motorcycle laws changing in Utah

So far this year there have been 17 motorcycle fatalities in Utah. I noticed this article about some new laws comming:

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3611617

Motorcycles have been making the headlines a lot lately. One of the latest motorcycle headlines was about a couple drunk idiots on bullet bikes going through a neighborhood at 70 MPH, wrecked and hurt some small kids :(" title="" border="0"/> http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=3597658

[dantama]

That's too bad about the dorks crashing into a group of people hanging out in the front yard. Dumb kids.

The link about only riding a bike as big or smaller than the one you test on, I'm not too sure about. You could test on a 600cc mega powerful sport bike, but then couldn't ride a Vulcan 800. Don't know that this one was thought out by a riding law maker.

[cactusjack]

People are always going to do stupid things or make poor choices and injure or kill themselves. Like the man says: "you can't fix stupid". I couldn't agree more.

What the state should do if they want to save lives is mandate completion of the MSF Basic Rider Course, and increase motorcycle awareness among motorists. The law restricting a rider to a bike of the same displacement or less than he/she tested on is not the right approach. I don't think it's the size of the bike, it's the experience and training of the rider. I could kill myself just as easily on a 650 as I could on my Nomad.

I read about that accident with the 2 sportbikes in Herriman. Tragic. Racing, speeding, liquored up and riding without an endorsement and probably without insurance. Lock those idiots up and crush their bikes. They are obviously not responsible enough to handle them.

Originally Posted by Dan Lund

...Don't know that this one was thought out by a riding law maker.

Doubtless they have no understanding of motorcycles. The thing is, if you tried to apply the same law to cars, people would go nuts. I think I'd be screaming goose/gander if I lived in Utah.

[macmac]

Just like gun law... The people who make it, haven't a clue... More people fall in the bath and die each year than just about any other way..

With this thinking pretty soon we will have helmet laws for in the tub, and air bags too...

What we need less of is old windbags making new law, when the laws we have are more than enough and so many as can't even be enforced.

The idea of when all else fails make a new law never works..

[bobzinger]

In Utah as of July "Another change for everyone: You can only drive a motorcycle or scooter with an engine as big as, or smaller than, the one you took your test on at the Division of Motor Vehicles."

So does that mean if you upgrade to a bigger bike you have to retake the test?

You can buy a motorcycle here without even having a motorcycle license! That's Crazy!

Crazy....but what's the alternative? I guess if they made you take the motorcycle course and get your license then buy one? or learn on a friends bike? or rent one (without a license?)

I'M SO CONFUSED!!!

[Top Cat]

Here in NYS they have 250 cc bikes in the MSF course I believe. If you pass your good to ride any bike you want.
If you don't take the course and pass the DMV test you are good to ride any bike also. But if you take your test on a trike, you can only ride a trike, no two wheel bikes.

[flavor]

If when you get a drivers license for a car in a subcompact does that mean that you also can only drive a sub-compact? It doesn't make sense to me.......

One has to be responsible his own actions and accept the ramifications.

I'm tired of being given rules made by lawmakers that are made for all, because of the few bad actions by the minority.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by macmac

Just like gun law... The people who make it, haven't a clue... More people fall in the bath and die each year than just about any other way..

With this thinking pretty soon we will have helmet laws for in the tub, and air bags too...

What we need less of is old windbags making new law, when the laws we have are more than enough and so many as can't even be enforced.

The idea of when all else fails make a new law never works..

Just like the liquor laws in Utah - they are made by people who have a moral opposition to consuming alcohol.

Last night my son and I were in BLANDing Utah. We went to a cafe for dinner and there was no beer on the beverage menu. Earlier, as we rode through town, we didn't see a bar or tavern anywhere. After we ate, we went across the street to a grocery store - no beer. As we were walking out, the manager said "hey, you to fellas are leaving here with empty hands." I said "where's your cold beer"? He said "at my house". He directed us to a convenience store 3 miles outside the city limits where we were able to purchase a six pack. BLANDing is an appropriate name, it's a dry town.

Originally Posted by cactusjack

...Just like the liquor laws in Utah - they are made by people who have a moral opposition to consuming alcohol.....

But of course they still somehow force themselves to not only sell alcohol, but monopolize the sale of alcohol for themselves.

::) ::) ::)

I guess since I got my license on a 1500cc bike I'll have to go around Utah on my 1600cc Nomad. There are things we can do as a a group to get lawmakers attention. Anything that gets the attention of the chamber of commerce or dept of tourism usually gets action.

Really motorcyclists are pretty much a non-entity to politicians. There just aren't enough of us to make them anxious about what we might do.

We are only useful to them as a whipping boy, because the general public is frightened of motorcycles and motorcyclists (and basically their own shadow when it comes right down to it.) They can fear-monger the voters into focusing on our foibles and ignoring those of the elected officials.

[Idaho]

Originally Posted by bobzinger

In Utah as of July "Another change for everyone: You can only drive a motorcycle or scooter with an engine as big as, or smaller than, the one you took your test on at the Division of Motor Vehicles."

So does that mean if you upgrade to a bigger bike you have to retake the test?

You can buy a motorcycle here without even having a motorcycle license! That's Crazy!

If Utah does this then they are unfairly discriminating against Utah MC operators unless they stop all of us at the border and check our credentials. Not sure how they will do that. little room, single chair, hot light bulb. Don't think there is a national database that lists the size of the bikes that we were licensed on. Some of these "lawmakers" just need recalled.

Common sense has died and we should be in mourning. Let us pray..............

[VulcanE]

[quote=Idaho (High Plains Drifter)]

Originally Posted by "bobzinger ":ydlncg15

In Utah as of July "Another change for everyone: You can only drive a motorcycle or scooter with an engine as big as, or smaller than, the one you took your test on at the Division of Motor Vehicles."

So does that mean if you upgrade to a bigger bike you have to retake the test?

You can buy a motorcycle here without even having a motorcycle license! That's Crazy!

If Utah does this then they are unfairly discriminating against Utah MC operators unless they stop all of us at the border and check our credentials. Not sure how they will do that. little room, single chair, hot light bulb. Don't think there is a national database that lists the size of the bikes that we were licensed on. Some of these "lawmakers" just need recalled.

Common sense has died and we should be in mourning. Let us pray..............[/quote:ydlncg15]


AMEN