aus.moto FAQ, monthly posting part 1 of 3
Cameron Simpson
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(Living on the WWW at) \| |/
"http://www.zip.com.au/~cs/moto/aus.moto/FAQ/" |_|
Overview
~~~~~~~~
The Aus.Motorcycles FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) comes in three parts.
Part One contains introductory material for learners or new bike buyers.
Part Two contains specific information about Australian touring, maintenaince,
bike hire, gear, etc...
Part Three covers the safety and everything else of clothing & gear.
PART I
Section 1.1: Welcome to Aus.Motorcycles
Section 1.2: What kind of bike should I buy?
Section 1.3: Which bike? - 250's for Learners.
Section 1.4: What rules and regulations do I have to follow in my state?
Section 1.5: What about lanesplitting?
PART II
Section 2.1: Where to ride, sights to see, nice roads, touring...
Section 2.2: Bike hire? Bike Shops? Importing bikes to Oz?
Section 2.3: Cleaning your bike.
Section 2.4: WWW sites, mailing lists, etc...
PART III
Section 3.1: Gear & Safety.
PART ONE
Section 1.1: Welcome to Aus.Motorcycles
-------------------------------------
Aus.Motorcycles (a.m) is a forum for discussion (haha) of Australian
motorcycles and motorcycling. This FAQ was put together by lots of
regular posters to a.m not only to answer the faq's but also give
people an idea of how to begin _and_ enjoy motorcycling around the
entire country. It is hopefully a starting point for beginner's and
a useful reference to ol' timers :-)
Need some info you can't find in here?... Let the posting begin!
Section 1.2: What kind of bike should I buy?
------------------------------------------
Bikes come in 4 main types
cruiser (harley clone)
good for small people - low seat height
good commuter - upright riding position
OK for luggage, although heavy loads can be awkward,
too far back and high up.
OK for light pillions, but again, too far back and
high up.
sports
Ok for most folks, may be too high seat for small
people, too cramped for tall ones.
Ok to poor commuter. often too peaky, hard in slow traffic
and riding postion too radical for town work.
Usually poor for pillions, seat too small, pegs too high,
weight too high up.
Usually poor for luggage, no attachment points
Good for freeway riding.
God for recreational riding (ie fanging(
standard.
Good commuter/tourer but can be slow to accelerate
often overweight/underpowered.
Good for luggage
Good for pillions
OK for freeway
Poor for sporty riding, too slow.
Few made now - usually mid-80s bikes.
dirt or road/trail
Good for tall people, short people can't touch the ground
good commuter - upright position plus good accelleration
poor on freeways, often not fast enough
OK for luggage
Ok for pillions, although can compress the suspension too much
brakes and lights may not be up to road bike standard
knobby tyres poor on bitumen.
Which you choose depends on your type of riding. Plus, not all
bikes are the same - a ZZR250 is a sports bike, but is more friendly
to pillions and luggage than an RGV250 would be.
Go to all the dealers you can, and sit on the bikes. See what fits
you and which ones you like.
You need to ask yourself these questions:
1) Kind of riding.
Lots of city riding? traffic jams etc?
Lots of freeway riding?
Want to spend time playing in curving roads?
Are there bush trails near you?
Are you unusually tall or short? How heavy are you?
2) Pillions and luggage
Will you need to carry a lot of gear? shopping? lots of books?
More than you can comfortably get in a backpack?
How about another person?
Is this other person tall? Heavy?
3) maintenance
Do you want to work on it yourself?
How much can you afford to spend on servicing? Some bikes are much
easier to work on than others - a single cyl 4 stroke cruiser
like an SR250 is a doddle. A 4cyl sports bike like a GS250FW is
much harder.
4) money and future plans
How long will you be keeping it?
Do you plan to buy a 250 to learn on, and upgrade as soon as you
get your unrestricted license?
Many riders will drop the bike inthe first year. Do you
want to buy an expensive faired bike now, or wait till your
skill improves?
Do you want insurance? Comprehensive? Have you factored in
your riding gear? Helmet? Boots? Gloves? Jacket? Wet weather gear?
Once you have sorted out your needs, you can then peruse the 250cc list for
likely candidates, and cross check with your local paper for likely
price and availability. The monthly bike trading magazine Just Bikes is also
a good resource for pricing and model identification.
You should also try and locate the beginner's magazines that
Two Wheels puts out from time to time. They usually have good advice
on how to buy a second hand bike, models, riding gear etc.
