I'll never forget my first riding test, it was a figure 8 in the DMV parking lot. I guess here in NM they had to make it easy for all the cruiser riders. Two years ago I let my license expire, and had to take the written test. No joke, 90% of the questions on it related to drugs and alcohol. What a fucking joke.
I have never taken a motorcycle riding test through the cones When I got my drivers license at age 16 in 1981, the female asked me if I wanted motorcycle endorsement. Of course I said "Yes" - she tells me that will be another 50 cents I have kept it up to date ever since
Here in PA the safety course is free and they provided 125cc cruisers for everyone to use. At the end of the course you could obtain your license if you passed the test. So my class was doing braking test you described and this woman managed to somehow keep the throttle applied way open while grabbing the front brake. This resulted in a rolling-stop burnout. When she stopped she was still burning the tire off with a look of horror on her face, the instructor screamed to pull in the clutch and take her right hand off the bike. I kid you not, she stopped within the appropriate distance and therefore passed.
I took the class 4 years ago and they were very adamant about not hovering or touching the the clutch or brake pedals.
The best story I have from MSF is the 80 year old who let his license expire and he wanted a harley. Drill was swerve left or right when instructed. Was told to go left and he went right, corrected midway, and went through the middle of the obstacle to finish on the correct side. He literally hit every cone laid out for the drill. It was supposed to be the back of the semi that stopped suddenly.
Take tests on an enduro. :up: For grins a few years back, I took my old Ducati to the place in FL where they did cone tests. Turning radius made is almost impossible to walk/push the bike through the course using full lock. Never mind riding it.
We moved from MD inthe late 1970s. I took my test on my tricked out RD350. I rode behind the tester giving a driving test, and she looked back to make sure I was there. No blinkers or brake light no problem.
I finally got my license this year after riding on the street for the last decade. Been riding for 25-30 years otherwise on dirt or my parents country roads. I took the MSF because when I went to the DMV to take the written test, I failed it within 12-15 questions. They had some of the stupidest questions and I would pick the most logical answer and it would be wrong. When I took the MSF beginner course, I didn't want the instructors to know I've been riding forever so I tried to keep a low profile. Within an hour or so, one of them came over and busted me for riding with 2 fingers on the brake and clutch and only using those fingers for everything. He told me to use all 4 fingers. Hard habit to break. Said, you ride dirt bikes a lot don't you. Then later in the day, the other guy stopped me in the middle of an exercise to ask me how long I'd been riding. They could tell. When it came time for the riding test, they made me go first. I passed though. I'm terrified of some of the people that passed the test being on the road though. Hope I never run into them...literally.
Who was your instructor(s) Tony? Several of the Nashville coaches that teach MSF either race or used to. Those MSF instructors are responsible for me getting into this crazy sport
Same thing happened to me... I argued with the lady and she finally told me that I failed and went back inside. I had to argue with 3 people inside before someone understood what "within" meant.
I took mine on a Kanatuna 750. I got it first try but the guy was going to fail me until I showed him that it was physically impossible to turn that bike in the tiny little circle they had drawn on the pavement...
Anyone giving her shit is a moron. The test is stupid and is not possible in some states on some totally legal bikes. I had a choice the last time of my Goldwing or My DRZ400 - the test on the DRZ was a snap, on the wing it would have been a bitch and a half. Best part was in GA they do a swerve test and a stop test, the stop test I did a 2' or so high stoppie and the test lady just laughed at me
Not surprising either, if you don't read the book really carefully it'll catch you. Not to mention some of the stuff is actually physically wrong about how motorcycles operate, the one that always got me was something about steering - it didn't account for counter steering at more than parking lot speeds.
I have taken written DL tests on three different continents. I take great pride in having passed all of them while making the maximum allowable number of errors. It's a skill.
I failed the first riding test. I was on a Nighthawk 650 and when I stopped for the stop sign, I forgot to put down both feet or something stupid like that. Re-did the test again and passed 100%. This was back in 94-95 I guess. no cones for me though.