Total Motorcycle Community Forums

ok heres my dilemma, i have a learners permit for my bike (ab, can) which means i can ride whenever i want as long as there is someone with a valid motorcycle license either on as a passenger on riding behind me, but everyone i know with a mc license are out of town. i really want to go riding, so does anyone know what the consequences are if i got stopped, and also do you guys find you get stopped more on a bike rather than in a vehicle?

Someone I know commuted on their learners without "escort" for about 4 months. Folks do it all the time... but you need to realize you're playing the odds. You might want to look into what the consequences of getting caught are before you proceed.

P

I don't know about Alberta, but here in BC...if you get caught....the police can take away your learner's permit.....also better check with your insurance company.....there is a possibility you may not be covered if anything happens. Your coverage may be null and void if you are not properly licensed to ride solo.

You would be better off to find something else to do in the meantime.

When do you get to take your skills test?

well i have to schedule about 2 weeks in advance to do the rode test and by that time snow will probably be flying around here, so it may have to wait till next riding season

Skills test and road test are 2 different things. Have you done your skills test?

Check with your DMV...here in BC, once you pass your skills test, you can ride solo (no supervisor)just not after dark and no passengers.

Give them a phone call in the morning.

I had a ninja 250 and rode that around for 5-6 months without an escort or anything.

A lot of motorcyclists don't even have licenses or permits.

Lion_Lady wrote:Someone I know commuted on their learners without "escort" for about 4 months. Folks do it all the time... but you need to realize you're playing the odds. You might want to look into what the consequences of getting caught are before you proceed.

P

You mean in Maryland you have to be "escorted" if you're on a learner's permit?

Pennsylvania is different. Requiring an escort would have been a huge hindrance to me in learning to ride. I have a bit under 3000 miles in three months but if I had to impose on a friend or neighbor every time I rode, I probably would only have a few hundred and would have focused solely on being able to pass the test as quickly as possible rather than developing a rounded set of skills.

I guess I can see the escort requirement if you're under 21 or don't have a regular license. I wonder if there is a difference in the motorcycle accident rate from places that require an escort while learning and those that don't.

RockBottom wrote:You mean in Maryland you have to be "escorted" if you're on a learner's permit?

New Jersey's got the same rule. It's got to be one of the most frequently flouted motor vehicle regulations, though.

jstark47 wrote:

RockBottom wrote:You mean in Maryland you have to be "escorted" if you're on a learner's permit?

New Jersey's got the same rule. It's got to be one of the most frequently flouted motor vehicle regulations, though.

Geez. I think that would be downright dangerous. During those first few weeks when I was practicing stops and starts in my neighborhood, riding around cones in parking lots, and doing 5 mile loops on country roads, my friends were encouraging me to go on long road rides with them. I resisted but had I been required to have an escort, I probably would have done it just to get some seat time, even though I wasn't really ready for it. My buddies would have been unlikely to sit there while I practiced.

And unlike a car, the escort can't provide immediate feedback if you're screwing up anyway. I think this makes sense for new riders under 21, but not as a general policy for everyone.

Where does being 21 come into play? That seems like a rather arbitrary age to choose. I'm only 20 and bought my bike when I was 19 and I've never had any problems learning to ride by myself after my brother took me around for about half an hour in a parking lot to get me started. If I had to ride with an escort I'd be totally sunk. At college most of my friends don't even have cars on campus, and nobody else has a bike (yet). I'm not flipping out here it just always offends and bothers me when people assume that since I'm younger than them I'm not as responsible. And it's easy for someone to throw out a random age like 21 when you're already older than that. I've really enjoyed my riding the past couple of years and I look to enjoy many more years of responsible motorcycling. If you made anyone under 21 have an escort you would reduce the number of accidents, but you could reduce the number even further if you made everyone under the age of 50 have an escort. We as a society accept 16 (in many states) as an acceptable age to begin driving/riding, and this is a good thing as it gives teens a time to learn while still under parental supervision. Before you're 18 your parents control your license and your car. The people on the road that worry me more are actually the very old drivers who can't see or react at all (and all seem to drive Cadillac boats). But we shouldn't put an age cap on when you can drive. It should all be based on ability.