Compiled by Zebee Johnstone <zjoh...@scu.edu.au>
Section 1.3: Which bike? - 250's for Learners.
-------------------------------------------
The 250cc Bike List (Version 2.9p)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Compiled by Miles Gillham <m.gi...@citr.uq.oz.au>
# The current version is 3.0j.
(see also http://lamp.infosys.utas.edu.au/learner_bikes/)
Model Make Comments
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mito 125 Cagiva 2-stroke. Almost as fast as a 250cc
for a learner and glamorous. 7 speed
Just as exciting as an RGV and a lot
more desirable in States that place
restrictions on models of 250cc. Racy.
34hp@10,500RPM ~100mph 116kg
BR250 Kawasaki Watercooled, no fairing, reliable,
Single cylinder, small, very light to
ride. Good fun in dirt for a small
road bike. Sometimes has starting
problems. Nice note. Can get small
bikini fairing not dissimilar to
SRX250. Equiv to a CBX250. 22kW,
125kg, 25km/L, 155km/hr
CA250TS Honda The "Rebel". Harley/Cruiser style twin
cylinder. 4 stroke 4 valve SOHC air
cooled. 5 speed. Disc front, drum rear
brakes.
CB TWO FIFTY Honda Latest version of the 250 prallel
twin. basic, boring, economical,
excellent commuter, good deal if you
buy new and plan to trade up after a
year.
CB250 T/N/R Honda Unexciting, asic tourer. Reliable but
old. Large and sluggish. Good for
tall, light people who don't want to go
fast but want a big mount. The CB250N
is very solid.
CB250RS Honda Precessor to the CBX, just as
powerful. Older but small, light,
quick, nice. 21Kw, 130kg, 24km/L, 150km/hr
$1000-$1500
CBR250 Honda expensive, maybe not imported into Oz
Hot equivalent to GSXR250. Can get
"Aero" (fast) & "Hurricane" (really fast
and go to 18500RPM).
CBR250RR Honda available in NZ
CBX250 Honda 4-stroke, single cylinder ~$1500-~$1800
Reasonable. Successor to CB250RS.
Small fairing. Smaller bike.
22kW, 120kg, 25km/L, 160km/hr
CD250 Honda Fun, cheap, slow, low power,
consistent good beginner bike. Not
pretty. 15kW, 140kg $2000-$3000
CD250U Honda Fun, cheap, slow, low power, good
beginner bike. Parallel twin.
CM250 Honda 4-stroke "custom" style along the lines
of GN250 & SR250, $1200-$1500
CMX250 Honda Equivalent in many ways to an EL250.
Looks a bit Harley-ish, given the
constraints of size. $1000-$1300
CX125 Gilera 2-stroke, 6 speed, single front
fork, very cute looking race bike along
the same vein as the Mito. Sporty.
CZ250 CZ 2 stroke twin made in Czechoslovakia.
mid-70s and parts are hard. Good for
the classic clubs. 15kW, 140kg, 135 km/hr
$300-$600
DR250S Suzuki 16kW, 115kg, 22km/L, 135km/hr. Proven
commuter/fun bike. $650-$2700
DT250 Yamaha Can use it on the farm.
EL250 Kawasaki Pretty little cruiser. Low seat and
centre of gravity (chopper style).
20kW, 140kg, 21km/L, 140kg
ER250 Kawasaki Uni-trak, belt-drive Z250. 22kW, 145kg,
19km/L, 155km/hr, $850
ETZ250 MZ 15kW, 135kg, 25km/L, 130km/hr. Dependable,
solid, and exciting as a brick. $800-$1300
EX250R Kawasaki Ninja, 4-stroke
FZ250 Yamaha Mid 80's 4 cyl. 4-stroke. Apparently
the first 250 4-stroke to get over 50
hp. Known as the "Phazer". Imported.
Predecessor to FZR, equiv to Suzuki
GF250
FZR250 Yamaha Hot! Think of a FZR400 scaled down.
Japanese market model imported. Quick
(~180kmh) and better than GSXR250.
GF250 Suzuki Suzuki's second attempt at a 4cyl 250.
If you keep it in the powerband
(8000-13000) it fairly hoots. Delivers
as much power as the much later ZZR250,
but without the curvaceous fairing is
probably only good for 155-160km/hr.
