Why do people get restricted licenses?

I think I left my restriction in for about the first and last six months of the two years.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Lozzo

By law we have to restrict their bikes for them,

What law is that?

Probably a crossover of the restriction rules and the sales of goods act, as selling a bike to someone who doesn't have a licence to ride it probably falls under unfit for purpose (in a paranoid world, anyway) as there is nothing an under 19 can do to remove the licence restriction.

[Jayneflakes]

I loved my 125cc bike. It taught me to ride and let me get confident. My other half being an instructor meant that I got training every time we went out together.

Not being the most confident of people I struggled greatly on my DAS and could not take in that level of intensity when undertaking a five day course. My SV is still restricted and has been since day one, the Full power ECU lives in my knicker drawer and when my time is up, it will be refitted and I shall have to get used to my bike all over again.

I have to be honest, I love my bike and I love the gentle nature of the 33BHP, I find it confidence building, inspiring and plenty powerful enough for what I do. I got pulled for speeding on the motorway a while back too, so she is not at all slow.

If I had to do it all again, I would still do it like I have, I have learned a lot about riding from being on a low power bike and I am still learning now.

For me, it was purely because of money.

I couldn't afford to do DAS course with a training school, and since I had a 125 anyway, I just took my test on that.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by orose

Probably a crossover of the restriction rules and the sales of goods act, as selling a bike to someone who doesn't have a licence to ride it probably falls under unfit for purpose (in a paranoid world, anyway) as there is nothing an under 19 can do to remove the licence restriction.

So how does a racer with no license buy a bike?

Or is that different because they are not "kids"

I had a week or so delay picking up my SV as the restricted ecu took a while to be delivered. Dealer wouldn't let me ride away as he knew I was restricted.

I guess racers pick bikes up in vans...?

[yorkie_chris]

There is difference between common sense and law. I was asking what law does not permit me hypothetically with no/restricted licence from buying whatever.

Originally Posted by Lozzo

I really don't see the point of the 33bhp restriction anyway and I am totally against the whole idea of it. I sell new ER6s and suchlike to young people who've just done their tests. By law we have to restrict their bikes for them, but the law doesn't stop me showing them how it only takes 30 seconds to properly derestrict them. Whether they do or not is up to them, most of them do within a few days; none of them has had an accident that is remotely attributable to having more power than they are allowed.

There are very few restricted bikes around our way in the hands of those not old enough to do DAS, yet we've sold loads of ER6s to people in this age group. To date I've only heard of one 18 year old lad being done for it... but he's a genuine nobber who was well known for wheelying his supposedly restricted Z750 at every opportunity. Doing it in front of an unmarked police video car wasn't his smartest move. Funnily enough we hadn't shown him how to derestrict his bike, he and some mates sussed it out for themselves.

The 33bhp restriction isn't about safety, it's about making it more unappealing to get a bike or a bike licence and hopefully killing off motorcycling. It was obviously dreamed up by some geriatric Eurocrat who hasn't the foggiest idea of what riding bikes is all about, nor did they have any idea of what actually causes young people to have accidents. Of all the crash damaged bikes we deal with, about 1 in 20 is damaged as a result of inappropriate speed. You'll note I use the word "inappropriate" and not "excessive".

Spain apparently has one of the highest mortality rates from RTA's in Europe and hence their adoption of the 33bhp regs. However, the law has changed again, and for the A2 licence the limit is now 47bhp but the bike can only have a maximum 94bhp to start with. I believe that these regs are apparently due to be adopted in the UK in the near future. The bike then has to be re registered with that restriction - whether or not this will also apply in the UK I know not.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

There is difference between common sense and law. I was asking what law does not permit me hypothetically with no/restricted licence from buying whatever.

If someone buys a bike from us, we have to by law ensure they are legal to ride it away from the shop. That means insurance in place, taxed, MOTd if needed and restrictors fitted if on a licence that only allows 33bhp bikes. If not we can be done for aiding and abetting an offence. If the buyer takes it away in a van then all of this is irrelevant.

Nearly all buyers ride the bike away from the shop - hardly any of them pick up in their own vans or require a bike delivering.

We cover our own ar5es by ensuring the bike and rider are legal when they leave our place.