Tohu said that for some riders the enforcement consequences may be weighed against the new levy levels. “If you ride an unregistered, unlicensed vehicle and you get caught, it’s a $200 fine plus demerit points. If you’re faced with paying $600 [for registration] there is going to be a lot of people out there that will take that risk,” he said. He said a Facebook group opposing the changes was approaching 9,000 members. “A couple of weeks ago we were 5,000 members. Since our protest ride on the 28th, it’s just taken off,” he said. From an insurance perspective, any increase in the number of unregistered or intermittently registered motorcycles on the road may complicate risk assessment, coverage discussions, and claims handling, particularly where registration status is a condition of cover.