Nice little bike, really fast steering,
good brakes. Resale value may not be
high, depending upon condition so don't
pay too much for one. watercooled,
similar style to the FZ250. 33kW, 155kg,
19km/L, 165km/hr. $1800-$2400
GN250 Suzuki Like the XV250 but single cylinder.
Simple design therefore easy
maintenance and more reliability.
Harley wannabe (chopper style). Not as
good as the SR250 but still good.
16kW, 129kg, 25km/L, 145km/hr $650-2700
GPX250 Kawasaki RECOMMENDED, air-cooled
aim for 25000km. GPX, ZZR, GPZ250R all
use variants of a water cooled DOHC 8
valve parallel twin. 28kW/40HP, 140kg,
18km/L, 160km/hr. Chassis, styling,
like the bigger GPX. Tough but watch out
for thrashed engines.
GPz250 Kawasaki Not very strong but ok. Belt drive.
Early models had dicky camchain
tensionioners (maybe not all of them).
Suffers from being thrashed. Air
cooled SOHC parallel twin, bikini
fairing. Direct descendant of the
venerable Z250 engine. 24kW, 145kg,
18km/L, 155km/hr. $1200-$1800
GPZ250R Kawasaki Newer, water-cooled, sporty, red seat
comes off on clothes. Frame, engine as
per GPX250 but more power (noiser).
Handles well, no fairing. Cheaper
alternative to GPX250 GPX, ZZR, GPZ250R
all use variants of a water cooled DOHC
8 valve parallel twin. Chain drive.
GS250FW Suzuki Suzuki's first attempt at a 4cyl 250,
redline at 11500, very few around, and
hence not many parts to be found at the
wreckers. Good performance for the
time but with pronounced powerband.
The engine is essentially the same from
GS250FW to GF250 to GSX250F with about
8 years extra development to the
Across. Fuel economy not great.
GSX250F Suzuki "Across". 4 cyl, 4-stroke. Power
range in 11500 to 14500 RPM. Similar
to the GSXR250 which runs out of puff
at 185km/hr. Complex motor and
therefore higher servicing on the F
model at least.
GSX250 Suzuki Early 80's commuter. Just like the
GSX400 air cooled twin. Nice, standard
bike.
GSXR250 Suzuki Tops at 180km/hr (maybe 200km/hr brand
new) Lasts well. No dead spots in the
rev range right up to the red line.
Gentle and holds a nice cornering line
a lot more steady & predictable than
the RGV, but otherwise the RGV corners
better. Front end is light so
cornering is a bitch in the wet when
you hit a bump, line, line marker etc.
4-cyl, 4-stroke. 16 valve 2*twin
barrell carb DOHC. Some have SPES
(Suzuki Powerup Exhaust System) a
go-fast bit which has a slight edge.
Redline @ 17,000RPM Looks like a
GSXR750 but smaller. available in NZ
GSXR250RR Suzuki Jap import race replica. Has a
different frame, different carbs, and
looks like even different engine
agnle. The whole shape of the bike is
a lot more angular, like GSXR750 meets
RGV. May not go a lot better than the
GSXR250.
KLR250 Kawasaki Answer to the Honda XL.
KR1 Kawasaki Standard 2-stroke, parallel twin
watercooled pocket rocket. *The* bike
before the RGV. Exhaust port power
valve (KIPS). 60hp (45kW), 200km/hr,
16km/L 123kg, $4000-$5500
KR1-S Kawasaki 45kW, 131kg, 13km/L, 205km/hr,
$5300-$6000
KR250 Kawasaki predecessor of KR1/S. The engine
design is close to the racing KR which
ran at late 1970s. It has a uniqe
mixture of rotary valve and reed valve
for induction. Notable as a production
bike that uses tandem (Front-Rear)
cylinder placement. It has twin
crankshaft, and a strange combination
of 16in fr. wheel and 18in rear wheel.
It does not have power valve so
torque&power is a bit low compare to
new comer (ie, RGV). 2-stroke. 40kW,
123kg, 14km/L, 185km/hr
MVX250 Honda V3 2-stroke. Slightly earlier than the
NS250. Environmental disaster. Not
related to NS400R (also V3 stroke).
Performance would suit a learner
nicely. Maintenance requirements would
NOT suit a learner at all. Badly
designed engine is prone to shredding
the inside of the middle cylinder.
25kW, 130kg, 20km/L, 170km/hr
MZ250 Motorrad Zschopau East German, 1-cylinder, 2-stroke.
