Originally Posted by Piff Poff (Post 8210235)

What concerns me is a 17 year old on say a GSXR 750 after just 20 hours (most of those in a car park going around cones) of learning, to me that is just plain irresponsible. I have one of those, it's not for a new inexperienced rider. I find it a handful (0-60mph in less than 3 seconds) after owning several sports bikes - my fave being a Ducati 900ss. I have always believed that every car driver should have to ride a bike before getting a car licence and bike licences should be graduated, I graduated myself, starting on a 50cc, then a 125cc, then a 350cc then upto to the bigger sports bikes.

It is of course different if you are on a cruiser, the power to weight ratio etc is very different giving different torque and the throttle reacts in different way, same goes for trails bikes etc.

Originally Posted by Piff Poff (Post 8210235)

At the end of the day you would not put a 14 year old that's just got her learners licence in a Zonda for her first lesson.

Originally Posted by R I C H (Post 8581177)

What's a 14yr old got to do with this? They can't hold a licence anyway. There are 19 year olds that race in F1 - it's down to appropriate training and competence, not a blanket ban on freedom of choice.

Originally Posted by Hermione (Post 8580387)

Oh wow, didn't realise you needed to redo a test in Canada. Just thought you'd be able to do a transfer as for driving licence! How comparable is the test to the UK test? I passed mine here in 2003

Thx

H

Originally Posted by Piff Poff (Post 8581270)

A 14 year old can hold a learners licence, so theoretically you can put a 14 year old in a Zonda, you'd just have to be bloody stupid to sit next to one. We are also talking public roads not race tracks.

Originally Posted by R I C H (Post 8581282)

Are you suggesting driving an F1 car competitively on a track doesn't require the same level of skill or ability as driving on public roads? My point is that individuals can learn to handle powerful machines at a young age, and the UK govt. shouldn't effectively legislate to prevent it.

Originally Posted by R I C H (Post 8581282)

Are you suggesting driving an F1 car competitively on a track doesn't require the same level of skill or ability as driving on public roads? My point is that individuals can learn to handle powerful machines at a young age, and the UK govt. shouldn't effectively legislate to prevent it.

Originally Posted by Piff Poff (Post 8581307)

We have all seen idiotic bike riders put their own and other peoples lives at risk. The same as we see hot hatch 'boy racer' types exerting dangerous driving.

Originally Posted by R I C H (Post 8581317)

So I go back to my original post - why legislate against recently licenced bikers and not motorists?

Originally Posted by R I C H (Post 8581317)

So I go back to my original post - why legislate against recently licenced bikers and not motorists?

Originally Posted by Almost Canadian (Post 8581299)

How many F1 drivers smashed their race cars before being able to "safely" drive an F1 car? Would you like them to learn how to do so on public streets. (Wasn`t it Stirling Moss that, famously, never held a drivers` licence while he was racing?)

I understand your argument, but it is based on the presumption that individuals will act rationally. Unfortunately, a large number of them don`t. If they only injured/damaged themselves, I would agree with you, unfortunately, the potential for collateral damage is too high.

Originally Posted by R I C H (Post 8581282)

Are you suggesting driving an F1 car competitively on a track doesn't require the same level of skill or ability as driving on public roads? My point is that individuals can learn to handle powerful machines at a young age, and the UK govt. shouldn't effectively legislate to prevent it.

Originally Posted by Almost Canadian (Post 8581321)

Very good question. Does Great Britain reciprocate with any of the Provinces? That may be the explanation.:confused:

Originally Posted by elizabeth_action (Post 8581335)

'Can' but all too often and with tragic consequences 'don't'. I am a motorcycling mother of three boys and I can tell you I would appreciate graduating HP here, as in the UK. Try arguing your point with the hundreds of parents who lost sons because they were riding bikes too big to handle. Why should the learners mind? People don't understand the awesome power of some of these bigger bikes; a small flick of the wrist and you've flipped the bike.

By being limited, you'll end up the better rider for it.

Originally Posted by elizabeth_action (Post 8581335)

By being limited, you'll end up the better rider for it.

Originally Posted by Piff Poff (Post 8581343)

It must be a females perspective?:thumbsup: