[The Greek AKA The cat]

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

The following is a list of frequently asked questions. Some are not that frequent but are considered important enough to warrant a mention.
If you thing there is a question worth adding then post a new thread and put FAQ? in the description. Don't be afraid to ask just because it has been asked before. The information may be out of date and it is always worth getting an update, particulary with insurance quotes.

Also if you thing one of the answers is no longer correct or contains errors again post a new thread with a description of FAQ Update.


Which Insurance company?

Answer: Currently you can choose from AON, Carole Nash, Quinn Direct and Adelaide. Also if you own a BMW they have their own insurance scheme but it is BMW only.
If you are looking for first time insurance, generally, AON are the only company that will insure you. But check Adelaide as they may do first-timers who are over 25. eBike is also meant to be coming in, so watch the forum for updates.

If you want to read posts on insurance go to "Search" and select "More Search Options" then in this section select "Riding The Red Tape" in the list of sub-forums and type in "Insurance" in the Keywords Field and click on "Search titles only". This will return 65 separate threads on Insurance but I wouldn't read them all as the information is constantly changing and the last 5 or 10 are probably only relevant.


Insuring a bike for 1 week to get training

Answer: Thanks to the hard work of MAG Ireland AON now offer short term insurance. See this thread


Classic Insurance

Answer: This is a good thread on Classic Insurance. The bike has to 10 years old or over and there are conditions so read the thread to get the full details.
BTW Carole Nash started out as a company that only dealt in Classic Insurance.

A side note on this one is that Quinn will not insure bikes that are over 20 years old. See this thread


Insuring more than one bike

Answer: Quinn don't do it. Aon and Carole Nash both quote. See this one


Insurance abroad

Answer: If you are driving your own bike on that big Euro tour, check your policy before you go. Some will have a fixed number of days/weeks that you drive abroad without any additional charges but you may find it restricted to the EU plus a couple of others.
If you intend on staying away longer check with your insurance company.
If you rent a bike abroad be careful with regard to insurance. Normal travel insurance will probably limit you to 125's. So get extra cover if you intend getting something bigger. See this one


What bike can I use for the test?

Answer: This is easy any bike. You will not be asked for a restriction cert. You will have to sign a document saying the bike is legal for your restriction. But dont push it by showing up on a Gixxer. Also remember if you do the test on a 125 or less you will only be licensed for a 125 max. So two things to remember when applying for the test, apply for the A and show up on something bigger than a 125. See this short thread


What Bikes are available restricted?

Answer: Up to Date list is posted here. Also note the law states
as follows

Quote

17. A person granted a provisional licence for the first time on or after 15 November 1999 to drive vehicles in category A, shall, during the validity of all provisional licences and subsequently until a period of having held a valid licence in the category for 2 years, be restricted to driving only those vehicles in the said category which have a power output not exceeding 25 kW or a power/weight ratio not exceeding 0.16kW/kg, or in the case of vehicles in the said category with sidecars, with a power/weight ratio not exceeding 0.16kW/kg.

So a bike with a low power to weight ratio could qualify without restriction.


How do I calculate the Power to weight Ratio

Answer:Take the power output in Kilowatts and divide by the dry weight. So 2005 Honda Deauville has a power rating of 40.9kw and weights 223kg. Power to weight ratio = 40.9/223 = 0.18 So the Deauville needs to be restricted if you use the Dry Weight. However it is not defined in law what weight to use and Gross Vehicle Weight may be a lot more. Good discussion here but ignore the AND/Or piece as it is definitely OR


Factory Restriction vs. After Market

Answer: Now here is the kicker, in the eyes of the law there is no difference between a factory restricted bike and one fitted with an aftermarket restrictor. The only difference will be how the insurance company treat you. Carole Nash for instance, it has been said, do not recognise any restrictions and charge the full whack for the insurance. Also remember that new factory restricted bikes will have 25KW on the VRC. This is accepted by AON.

I don't give a toss, I am going to remove the restriction

Answer: Fair enough but read this and this


Renting abroad on a restricted license

Answer: The Irish license is EU compliant so you are restricted. Good topic here on the subject with some good links. Also worth reading this thread on International Licenses if you are going outside the EU.

This post has been edited by The Greek: 20 August 2008 - 07:42 PM

[The Greek AKA The cat]

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Continued......

What can you get penalty points for?

Answer: Good list here and this site is devoted to penalty points with statistics on points issued and crashes.

Filtering, is it legal?

Answer: Yes it is currently, see this thread. Very important to read this is you are ever charged with dangerous or reckless driving as a result of filtering. Also note that splitting cars is a form of filtering. Really good thread on this here . There was a lot talk as well about the section on filtering being removed from the "This is your bike" booklet. RSA where handing out copies at 2007 Bike Show with the section removed. However the on-line version on the RSA site has it in it. Direct Link and they have a newer version here
Also see this case http://www.motorbikestoday.com/news/Articl...ltering_law.htm

English cases can be cited in Irish courts. The court is not bound by the English decision but will give it consideration.

Do you need a tax disc on a bike

Answer: In a word Yes. See this thread for best info. But the application of the law is ambiguous. Most Gardai will accept if you have the Tax Disc with you.

Do I need to carry my license with me?

Answer: Clear and unambiguous Yes. Required by Law since 2003.

Can I use Bus Lanes

Answer: Yes, No, ehh maybe!!! OK so it is a bit confusing. Check this thread for an example. Law states that during the operational hours of the Bus Lane motorbikes are not allowed. However THe RSA have indicated that they favour opening Bus lanes to Bikers. A lot of Gardai will ignore the infringement. Some will pull you and tell you not to do it while they are watching and some, unfortunately, will do you. Traffic Corps tend to be more lenient and remember not all Bike Cops are Traffic Corps.

Importing a Bike

Answer: A lot of good info on this. Most popular countries to import from are UK, France and Germany. Good info on VRT here. VRT Calculator here! Some probs with importing from Holland and Belguim here.
Note you have to pay VAT here if the Bike is less than six months old OR it has less than 6000km on the clock.

Travelling abroad with loud pipes

Answer: When I read this one I was amazed because there is no law on loud pipes in the Republic of Ireland. AND if you travel abroad on Irish Bike it is Irish law that is applied. e.g. legal in Ireland then legal in UK on Irish plates. But word of caution don't abuse it, as I am sure they could do you for being a nuisance.

Driving Test Centre, which one?

Answer: Have a look at this thread. In Dublin, Raheny seems to be the best with the lowest wait time. Full stats for all tests, wait times and pass rates are available here. But this is averages for Cars AND bikes. From talking to people the wait time in Raheny, for example, is currently about 12 weeks not 40 as stated on the linked doc. Another thing to note is that if you include a letter from your employer stating that you need the licence for work you will get an earlier test.

Small Reg Plates

Answer: Smallest plate on a bike can be 170 x 110, with registration letters/numbers being 35mm in height with a stroke width of 5mm. Full legal stuff is here Previous discussions here and here.

What makes a bike road legal?

Answer: From Bulleteer's thread

1) A white or yellow front light.
2) A red rear lamp.
3) A red rear reflector.
4) A Number plate. (correct type with Irl, County & correct colour plate & numbering on it as shown on page 38)
5) A tax disc. & carry your licence
7) You must not carry a pillion on a provisional licence.
8) You must have a thread depth of 1mm (Hmm prob time to replace em before that)

Full Rules of the Road here This is a high resolution version and is a bit slow to load.

This post has been edited by The Greek: 28 February 2008 - 11:23 PM

[kevinb99]

Can I swap my non- EU licence for an Irish licence without re-taking the full test?

Find out here