Ugly but nippy in town. Good tourer,
commuter, basic transport, low
maintenance. Good motor. Models are
ETZ250 (12 volt, disk brake) and the
TS250 (6 volt, drum). Most MZs you see
will be ETZ. 120kmh tops. Motorrad
Zschopau now reborn as MuZ and making
those truly scrumptious Yam engined
Scorpion singles.
NS250R Honda (not to be confused with NSR250!!)
2-stroke 90 degree V-twin, contemporary of
RG250. Can be thrashed to death quite
easily. Strange looking fairing on
some. All had exhausts faired into
seat hump. About $1500- $2000NZ for a
good one.
NSR250 Honda Proddy racer bike. RGV-beater,
imported in small quantities. Check
for lockwiring! 90-degree V-Twin
RD250A Yamaha Generally reliable aircooled 2-stroke.
First proddy bike to use reed valve
induction. Mostly unchanged except for
cosmetics and brakes till till the last
of the line RD250G in 1981. A bit
agricultural, but pretty reliable,
cheap to work on, spares available.
Very 70s handling, this is no RGV
guys!
RD250LC Yamaha Watercooled. The "elsie" was *the*
pocket rocket. Have been thrashed
without exception. Also likely
crashed... But still Ok if they go,
but be prepared to do a top end, bottom
ends OK as long as it wasn't seized.
The earlier RDs didn't have the YPVS
(Yamaha Power Valve System), meaning
bugger all below 7000rpm and everything
above (which can cause exciting things
to happen if you wind open the throttle
suddenly!)
RD250LC Yamaha Watercooled version of RD250.
RG250 Suzuki 2-stroke parallel twin. Predecessor of
the RGV, competes with the RZ250.
RECOMMENDED
RGV250 K L M N P R Suzuki 2-stroke. Powerful, good looking,
average to lousy tourer (you're in the
race position). Tight rear end. Early
ones, especially K & L models have
engine cradle and engine mountings are
prone to cracking. This can cost up to
$500 to fix. RGV-P = 61hp@11,000RPM (top
(~130mph)
RS250 Honda Is a 250 racer just like the TZ250,
used in 250 GPs and such. Again, v.
expensive and not legal post 91/92. V
twin 2-stroke available in NZ
RZ250 Yamaha 2-stroke parallel twin. Post RD250LC.
Not as wild as the RGV. First
powervalve model. Fairing. Prospective
buyers might like to make certain that
they're buying a 250; a favourite trick
with the RZ is to upgrade the 250
barrels, pistons and conrods to those
from an RZ 350; you can tell by the size
stamped on the side of the barrels
(left, just above the crankcase). The
warning is this: it's also important to
uprate the oil pump, since a 250 oil
pump has a lower capacity than a 350
pump, so engine wear may be accelerated.
The exhaust systems are also different,
and you won't get optimum power from an
uprated 250 without fitting 350 exhausts
as well.
SR250 Yamaha Mini-chopper. 4-stroke. Easy to get
parts and holds value.
SRX250 Yamaha Recommended. Medium fairing, small
stature (smaller than the CBX).
Similar to the SRX250 and CBX250 in
many ways. Single cylinder. Light but
not a lot of power. Good around town
or on really twisty roads.
TDR250 Yamaha Road bike semi styled like a off-road
bike, a similar concept to TDM850, but
5 years earlier, post 87. Used TZR250
motor, had a fairing a bit like the top
half of a TZR. Lotsa parts
interchangeable eg wheels, swingarm
etc. Performance Bikes once described
it as the "Best hooligan bike ever
made"...wheelie city
TGV200 Suzuki RGV style frame with bored out 125
motocross motor, faster than 250cc 4
strokes, unfaired about $6000NZ for a
new one. [allowed in because it can
outperform some 250cc bikes :-]
TZ250 Yamaha V-Twin 2 stroke Proddy racer, post
91/92, very limited production,
probably not street legal
TZR250 Yamaha Post RZ250. Faired and unfaired
models. 2-stroke, parallel twin street
bike, japanese imports (e.g banana arm,
USD forks) Also has aluminium Deltabox
frame, as opposed to steel tube cradles
on RD/RZ250s
V25 Custom Honda Harley/Cruiser style V-twin. 4 stroke 8
valve DOHC liquid cooled. 5 speed. Disc
front, drum rear brakes. Looks meaner
than the Rebel.
