What bike did you ride to get your motorcycle license ??

[Paddy4810]

Kawasaki Big Horn 350 in 1969

[rjinaz86323]

When I started riding back in the 60's you didn't need an MC endorsement. Later in life I let my MC expire so I did an MSF course to bypass all the BS of taking the test at the DMV. After taking the course (and passing it) you simply took your certificate to DMV and they added the MC endorsement to my license. In the course I had to ride a Honda 250 Rebel, which is a real pain if you are a fairly big person Especially since I was used to riding my Harley bagger.

[Quickdraw]

My first bike was a 1982 Yamaha Seca 550. Took my test on that after a month of riding. Really glad I had that bike because it was easier to handle than the cruisers I bought later on.

https://youtu.be/kbtakozNLHI

[Motorcycledave]

OH GOD, I must be OLD....
My first 2 wheeled license test was on a Cushman Motor Scooter in 1956 it even said
motor scooter only on it, my dad didn't want me to drive a car until I was at least 14.
When we moved to California from Utah I took my M1 test on my Norton Commando 850
right after getting out of the Navy in 1961, I did have a car license at the time I just needed the
motorcycle endorsement. AND by the way I had to renew my drivers license day before yesterday
I had to take the tests for cars and motorcycles. The guy at the counter asked me if I still want to
renew my motorcycle license now that I am going to be 81 in May.. I told him I still have motorcycles to ride
not just the Spyder, In California you are NOT required to have a special license to ride any 3 wheeled vehicle.
I did not have to do a riding test this time just the written test...
RIDE ON EVERYONE....

[PaladinLV]

Back in my day a MC endorsement was not a requirement if you had a Valid car license!
When I went into the service, that License remained Valid in all 50 states and overseas while I was a member of the Military.
By the time I finally needed to get an Endorsement, I was in Las Vegas and took the HD course, so no "test" was required by DMV.
Oh, the bike HD used. Sorry at my age I'm lucky to remember MY name, but it was a subsidiary of HD, small little fellow.

AJ

[Haze]

First bike was a 200CC Zundapp. Back in the mid 60s (ya I'm that old)
no MC lic required. Just paid for an MC endorsement on my drivers lic.
Took a MC driving test in CA in 1980 riding a Honda 350.

[canamjhb]

This thread has started me thinking, which is a hard and unusual thing to do! Back in the 80s when I got my endorsement from Washington State there was a tiered endorsement system based on engine cc size. The breakdown was something like 50cc to 250cc got you an M-1, 251cc to 650cc got you an M-2, and 651cc+ got you an M-3. And you had to test on the size bike you wanted the license for. Looks like the tier system is now gone. But now there are lots of places REQUIRING special 3 wheel endorsements for trikes. Here in Arizona a motorcycle endorsement is valid for any 2 or 3 wheel vehicle. So, I assume, my endorsement is valid for any place that REQUIRES a special 3 wheel endorsement on a reciprocal basis when I'm on my trike......?

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Really glad I had that bike because it was easier to handle than the cruisers I bought later on.

I had a Kawasaki 440 LTD in the late 80's. Took it to England for a year and moved to an 1100 Goldwing after we came back. Interestingly, the larger GW was a lot more stable on gravel roads than was the 440!

[Baron14y]

An RTL.

[gr8Frank]

My new 1964 Yamaha 55cc.

[askitee]

new 1981 model Suzuki ER185 so many enjoyable hours. I recall doing things like riding 120km to the nearest city just to have a Kentucky Fried Chicken Chocolate mousse because I could

Only regret - not buying 20'000 Litres of petrol at the price it was then 38c/L

[ImaCaMan]

'74 Yamaha 200cc

[BCNewell]

In 1990. Bought a used ‘86 Yamaha VMX12 ‘Vmax’ from a friend for cheap - as partial payment for me putting him up in my home for a few months. Was my first street bike. Biggest bike I had owned previous was a Yamaha YZ250, and had ridden a Kawasaki 440LTD about 6 miles once. Anyway, riding test on the VMax was fun ... DMV fellow behind me, in his car, signaling where he wanted me to turn. About 10min of riding through a residential neighborhood and all was good. Had to keep reminding myself to REALLY take it easy on the speed ... tough thing for a 26 year old with a 140hp scooter to do !!!

