08-19-2014, 09:51 PM
In reading a number of posts on here, a question has been growing in the back of my mind. What are the motorcycle driving(riding) license requirements like in the US?
Certainly in Europe there is generally a requirement for a specific license to ride motorcycles. Often there are different levels based on the displacement of the bikes such as a license limited to bikes smaller than 125cc etc. Here in Switzerland when I first took my motorcycle license (a long time ago...) you had to first pass a reasonably complex riding exam for bikes up to 125cc. Then, having had that license for two years, you were able to do another exam on bikes exceeding that, providing you the right to ride any size bike. The exams would consist of a technical section including emergency stops, riding through tight sections, balancing on a board etc., and then there would be a 30 to 45 minute ride in traffic where the examiner would follow you in his car and give instructions over a com-unit you place in your helmet.
Although not ideal, these exams would at least ensure you had some sort of knowledge and experience in riding a bike before you could roam the streets. Today there are still exams, but there has been a change with regards to displacement etc., and more importantly a set number of hours in a riding school is mandatory.
Now I would be curious to know what the situation is like in the US and other locations members might be from.
Certainly in Europe there is generally a requirement for a specific license to ride motorcycles. Often there are different levels based on the displacement of the bikes such as a license limited to bikes smaller than 125cc etc. Here in Switzerland when I first took my motorcycle license (a long time ago...) you had to first pass a reasonably complex riding exam for bikes up to 125cc. Then, having had that license for two years, you were able to do another exam on bikes exceeding that, providing you the right to ride any size bike. The exams would consist of a technical section including emergency stops, riding through tight sections, balancing on a board etc., and then there would be a 30 to 45 minute ride in traffic where the examiner would follow you in his car and give instructions over a com-unit you place in your helmet.
Although not ideal, these exams would at least ensure you had some sort of knowledge and experience in riding a bike before you could roam the streets. Today there are still exams, but there has been a change with regards to displacement etc., and more importantly a set number of hours in a riding school is mandatory.
Now I would be curious to know what the situation is like in the US and other locations members might be from.