provisional motorbike licence

bubthatub

i am goin for the driver theory test next week and i want to know what type of motorbike i will be able to get with my provisional licence

I am 25 and i want to know if i am resticted to the 125cc or can i buy a bigger bike with a restrictor or do i have to have my full licence first.

I have looked myself on different websites for this answer but i am still a little confused, can anyone help me?

AidoCQS

Minimum age for a A licence is 18

You dont need the websites, just look at a licence application form,

http://kildare.ie/CountyCouncil/MotorTaxation/Forms/LinkToDocument,7239,en.pdf

which you should be ordering by post from Citizens info on


http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/travel-and-recreation/motoring-1/driver-licensing/provisional_motorcycle_driving_licences_in_ireland/?searchterm=D.201

AidoCQS

MAG has got a list of bikes that fit that catagory.

http://www.magireland.org/33bhp.htm

Now just cos you can legally ride it don't mean anybody will insure you, that especially applies to the DIY restrictor jobs. Check with your insurance before purchasing a bike

Idleater

Assuming you apply for an A category provisional rather than A1, you can drive any bike you want, it just has to be restricted to comply with the licence. This restriction is power based not CC based.

Factory Restriction is the only kind that will get you cheaper insurance, and that is at the moment only with AON.

Otherwise, you have a restricted bike and pay full power insurance cost. This could be quite expensive on a high power bike, certainly on a provisional.

What bikes have you looked at? (oh and *cough* see sig).


L.

bubthatub

i was looking at the Yamaha DragStar XVS650 or the Harley-Davidson FXD Dyna Super Glide Sport bikes like that if i can get insured

AidoCQS

I am in the same boat, thats why I am looking at a sluggish ex-army bike

http://www.forcemotorcycles.com/mt350.asp

I've got the yamaha xvs650 (lovely silver model), had it for 4 years now. You can drive it on a provisional licence.Great bike,good reliability but can be a bitch to start in freezing cold weather.
Very,very cheap insurance even on a provosional licence.I'd recomend it, specially as a first big bike. I wouldnt bother with the Harley, overpriced and underpowered in my opinion.

Thinkingaboutit

There are two schools of thought on the restriction. One is that the engine was develop no more than 33 bhp, another is that bikes of a particular to weight ratio can also be ridden on a provisional A. The law as drafted seems to allow both interpretations. I think the power to weight interpretation is probably valid, my machine is power to weight legal but obviously develops more than 33 bhp, but a cautious person who wants a reasonably fast bike might go for a restricted Bandit or Vstrom. The latter uses a sort of throttle restriction in higher gears which severely abbreviates the top speed, but allows the bike to keep most of its other characteristics. Harleys are expensive, yet they do have a good resale price. There is a new HD shop near the Red Cow - they should be able to advise on whether HDs are learner legal.

Hotblack Desiato

If your bike meets the power-to-weight ratio, then it is 100% legal, end of.

Also, that higher gears stuff is nonsense, the power has to be restricted in every gear. It just feels like it isn't, because at low speeds wind resistance is very low, but as you go faster a restricted bike really starts to suffer. Do a top-gear roll-on against the same bike unrestricted and it will feel like you're going backwards.

Actually, some bikes do have varying power according to gear, e.g. full power GSXR1000, but that's to lower the power in 1st gear to try to stop the owners sh*tting themselves

galwaytt

...and whilst my Road King is learner legal.......with 1/3 the power and 70 kg more than my last bike........it cost twice the price to insure, with CN, anyway.............the only thing they look at for when insuring Harley's, is the cost price of the bike. Everything else goes out the window. So my RK insurance went to Eur1100 from Eur660 from the R1150RT. Go figure.........