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I have to say, I don't all together agree with the learning permit situation in WA. Learners under the current system are sheltered to what I think is a counter-intuitive degree.
A permit shouldn't prohibit you from riding unattended. Restricting your speed maybe, slapping L plates on your jacket perhaps, but not riding on your own entirely. Why else would you get a learner's permit if not to get out there and learn? Who's really going to "befriend" a seasoned rider just to have them tag along behind you? As a solitary person with a passion for such a solitary activity, I'm certainly not.
My bike needs fuel, and a ride to the gas station would be excellent experience. Instead, I have to drive to the servo, fill up a canister, bring it back to the shed and pour it in with a funnel. Welcome to WA, where according to the government, you're brain dead but you just don't know it.
Anyone with half an interest in riding or a desire to hone their skills will be drawn to their wheels for more than an hour or two a week. I'm winding up and down the coast near my neighborhood almost every day without an RE license. Yeap, I have no shame admitting it. There's never a cop in sight because my area is south and secluded. As a result, I've been practicing everyday, loving the hell out of it, and improving rapidly.
I find it difficult to believe that every single rider out there with a learning permit has never ducked out to practice on their own SOME time. There's no doubt in my mind that first-timers have started out on GSX1300R's either, which is not to suggest it's a wise idea, but simply to point out that I think the 250cc restriction is further evidence that our government's thinking is old fashioned and absurd.
The only argument in favor of the current system that I can discern is the notion that everyone is stupid and needs to be leashed for their own safety and that of those around them. The overlooked reality of this narrow minded view is that a leash won't change a person's awareness of his/her own limits. Kids will put their hands in the fire no matter what you tell them. Even the most cautious of riders will crash eventually. People will do stupid shit regardless of the law. This is why everyone says your biggest threat on a bike is yourself. You can lead a duck to water, but you can't teach it to swim. Why are we still imposing such squandering laws on everybody? Why is WA still the world's biggest kindergarten? It's like the no-swearing law they've recently past. Ridiculous. Profanity is practically an Australian way. The internet is public - does that mean I can't swear on the internet? Where does the madness end?
I'm very careful and aware of my limits when I'm out riding. I've never understood how motorcyclists get into so many crashes, because I'm always very cautious and take much satisfaction in riding safely and skillfully. I've had the initiative and self awareness to avoid the highway on my solo rides as a learner, because I know the traffic and speeds would have freaked me out and laid me on the tarmac in no time. However, as my skills and confidence has improved, and my riding has become second nature, I now feel ready to hit the Mandurah highway for a small trip to the servo and back. My instructor says I handle myself well, and should take my test ASAP. Unfortunately, the list is booked solid for the next month. So, what? My bike stays in the garage now for the next four weeks? Sure. Not on my watch mate.
I believe the current system exists purely because of the belief that citizens are stupid, and I don't agree with it. We're babying ourselves in a futile attempt to prevent the inevitable from happening. Be you a confident rider who knows your limits, or a learner flaming a Busa up and down the freeway at rush hour, no amount of legalities or government control is going to change you. I think learning permits should require you to wear clothing/signs indicative of your status to alert other road users, but should never, ever, restrict you from physically getting out there and practicing. How retarded would that be.
Originally Posted by Koola 
while this thread....well I wouldn't say PROgresses. 
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