[Quickdraw]

You may want to take advantage of this!

As of June 1st 2004 you will not legally be able to ride a motorcycle equipped with a side car or trike conversion without the proper endorsement on your drivers license. After June 1st, you will either have to take a Trike/Sidecar Class or take the written/riding tests at DOL (how hard could that be?). I have no idea who done it or why, but if you go to your local DOL office before June 1st and ask for the endorsement upgrade, it will be given to you at N/C ie FREE. I just heard about this last weekend, so I ran down and got mine today. I only had to do a vision test and smile for the camera. I may never have to ride a trike/sidecar, but I sure want the option!

 

[Jim Mathis]

I wonder how long it will be before this spreads to other states. Hummm :? ...Interesting.

 

[Jeff in Ferndale WA]

Copied from WA DOL web page

Passage of the Monty Lish Memorial Act - Senate Bill 5229 - mandates that the Department of Licensing provide a separate skills education program for riders of motorcycles with sidecar and trikes. In addition, the bill requires endorsement testing and driver license endorsement that is specifically designed for riders of motorcycles with sidecar, and trikes. The bill has an effective date of January 1, 2004 and the department has begun its work to implement the bill.

When the bill takes effect license endorsement codes will identify riders of two-wheel motorcycles, riders of three-wheel motorcycles, and riders of both two- and three-wheel motorcycles. First time three-wheel motorcycle riders may complete an approved skills education course or pass the department's rider knowledge and off-street skills tests. A $5 application fee and a $20 license endorsement fee will be required.

Current three-wheel riders are also required to obtain a license with a new endorsement code. From January 1, 2004 through June 30, 2004, three wheel riders with an existing motorcycle endorsement or "R" for three wheelers will be required to go to their nearest licensing office and exchange their current drivers license and codes for a new license with the new codes. If you are already endorsed the exchange will not require a fee or testing. If you do not currently possess an endorsement, or if you wait until after July 1, 2004 you will be required to take both the written and riding tests to obtain your new endorsement.

Additional information and an FAQ about the implementation of the bill will be published on the department's Internet website in the near future. We encourage trike and motorcycle with sidecar riders, and other people interested in three-wheel motorcycle rider training and testing, to check back for the FAQ at www.dol.wa.gov.

 

[rgray]

The riders in your state need to organize and bring heat on your local legislature. Your persistants and ability to bring all the facts to bear will be play a major outcome in your success.

 

[Lucky Phil]

I've never ridden a bike with a sidecar, and have ridden only one trike; a 47 or 48 HD police bike that was stripped down. I didn't care for the way it 'drove', but it was an old beater POS. I don't know how the new ones are, probably a thousand times better. Being that I have no experience, I can't say one way or the other; I'll leave that to the people that do.

The purpose of my post is that maybe we should get some laws passed that make potential lawmakers take some tests to see if they qualify to be lawmakers. My own opinion is that they all go into the 'business' just to take care of themselves, and not their constituents. I don't believe that these positions were meant to be lifetime careers. :evil:

 

[Mick]

Quickdraw & Jeff,after June 30 you will have to take an approved safety course ,cost 100$, so it will cost you around 120$ for your trike ,sidecar endorsement.You will want to go in to a DOL office and tell them you want to change your endorsement to a 7. That will cover both sidecar and trike,as well as your m/c. Some of the DOL office personale are a little bit confused about the whole process, and might try to charge you a 10$ fee because you are making a change on your license. There is a letter from DOL stateing that the endorsement will be at no cost to you. It is not a bad idea to get your endorsement changed, you never know what the future will bring, you might need to help someone move there trike or sidecar for what ever reason. Or you could decide you want a trike, or sidecar someday youself.
**** :yw1:

 

[Orange Bandit]

You Washington guys need to shoot that Legislative dude before he spreads to other states. Talk about another stupid law. :idea:

 

[CAWing]

Damm, that really surprises me. I would have thought that Calif. would have come up with such nonsense.