[safecracker]

I got my endorsement in 77. I rode a 1975 Honda XL250. Passed on my first try... Bruce

[CloverHillCrawler]

Honda XL125

[RiderDuke]

My First bike was a 1982 Honda CB750SC Nighthawk with a 749 cc four-cylinder air-cooled engine. I took my test in Virginia and passed the first time... I was hooked on Riding

[Gwolf]

I posted that I never took a motorcycle test on page one of this thread. That is not entirety true. I am gonna come clean on it now

In 1970 I bought a 350 Honda on the island of Taiwan. Had it customized by a local bike shop. I was "officially" a guest on a Chinese Air Force Base (CCK) and did not need a special license to ride it on base.

I was required to ride it 3 laps around the motorcycle scrambles track on the American side of the base before they would issue me a Chinese Driver's License to ride it on the civilian roads of Taiwan. Also had to take a written test to identify about 15 or 20 International Highway Signs. Neither one was any problem. They didn't have the mud holes flooded on the scrambles track. The Sgt. that gave the test just stood on top of one of the mounds on the track and watched. Still got the license and it is still valid unless they have changed the law there. The Taiwan license was good for life.

[Willard Weaver]

My first motorcycle test in New York state was on a Bridgestone 90. A written test, and a moderate course test had to be completed.
When I moved to Ohio in1974 I changed over my Driver's license to Ohio, but refused the MC stamp. Eight years later I had to take both a written exam and a Course test, which was fairly involved. I did this on A Honda GL 500 Silverwing. I only had one gaff, and the officer complimented me on my abilities. He asked me if that was the MC I was going to ride, and I replied that it was. He said so many younger people came in on borrowed machines of smaller displacement, barely got their license, then often wrecked a "crotch rocket" of much larger displacement. Sometimes they were severely hurt or killed.

[redrazor]

Just needed my DMV "Learner's permit" (at age 15 1/2 here in California. Brand new 1962 Italian 75cc Capriolo.

[vito1943]

For new riders, consider taking the Basic Riders course offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which is certainly a worthwhile thing to do. Not only will you learn the basics of riding, but in many states, including WI and IL, both of which where I taught that course for years, passing the course gets you your license without any further testing.

Here in IL I was required to take the State riding test to renew my license back in 2021 since I was over 75 years old. The car driving test was a cinch, but the motorcycle test that the State uses is on a tiny little marked course behind the Motor Vehicle office. The only bike I owned at the time was a Honda Goldwing, and despite all my years of riding, and about 5 years of riding a Goldwing, I could not successfully make the tight u-turn that was required, and I dropped the bike. That was just before switching to a Spyder. I then re-took the test on the Spyder, which was a joke it was so easy, but that limited my "motorcycle" license to 3 wheel vehicles. Then, at age 78, I signed up for the basic rider's class, the same one that I taught for 10 years. I used a Honda Rebel 250 and passed the class easily, securing my full motorcycle endorsement (in case I decide to buy another 2 wheeler).

[jnt]

Age 14 (Ohio) - 54 Whizzer/Schwin; (Minnesota) - Honda CB360

[carbonation]

I took my test at 17 on a Honda CB100.
I've never had to test again in 46 years.

[Northofthesix]

Here in Ontario, Canada, we have a graduated licence system for both cars and motorcycles. A written rule of the road test gets you an M1... you have 90 days to practice (only daylight, no freeways) before taking your first road test which gets you an M2 if you pass. You have up to 5 years to take the second road test for your full M, and if you don't, you have to start all over again. If you take either of your road tests on a 3 wheel cycle, there is a special endorsement that restricts you to only 3 wheels. Similar restriction is in place if you take the test on a small displacement (I think under 200cc) cycle.

I never rode a motorcycle growing up; my brother had an accident on one when I was quite young so they always intimidated me. When I was turning 50 (nearly 68 now) I thought "If not now, when?". Got my M1 and after riding a 50cc moped for a bit, went out and bought a Honda 750 new out of the crate and rode it home. Scared me silly, but kept practicing and I rode it to get my M2. For my full M test, I had moved up to a Harley Dyna .... loved that bike!! Then after moving to a Yamaha Venture, the weight of which nearly killed me a couple of times, I bought my 2018 RTL which I am certain will be my last motorcycle... because I love it! Runs great, and I am too cheap to buy a new one!

[mtk130]

I rode an KYMCO Venox 250cc Yellow Banana color bike through the MSF. The manufacture Kwang Yang Motor Company is Taiwanese and is in business for mainly scooters. The one and only V-twin bike was produced for several years in the mid to late 2000s but is no longer a production model.

[GRHorst]

My first bike was a Honda 100cc . But I lived in Kansas where, at that time, you didn't need a special motorcycle endorsement. Later in Ohio, I took the test on a Honda 450 with no problem since I had been riding for a few years. Of course, being in my early 20's it was probably easier than if I took it today.