Colorado Motorcycle Training & License | 2022 Update

Colorado Motorcycle Training & License

Written by Jeremy D. Earle, JD

February 1, 2023

What are the Requirements for Getting a Motorcycle License in Colorado?

We need to know how Colorado defines a motorcycle before we can look at a Colorado motorcycle endorsement. A motorcycle is defined as “a motor car propelled by a motor with a displacement of more than 50 cc’s, including a seat or saddle for the rider’s use, and intended to go on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, but excluding a tractor or moped,” according to legislation.

A “motor car,” on the other hand, is defined as “any self-propelled car, including a motor car combination, that is not driven upon rails and excludes cars moved purely by human power, motorized wheelchairs, and motorized bicycles.”

This indicates that a motorcycle has two or three wheels and is neither a scooter nor moped with an engine of 50 cubic centimeters or less, nor is it a car, truck, bus, or another car. It also implies that a motor car is anything other than a motorcycle, such as a car, truck, or bus. A motorcycle, scooter, or moped, on the other hand, is not a motor car.

Before earning a motorcycle endorsement in Colorado, you must pass a written and riding competence test. There is an exemption if the applicant already holds a motorcycle license or endorsement from another state (excluding Alabama), Canada, or the armed forces.

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Colorado License Requirements for Bikers

Examiners and examination places are certified by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Cars via numerous organizations around the state.

The Colorado Rider Training Program comprises written, and skill examinations  administered across the state and assesses an applicant’s understanding of motorcycle operating and any traffic rules that apply, especially to motorcycles. The actual demonstration of the rider’s ability to exhibit ordinary and reasonable control in the operation of a motorcycle is a requirement for getting a motorcycle endorsement in Colorado. This is normally done in a huge parking lot coned off and meticulously measured to replicate typical road conditions and dangers.

Acceleration with controlled braking, navigating twists and curves, driving over road hazards such as wooden planks, tight turning, and accident avoidance are typical activities that must be taught and mastered. Typically, teachers will teach a four-hour classroom block on how to handle and operate a motorcycle and the rules that apply to it.

The education would continue outside on real bikes, with the learner learning fundamental motorcycle operations such as changing gears, braking, utilizing horns and lights, and thorough safety inspection and maintenance. Many pupils have never ridden, much alone driven, a motorcycle. These lessons are as basic as they get for a beginner. However, despite how basic the coursework is, it might get you riding on the second day!

Students are taught how to check tire pressure and add air, check oil levels, gasoline levels if no gauges are available, check chain tightness and lubrication, braking power, and the functioning of warning lights, headlights, turn signals, and brake lights, among other things. They’re also taught how to use safety gear like steel-toed boots with above-the-ankle support, long trousers, rider safety jackets with shoulder, elbow, back, and forearm guards, and, of course, helmets and eye protection.

The first day of field exercises is the most crucial day of training. It enables the rider to get comfortable on the motorcycle and confident in completing the exercises for the following day’s assessment. Because they do not own their bikes, most riders will utilize the licensed training facility’s supplied.

For ease of maneuverability, most bikes used for training are smaller, lighter weight, and have lower engine displacement. Most students will drop the motorcycle at least once in any given session. But don’t worry; they’ll show you how to successfully pick up a fallen motorcycle without straining your back or causing more damage to the bike.

On the third day, students are given several hours to practice the activities they learned before the skill test starts. The friendly, encouraging, and funny teachers mysteriously morphed into state-certified licensing examiners and became “all business.” They are no longer authorized to provide technique training. However, they are there to record your performance on the studied exercises and provide a numerical grade that will decide whether you pass or fail the licensure exam.

The Basic Rider Course (BRC) or the Basic Rider Course revised are both standard courses in Colorado (BRCu). Other courses for endorsement include the Three-Wheel Basic Rider Course (3WBRC) and the Sidecar/Trike Education Program (S/TEP). On Colorado’s roads, streets, and highways, no one under the age of 16 is authorized to ride or be licensed to operate motorcycles, mopeds, motorized cycles, motorized scooters, or electric assist motor bicycles.

Simply produce your completion certificate to any approved DHSMV licensing office in any county to acquire your motorcycle endorsement, which will appear on the front of your new Colorado driver’s license. Motorcycle endorsements are divided into two categories.

The first is a “Motorcycle Only” license, allowing the rider to drive motorcycles and not other cars. The second is a “Motorcycle Also” endorsement, which includes a basic operator’s license or a commercial driver’s license and permits the holder to ride motorcycles. Operating a motorcycle without the appropriate endorsement is illegal in Colorado.

In Colorado, what kind of motorcycle insurance is required?

This is a common question, and the simple answer is none! In general, riding a motorcycle in Colorado does not need the purchase of insurance. Is this a positive thing for the rider or a negative one? It’s most likely a horrible thing. This is because most individuals only purchase items if they have to or want to. Who wants to pay any more money on insurance than we do now?

Premiums in Colorado are already excessively expensive, and most insurance companies are notoriously slow to settle claims. Do you know what it means to be “penny smart and pound foolish?” This phrase perfectly describes how you should approach Colorado motorcycle insurance.

