Best Ride For You

Posts Tagged ‘Motorcycle License’

Motorcycle license requirements are more difficult to obtain than automobile license because so much more is required to keep you safe. In my opinion, it’s to easy to get a motorcycle license in the United States. Skills required to ride motorcycles are much less inherent to many riders. There are learned responses needed to maintain control of your motorcycle. For example, at speed you push the handlebars in the direction that you want to go. Many new motorcyclists fail to understand this and in a panic situation, they steer right into the hazard they were trying to avoid.

Leave your pride on the couch when you learn to ride. I’ve driven 18-wheelers, military vehicles, off-road vehicles, and cars for many years and I can tell you that a motorcycle requires specialized training. Fooling yourself into thinking you’re a better motorcyclist than you are will only get you hurt.

Get Your Motorcycle Learners Permit

Before you even buy a motorcycle, you should obtain the basic permit. This usually only requires a written test that isn’t much different from a car’s licensing test. Basic road knowledge and a few basic motorcycle specific questions are asked. All that this permit does is prepare you to learn. If you’ve never ridden before, you are qualified to put in first gear to an area large enough to learn some basics with little or no traffic.

Get Your Safety Gear

There are two types of riders, those who have went down, and those who are going to go down. No need to fear this if you’re wearing armored safety gear. While learning, this will save you from harm at low speeds. It will also get you accustomed to wearing the gear. Many bad accidents have happened to riders with gear that they walked away from. Don’t believe, watch the wrecks in any motorcycle race.

Get Motorcycle Insurance

Find an insurance agent and make sure you are covered to ride. If you undervalue insurance, consider that the law can and will impound your motorcycle and take your automobile drivers license if they catch you riding without insurance for your motorcycle! Look for insurance that has an added benefit of roadside assistance for breakdowns.

Motorcycle Riding School Is Essential

Get enrolled in a motorcycle riding school. You can learn more from an experienced instructor than any other method. You’ll get advice while you actually ride the motorcycle. Learning how to do slow maneuvers, ride over hazards, proper braking, and basic maintenance is NOT an inherent skill. You need to learn these at a proper motorcycle riding school.

Take The Motorcycle License Test

Often a motorcycle riding school will also administer the riding test. If not, head to your local BMV and get scheduled. This is not an easy test. It is a slow maneuver test that requires great control over the motorcycle at slow speeds. Many fail the first time. If this happens to you, don’t be discouraged, just keep practicing and take the test again.

Follow these steps to get your motorcycle license and you’re on your way to safe riding. Licensed, insured, and geared-up riders suffer much lower rates of death and injury. I don’t know how many times people have told me that motorcycles are bad because they knew someone that died. I ask the following questions -

• Were they licensed?
• Did they wear safety gear?
• Were the riding at night? Deer hits at night are a huge fatality factor.
• Were they drinking?
• Did they take a motorcycle safety course?

I am almost always right that they were violating at least one or many of these common high risk motorcycle factors. Start motorcycling the right way and get your motorcycle license.