New law creates higher fines for unendorsed motorcyclists

By ALEXANDER SMITH
Capital News Service
LANSING — Unendorsed motorcyclists face higher fines next February in the state’s latest effort to create safer riders. To legally ride on Michigan’s roads, motorcyclists need an endorsement on their license. It shows that a rider has passed the state’s written exam and an on-cycle skill test. But it’s not needed to register a motorcycle so some riders never bother with the course, the test and the endorsement. “I think it’s simply because people think they won’t get caught,” said Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which recently approved the law.