VT250F Honda First came out in 1983. DOHC, 8-valve
90 degree V-twin four-stroke. Pro-link
rear suspension, but drum brake, and
problematic "inboard" disc on front.
Engine had crankshaft and timing chain
problems. Be wary of the older VT's.
Check them out thoroughly.
VT250FIID Honda Crankshaft fixed. Full-fairing. Sexy
but subjectively ugly paint job.
160...@12.5krpm
VT250FIIF Honda "Integra". Double-row timing chain
(still noisy but mechanically sound).
New frame & fairing. 14lt tank
(280km). TRAC anti-dive and twin
rotors up front. Comstar wheels. Has
about 40HP, revs to 13,500, which
equals 170kmh.
VT250FIIJ Honda Timing chain completely fixed. Smaller
fairing, but a nice, good looking
bike.
VT250L Honda "Spada". No fairing, modern frame,
more power, more appeal, more money. A
company in NSW makes aftermarket
fairings (~1$k) bearing "VTr" insignia,
which makes them look like a VFR or
Ducati. Replaced the VT250 FII
Integra, mid-seating (between touring
and racing position). Good bottom
power range and peaks at 140-165kmh.
Responsive. 180-200km/tank.
~$4000-~$5000
VTR250 Honda See entry for VT250L
XL250 Honda Road/Trail. Good for the odd scrub dash.
XL250S Honda Super Reliable 4-stroke single.
XLX250 Honda 4-stroke SOHC. Looks like an XL250 but
uses XR350 engine manual. Well built,
easily replaceable parts (except for the
engine which is more difficult to find)
Need both XL250 and XR350 manuals to
service it. Big looking. Check in the
brake hub for speedo-drive nylon -
expensive to replace. Avoid one with
Bottom end damage - hard to get
aftermarket parts. Remove spark plug -
if thread burred head will need to be
reboared or replaced. Will require
regular maintance (ie. oil change after
long ride due to engine repair costs)
Damaged pay: $450 - $1800 Road Worthy
pay: $1200 - $2500
XR250 Honda The more "serious" Honda road/trail.
More of a dirtbike.
XS250 Yamaha 4-stroke, sluggish, slow, cheap.
Upright chopper-style. Parallel twin,
air-cooled. They may be sluggish, but
they're damned reliable. Kickstart and
electric start fitted as standard.
Front & rear solid disc brakes. Wide,
comfy seat.
XV250 Yamaha Virago. Looks like a bigger bike (eg
Harley). Expensive. 4-stroke, V-twin,
good torque, fun, watch the pegs on the
turns.
Z250 Kawasaki "Scorpion". older twin, 4-stroke
commuter. Light but not high
performance. Basic, cheap. No
fairing. Belt drive. Apparently there
are some variants: single cylinder, a
twin, a belt-drive, and a chain drive.
The "Scorpion" *may* have been a
one-off model. The variant of
belt-drive twin, without the fairing
and the GPZ paintwork (basically a
GPZ!) is common. $550-$800
Z250B Kawasaki
ZXR250 Kawasaki 4-stroke inline 4. Rare, imported.
Faster than GSXR250. Can be set up as
racer (no mirrors, rep fairing) or as
road bike (like a smaller ZXR400).
Push it harder than 20500RPM and you'll
see the pistons. available in NZ
ZZR250 Kawasaki Very sexy and popular. Good tourer.
A bit underpowered. Wiggly rear end on
some models. GPX, ZZR, GPZ250R all use
variants of a water cooled DOHC 8 valve
parallel twin. Redlines at 14500RPM.
35hp / 27kW, 146kg, 20km/L, 170km/hr
$4500-$6700 (anything up to $8100)
Misc
----
BSA C12
BSA c15
Royal Enfield Crusader
Ariel Colt
AJS Stormer
Triumph Terrier
Bultaco Alpina
Montesa Cota
Notes
-----
* 2-strokes seem to require regular engine rebuilds if they are
to stay reliable. Around 10k - 25k km intervals. This depends
a lot on how the bike is ridden. Give them time to warm up
and keep the revs not past 5000rpm until warm. MZs and
aircooled RDs low maint. Aircooled are less stressed.
Rebuilds are not necessarily a bad or expensive thing (not
much more than a 4-stroke service) and regular services are
cheaper on a 2-stroke.
* Invest in a cheap, practical, reliable, easy to ride bike.
Upgrade to unrestricted as soon as feasible and then go
up to something bigger and decent with your hard-earned cash.
