Ducati Monster Forum

 [moto]

A buddy of mine (Brian) just called me and said he failed his motorcycle road test down at the DMV.

And he's not a bad driver, but he said that the little cones are impossible to navigate on his motorcycle. He claimed the steering radius is too wide on his bike.

I had the same problem on mine, but luckily the lady let me practice the course before taking the test. It does take some getting used to since the test is all at slow speed, but total fail?

Dag yo!

Anyone else fail their test?

Come on ... don't be ashamed, we're all friends here.  :)

(http://www.demotivateus.com/posters/motorcycles-youre-doing-it-wrong-demotivational-poster.jpg)

The Test (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG5btQroHEc#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)

I took the MSF course to get around the DMV road test. I've known guys that rented road licensed scooters to make the test easier though.

Yes, I failed my first attempt at "THE TEST".  It's kind of a stupid test because it doesn't reallt relate to riding on the street (at less than 10 miles per hour).  In Ohio you can ride on a temp license basically forever.  I eventualy got around to taking the test again and passed, this time at a different location at was behind a restaurant with a leaking grease dumpster, so of course you had to ride through the grease and then hit your brakes...fun times.

No.

MSF - only way to go...well, at least one way to go...

MSF. Not trying to take the MC license test on a Monster....

I took the MSF course and at the end they gave a harder driving test than the DMV.  (the instructor was an ex-DMV tester)  Some of the tests are really a pregnant dog but to motivate us the instructor brought his goldwing to the course and did all the tests on it before we started to show us it was nowhere near impossible.

-almost- failed the written test when recently i moved to a new state

thought i knew everything and didnt study.  :P

Yuppers!!

I failed the MSF range test the first time.   [bang]

I attribute to being distracted by the autocross race in the next parking lot over. 

Got a 100 on the written part. 


Passed with flying colors the second time around a couple weeks later.  No autocross that weekend.   [cheeky]

Yep.

I failed CA's motorcycle test the first time.  That make the beast with two backsing circle is a pain in the you know what.  I had been riding for five years in other states before I moved to CA and the circle totally threw me for a loop. [bang]

I went home and practiced for a week straight riding slow circles before I went back for a second attempt (which I passed).  I will never let my MC license lapse again.

The below is not me but will give those of you not familiar to CA's ridiculous testing an idea of the circle.  Can't let your front tire wander outside of the concentric circles or you fail.  Put a foot down and you fail. 

Rob & Chris vs "CA DMV Motorcycle Skills Test"... Result:  "The Circle" 1, Rob & Chris 0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PkQ5tM4I1g#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)

Did the MSF course, passed the obstacle course and paper test at the top of the class :D and this class included a couple harley riders who rode "since the dawn of time" who were there for moral support for their ladies learning how to ride.  I dun did good.

When I took my test (here in Wiscosin), it was entirely on the road. They used an in ear speaker and I wore a yellow safety vest. The lady I had was super cool and I did not have any problems. I have picked up some bad habits along the way tho.

We need a motorcycle license? ???

I am baffled as to the point of a "circle test". I've been riding a LONG time and don't remember ever needing to ride in a perfect circle. Am I missing something?

No you're absolutely correct.  You have to weave the cones, enter the circle & go around twice, then exit the circle and weave again.

Then you get to do it again except the other direction. 

It's not a practical real-world test.

The test in Texas is entirely different. No circle test, no cones, no parking lot bs. Take the test on the computer, 20 questions iirc. Riding portion is with the tester riding shotgun with your buddy who supplies the chase truck.  One honk for left, two for right I think. We went through a neighborhood and never went above 30 MPH. The tester was looking for me to be aware of my surroundings and have control of the bike. The only thing she didn't like was that at stop signs I didn't stop before them and then roll forward to look both ways. I pulled up next to the sign and stopped then looked. Easy test.