 

[Paul Long]

Sounds like another money grab to me. There are fewer motorcycle riders than car drivers, so a bill like this is easy to pass and an easy way to generate more money for the state without "raising" taxes.

If this is for "safety" reasons, then when will they change the law to require separate endorsements for car vs pickup drivers? Or small cars vs large ones? Or sport cars vs family sedans? Pickup vs SUV? They all handle very differently, so why are they not being targeted?

 

[ron]

I agree , its a money grab.... Washington lost a tremendous revenue source when a state prop # 695 passed a few years ago... A car that had been paying $500 or $ 600 for registration now only had to pay a flat $30..Obviously the State has been scramblig to make up these lost revenues...The Governor(Democrat) stated Friday that he wants another sales tax increase.... Washington is already one of, if not the leader in taxes....Its a beautiful State with great people but You pay through the nose to live here..... Sorry for venting....
Ron,
Spokane

 

[ron]

Sorry to post again on the same subject... I forgot to mention that Washington has no State income tax...In fairness, that should be pointed out......When that is taken into account it probably all evens out......
Ron,
Spokane

 

[Jerry Roebke]

If you want the full scoop on what happened in WA go to the SCT site and ask.

It seems that they are the only state set up in such a way that the MC riders fees help pay for the required training and the 3 wheel crowd was just equalizing out the funding method.
It is more involved than I can remember but one ot the originators of the legislation is over on the SCT site and can answer all your questions.

Jerry

 

[Jim Mathis]

Just wondering....How ofter do you have to renew your license is Washington. In Arizona our operators license, endorsments and all, are good for 25 years. (CDL's not included) I hope they send me a reminder in 20 years when it's time for me to renew mine. I think I might forget about it by then.

If Arizona did something like that here, we wouldn't have to pay for it again for a long, long time. That wouldn't be too hard to swallow I guess.

 

[Jerry Roebke]

PS the SCT site (ISOK) is at

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/SCT/

 

[Quickdraw]

Jeff in Ferndale WA wrote: Passage of the Monty Lish Memorial Act - Senate Bill 5229 - mandates. . . . . .

Big Thanks for posting the additional info Jeff! I hadn't heard a thing about it.

**** wrote: Quickdraw & Jeff,after June 30 you will have to take an approved safety course ,cost 100$, so it will cost you around 120$ for your trike ,sidecar endorsement.

You will not HAVE to take a class, but you will have to take a written and riding test at DOL. The class is an optional way to get an endorsement as it is with 2 wheelers now.

Jerry Roebke wrote: It seems that they are the only state set up in such a way that the MC riders fees help pay for the required training and the 3 wheel crowd was just equalizing out the funding method.

Yes, every penny of Washington's M/C endorsements is supposed to go into the M/C Safety Fund to train new riders. A subsidized class now costs $100, but a non-subsidized one will set you back $250. It really is a pretty good deal and Washington's Motorcyclists have worked hard to preserve the funding as it stands. Government tried to pull the money into the General Fund a few years ago and lost!

It could have all stemmed from some trike riders (some disabled) -- I suppose Monty Lish could have been a friend of thiers, I haven't kept track of the issue -- attending M/C Safety Council meetings and asking, "Why isn't there a state subsidized 3 wheel course". At that time there where NO 3 wheel courses available except for the one written by David Hough. That group made a really big stink with the state coordinator, who said, "show me an MSF approvable class and I'll do something about it". A few years later, Dave Wendell, Evergreen Safety Council, Seattle, developed such a course. It, however, is non-subsidized. I suppose trike and side-car riders who want subsidized training deserve the same treatment as us two wheelers get. Seems fair enough.

I wasn't complaining when I started this thread. I just found out about it and wanted y'all to know about it too.

 

[Paul H]

Jim,

They're good for five years and currently you pay $50.00 for the license and M/C endorsement.

What a bargain, huh?

Paul H.

 

[Lucky Phil]

In IL., you pay $38/year for MC license plate. MC DL is an addition to your auto DL, and doesn't cost extra, just 10 extra questions, renewable about every 5 yrs. (I think).