When did you get your motorcycle license?

1992. I was 16. Dad wouldn't let me have a car for some reason, but a motorcycle was ok.

So, I rode a motorcycle in high school - sunshine, rain, or cold. I even rode home in the snow once. That was pretty freakin' awful, but other than that it was ok.

My wrestling coach HATED motorcycles. Absolutely would not let me drive to away matches, so I always had to get a ride with others on the team, which kinda sucked.

The first time dad came to see me race was Road Atlanta in 2005. When I started the bike to go out for 3rd call, he had this sick look on his face. Before I closed my helmet, I said, "You know this is your fault, right?", smiled real big, then closed the shield and went out.

 

Permit at 15, license the day I turned 16. Ran around all over the place on my Seca II.

This year marks the point at which I have spent more years as a licensed motorcyclist than not.

 

1984, I was 16

 

Y'all had to get to your wrestling match by your own car? We took the school activity bus.

 

The difficult kids were not allowed on the bus.

 

1967. I was 20.

 

Well, carpooling, etc. No buses for smaller sports in Metro-Nashville Public Schools. Football and Basketball got it, I think baseball and soccer, but other sports - wrestling, golf, swim team, etc. didn't get it. I suppose the school had to reimburse the county or something. Not sure.

Believe me, I wasn't the most difficult on that team. We were downright thugly at times.

 

you took that out of Vision Quest... didnt you ?:FL:

 

Know how I can tell you're getting old (i.e. you just had a birthday)?
You're referencing a movie that more forum members than not, older but more specifically younger, will have to Google to know what you're talking about.

 

I never got to be cool enough to ride a motorcycle to high school, but my youngest brother was a senior when I bought my first bike after college.

I helped him get his temporary permit and "taught" him to ride (he already drove a 5-speed car, so it was more like "that's the clutch. 1 down, 5 up when you shift.") and let him ride my EX500 to high school for the last few days of his senior year.

I'm a good brother. He got his own bike about 2 years later. Honestly not sure if he still has the XJ600. I know there is a 2nd gen SV650 in his garage though.

 

17 years old, a very long time ago.

 

lol... wrestler/motorcycle rider/billy badass The story could stand a modern remake. The music would be hard to beat! :up:

 

I'd been riding for quite a while before Texas decided you had to have a specific MC endorsement.

 

Ohio, 1979. Had already been riding three years but you didn't need a mc endorsement in Illinois.

 

Reading this thread is a sad reminder that motorcycle road racing is never going to be a big deal in the US. I can't imagine there's a single country in Europe where it is that easy and inexpensive to start riding. (And the only reason I'm not making a more definitive statement is that I don't know the requirements for all the EU countries.)

 

Yeah, they required a Class L 150CC or less) or M (160CC or more) endorsement in IL from sometime in the 1960's.

 

I thought , class L was less than 175 cc and class M was more than 175 cc

 

Around 1984

 

From: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/drivers_license/drlicid.html

"Class L is any motor-driven cycle with less than 150cc displacement; Class M is any motorcycle with 150cc or greater displacement."

I stand corrected.

 

Curious as to how you connect ease of getting a license and/or bike with the popularity of road racing?