I failed it twice on my old R6 :'( it was all parking lot stuff that hasn't helped me since.  The cones were marked with paint on the pavement so i went back and practiced... a lot. Third times a charm [moto]

MSF course way to go...easier to take test with them too since they provide the bike  [thumbsup] little 250's

The weekend I took the course it rained all weekend, it really sucked at the time, but I got some experience riding in the rain...not that I go riding in the rain, but I have been caught in a storm a few times, and the early experience helped  [moto]

I went with the CC Rider course and passed the first time but I am convinced I would have failed the DMV test the first time if I went that route.

All the ones that failed bought a Harley afterwards, right ?  [roll]

gotta tell you all those videos you are showing.. the guys need to get their butts off the bike... ON THE HIGH SIDE
 push the bike down so it leans and turns more but you are above it to keep it balanced.
the idea is the exact opposit of highspeed manuevers but very very useful in city riding.. ie potholes, wet manholes, people dogs, crap on the road etc.
we had guys on harleys in our msf that couldn't grasp it either. i was top of the class with the 696. the 600RR didn't fair as well but he got the counterlean manuever and did well. the instructor road a buelll blast... but as a joke i think... he normally rides a big bagger. he said the sport guys can't get the action of pushing the bike down without leaning INTO the corner.
oh and clutch feathering..

I didn't fail the test, but I did exceed the lean capabilities of my tires and lowside and wreck a class bike in the MSF course, years ago.

The instructor took it in stride, saying that that was the first time anyone had ever done exactly that.

A couple years later, someone else did the same thing.  Same instructor.  The second rider?  My kid brother.

It was so long ago I can't recall.

  ;D

ahhhh  nope.

They used to block of a couple streets around the court house for MC road test.  Don't remember if it was once a week or monthly.

I went the MSF route and scored a perfect test. ;D
I think it's the only way to go.

MSF is a great route if there isn't a six month waiting list in your area.

Plus it's free in the military...cacheeng

in BC Canada where im from the testing goes like this.

written learners license. something like 30 questions. pass that and you can ride on the road but only with a person over 21 who has there full motor license called class 6, within their vision. example in a car or another motorbike riding with you. 0 alcohol, no passenger, no highway, only daylight riding.

you can then take a parking lot test whenever you want. a course through cones a such. now your allowed to ride by yourself everywhere including highway, but still with no passenger, night time riding or alcohol.

then 1 month from passing your learners you can take the road test. you have a 1 way radio in your ear, instructor with tell you what to do for approx 30minutes of riding. watching your every move, lane position, shoulder checking is very strict.

pass that and you have your full class 6. i never failed any of mine. but i can see how a lot of people would fail the road test.

Now it is.  Circa 2000 the military didn't care about MSF. 

when can you ride with alcohol?  ;D

full license only  [drink]

but when it comes to bikes the most id have is 1 beer. in Canada the legal limit is .08 i think.

The circle test is designed more to test your ability to maneuver your motorcycle in tight quarters, not simply go around in circles - it's actually a good test.

I'm of the opinion that if you aren't great at parking lot speed handling, it's highly likely you won't be great at high speed maneuvering either.

Full disclosure: I'm not exactly great at low speed stuff either. But, I did pass my test the first time (Georgia).

It's not a bad skill to have, but it would be nice if they tested people's ability to ride on roads and deal with traffic too.

I felt the circle test only tested my ability to ride a motorcycle for the circus extremely slow with the steering at full lock. 

It has no real world practicality IMO.

MSF basic and ERC tests are much better suited for the real world.  If the circle is such a good test, then why hasn't MSF used it?  I'm convinced the CA test was designed by someone who's never ridden a motorcycle before.

Yes I failed to pass the driver's test.  My bike ain't so good in a parking lot.

I just got back off Mt. Pisgah on the Blue Ridge Parkway, two hours in the pitch black darkness of night on those bad ass switchbacks and survived - probably a better test than I got in the parking lot at the DMV in Seneca, SC.

LA

Clowns on bikes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CghttagUjxM#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)

As I remember the MSF and a figure eight instead of a circle. That way you had to shift your ars from right to left and feather the clutch.

