I find it funny that many on this board talk about testing older people in cages more often to see if they are fit to drive but now for many of you there is no need to take the test...I have been riding for years!!! I live in Texas and I think its about time...Taking the MSF didnt make me a good rider but it make me more aware of other around me and showed I took my riding seriously. I made a commitment to take the course so I could get my license. These things are dangerous, nobody will argue with that, there needs to be more of a commitment then just shelling out 5K for a used crotch rocket when you are 18 years old. This is a big reason we see so many dead kids on the road, they NEED to be trained on some awareness and responsibility...This is a beginning...

 

To be honest, taking the riders course is easier than trying to get a license without taking it since, according to their rules, that requires 2 people to come down there so that one person can drive the DPS guy behind you while you ride. I have the feeling that the reason Texas decided to do this is to save on the cost of a DPS employee doing that. I believe the do that with teenagers getting a car (e.g. they have to take the drivers course), so doing it for getting a motorcycle endorsement doesn't seem that bad.

As for confiscating the vehicle, I imagine that they can already do that if someone is driving a car without a license. I'm torn on this one. I have giving them one more thing they can collect fines on, but at the same time it's probably a good idea for someone to have had some lessons before riding a motorcycle.

 

For the Oldairboater,........A wise man once told me," Free men have rights, Slaves have privileges"!.......... Just saying.

 

Personally, I've never considered operating a vehicle without a valid DL endorsement for that class of vehicle and a valid insurance policy with plenty of insurance against stuff I might do wrong.

One word. Liability.

Knock wood - I've never been involved in an accident that's been my fault.

But slim as the chances are that it might happen, every time I get on the bike or behind the wheel of a cage, there is a greater than zero chance that I'm going to damage someone's property and / or put myself in the hospital. Or worse yet, put someone else in the hospital because I did something wrong.

It's unlikely (very unlikely), but that's what insurance is for.

I can imagine my insurance company walking away from the situation and leaving me to pay for my own rehabilitation or let me get sued by someone else. "qwest did not have a valid motorcycle endorsement. He was not in compliance with insurance requirements. Claim for injury and civil liability denied."

I picture everything I've earned and accumulated to date being seized and auctioned off and most of my future earnings going toward settling a series of lawsuits. Because I screwed up and I wasn't in compliance with the terms of my insurance policy.

Paperwork exercise or not, riding without my paperwork in order isn't an option for me. For those who do ride without appropriate endorsements or insurance, you all have a different threshold of acceptable risk than I do.

Question - will your insurance company still cover you for liability associated with damage or injury you might cause if you don't have a motorcycle endorsement on your license? And isn't that a bigger issue than maybe getting your ride impounded?