Getting Your Motorbike Licence In New Zealand

Getting your licence in New Zealand is a rite of passage for young Kiwis. It's something that is very much anticipated as it offers the young driver an opportunity for a bit more freedom and independence. Over the years the criteria for obtaining a drivers licence has changed as statistics and research have proven that a lower driver age increases the likelihood of an accident, however with New Zealand having such a low population density along with the large number of people living in rural locations and even those in urban areas still struggle with unreliable public transport obtaining a drivers licence is still extremely important.

Although the size of New Zealand might be considered small by many, Kiwis have a love affair with their vehicles. They use them every day to get to school or work and in the weekends to shop or visit friends. With some 2.5 million vehicles for a population of just over 4 million New Zealand has one of the highest vehicle ownership levels in the world. Licences are issued by the New Zealand Transport Agency.

With the cost of a motor vehicle out of the reach of many young drivers a popular choice is getting a motorbike licence which allows them to legally drive motorcycles or road bikes, mopeds and all terrain vehicles (also known as ATV's).

As with a motor vehicle licence obtaining a motorbike licence in New Zealand is broken into three stages known as Graduated Driver Licensing System and all licences are issued by the New Zealand Transport Agency.

The first stage is obtaining a learners licence. You must hold this before you can drive your road bike legally on a public road. You need to be at least 16 years of age and comply with the other conditions of the licence in respect to CC capacity of your vehicle - there are Yamaha road bikes especially designed for this - the Scorpio is a good example, as well as speed restrictions and driving only during certain hours.

The second stage is called a restricted licence. You must have spent at least six months as a learner driver before you can move to this level. A restricted driver is still subject to the CC rating, passenger and time limitations as a learner driver.

The third and final stage is a full licence. You can move to this stage after 12 months on a restricted licence if you have completed an approved advanced drivers course or after 18 months if you have not done this. If you are over 25 this time can be reduced so it's best to refer to the government agency for all the details.

Once you have obtained your full licence you will be able to ride your Yamaha road bike at higher speeds, any time of the day or night and with a passenger.

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