Graduated Licence systems: your thoughts?

[bazooki]

Well we have yet another thread on here from a new rider who crashed their Busa. Luckily he was okay as he was geared up but it can and is very often much worse. We get more than a few questions about whether Busas are good starter bikes to the point where I don't even respond to them anymore as they frustrate me to no end. I VERY strongly believe that you start riding on beginner bikes and work your way up with experience into the sportbike class and ultimately to bikes like the Busa, ZX14 or Gixxer 1000 IF that is what you really want to do. I don't think that anyone who has less than 5 years of riding experience should be on a Busa or similar bike.

This brings me to the question of graduated licencing. What would you think about government (Canada & US) controlled steps in relation to classes of bikes where you have to have a certain level of riding experience in order to ride certain types of bikes? Does anyone have experience living in countries that have such a system? This would put an end to overenthusiastic salesmen selling gixxer 1000's to riders with zero experience and sending them on their way.

 

[m_ridgeway]

dont need it.

 

[brpo]

NO!

 

[Takeuon]

Then we would need a system that regulates cagers to "graduated licensing" Should be an even playing field here correct!?

Someone will need to tell half of L.A. & Miami that just because Daddy has lots of money or you came into a pile of cash...that instead of getting that Ferrari or Lambo you want so bad....you'll now have to go drive a few years in a Ford Focus first

 

[m_ridgeway]

Then we would need a system that regulates cagers to "graduated licensing"

Someone will need to tell half of L.A. & Miami that just because Daddy has lots of money or you cam into a pile of cash...that instead of getting that Ferrari or Lambo you want so bad....you'll now have to go drive a few years in a Ford Focus first

same goes to the dr's honey driving their f350 king ranch dually running everyone off the road. alot of that crap around here.

 

[Lamb busa]

Lamb is a huge fan of this. No would be the answer because ity is anti-american to have government to decide what we can and can't do.

 

[Takeuon]

Lamb is a huge fan of this. No would be the answer because ity is anti-american to have government to decide what we can and can't do.

Correct! And even that right is dwindling more & more as the future goes on

I can't really argue w/ bazooki here because I see his point. However it just boils down to common sense. Unfortunately quite a few humans lack that basic trait Live & learn I suppose. Or in certain situations...die & learn :unhappy:::9
What are you going to do? People are going to get what they want to get. It's a nice freedom that I don't want to ever give up.

 

[bazooki]

Correct! And even that right is dwindling more & more as the future goes on

I can't really argue w/ bazooki here because I see his point. However it just boils down to common sense. Unfortunately quite a few humans lack that basic trait Live & learn I suppose. Or in certain situations...die & learn :unhappy:::9
What are you going to do? People are going to get what they want to get. It's a nice freedom that I don't want to ever give up.

Just so you know, I'm not for or against but undecided. As you say one side of me says let people do all the stupid things they want and let Darwin sort them out. Do riders need a parent system watching over them? I don't know. I have a neighbour across the street that I posted about earlier in the summer who, as a newbie, went on a group ride and crashed her Shadow 750. She had no riding experience before this summer and a group of riders took her on a group ride to a very popular road that is infamous for its twisties and challenging corners. BAD BAD IDEA. She went off the outside of a corner and may have lost long term use of her right arm at the shoulder. Some people just have no clue about bikes or what skills it takes to ride them safely and very often find out through experience.....ie. crashes. Is it okay for us to just let this happen? I don't know. Is it okay to overhear a salesman at the local dealer sell a newbie a litre sportbike and tell him he'll be okay.....it's just a bit bigger than the 600? This sheot happens all the time and we keep reading about the results over and over again. I don't have any answers I'm just asking the questions.......

