Curiosity question.......

[Radthorne]

I find this link interesting. I clicked it to check Washington State. Now I DO NOT KNOW if the law has changed recently, I tried looking it up but got nowhere. When I bought my 08' new a 3 wheel motorcycle license was req..2 wheel not good enuff. I got pulled over many times that 1st year..for various reasons (Never gotten a ticket yet..knock on wood). Mostly just to check what the hell the bike was and if it was legal to be on the road..then all the normal questions we all get. Bike was too new cops didnt know a thing about it. about a year after buying the bike a friend pulled me over...man I love small towns, cause he knew I had the bike and knew I only had a 2 wheel license. He researched the laws and pulled me over to tell me to go take the 3 wheel test. After taking the 3 wheel test I started meeting other Washington State Riders and they all told me the same thing..3 wheel endorsment req for WA State. I dont know if the law has changed..I cant find anything online, next time im in Colville ill swing by the cop shop and ask. but what this link is tellin you may not be correct.

In WA state, there are separate endorsements for two and three wheelers (the latter including regular trikes and side cars, as well as us Spyder folks). You do not need a two wheel endorsement if you're only going to ride three wheelers. But you can't ride a three wheeler without the three wheeler endorsement. Much of the written test material is the same between the two, with just the three wheeler differences (tipping points and the like, which don't really apply to the Spyder) being the main ones.

My wife and I took the written test at the DOL and are riding on our permits now, and have signed up for a trike safety class from the Pacific Northwest Motorcycle Safety group at the end of this month, which is a two-day course (includes both written and driving bits). If you pass the driving test with them, you get a waiver and do not need to re-take the driving test with the DOL; you can go straight to your permanent trike endorsement. The folks running the PNW course knew about Spyders, and considered them the safest trikes out there. Looking forward to the course and learning some stuff!

 

[daveinva]

Virginia does not differentiate between 2 or 3 wheels.

Should you pass your motorcycle test on 3 wheels, you are also qualified to ride 2 wheels, regardless of whether you can remain vertical or not.

That may change in the future, but for now, the M endorsement on the Virginia driver's license gets you a seat on either 2 or 3 wheels.

Yup, I was told at the VA DMV that they expect the law to change within the next few years, as a direct result of the popularity of the Spyder.

Still, nice to be grandfathered in! (I knew how to ride two wheels before I got my license via my trike class, just never got the license before... now I never have to stress about doing that test).

 

[Dtryke]

Passed!

Yup, I was told at the VA DMV that they expect the law to change within the next few years, as a direct result of the popularity of the Spyder.

Still, nice to be grandfathered in! (I knew how to ride two wheels before I got my license via my trike class, just never got the license before... now I never have to stress about doing that test).

Very little similarity. If you test on three wheels, Do Not try two wheels without instruction, regardless of what your license says!!

 

[KipDM]

i plan on taking an MSF course, hopefully in September. my stepbrohter has been riding bikes his whole life and he said he learned a lot in the class, that sold me. even though i will be taking the class on my Spyder i am taking it for the safety updates and also you get an insurance discount for taking the class...assuming you pass (considering how little sleep i will have before the long ride days it is a concern. i work nights, the classes start 4 hours after i go to sleep)

for anyone else who has not read every post:

BRP/CanAm also has a lot of into about which license you need in your state as well as if you can use the Spyder for the test or not.

 

[ThreeWheels]

http://en-us.spyder.brp.com/showroom/license-requirements.aspx Just select the state and it tells you the requirements.

Interesting, I'm not sure how accurate that site is.
I looked up CT. CT does not differentiate between two and three wheel licenses.
You need a two wheel MC endorsement for either, but the site says the skills test CANNOT be waived, and that's not correct.
You can take a Basic Rider Course from MSF or any other certified organization and then you get a waiver.

 

[daveinva]

Very little similarity. If you test on three wheels, Do Not try two wheels without instruction, regardless of what your license says!!

Oh, agreed, 100%... but you missed the part where I already know how to ride a motorcycle, only now I'm actually legally licensed to do so. :doorag:

Then again, even I know, if I were to ever get a bike (in addition to my Spyder, not in replacement of it), I'd still take the MSF just for the good help it provides (and to shake out the trike habits). Refresher training, like parking-lot practice, NEVER hurts, no matter how many miles you have.