The availability of motorcycles in the USA

[Brad]

Just wanted to get the opinion of others about how anyone with a endorsement can get any bike they want right outta the gate.

Age requirements, skill/test requirements and riding time? What would you like to see?

For the most part I like I can chose whatever bike I want but then you get some extremely terrible riders just finishing the extremely easy basic rider course getting liter bikes ect. I'm a young rider (17) and have off road experience and put 4k miles so far on my FZ6 thus far. This 600cc hauls and will do everything asked of it in from a legal standpoint and is capable of many illegal types of riding. I'm not saying I'm perfect and I catch the bug sometimes and twist that throttle and hit triple digits from time to time. Do a few wheelies, it almost hard not to. Young and nieve I guess...

The above has only been done with none around so I don't endanger anyone but still. Thoughts?

 

[wrightme43]

Well I would like to see a graduated lic system here in the US simular to what England has with thier testing program as well.

But this is America and we just dont do anything that makes any sense.

For example you know those crazy 500 hp Shelby GT mustangs? A guy brought one in before Christmas to have the brand new stock exhaust cut off and flowmasters installed and the tires swapped over the these crazy wheels.

Its for his daughters 16th birthday Christmas present.

She is freaking 16. It has 500 hp. Those two things just dont go together.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Just like Steve described, as long you have a driver's license, you can go drive and buy anything, including Porshe's and Ferrraris. I wish I was 17 and owned a FZ6.

 

[OZXJR]

We have a graduated system here too,used to be CC related but now is based on HP and CC .But car drivers can drive what they like.The government has only just made plans now to limit engine size in cars for probationary drivers,about time too I reckon !

 

[keira]

Well, you being 17 may not like this, but I think you should have to be 18 to get a license. Too many young drivers out being stupid, and once you're 18 you have matured a little more. sure there will still be idiots doing things they shouldn't be doing, but there will be fewer of them.

That being said, without that, I thing there should be a mandated safety course for new riders with a 650cc limit on bikes owned for the first year. And I think the mandated safety course needs to be revamped to include actual driving conditions, not just tooling around in a parking lot at 5 mph.

 

[Ghost Weim]

That being said, without that, I thing there should be a mandated safety course for new riders with a 650cc limit on bikes owned for the first year. And I think the mandated safety course needs to be revamped to include actual driving conditions, not just tooling around in a parking lot at 5 mph.

I couldn't agree more. And - my husband keps saying that every auto license holder needs to take the cycle safety course as well. That might make them a little better on the roads... Maybe...

 

[zigzagg321]

ahhh, America. lol.

 

[Gilo-FZ6]

Well I would like to see a graduated lic system here in the US simular to what England has with thier testing program as well.

another good thing about our liceince requirements is that you can also ride a bike like this with "leaner plates"..this basically means you can ride anything up to 125cc with a CBT Cert (compulsary basic training)..but another benifit is that you can go out and buy a 600cc bike and have it restricted to 33bhp (i think)

the biggset cause of motorcycle fatallity in GB are the "born agains" ..middle aged/retired men who used to own a triumph/norton etc back in the 60's-70's with no understanding of how technology/performance has advanced so they go out and buy a fireblade with no need to take refresher courses

 

[Brad]

Well, you being 17 may not like this, but I think you should have to be 18 to get a license. Too many young drivers out being stupid, and once you're 18 you have matured a little more. sure there will still be idiots doing things they shouldn't be doing, but there will be fewer of them.

That being said, without that, I thing there should be a mandated safety course for new riders with a 650cc limit on bikes owned for the first year. And I think the mandated safety course needs to be revamped to include actual driving conditions, not just tooling around in a parking lot at 5 mph.

I agree. Even tho I still do "some" stupid **** with it. Its not on a public setting. For the most part I probably should not even do that, being young I feel invincible I guess. Were the truth is at any moment I could go down and become extremely injured or you know.

But I am proud I tell my friends who ride to gear up and not dick around were people are.

 

[Brad]

Just like Steve described, as long you have a driver's license, you can go drive and buy anything, including Porshe's and Ferrraris. I wish I was 17 and owned a FZ6.

Dropped most of my money saved up to buy the bike, insurance and gear. My parents don't really approve but as long as I handle the expenses ect.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Brad, at 17 you might be our youngest forum member who owns and rides a FZ6. As you said, you try to ride responsible and always gear up and wear full gear and try not to do stuipid things. This is a very safety oriented forum, which emphasizes on safety gear head to toe. With this in mind, you can lead the way to all of our future young riders and forum members You have a lot of years ahead of ya, enjoy them.

You might want to steer your parents to this forum to ease their minds. You have already shown great maturity by joining and asking questions. You can spend all day and read previous threads that will make you a better rider, and more importanly, learn from the mistakes by other riders so that you will not do the same. Many forum members have been so kind to post up their crashes and we all have disected each scenario why and what went wrong.

One more advice, get use to using your horn!

 

[Brad]

Brad, at 17 you might be our youngest forum member who owns and rides a FZ6. As you said, you try to ride responsible and always gear up and wear full gear and try not to do stuipid things. This is a very safety oriented forum, which emphasizes on safety gear head to toe. With this in mind, you can lead the way to all of our future young riders and forum members You have a lot of years ahead of ya, enjoy them.

You might want to steer your parents to this forum to ease their minds. You have already shown great maturity by joining and asking questions. You can spend all day and read previous threads that will make you a better rider, and more importanly, learn from the mistakes by other riders so that you will not do the same. Many forum members have been so kind to post up their crashes and we all have disected each scenario why and what went wrong.

One more advice, get use to using your horn!

Thanks!, that makes me feel pretty good haha.

Only 4 thousand of my own miles clocked thus far and stuck at that for now with the snow around here

This site has been a amazing source! Had two incidents over the warm months thus far with people just pulling out in front of me. I'm not one to get mad but a few minutes after both I really got to thinking what could of been. Scared me a bit.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Thanks!, that makes me feel pretty good haha.

Only 4 thousand of my own miles clocked thus far and stuck at that for now with the snow around here

This site has been a amazing source! Had two incidents over the warm months thus far with people just pulling out in front of me. I'm not one to get mad but a few minutes after both I really got to thinking what could of been. Scared me a bit.

Since your bike is grounded due to the weather, you can use this time to catch up on all of the great threads, read up and learn. You can use the search tab above and type in varous keywords and see what comes up like "Crash" or the "Hall of Shame" threads is a great educational area, and at many times, comical.