Before we get into the different types of insurance that are available to Colorado motorcycle riders, it’s important to note that a rider who is 21 years old or older must have proof of health insurance or medical payment insurance that will cover medical expenses incurred as a result of a motorcycle accident.

To fulfil the helmet legislation, having health insurance via your job, the government exchange or individual coverage should be sufficient.

Suppose a rider does not have health insurance. In that case, he or she may get medical payment insurance from most major insurance companies to cover the costs of medical expenses incurred from a motorcycle accident. To ride without a helmet, the legislation demands a minimum of $10,000 in medical payment coverage.

Medical payment coverage operates similarly to Colorado Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, insurance, which is needed to register and possess a car in the state of Colorado. Since 1973, Colorado has had legislation to guarantee that injured motorists get fast and fair compensation for their injuries, regardless of who was to blame. The Colorado No-Fault Insurance Act was created as a result of this statute. Motorists are obliged by law to obtain Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and carry a minimum of $10,000 in medical and associated costs coverage.

Some insurance companies enable drivers to acquire supplemental coverage over $10,000. Motorists may acquire a Medical Payment (Med Pay) policy to cover any deductibles connected with PIP coverage as well as non-covered expenditures over $10,000.

Motorcyclists are often covered by the same providers that provide Med Pay coverage for autos. Because a motorcyclist’s hospital cost in Colorado might range from $30,000 to

$50,000, many lawyers and insurance brokers advocate purchasing as much medical payment insurance as you can afford.

Even if you have health insurance, purchasing Medical Payment coverage for your motorcycle to cover out-of-pocket expenditures like medications, co-payments, and deductibles is a smart idea.

What Kind of Insurance Should a Motorcycle Owner Get?

When buying or owning a motorcycle, talking to an expert insurance agent about your insurance requirements, objectives, and financial resources is critical. There are certainly many trained customer service insurance professionals in place these days; nonetheless, it is important to have a one-on-one conversation with a local agent to ensure that you have the appropriate insurance in place. Before any potential accident or occurrence, it is time to determine what insurance you have or need. It is too late to add or alter insurance after an accident or accident to give coverage OR extra coverage for the damages and losses linked with the accident or event.

What kind of motorcycle insurance is available to protect the asset/investment – the motorcycle?

Let’s talk about safeguarding your investment immediately. For most of us, our bikes are more than just a method of mobility. They are a reflection of our originality and an expression of our personality. It is a considerable financial commitment for the majority of us. After our houses and cars, the purchase price of many motorcycles might be the third most expensive personal thing we own. As a result, purchasing insurance to safeguard our investment would be prudent.

Motorcycle insurance is not needed in the state of Colorado, as previously indicated. The only insurance normally necessary for a motorcycle is at the request of lending firms that want to safeguard their security interest in your motorcycle. Before financing a motorcycle purchase, finance firms want confirmation of insurance for damage or loss of the motorcycle.

Throughout the life of the loan, financial firms often ask owners to update their insurance information. Most financing firms will acquire motorcycle insurance and apply the amount to your outstanding loan if the owner does not provide evidence of proper insurance for the motorcycle.

What kind of insurance should you get to safeguard your investment? Property damage insurance in the form of coverage that pays you if your motorcycle is stolen or damaged. Two forms of property damage insurance can cover you if your motorcycle is stolen. Accidents, theft, vandalism, or carelessness may all result in the loss of your motorcycle. We’ve all seen bikes that have been damaged in accidents. When a motorcycle collides with a car or another motorcycle while riding, this may happen. Motorcycle accidents may also happen when a rider collides with a stationary object or just goes off the road.

The “Collision” coverage section of your insurance policy will protect your motorcycle if it is damaged as a consequence of an accident. Collision coverage mainly refers to your motorcycle colliding with anything while being ridden. Collision coverage compensates you for the monetary loss of the bike’s worth or the cost of repairing it.

Fair market value is defined as the price that a willing buyer would pay to a willing seller who is not obligated to purchase or sell. Researching previous sales in your region and listings of bikes for sale that match yours is the easiest way to determine fair market value. Cycle Trader.com is a good place to start when figuring out what your motorcycle is worth.

In any case, the maximum reimbursement for this form of coverage is limited to the fair market value of the damaged motorcycle at the time of the accident. To put it another way, the worth of the motorcycle shortly before the accident is the most you’ll get. If the bike can be repaired at a cost that exceeds the motorcycle’s fair market value, it will be fixed under this coverage.

What if your motorcycle was not involved in an accident and was not damaged? What if you accidentally leave it on your driveway? What if anything knocks it over? What if it starts to burn? What happens if it’s taken? If any of these things happen to your motorcycle, or if anything else happens to it, the Comprehensive insurance section of your coverage will pay for it.

Simply put, comprehensive insurance would cover damages to your motorcycle in the same way as collision insurance would if the damage did not occur as a consequence of an accident. Suppose the motorcycle was not being driven, for example. Under this coverage, the value constraints on fair market value would also apply.

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