US Government to Require Trike Training Prior to Motorcycle Licensing

OFF THE WIRE, WTF
US DOT:
http://motorcycles.about.com/b/2011/04/01/us-government-to-require-trike-training-prior-to-motorcycle-licensing.htm

US Government to Require Trike Training Prior to Motorcycle Licensing

By Basem Wasef, About.com Guide April 1, 2011

The Department of Transportation issued a statement today that will cause a paradigm shift in the way riders earn the legal right to ride: as of January 1, 2012, the process for obtaining a motorcycle license will require a six-month "trike training" period in which would-be motorcyclists are limited to three-wheelers like the Harley Tri-Glide and Lehman CrossBow.
"Let's face it," DOT spokesperson Melvin P. Meyers said in a national news conference, "Motorcycles are inherently unstable vehicles. Placing a first-time rider on these two wheeled conveyances opens the door to certain injury, or even death."
Outlining a three-wheeled trial period of 180 days, Meyers said the enforced trike riding would be akin to "training wheels that prove you're serious and responsible about riding a motorcycle." A new "T" license certification will differentiate the three-wheeled learners prior to their receiving Class "M" certification, and Meyers adds that "This is all about choice; thanks to proliferation of options due to baby boomer demand, wanna be motorcyclists aren't limited to traditional trikes; they can opt for backwards trikes like the Can-Am Spyder, or even that big-wheeled Custom SS contraption."

Anticipating heightened demand, motorcycle manufacturers are said to be feverishly engineering training wheel-style retrofits for their mainstream offerings-- while the Motorcycle Industry Council and the American Motorcyclist Association have already announced plans to appeal the DOT's decision.