In S.A. better off upgrading to superior 250cc if you don't
want to take the high rego hit.
* I refuse to put scooters in this list. They're a lot of fun
but what if your friends see you?
* Suzukis seem to be a problem with parts.
* I strongly recommend that you read the article on "Cruisin'
the Classifieds" in the Two Wheels second edition "Your
First Motorcycle" (the whole magazine actually looks pretty
good).
* Lockwiring -
When a bike is raced, it must have certain parts wired closed,
so it doesn't leak oil everywhere. This usually means that
things have had holes drilled in them for the wire to pass
through. Places to check are:
Sump plug
Oil filler cap
brake caliper bolts.
radiator cap.
If these have holes drilled through them, ask why! And if it
comes with spare fibreglass, ask why? And if it comes with
heaps of used motor spares, ask why!
Bigger Bikes
------------
What if you want a bigger bike than a 250cc? Well, there never
will be a "Big Bikes List". There are just wayyyy too many
bikes, and because bigger bikes are so interesting there is
just too much to say about them. If you have got as far as
buying a 250cc then you now know enough to work out for
yourself what you want to get. Me, I found a good dealer
that I was happy with and have been going back ever since.
What the heck, if you're in Brisbane check out Moorooka Yamaha,
nice people (tell them "Miles Gillham sent me" and talk to Ian
their chief buyer/seller - he may be able to give you a good
deal).
As for size, I believe moving from a 250cc you want to go to
something in the 400cc to 600cc (just maybe 750cc) range. Any
more and you're going to kill yourself. Get a big buzz from the
increment, and then if you're still hungry for more move up to
the real big boys in the 750cc to 1200cc range. The type of
bike makes a lot of difference. An FJ1200 has lots of torque
and even power, but you won't be first off at the lights. A
CBR900 has insane power and rev and you will be first into the
speedtrap...
Disclaimer
----------
This list is produced in good faith to help people who are
looking to buy a 250cc motorbike. The information is based on
numerous testimonials and no responsibility is taken for
inaccurate information. If you buy something based on the
information here then that's your decision and you should do it
with your eyes open (good luck!).
Section 1.4: What rules and regulations do I have to follow in my state?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Queensland (Red & Chris Martin)
~~~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - To obtain, must answer a selection of questions from the
Queensland drivers guide. (Currently holding a car licence is
not taken into account)
- pass an eyesight test.
- Be over 17 years of age.
Use Conditions: - During this period, you must be accompanied at all times by
either (1) A rider on another bike with at least 1 years
riding xp. or
(2) A pillion with at least 2 years riding xp.
CC Limit: - 250cc limit (no problems with 2 strokes .... yet.)
Duration: - Must keep permit for six months (minimum), valid for 12
months.
BAC: - 0.0 BAC
Pillions: - No pillion passengers other than a rider with at least 2 years
riding xp.
Speed Restrict: - No additional.
Plates: - No 'L' or 'P' plates required.
Points: - you get 4 points
PROVISIONAL LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Road test with transport department official (approx half an
hour) to qualify for licence.
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - 250cc
Duration: - 1 year minimum duration.
BAC: - 0.0
Pillions: - None. (Not even those with 2 years riding experience)
Speed Restrict: - No additional.
Plates: - None required.
Points: - 4
* Full, non-provisional licence will be granted at the end of
a year of holding a Provisional licence. No extra tests
required.
OPEN-LEARNERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Must have held a Provisional licence for at least 1 year.
Use Conditions: - Must be followed around by a person with at least 1
years experience on a bike with capacity >250cc OR
2 years experience if pillion.
(Note that this is only if you are on your >250cc bike)
CC Limit: - Nil.
Duration: - Must hold learners permit for 6 months, Maximum Duration
12 months.
BAC: - ??
Pillions: - Only those with greater or equal to 2 years riding
experience on a large bike.
Speed Restrict: - No additional.
Plates: - Nil.
Points: - ????
OPEN LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Bike Test required (Slalom, Figure 8 etc.)
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - Nil.
Duration: - Nil.
BAC: - 0.05
Pillions: - Yes.
Speed Restrict: - No additional.
Plates: - Nil.
Points: - Nil.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
South Australia (Cameron Miller)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Pass written test on road rules (only if you don't already
have a car licence.)
- Pass 2x4 hour training sessions on Motorcycle riding (rider
safety course.)
