What did you take your test on?

[Irish Hog]

Bro, New Jersey must have grown an extra couple hundred miles to your end, because I'm right outside Atlantic City and FREEEEEEZZZZZZZIIINNNGGGGG.

Freezing??? it has been in the 50's for the last few days...I don't ride lower than 45, so it is has been nice for me..It is supposed to get cold in the next few days though, winter may be on the way...Believe it or not there is a bit of a temperature difference between Cape May and Atlantic City. It is usually a little warmer down here..

 

[koolreven]

The Mighty Vespa LX150 - bright red!! Downunder in Aus a learner can only ride a maximum 650, I didn't want to buy one (although my good wife now has an 08 Yammy 650) so I took our Vespa. They all laughed of course, but I was the only one (of 10) to pass the course with 100%! On the road test some young guys in a pick-up truck were laughing at us at the lights so I said "We're Hell's Learners mate, don't mess with us"!!

 

[flh canuck]

Took my test on my neighbors Honda CB 350 cause my CB 125 wouldn't idle properly and had a few other minor mechanical issues.

Failed the first time cause I was told to pretend I "stalled" in the middle of an intersection, was supposed to shut the bike off then kick start and take off as quickly as possible. Driving examiner failed me cause I only pulled clutch in to re-start and didn't put bike in neutral as well. I'm like "yah, I'm gonna piss around looking for neutral in the middle of an intersection...."

Took test again two weeks later and passed no problem.

That was back in 1980. I think the exams and testing process in British Columbia are a little tougher now....

Sold the CB 125 a few months later and bought a Yamaha 360. Twin cylinders and an electric starter....Giddyuppp! Thought I was living pretty large at the time.....

 

[drake]

took my test on a "72" model 350 honda. Officer wasn't too happy because my pipes were louder than the larger bikes the other guys had, but he allowed me to take the test and I passed with flying colors!:newsmile071:

 

[Irish Hog]

The Mighty Vespa LX150 - bright red!! Downunder in Aus a learner can only ride a maximum 650, I didn't want to buy one (although my good wife now has an 08 Yammy 650) so I took our Vespa. They all laughed of course, but I was the only one (of 10) to pass the course with 100%! On the road test some young guys in a pick-up truck were laughing at us at the lights so I said "We're Hell's Learners mate, don't mess with us"!!

There was no laughing the day I went. Everyone there had a scooter of some kind. There were four scooters and a guy on motorcycle, I think it was a Honda rebel. But out of the six of us, the guy on the Rebel was the only to fail. Everyone there was a Harley owner, except one who owned a Ninja of some kind.

 

[C. Dolan]

Due to a loophole in 1968 Cali DMV regs, took it in a driver's ed car.

Back then, you had to be 18 to get a MC lic, but only 16 to get car license.

You could legally ride a bike with a car license, no further testing required. :s

When my license was up for renewal, at the age of 19, I took the newly enacted MC test on a 1964 Sportster.

It was my only / go anywhere bike ( including the dirt ) so a few cones and U turn weren't so bad.

 

[mroleg]

I actually took the basic rider's course on Long Island and passed on one of the bikes we were practicing on - Suzuki 250cc, don't remember the model. Very light bike and easy to toss around. I have to say I would recommend the course to anyone, especially a beginner like me. As a beginner, I have picked up a lot and the course was very intense. 2 days of riding from 7 Am till 5-6 pm. The test is at the end of second day

 

[M0sesJJN]

I took my first and so far only test in Vermont in May of 1981 (it was snowing) on a Honda 1980 CB 650. I had already ridden mini bikes for several years as a kid.

I don't remember if I flubbed anything, but I do remember I passed on the first shot.

The cops asked us if we rode or trailer/pickup trucked the bikes to the station. If you said you rode it, and didn't have a person w/a valid license to witness they rode w/you...or if you said you trucked it in and the exhaust was warm you were not allowd to take the test. Three people were turned away... We had put our bikes in my uncle's pickup so we were okay.

This summer I took the Motorcycle Riding Concepts course in Northern VA Motorcycle Riding Concepts and learned a lot; I highly recommend the course. My girlfriend wanted to learn to ride, and I promised I'd take the beginner course with her...I was surprised at how much what I learned, (how much I had been doing wrong for 30 years...)

At the end, they had a really tough obstacle and course and had a "rodeo" - I was one of the folks who mde it through the whole course without hitting a cone though I admit I ALMOST dropped the bike in the figure eight.

Key to slow speed riding (like you see the cops do) slip the clutch and put the tiniest pressure on the rear brake. You can crawl real slow and manuvear very well...don't worry, the clutch can take it.

For what it's worth...

Moe.

 

[M' one.]

1981, 250 Honda superdream. Met up with the examiner in a back street, he noted my details and then told me to ride around some streets by myself while he sat in his car. I came back about 15 mins later and he passed me.

 

[docsledge]

Way back when (mid sixties),
no test or special license needed.
Never knew any different.
Later in Maine, took the classroom
course to get permit. Scheduled
riding test soon as I could.
Test in Augusta, Me on the real
roads of the capital of the state.
Up hill and down hill, around traffic
circle, stop on hill, park on hill and
start on hill.
Trooper behind you in a car giving
signals with lights and turn signals
all the way.
On a '82 Yamaha Virago.
Passed when couple other guys
failed for the second and third time.
Don't know why, they didn't ask you
to do anything you shouldn't or wouldn't
be doing anyways. No stuff like cones and
lines 6" apart. They could tell if you
could hold a bike steady at slow speeds,
like coming up to a stop sign.

They would fail you if you didn't guard
your lane. If turning right, you had to
be in the right third of the lane and make
the turn into the right half of the lane.
Same for the left lane.

No problems. I got the "O" on my license.
Yes, Maine uses "O" for motorcycles.
doc