It seems like an eternity since we were actively able to ride our motorcycles for recreation, but with the recent announcement from the New Zealand Government regarding what moving to alert level 2 will mean we can breathe a sigh of relief and jump back in the saddle again.
According to the official covid19.govt.nz website, a move to alert level 2 will mean we can once again enjoy recreational activities previously restricted under the higher alert levels.
The big points for Kiwi motorcyclists are that inter-regional travel will once again be permitted as well as gatherings of 100 people or less. This means you can hit the road to ride your favourite loop to your favourite cafe as well as hit the track provided there are fewer than 100 people in attendance. However, that 100 people limit includes staff and all food should be served individually, meaning no buffet dinners at your favourite destination.
Whether bike sport will be able to resume under level 2 is currently unclear, however, we believe that so long as distancing and contact tracing measures are in place this will be the case. We have reached out to Motorcycling New Zealand to confirm whether the governing body can confirm this however and will update this story with their reply.
With the easing of lockdown measures, most motorcycle dealerships will be once again allowed to open their doors to the public, provided that physical distancing measures are adhered to.
As you would expect there are still caveats to the level 2 announcement.
The border to New Zealand will remain closed, meaning the roads will be free of international tourists but we will still need to remain vigilant.
Also as previously mentioned physical distancing (now reduced to a minimum of 1 metre), hygiene standards and contact registers will be in place to ensure businesses are safe.