Use Conditions: - Nil. May ride completely unaccompanied, at any time of day.
CC Limit: - 250 cc.
Duration: - 4 - 6 months.
BAC: - 0.0
Pillions: - No, unless they hold an unrestricted licence.
Speed Restrict: - ???
Plates: - L plate attached to rear of bike.
Points: - 4?
RESTRICTED LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Have to pass a 4 hour rider safe course/test.
Use Conditions: - No conditions imposed.
CC Limit: - 250 cc.
Duration: - 1 Year.
BAC: - 0.0 if on P plates, 0.05 otherwise.
Pillions: - Ok.
Speed Restrict: - No Additional.
Plates: - P Plates required if you do not already have a full car
licence.
Points: - 4 for P plated, 12 otherwise.
OPEN LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Must hold a restricted licence for the period of one year.
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - Nil.
Duration: - N/A.
BAC: - 0.05
Pillions: - Ok.
Speed Restrict: - No additional.
Plates: - Nil.
Points: - 12
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western Australia (Matthew Carter & Chris Martin)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Pass 30 Question multiple choice test unless the holder
of a car licence, in which case it is a 10-question test.
Use Conditions: - You may only ride when accompanied by a licenced rider
with at least two years experience - either following, or as a
pillion.
CC Limit: - 250cc.
Duration: - No Minimum duration. Valid for one year.
BAC: - ???
Pillions: - ???
Speed Restrict: - 72 Km/h maximum.
Plates: - ???
Points: - ???
RESTRICTED PROVISIONAL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - For those who have not held a car/other vehicle licence
for more than 2 years, A simple riding test needs to be
completed.
Use Conditions: - No need for experienced rider accompanyment???
CC Limit: - 250cc.
Duration: - No Minimum duration. Valid for one year.
BAC: - ???
Pillions: - ???
Speed Restrict: - 72 Km/h maximum.
Plates: - ???
Points: - ???
PROVISIONAL LICENCE (L class)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - If you have held a licence of some form for over 2 years,
a simple driving test will gain you a class 'L' licence.
Use Conditions: - Nil???
CC Limit: - 250cc.
Duration: - 1 year minimum duration.
BAC: - 0.05
Pillions: - Ok.
Speed Restrict: - No Additional.
Plates: - ???
Points: - 12
OPEN LICENCE (K class)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Riding test for large capacity bikes.
- Must have held a Provisional licence for at least 1 year.
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - 250cc.
Duration: - 1 year minimum duration.
BAC: - 0.05
Pillions: - Ok.
Speed Restrict: - No Additional.
Plates: - ???
Points: - 12
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Capital Territory (Neal Gowen, Dean Kaufman)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Minimum Age - 16yrs 9 months
- Must pass 9 hours instruction at compulsory 'Stay Upright'
pre-permit course. ($60 - subsidised $100 by ACT Government)
Use Conditions: - Nil
CC Limit: - Nill
Duration: - Minimum 3 months, maximum 15 months
BAC: - 0.02
Pillions: - None. Side-cars permitted.
Speed Restrict: - Nil
Plates: - L Plates required.
Points: - ???
PROVISIONAL LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Not required if you you hold full car licence.
- Must have held a Learners Permit
- Must first pass MOST2 off-road test with a maximum of 13
points lost. Involves 9 exercises including starting on
a hill, braking in a turn and a straight line, obstacle
avoidance. Must then pass on-road test.
Use Conditions: - Nil
CC Limit: - Nil
Duration: - 3 years?
BAC: - 0.02
Pillions: - None for first year.
Speed Restrict: - No additional
Plates: - 'P' Plates required.
Points: - ???
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
New South Wales (Chris Martin, Colin Panisset, Thomas Cohen)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS PERMIT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Must pass a two day riding course (3.5 hrs per day) plus a
Computer-based knowledge test (Standard Learners + a
bike-specific section.
- *Note: Course is optional if you live in an area that
does not contain a testing station.
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - Less than 260cc AND within specified power/weight ratio's
supplied by the Department of Transport. (ie: Most 2 strokes
are out. :( - eg: RGV250, TZR250, KR1-S, NSR250.)
- Bike must have a power to wieght ratio of no more than
150kw/tonne (figure based on an 'average' rider of 75kg)
Duration: - Must hold licence for a minimum of 3 months, licence is valid
for 6 months.
BAC: - 0.02
Pillions: - Only riders with at least 2 years full licence experience.
