Introduction Thread

[p6x]

3 hours ago, Jaide said:

I'm finally rid of the A2 license

For those of you that are not privy of the European quirks; once you get your Motorcycle driver's license, you are restricted to a certain power limit for a given time. I don't know if it is good or bad, but it prevents you from purchasing a Ducati Desmo Sedici right after you get your license.

3 hours ago, Jaide said:

I'm probably the youngest member here

Absolutely not! we are all very young at heart here!

Bienvenue au Club!

[p6x]

3 hours ago, Jaide said:

I'm Jaide,

your name implies it: j'aide!

[audiomick]

48 minutes ago, p6x said:

... once you get your Motorcycle driver's license, you are restricted to a certain power limit for a given time. I don't know if it is good or bad

It's good. Definitely.

Back in the day, when I started riding, the laws in Victoria, Australia restricted lerners and probationary license holders (initially the first year, later two years, if I recall correctly...) to a motorcyle with a maximum 250cc capacity. That worked quite well for a while. When I started, it was mostly 4-stroke Japanese bikes: Z250, GSX250, CB250 or XS250. They were all pretty much a down-sized 400. The 400 was for the Japanese market, dictated by the licensing laws there, and they were "de-stroked" and "de-bored" to match the laws in Australia.

And then, in the late '80s, came the two-strokes. 250 production racing produced a plethora of race-replica two-stroke 250s, the RGV 250, the KR250 and then the KR1, the RS 250, the RZ250. Very light, very fast. Which inevitaly led to absolute beginners going out on the street to learn to ride on what was effectively a race bike. Not good.

Eventually, the law was changed to a "power-to-weight" regulation, which is much more sensible for beginners.

I find the European regulation fairly good. There is a license that a 16-year-old can get, restricted to very small motorcycles. The A2 is, as far as I know, restricted to less than 48 ps. Adequate to learn on and gain experience, but not enough to get too silly. It's ok that way.

Edited March 12 by audiomick

[docc]

Here in America, young wildmen can go to unlimited performance fairly quickly. Some say it is a Darwinian strategy to keep said wildmen out of the gene pool.

Somehow, I slipped through the cracks.

[audiomick]

1 hour ago, docc said:

... Some say it is a Darwinian strategy to keep said wildmen out of the gene pool. .

My brother in law, unfortunately passed away due to a heart attack, had a theory. In his opinion, everyone should have to be obliged to ride a motorcyle for a at least a year before getting a driver's license to drive a car. That way, the really stupid ones would get sorted out by natural attrition, and the roads would become a safer place for all.

[docc]

3 hours ago, audiomick said:

My brother in law, unfortunately passed away due to a heart attack, had a theory. In his opinion, everyone should have to be obliged to ride a motorcyle for a at least a year before getting a driver's license to drive a car. That way, the really stupid ones would get sorted out by natural attrition, and the roads would become a safer place for all.

Darwin wasn't wrong, but we (as a species) have a lot of work-arounds (for the time being).

[Jaide]

15 hours ago, audiomick said:

It's good. Definitely.

Back in the day, when I started riding, the laws in Victoria, Australia restricted lerners and probationary license holders (initially the first year, later two years, if I recall correctly...) to a motorcyle with a maximum 250cc capacity. That worked quite well for a while. When I started, it was mostly 4-stroke Japanese bikes: Z250, GSX250, CB250 or XS250. They were all pretty much a down-sized 400. The 400 was for the Japanese market, dictated by the licensing laws there, and they were "de-stroked" and "de-bored" to match the laws in Australia.

And then, in the late '80s, came the two-strokes. 250 production racing produced a plethora of race-replica two-stroke 250s, the RGV 250, the KR250 and then the KR1, the RS 250, the RZ250. Very light, very fast. Which inevitaly led to absolute beginners going out on the street to learn to ride on what was effectively a race bike. Not good.

Eventually, the law was changed to a "power-to-weight" regulation, which is much more sensible for beginners.

I find the European regulation fairly good. There is a license that a 16-year-old can get, restricted to very small motorcycles. The A2 is, as far as I know, restricted to less than 48 ps. Adequate to learn on and gain experience, but not enough to get too silly. It's ok that way.

I agree, but they could tone it back a bit. Having to retake your test to move up to a bigger license is annoying, and the wait times are long enough as is!

[guzzler]

On 3/14/2025 at 12:49 AM, Jaide said:

I agree, but they could tone it back a bit. Having to retake your test to move up to a bigger license is annoying, and the wait times are long enough as is!

Yeah, I get the impression they're deliberately making it harder to get into motorcycling.....

Maybe this does weed out the non- committed but ultimately can't be good for the activity / sport in the long run!

Cheers 

[Jaide]

Fortunately it doesn't seem to be bad for motorcycling, atleast in the Netherlands. Motorcycling is more popular than ever it seems!

[p6x]

I retook my motorcycle license here in Texas. Just to check the difference.

You get your license in one weekend! all the bikes used for the test were 125cc. There is no driving in traffic. Only technical tests, but way easier than those needed in Europe.

There was one candidate that was unable to manage changing gears, so he was provided with a scooter so he could pass the test. All the tests could be done in first and second gear, but having a scooter is more simple. No clutch to dose.

Only one person failed to get his license. He fell down and decided to stop.

 

[billgreenman1]

I was either smart or lucky (or both) and, through the advice of other riders, went through the ABATE riders course, which also passed me for the riding portion of the motorcycle license testing. 250cc bikes in a parking lot over two weekends in beautiful Bloomington Indiana. Upon graduation we slalomed the columns of the IU football stadium. My first bike was an '81 BMW R65, a good size for me, not too powerful but not a slouch either. Learning to ride in the hills of southern Indiana was a wonderful thing,  and even 35+ years later, I can hear my instructors voices in my head:"Smooth on the throttle  progressive on the brakes, LOOK THROUGH THE TURN!"

I always advise the rider course to anyone who is interested in riding. 

Edited March 17 by billgreenman1

[gstallons]

Whew , I assume these people were "as green as a gourd" that took the test? IDK why but you have it or you don't .  

[p6x]

2 hours ago, gstallons said:

Whew , I assume these people were "as green as a gourd" that took the test? IDK why but you have it or you don't .  

When you don't, you are supposed to get it by doing it. There is no way you can learn to ride properly in two days, when you are starting from scratch.

In EUR, you are supposed to get your experience before you get your license, and following it by driving less powerful motorcycles.

From what I understand here, in Texas, they explain the basics, you get a not too difficult maniability test, and then you learn to ride a motorcycle on the road.

 

[Pressureangle]

Everyone in the US acknowledges that the State tests have little to do with competence and more to do with revenue.

I had a minibike, then a Sprint 350 in the trails (lol) then went flat track racing on a Yamaha MX360. The learning curve was steep... Kaw KZ400, then 500 triple, then Suzuki GS1100E. 

The learning curve was steep. 

[gstallons]

That was a diversity of bikes .