I passed my test in VA twice.
I took the test when I first moved to VA in 1987. It was completely Mickey Mouse. The instructor had me follow behind a car that she was riding in to give someone else a driving test. Got back to the DMV and she said "You passed" and that was it.
Over the years I quit riding while my son grew up, and let the M portion of my license lapse. When I went in to get it renewed, they couldn't find the record, and I had to get a learners permit, wait the 30 days, and take the whole test again. [bang]
This time, it was the cones in the parking lot, and it was tough! I passed, but I sure didn't ace it. A good friend just took it and failed. He rode on his learners permit until the day before it lapsed, took the test and failed. Now he has to get another learners, and says he'll take the MSF course.

Wow, this thread brings back memories. I failed my first attempt at my endorsement....big time.

At the time I had a custom bike that I knew damn well wouldn't do the cone weave without collecting said cones. So, a friend had a little Yamaha 400 that needed resurrecting and we brought it to my house; the deal was if I helped him get it running again I could use it for however long I wanted and take my test on. So the tank got drained and flushed, and the carbs were cleaned out. The little guy ran like a champ....until the day of the test, naturally.

On the day of the test, I got to the site and as fate would have it something (rust, I think) decided to break free somewhere in the fuel system and the bike sputtered once or twice. Great. But it progressively got worse. By the time the test began, I was working the throttle and clutch like a madman trying to keep the thing running while doing the test. I actually made it through the cone weave and to the turn at the end when the pluggage became terminal. The 400 stalled and I had to put my foot down. End of test.

Second time through I made it with flying colors (and a better running bike).

Didn't fail, but almost everyone in our class had problems doing the figure 8 and staying inside the box.  One guy said it was impossible to do (we had 250 Nighthawks), so the instructor got out his V-Max and "schooled" us.  That bike barely seemed to fit the box, but he went through a few times without a problem.

Very impressive.  I used a 250 Nighthawk also and did ok, but one guy brought his "bagger" and just couldn't do it.  Not easy for sure and don't know if I could do it on my monster.  Not easy for sure.

I took a ERC recently and the little box was hard with my Monster, but not impossible.

It's very tricky because a Monster doesn't have the same turning that even a big Harley does. So to do it, you have to lean away from the turn a lot (shift your whole body over), and then rev high and feather the clutch to control the speed, and only use your back brake to slow.

Sounds a little tricky, but I'll try it (just to see if I can).  Thanks for the tip.  Wish me luck.   :)

if i remember right you can't touch the brake. but i may be mistaken

The instructors said not to brake, and I'm sure if you get good at it you wouldn't need to.

However, a little bit of rear brake is the only braking you should do if you need to. I think the main point is to not use your front brake.

But I should also mention that leaning correctly means using your footpegs, and it's harder to control rear braking that way.

Like I said, it's tricky.

 [thumbsup]

I tried to just put as much weight on the outside peg as I could to keep the bike as straight up as possible.  I leaned into the turn, but didn't lean the bike into the turn.

It's the other way around -- lean the bike a lot, and then lean away from the turn.

In fact, it's more like you lean the bike and then keep your body upright.

Motorcycle Training - Tight Turns 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqK_q27AcBs#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)

Motorcycle Training - Tight Turns 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgMBYsSghFM#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)

^ that was the only hard part. I couldn't stay inside the lines on the second turn. still passed but got a deduction for that, it was the only mistake I made.. also the stupid bike I had kept stalling at random (buell blast) which made it hard.. I got a 95 on the written (I missed one of the beer questions [bang] [laugh])

we had to stay inside the solid line, on that vid he went to the dotted line.

there was a guy there taking the test for the 3rd time.. no joke, he had to heal up from the last time he took it, I guess he bit it pretty good. instructor said he grabbed the front brake on the last part with the high speed turn went right over the bars.  :o that dude probably shouldn't be on a bike.

Ya ... you know you need help when you injure yourself on the test.

Geez.

motorcycle crash 2 DZ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY8U6u0dKl4#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)

Nope, I had to take it on a 1981 GS650.  Granted NC's test isn't really difficult

JM