Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

Wait there is a different license for those things??? That's so odd!

 

It is different state to state. Like, I'm pretty sure you can get a 3 wheel only endorsement for the Spyder/Ryker here in WA. Like, you don't even need a regular 2w endorsement. They make it complicated. Like I can't remember if a 2w is required for the side-car endorsement... but I'm also pretty sure the 3 wheel endorsement somehow covers Spyder and Ryker, lol. Stupid Washington, lol.

 

Huh that's wild never would have thought about that.

 

I sometimes wonder how I survived riding dirt. I think it's like how my parents never wore bicycle helmets growing up. I wore a helmet and riding boots on my ATV or when riding my sister's dirtbikes, but I seldom wore anything with more protection than a hoodie or blue jeans. Now I want it all. Hi-Viz, quality helmet, rated jacket/pants with armor, air-bag, boots, gloves... Maybe cause a car wasn't going to dart out in front of my on a 4 foot wide trail or on the MX track?

 

to make it more complicated... you need a helmet in a slingshot in washington, but not a motorcycle endorsement.

 

I thought those things had windshields? What do you need if riding around in a Wrangler with the top of and windshield folded on the hood?

 

exactly. It's weird.

I will say the "windshield" on it was probably about as effective as the windscreen on my CB500X. A full face helmet probably would have been preferred when we rented the one in Vegas.

 

Wait what lmao this just gets even more odd!

 

My experience seems to be a one off compared to everyone else I know, but I had a quadlock which was supposed to be pretty safe/solid for phone mounts. Worked well for a year. Got out for a ride one day last summer, I even went through and tightened things up in the mount to be safe. Whole mount worked out of the fork stem and the mount and phone decided to emancipate themselves from my bike on the freeway. Never could find either. Up until that point though, it worked great on my iPhone. had the vibration dampener so no camera damage.

Now I just keep it in my pocket and if I need directions I turn on the audio to play through my cardo.

 

man all these pics of you guys out are making me jealous lol. This license restriction is starting to get to me, especially with the great weather we've been having on weekends. I still can ride to/from work so that's holding me over for the moment...only 31 days left...

In other news...anyone ever ridden during an earthquake? lol. We just had one this morning about 30 miles away, 5.2 on the scale. Normally I never notice it, but I came into work late today and it happened right as I was pulling into the parking lot. very interesting feeling. Luckily it was very brief, only about 5-10 secs.

 

When I got my 2wd endorsement, the instructor said something along the lines of trikes having such different steering and leaning inputs required, that everything they teach for 2wd would get you killed in a three wheeler, so that's why they do the separate class, to make sure you can ride the thing without flipping it.

From a 2017 advrider post (https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/washington-state-three-wheel-endorsement-testing.1258968/):

"After getting my DL650 hacked by DMC I decided to get my endorsement. I found out that there are two ways, to take the 3 wheel course or take the written and riding test without the taking the class. The state no longer administers the tests.

Getting the required information on the material was a bit difficult, since the Department of Licensing web site is not the best. For the written test, the guys at Pacific Northwest Motorcycle Safety, the ones who do the training and testing in our are, Seattle, King and Kitsap Counties were very helpful.

They recommended I download and study the three wheeled riding book from the DOL web site. I did so and got a 96 on the written test. Knowing what would be on the riding test was more of a challenge since there is surprisingly nothing on the DOL site that outlines on we will be tested. In my opinion the DOL should state exactly what the criteria should. I finally sent a note to the school and got an informative response. My concern was that I'd have to fly the car and several riding friends told me I would, since it is done in the course. Drone gave me some good advice to include suggesting I do this post.

The riders test is four part.