Speed Restrict: - 80 Km/H
Plates: - Must display 'L' Plates.
Points: - ???
PROVISIONAL LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Must pass a one day driving course (Duration is the entire
day).
- *Note: Course is optional if you live in an area that
does not contain a testing station.
Use Conditions: - Nil.
CC Limit: - As for Learners.
Duration: - Normally, 12 months. For riders over 30 who hold a full car
license, the duration is 3 months.
BAC: - 0.02
Pillions: - None.
Speed Restrict: - Speed is restricted to 80/km/h
Plates: - 'P' plates must be displayed.
Points: - 4 licence points.
OPEN LICENCE
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements:
- If you are over 30 years of age, and are eligable for a
'gold licence', you get a full unrestricted licence once
you have passed the provisional test.
Use Conditions:
CC Limit:
Duration:
BAC: - 0.05
Pillions: - Ok.
Speed Restrict:
Plates:
Points:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tasmania (John Lamp)
~~~~~~~~
LEARNERS
~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Be 16 years of age or older;
- Satisfactorily complete a Level 1 motorcycle rider training
course (if required)
- A candidate may undertake Level 1 training three months
prior to attaining 16 years of age
- Pass a written test on Traffic Law.
Use Conditions: - Not between sunset and sunrise (exemption may be issued).
CC Limit: - 250cc
Duration: - 1 year
BAC: - 0.0%
Pillions: - No, unless the pillion has held a motorcycle license for three
years and is being carried for the purposes of instruction.
Speed Restrict: - 80 kph
Plates: - L plate required.
Points: - ???
PROVISIONAL
~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements: - Satisfactorily complete a Level 2 motorcycle rider training
course (if required).
- Pass an oral law/regulation test.
- Pass a driving test.
- Pass an eyesight test.
- Be at least 17 years of age - although a candidate may
undertake Level 2 training three months prior to and undergo
a driving test one month prior to attaining that age.
Use Conditions:
CC Limit: - 250cc
Duration: - 3 years
BAC: - 0.0%
Pillions: - No
Speed Restrict: - 80kph
Plates: - P plates required for the first 12 months
Points: - 3
* If you are already the holder of a full license, cc limit
of 250cc, and no pillion for first 12 months.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern Territory
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Requirements:
Use Conditions:
CC Limit:
Duration:
BAC:
Pillions:
Speed Restrict:
Plates:
Points:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victoria
~~~~~~~~
From: Jason Brand <br...@mame.mu.oz.au>
Learners Permit.
Requirements:
17yrs 9mths
written and riding test (RTA or private course)
cc limit:
260cc
Duration:
3mths - 1yr
BAC:
0.00
Pillion:
No
Speed restrictions:
No additional
Plates:
Yellow "L" plate(s)?
17yrs 9mths
written and riding test (RTA or private course)
cc limit:
260cc
Duration:
3mths - 1yr
BAC:
0.00
Pillion:
No
Speed restrictions:
No additional
Plates:
Yellow "L" plate(s)?
Probationary License:
Requirements:
Hold Learners permit for at least 3 mths
written and riding test (RTA or private course)
cc limit:
260cc
Duration:
3 yrs if full drivers license not held.
1 yr if full drivers license held
BAC:
0.00
Pillion:
No
Speed restrictions:
No additional
Plates:
Red "P" plate(s)?
Full License:
Requirements:
Hold Probationary License for duration (see above)
cc limit:
None
Duration:
???
BAC:
0.05
Pillion:
Yes
Speed restrictions:
No additional
Section 1.5: What about lanesplitting?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lanesplitting Legalities
(Note that overtaking on the right is legal in all states with indicator)
Vic - legal - cars must be stationary.
WA - legal - cars must be stationary, you must indicate to change lanes
and you must not cross a solid white line.
NSW - illegal
ACT - illegal
Qld - illegal
SA - illegal
NT - illegal
Lanesplitting Sensibilities
The aus.motorcycles community is split about 50/50 on whether it is
a good thing or not. Don't bother arguing about it, there are good
cases for and against and you'll get nowhere. If you lanesplit, try and
keep these things in mind:
-your lack of buffer zones (space around you) means MUCH less reaction time
-cars run red lights (YES REALLY!) so look both ways
-drivers are frightened & annoyed by hoons
End of part 1.
--
Cameron Simpson, DoD#743 c...@zip.com.au http://www.zip.com.au/~cs/