 

[Takeuon]

Just so you know, I'm not for or against but undecided. As you say one side of me says let people do all the stupid things they want and let Darwin sort them out. Do riders need a parent system watching over them? I don't know. I have a neighbour across the street that I posted about earlier in the summer who, as a newbie, went on a group ride and crashed her Shadow 750. She had no riding experience before this summer and a group of riders took her on a group ride to a very popular road that is infamous for its twisties and challenging corners. BAD BAD IDEA. She went off the outside of a corner and may have lost long term use of her right arm at the shoulder. Some people just have no clue about bikes or what skills it takes to ride them safely and very often find out through experience.....ie. crashes. Is it okay for us to just let this happen? I don't know. Is it okay to overhear a salesman at the local dealer sell a newbie a litre sportbike and tell him he'll be okay.....it's just a bit bigger than the 600? This sheot happens all the time and we keep reading about the results over and over again. I don't have any answers I'm just asking the questions.......

I hear ya. You make some good points brotha. I remember that thread about that woman. ::9

 

[bazooki]

I hear ya. You make some good points brotha. I remember that thread about that woman. ::9

Yeah, and I feel really bad for her and for anyone that decides to take up this wonderful activity but either gets in over their head because they don't have the skills or abilities or just suffer from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Every time we get a death notice on this forum it hits home and if its a new rider it is that much worse. You spend time telling them about the dangers and hazards on the road....about drivers turning left in front of you, about trailers with no lights, about going too hot into a corner, on and on and on. I really believe that a lot of new riders think that it is like driving a car and if they can do that then they can be a good rider as well. They don't realize that it takes skills far above and beyond car driving skills to be a good motorcycle rider and to survive in a sometimes very hostile environment where the end result of a crash is not the airbag going off and cleaning up the coffee in your lap. Every time I look out my front window and see my neighbour unable to perform normal chores because her arm doesn't work I get mad and sad at the same time. I also feel guilty because it was my passion, my hobby, that caused this for her.

 

[UncleSteve]

People want to have the freedom to kill themselves anyway they see fit. Why interfere with the thinning of an over crowded planet....

That was a little sarcasm for you serious types. ... laugh a little...

 

[blownws6]

Lamb is a huge fan of this. No would be the answer because ity is anti-american to have government to decide what we can and can't do.

Amen, I agree 100%

 

[Max Speed]

NO WAY!!! Why give up your freedom to be regulated more by government and piss and moan that its the nasty cops making your life hell when you get caught riding out of your class of license!
Your not smart enough to know your over your head you will learn real quick you should have started out on a smaller bike!

 

[m_ridgeway]

 

[Max Speed]

AKA a self correcting problem!

 

[blownws6]

I understand what the op. is saying, but it kinda reminds me about guns.... they don't kill people, people kill people.

 

[XZZR1200]

All I can say is don't we have a drinking age limit? I'm sure that is followed the the letter of the law. More laws don't stop people from being people. 250 or turbo 1400 death is death.

 

[HillbillyTom]

I doubt a graduated license like your thinking of would do much in the long run. A Ninja 250 will run 80mph, same as a ZX10, Gixxer 1K, Busa, etc.. The outcome of an inexperienced rider going into a 30mph right/left at 80mph will be the same no matter what size of bike they do it on.
The lady who lost the use of her arm had the accident on a bike that doesn't make much, if any, more power than my dirt bike does.
I believe it has way more to do with the mentality and general coordination of the person learning to ride the bike, than the bike or license restrictions.
If you don't take it seriously, or just can't walk and chew gum in general, a motorcycle no matter what size, will point this out in a sometimes very violent manner.

 

[Zero]

If you want the bike, buy the bike. Just expect what your getting. A rider, or at least a driver, with no experience should at least know that they can't handle that kind of power. Your not going to jump into a Nascar (if it was available) when you just got your learners permit and expect to not crash it going top speed or high speeds even.

 

[Takeuon]

I doubt a graduated license like your thinking of would do much in the long run. A Ninja 250 will run 80mph, same as a ZX10, Gixxer 1K, Busa, etc.. The outcome of an inexperienced rider going into a 30mph right/left at 80mph will be the same no matter what size of bike they do it on.
The lady who lost the use of her arm had the accident on a bike that doesn't make much, if any, more power than my dirt bike does.
I believe it has way more to do with the mentality and general coordination of the person learning to ride the bike, than the bike or license restrictions.
If you don't take it seriously, or just can't walk and chew gum in general, a motorcycle no matter what size, will point this out in a sometimes very violent manner.

Well said