1. This is a series of 90 degree turns around cones, a left turn followed by a right and then a 45 degree turn. This is a timed test. The rider can fly the car if desired in the turns but I chose not to, keeping about 40 pounds of ballast in the trunk of my car.
2. The second part follows right out of completion of the timed 90 deg turns and is not timed. It is a sweeping left turn coming out of the cones. Coming to a stop in a green box. Stopping in the box is to test if you know where your front wheel is. It is immediately followed by a reverse of the same course, a sweeping right turn.
3. Swerve. The rider starts from a point about 30-40 yards from two cones with a series of cone block just beyond the swerve point. This is timed. The rider must approach the two cones at about 18-20 mph (as I recall) and when reaching the line between the conses, immediately swerve right and then left, maintaining control of the rig. If you anticipate the swerve, points are taken off. I lost a couple of points on this because I might have anticipated the arrival/start of swerve point.
4. Braking. From a bit longer distance the rider approaches two cones, like #3, about 15 feet apart. When you reach the line between the cone you are to brake hard and straight, coming to a complete stop. I lost seven points on this one, not realizing that there was a measured distance. I came to a complete stop about 14 feet beyond the line and apparently I should have been able to do it in 11. I had no control over this at all since I hit the binders hard, front and rear/sidecar brakes.
That's just the way my rig brakes. It's just like autos with some can do shorter stopping distances than others. DL650 brakes to me are marginal at best. I didn't realize there was a mandated stopping distance and they don't tell the rider. They are not allowed to apparently which is why I think DOL should have to include something on their web site such as course, required skill demonstrating and testing criteria etc.

One last, the guys at PNW Safety are really a great bunch and we chatted quite a bit after the test. I barely passed but could have done better had I known some of the criteria such as the time required for the first event. I went through at what I thought was a good clip, and could have gone through faster had I wanted to. Oh well. At least I have my endorsement.

Cost for the written test was $35 and the riding $50. The 90 three wheel riding permit was $15 as I recall. My bill for the endorsement at the DOL was $37 which included the fee for early license renewal of my license."


But also obligatory rant that brett tkacs is a piece of shit and lobbied hard for motorcycle licensing WA state to get more difficult and more expensive so that he could charge more for his classes while essentially privatizing the whole thing.

 

you still got the yz! take it out for a rip!

that makes sense that it would be vastly different i remember riding the old honda 3 wheeler a friend had and man it was waaaay different from my atv and dirtbikes i use to ride as a kid! idk if id want to ride one on the street thou haha sounds lame!

 

I don't anymore :'( sold it for that Kendon trailer back in January lol or else I'd be taking it out every weekend.

 

well shit! time to buy another one!

 

hahaha don't tempt me. I've been considering buying a street legal dual sport. but i gotta get my R3 race ready first.

 

When I rode on the dirt as a kid I only had a helmet. There were a couple times I went 2-3 feet on my head after wrecking. It was a good thing my parents made me wear a helmet. A helmet has been my only great on dirt bikes until I recently got some boots too. ATV? Those didn't exist when I was a kid. It wasn't until high school that the the wheelers came out. My grandpa got a couple to use on the farm. It really pissed him off when I discovered that those balloon tires on floated on top of the snow. My cousins followed my lead and we had a blast in the snow on those. I'm sure he was glad I lived 440 miles away and could only corrupt my cousins a couple times a year. I mover wow a helmet on a bicycle until I was in my 20's and got my first mountain bike. It's probably a got thing I got one for that too. I've been riding motorcycles since '75 and bikes a little longer than that. With all the times that I've stopped out on them I got just some scrapes and bruises. Walking in my garage on a dry floor a couple weeks ago I slipped and fell breaking my knee cap. Maybe I need great for walking around the house. Maybe a bubble wrap suit.

 

The attached is what we used to practice the riding portion of the Permit Test. It actually has all the measurements and such. We chalked it out to help Nicole practice.

It also has 3w testing setups. Was pretty cool to find this. Someone on Reddit linked it.

 

I've thought about getting a motorcycle with a side car before so my dog can come with me.

 

I've always wanted to do this. Recently I've been seeing some people who built sidecars onto their e bikes and it's very tempting.

 

The level of detail in that is pretty astounding. Good find.