsup
When I came back to Aus I was posted to Bne after a short stint in Sth Aus. Not long after our unit (transport) went to Central Qld to help wipe out a locust plague.
We were stationed at the new Faibairne dam and Anzac Day arrived, so they split us into 3 groups and we marched in the Emerald, Springsure & Clermont parades, followed by lunch, local two up and few tinnies.
I ended up sitting on the floor of one of the copshops slightly inebriated with the Sarge, typewriter in lap, next to me typing X's over the licence classes I couldn't have.
I was miffed I could'nt have a licence for an Air Cushioned Vehicle - Hovercraft, and Steam Traction Vehicle - Steam (train) Engine. (He was 'sham door' I could'nt!!) But I got every other one on the books.
(I guess he hadn't had as much Vat 69 as I thought he'd had.)
-
Mum followed me to the cop shop as she had a motorbike license the police came out to the footpath and said right son see that corner up there go through that and 100 mtrs do a U turn and come back to me.This was in Gympie And because he knew Dad he gave me a open license, that was in the paper license days and also it was in the good old Joe days. :law :wht11
-
Similar to a number of people here, particularly the more recent ones in NSW, I did a fairly comprehensive test, full day prac examination.
8 of us were on to be tested that day, most borrowed bikes for the test, little honda somethings. One bloke had one of those scooters with 2 wheels on the front, and i had my GV250 cruiser, about a foot longer than everyone elses bike. Fun for the u turns and cone zigzags
5 failed the test at points during the day. One did a U turn out on the road ride over double lines in front of the instructor. and the other 4 failed at the final assessment (combination slow manoeuvres, emergency braking, and other stuff). Two others squeaked through with no points left to drop (they were brothers who rode dirt bikes if I recall correctly). I got through without dropping a point, something I put down to the massive amount of riding I did while on the L's. To and from work, up and down the coast, all over the place.
-
When I was growing up in Qld you had to be 17 to get a learner’s permit.
To get out on the road to learn to ride, apart from displaying L Plates, you needed to have either a licensed (for at least 2 years) rider with you as a pillion or a licensed (for at least 1 year) rider travelling behind you in a car.
There was no such thing as a provisional licence in those days. Nor did you have to worry about the capacity of the bike.
Here is a photo of my first bike, a 1952 500cc Gold Star BSA (with a Bantam seat). I bought this bike from East Brisbane in 1965 for 35 pounds about three months before my 17th birthday. A friend took me over on his AJS to collect the bike after dark. I’d never been on a bike before that so he had to show me the basics about using the clutch, gears and brakes. I rode it from East Brisbane, through the ‘Gabba five ways and along Ipswich Road to Inala; making many kangaroo style starts along the way. I got it home without being detected by Mr Plod.
(http://i851.photobucket.com/albums/ab78/Lionel_127/Year%2011/FirstBike.jpg)
I created a track around the house and a small mound to practise hill starts. I had very little opportunity to get on the road under the appropriate supervision.
7 days after my 17th birthday, in my school uniform, I rode (unsupervised) into the Motor Registry to be tested for a licence. Having passed the written test I was handed over to a police motorcyclist who told me where he wanted me to ride and he followed behind. In those days trams were running in Brisbane and he was checking that I stopped behind a stopping tram. Then onto a hill start near Spring Street and back to the registry where I got my licence. The test went for about 30 mins and I rate it as difficult.
Thereafter I rode a succession of bikes (500cc Triumph T100, 700 cc Royal Enfield and even a 50cc Honda step-through) every day to school in years 11 and 12.
In December 1968, in Katherine NT, I drove my brother’s car (under his supervision) around to the Police Station to do a test for a car licence. “Did you drive the car here?”, asked the policeman. “Yes”, I replied. So he typed up my new car licence and added my existing motorcycle licence. That was easy. At least I had the experience of riding a motorcycle in Brisbane city traffic when I got the car licence. Again there was no provisional licence system, no breathalysers, no radar guns, no speed cameras, no speed limit on open NSW roads, etc, etc.
-
A great story, Lionel. And I recognise the NSW Housing Commission boxes behind you! Was brought up in a working class family myself. Still do the "working". Lost the "class".
I pulled a similar stunt on my first bike, a Suzuki 80. In Newcastle, Plod pinged me for something (turning left without a signal or something equally life-threatening). I needed the bike to go to Uni, so went to Court to try for a limited licence. Rode into the city, as you would. Fronted the Beak and was handed a 3 month suspension, despite my articulate bush-lawyer skills. Asked him if I could have a dispensation to ride home and he commented on my optimism and said "No."
