- This topic has 4 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 10 months ago by zeppelinfromled.
A few different questions
-
AuthorPosts
-
June 23, 2009 at 3:51 am #3048PraxisParticipant
So I’m 17, want to get a bike for general commuting, and because I’ve always wanted one. I’ll be going to college in Michigan and I’m wondering for how much of the year will I be able to use the bike? I mean winter is my favorite season, and I can deal with the cold, but I live in New Jersey, so… it’s gonna be different. Suggestions about gear/clothing etc. Any information is great.
I don’t have a driver’s license because I’ve been too lazy to get it though I probably should. My birthday is really late so I always just got a ride from my friends who got their licenses way earlier. Considering I’ll be going to UMich will I really need a car? I mean it is a college town so I guess I can get around without it. Maybe.
I know about the MSF and as soon as I get my permit I’ll sign up for a rider course.
Thanks for any info.
June 23, 2009 at 4:04 am #20053zeppelinfromledParticipantKnowing how to drive is essentially mandatory for learning how to ride a motorcycle. I wouldn’t want to be getting used to riding a motorcycle and dealing with traffic for the first time at the same time. Get your license, and get some miles under your belt in a car first. I just got my motorcycle at age 22, and I had probably driven close to 100,000 miles before I got a bike. You don’t need that many, but you should have at least several thousand. I think other people will agree with me on this. You’ll also need to be 18 in most states before you can get a motorcycle license.
In terms of the winter, don’t expect to use your bike much during the winter. I’m not familiar with New Jersey weather, but I am familiar with weather in northeast Ohio, which is pretty similar to Michigan (I believe we have someone on here who’s from Michigan, so he can give you better specifics than me). Winter used to be my favorite season, until I went to school in Ohio. It gets cold. Not like a little bit, but it gets really really cold. Even if you can deal with the cold, the ice and snow are a different story. I definitely wouldn’t ride in the winter up there. You’ll probably need to put the bike away in October, and you can break it out again in March or April, depending on the winter.
I’m not particularly familiar with Ann Arbor, but I’m sure you won’t *need* a car. Plenty of people go to the University of Michigan without one.
June 23, 2009 at 2:27 pm #20064Clay DowlingParticipantFirst, you need a driver’s license to get a motorcycle endorsement here in Michigan. The flipside is that the MSF class is $25 here, and if you have your MSF cert you don’t need to pay for an additional riding test to get your endorsement.
Second, you not only won’t need a car in Ann Arbor, you won’t want one. Traffic and traffic patterns in the city are crazy. You’ll be able to get to everything by walking if you live in the dorms. And parking is so miserable that you’ll want to live in the dorms or an apartment near campus.
If you get a bike, make sure that you’ll be able to find a place to park it. I went to Michigan State, which is notorious for difficult parking, and you were lucky if you could pay for a spot a quarter mile away. Ann Arbor is not known to be as accommodating about parking.
June 23, 2009 at 6:47 pm #20080PraxisParticipantThanks for the info. I’m pretty sure that the motorcycle license in NJ can either be an endorsement or separate. If I got it in NJ I would be able to ride it in Michigan? I have no problem trying to get my license in michigan either, by getting the driver’s license first. But I think I’d need to be a resident etc… and that seems like a bunch of paperwork.
Bah paperwork. .
June 23, 2009 at 7:02 pm #20082zeppelinfromledParticipantYour license would be valid in any state. A permit is often only valid in the state where it is issued, but a license in valid everywhere (full faith and credit).
There’s no specific reason that you can’t get a Michigan license. The most that you would need is a bill with an address on it. Utility bills are the most common. I suppose this could get tricky if you’re living in the dorms and not paying utilities or anything, but I’m sure it can be done. I believe you can use a bank statement with your Michigan address on it to prove residency and get a license there. The MI DMV website can probably tell you what documents you need to get a license.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.