Michigan Motorcycle Laws Guide for Motorcycle Operators

Training and Licensing
In Michigan, half of all motorcycle fatalities involve riders who are not properly licensed. Michigan law requires a motorcycle endorsement (CY) on a driver's license to legally ride a motorcycle on the state's roadways. It is a misdemeanor to ride a motorcycle without a CY endorsement and can result in points on a driving record and fines up to $300.

Motorcyclists under 18 years of age with a Michigan driver's license are required to take a motorcycle safety course to obtain a motorcycle endorsement. Although applicants over 18 years old are not required to take an instruction course, it is highly recommended for all new or returning riders of all ages. Training and education is an ongoing process for every rider and should not end with licensure.

The Michigan Rider Education Program (Mi-REP) currently provides Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic, Returning and Advanced Rider Courses for $50. Visit the Michigan Department of State Motorcyclist Training Site Locator webpage to locate the nearest training site.

Protective gear
Proper riding gear helps protect riders in the event of a crash. It also provides comfort, as well as protection from heat, cold, debris, and hot and moving parts of the motorcycle. It can also make riders more visible to other motorists. Please visit the protective gear page.

Helmets for Motorcyclists
Motorcycles have high performance capabilities, are less stable, and less visible than cars and trucks. And when motorcycles crash their riders lack the protection of an enclosed vehicle so they're more likely to be injured or killed.

Helmets decrease the severity of injury, the likelihood of death, and the overall cost of medical care. They're designed to cushion and protect riders' heads from the impact of a crash. Like seat belts, helmets can't provide total protection against head injury or death, but they do reduce the incidence of both.

Motorcycle crash statistics show that helmets are about 37 percent effective in preventing crash fatalities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates an unhelmeted rider is 40 percent more likely to suffer a fatal head injury and 15 percent more likely to incur a nonfatal head injury than a helmeted motorcyclist. 

  Facts

• Head injury is a leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes. (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts, Motorcycle Helmet Use Laws, 2004)
• Wearing a properly fitted helmet can actually improve a rider's ability to hear by reducing wind noise and allowing the rider to hear other sounds. (Motorcycle Safety Foundation)
• Helmets prevent eye injuries from dust, dirt, and debris thrown up by other vehicles on the road. (Motorcycle Safety Foundation)
• Per vehicle mile, motorcyclists are about 30 times as likely as passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash and about five times as likely to be injured. (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts, Motorcycles, July 2012)
• Forty-three percent of motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2021 were alcohol-impaired. (NHTSA, Motorcycle Traffic Safety Facts, 2021)
• In states without universal helmet laws, 55 percent of motorcyclists killed in 2021 were not wearing helmets, compared to 9 percent in states with universal helmet laws. (NHTSA, Motorcycle Traffic Safety Facts, 2021)
• In 2021, there were 5,932 motorcyclists killed, 14 percent of all traffic fatalities. This is the highest number of motorcyclists killed since FARS started data collection in 1975. (NHTSA, Motorcycle Traffic Safety Facts, 2021)

Key Riding Skills
There are three basic but important skills that can help make a ride a safer experience:

• Negotiating Curves: Riders should slow down before a curve, look where they want to go, press the handlebar in the same direction as the curve, and roll on the throttle during a turn.
• Turning: Connect the dots by looking to the end of the turn and the motorcycle will follow.
• Braking: Seventy percent of a motorcycle's stopping power is in the front brake. Squeezing the front brake and pressing down on the rear brake will allow a rider to make smooth, controlled stops.

Ride Sober
Riding a motorcycle is a demanding and complex task. Riders need to pay attention to the riding environment to identify potential hazards and execute decisions quickly and skillfully. Alcohol and drugs, more than any other factor, degrade a rider's ability to think clearly and to ride safely. In Michigan, in 2016, 1 in 3 bikers killed in single-vehicle crashes had been drinking. For more information, click here.

Motorcycle equipment checklist
A motorcycle needs more frequent attention than a passenger vehicle. A minor technical failure on a car is seldom more than an inconvenience for the driver. The same failure on a motorcycle could result in a crash. Riders should conduct a pre-ride inspection before every ride.

• Tires and Brakes: Check the air pressure, tread, bearings, and brakes. Brakes should feel firm and hold the motorcycle when applied.
• Controls: Check levers, switches, cables, hoses, and throttle. Make sure they work smoothly. The throttle should snap back when let go.
• Lights and Electrical: Make sure brake lights, headlights, taillights, and turn signals all work.
• Oil and Other Fluids: Check for leaks and the levels of gas, oil, brake fluid, and coolant.
• Chassis: Check the suspension and chain, belt, or drive shaft.
• Stands and Mirrors: Make sure side and center stands are functioning correctly. Clean and adjust mirrors.

Additional Resources:
Michigan
- Motorcycle Endorsement and Safety FAQs
- Got Your CY brochure
- Motorcyclists are hard to see. Look Twice. Save a Life.
- Michigan Department of State Motorcyclist Training Site Locator
- Become a Motorcycle RiderCoach
- Michigan Rider Education Program (Mi-REP)
- 2017 Motorcycle Helmet Use Survey

National / Federal
- Motorcycle Safety Foundation
- SMARTER (Skilled Motorcyclist Association)
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Motorcycle Safety
- Universal Motorcycle Helmet Use Laws
- Motorcycle Helmet Use Promotion Programs
- Motorcycle Helmet Law Enforcement: Noncompliant Helmets
- 2016 Motorcycle Safety Program Technical Assessment Report

Press Releases
-Secretary Benson unveils campaign on preventing crashes with motorcyclists
- New ad campaign reminds motorcyclists to ride sober