Topic: finally got my cycle endorsement!

[johnspeck]

i've been riding dirt bikes since i was a kid, streetbikes since high school in the 80's, and this morning, i am finally a legal, licensed motorcyclist!

woohoo!  feels great.

why, you may ask, did i not already have my license?
because i lived in michigan, worked out of town all the time, and with the short riding season and inability to find time from work to take the course, i just got my permit every year.  i mostly rode with licensed friends, so no big deal.

about a month ago, i was half a block from my house, returning from a nice sunday evening ride with a licensed pal, when a cop pulled me over and wrote me a ticket for not having my full endorsement.  (again, took the written test this summer when i plated  my bike, but then left for europe for a month and a half, etc., so i just kinda got lazy about it)

i was finally able to schedule a road test at the dps, since we are required to provide a car and driver to drive the tester, and my girl is off this week (and good weather this morning).
i passed with flying colors, although the tester said i stopped on the white line a couple times...

now, all i have to do is go to the courthouse and show proof, and my 140 dollar ticket turns into a 10 dollar dismissal.

good times!

AND, now i can go demo bikes at dealerships!

[MötleyRöx]

Wow... I wouldn't call that lazy!
You went to the DMV every year to get your permit but just wouldn't/couldn't go through with the getting the endorsment?... since the 80s!!!?
That makes no sense to me.

Anyway, CONGRATS!

[ColinMc]

i passed with flying colors, although the tester said i stopped on the white line a couple times...

Wait, i'm confused...what white line were you stopping on?! On the right side of the road?!

Congrats BTW!

[johnspeck]

in michigan, you can't just go to any secretary of state and take your road test.  usually, they are conducted on saturdays at various bike dealerships, but i've spent so much time on the road, i could never seem to get a test in.  that, or my bike at the time was stuck in the garage, half apart, so i couldn't take the test.
the way most folks get their endorsement is to take the class, but those slots fill up at the beginning of the season for the rest of the year.  also, my work schedule made it so that i could never predict whether i'd be in town to sign up for a class a couple months later (i worked as a guitar tech for touring bands, lots of last minute tours, that kind of thing).
so i just got my permit every year.

as far as the white line thing, i'm supposed to stop before the white line at intersections; didn't realize i'd stopped with my wheel just touching.

the whole test was basically "take a right, take a left, take a right, take a left, go fast, stop, go back to the dps building."
the tests in michigan are much more technical...the whole cones, stop with your front wheel in the square, etc.

[tramp]

good for you
now your street legal
you can enjoy riding a whole lot more not looking over your back

[bucky katt]

i too have never had an endorsement, just permits. even though south carolina doesnt require turn signals on motorcycles your bike DOES have to have them to do the test for the endorsement.

[dave500]

when i was on my learners permit a long time ago in melbourne australia,you were only allowed to ride a 250cc bike,i had a yamaha IT400,so where the capacity in ccs is a raised cast (396cc i think)i neatly filed it down and stamped it 247cc,a couple of weeks went by and sure enough i was stopped by a cop car going in the opposite direction,the driver gets out and marches up to the bike ,crouchs down looking at the barrel, then yells back at his offsider"no its a 250!"checked my permit then on their way phew!the bike was rough in the respect it had an eveready dolphin torch battery taped behind the headlight to work the indicators and brake lights!!a couple of miles after this the clutch cable snapped!!