09-04-2017, 10:37 PM
(09-04-2017, 01:37 AM)Lord Popgun_imp Wrote: Cormanus, how does your licensing work in Oz?
At the time of the event described, it was a wonderfully simple process. Once you were 16 or over, you went to the Transport Department, paid $1 and were issued with a learner's permit. There were very few limitations on what you could do. You had to display a yellow plate with a black "L" on the rear of the bike, you were not allowed to carry a pillion and there may have been a maximum speed limit, but I can't remember. Curiously, there was no test at all. You could ride on the road immediately.
As soon as you turned 17 you were eligible for a provisional license. To get one you had to sit a written test and a licensing officer would take you outside and ask you to ride around the block so he could pretend to get some idea of whether you knew what you were doing. For 12 months you had to display a white plate with a red "P" on the back of the bike and were not allowed to carry a pillion. After 12 months both those restrictions were lifted.
It's a completely different story these days. You can't get a learner's permit without:
(a) having held a provisional or open car license for at least 1 year
(b) successfully complete a pre-learner course which includes some riding
© pass a 'motorcycle knowledge test'*; and,
(d) be medically fit.
In some Australian jurisdictions, there's a period during which you must be supervised by a person who has held an open license and, unless they are in a sidecar, they must be on another bike or in a car. You are limited to riding what are known as Learner Approved Motorcycles (LAMS) which are restricted in size and power. You can then get a provisional license but you continue to be allowed to ride only LAMS bikes.
After a two years you can learn to ride an unrestricted bike. For one year you must ride under the direction of a person who holds an unrestricted licence. After that, if you get an unrestricted licence you can ride what you like.
There's information, including an explanation of bikes allowed under the LAM Scheme, and links to other pages [url=https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/licensing/motorcycles/licence-types]here. There may be slight variations in other Australian States.
* Don't ask me why the © appears as it does. It's beyond any ability of mine to stop it.