So I pushed the bike up King Street (which had a substantial hill in those days- I believe it's still there) and rode home once over the crest. I did manage to stay off the bike for the 3 months, but the experience didn't develop any warm and fuzzy feelings for the Fuzz (as they were once called, among other things).
-
That first pic of the Bol D'or brought back happy memories. I bought one in 85, and rode around for months on the 250 licence, as I was working in the bush and couldn't get to the Karratha cop shop to do the big bike test. After 6 months I got a chance to do it on a Monday. Pulled up finally on the Friday night before it, they let me go once they found I did actually have the test booked. Rode to the station, no one asked how I got there alone.
Anyway, this bike had a warped rear disc. I normally didn't use it. During the emergency stop I did use it and realised I shouldn't have when it locked up, but then it gave a few chirps as I released it a bit. I should add that those CB900f had air forks and I had let all of the air out of them for the test. My goodness, the tester nearly wet himself with how that was the best stop he'd ever seen- massive front end dive from proper braking weight transfer and beautifully controlled rear wheel threshold of lockup braking. Didn't have to do the rest of the test to pass, said I didn't need it, he'd seen enough. Was still talking about it to the others in the station when we got back. Way too easy...
Cheers,
Deano
:bl11
-
Biggles,
The term "Fuzz" reminds me of the old joke.
Him: "Ever been picked up by the Fuzz?"
Her: "No, but I bet it hurts."
-
When I went for my licence, at 18 years and 2 days, I had had a learner's permit for three months and two days. I did the ride around Carlton on a borrowed Honda XL250. The original rear blinkers on that model were, strictly speaking, too close together. I took them off and replaced them with a pair off another bike which spaced them to the regulation 24 inches (or whatever). A friend had a couple of weeks before been failed because his blinkers were not regulation and I didn't want to fail. I didn't. It annoyed me at the time that they issued a learner's for three months and you had to have held one for three months before you could go for your licence, which usually meant you had to pay another fee to renew your permit before you could be licenced. SCAM!
My car licence was a different matter. I did a perfect test, except when we got back to the West Brunswick testing station, the tester got a tape measure out of his pocket and measured the distance my rear tyre was from the curb and decided I was a half an inch too far away at the rear and failed me on that basis. The second attempt was with a different examiner, thankfully. I was later told that they went through a phase of failing all teanage males the first time to "knock 'em down a peg or two". I reckon this was just another SCAM! I wasn't happy, I can tell you!
I have managed to retain both licences unblemished since then. I've had two parking tickets only in more than 40 years of driving.
-
As I've mentioned before driving in Australia is a farce, learners are taught to pass a test and not to drive, I don't know whether its the same for motorcyclists, but in the UK, 32 years ago when I got on my first bike, we were taught to dress accordingly, I'm no prude or about to p**s on your parade but I have seen a few motorcyclists in accidents and it seemed that the ones that wore the correct gear usually came off better than the lesser clad crowds, that think its cool to ride in shorts, vest and thongs.
I recently spoke to a guy who was talking about "common sense" he said people aged over 40 usually had a lot of common sense, people aged 20 - 40 had some common sense and people aged 20 and under had what was called the "dickhead" factor, A great synopsis i thought.
:wht11
-
I started off by doing the NSW Police bike course in about 1980. From what I was told, I came second in the class overall, but was promptly failed because I did not have a bike license. So I went out and did the Learner bit and was tested at the old Rosebery Registry, in the car park. Had no probs with that and then went back and completed the Police course, successfully this time. The bloke that failed me was Warwick Schuberg, the bloke that started the Stay Upright business.
Went on to ride bikes for a living for about 8 years. A good life.
Neale
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
-
Just BUMPING this topic, as we have some great newer members who I KNOW will have great tales to tell us of their experiences.
-
As a young teenager, I would ride other peeps bikes whenever I could . . Mainly around their backyards with an ocasional sojourn onto the footpaths and around the quiet streets around home . . Vespa Motor scooters, small naked bikes whatever I could nick for a few mintues or an hour . .
I moved to the NT at the end of 1965 for work, soon bought a 1947/48 sprung rear hub Triumph Tiger Twin . . Rather it was a trailer load of bike bits 3 in total. I sorted the bits and made up one bike from the lot with a lot more spare parts and by March 1966 I was riding this bike all around Darwin.
I lived in the Parap Hostel (demolished back in the early1970's).
The guy in the next room worked at the Motorvehicle Registration and licencing Office (RTA now) and after some months he happened to ask me if I had a licence to ride the motorbike. No . . Well drop in to my office and I'll give you one . . I did, he did . . It was that easy . . Mind you he had observed me riding around for some months . . And he still gave me a licence!
-
Imwas a bit like Terry. I had to ride around the block and as I returned it proved I could stay upright for at least 500metres. Different now