license test

[GSXcite]

here at my dealership, we have a 125 cc bike we loan to customers to go take their test. Your local dealer may have one too.

 

[riccoh]

after my lic espeired 2 years ago I took the california DMV licence and almost fail( yes on the busa) for not putting my feet down at the stop points, the only tire that has to remain in the yellow lines is the front tire. i was the 6th person to take the licence that day and everyone before me fail in the circles... U use a lot of coutersteer by gettign my but if the seat... it works and when you lock the bars from lock to lock it's not that uncomfortable. you be surprise how many times i have bee pulled over for not putting my fet down at stop lights or stop signs... my lat one a cop ask me to just balance my self on the bike for 10 seconds with the motor off and he would let me go... that ws a quick stop by the way...

 

[suzuki4life]

course is easy....I have taught it for years. Low speed handling is much more difficult than riding at a decent amount of speed because the rider must balance the bike purely on weight distribiution and throttle control rather than inertia.


The people crying foul about this type of testing are the same ones who believe that everyone crashes sooner or later or dropping a bike is part of learning to ride.


If you can't pass the test on your busa....then its beyond your ability level.

 

[copskahn]

to turn the bike while going slow you will need to apply a slight preassure on the rear brake and feather the clutch, also sit as upright on the bike as you can.

 

[HillbillyTom]

Took mine again (license expired) 5 yrs ago on a Nighthawk 750. It was a joke, only way you could fail was if you fell down or just blew all 3 parts of it.
Same test as I took the first time in 1975 on a Suzuki X-6 Hustler 2 stroke.

 

[SD1300]

I've had the busa for a year. I am good at riding at slow speeds and manouvering. The difference is the course size and the fact that in order to make the turns you have to be on the lock and going about 1 mph. Go out on your bike and try and turn at 1 mph with the bars on the lock. I bet you can't do it. Maybe it's different at other DMV's, but I just plan on taking a course and gettin it that way. At the speed that you have to go to make the turns, you have to put a foot down riding a bike that size and especially being seated that high on it making it top heavy. Oh, did I mention that the course is layed out on a bit of a hill?. . . Stupid. I'm just gonna take the intermediate riders course at Spartanburg Tech and get it that way. It'll give me a 20% break on my insurance too, so screw the DMV.

Don't give up, you CAN do this. I captained the Gold Angels Goldwing Drill Team in San Diego and if we can those monsters to turn circles while on the steering stops so can you. For practice we used to do u-turns in a single parking space.... it can be done.

 

[ky busa]

i passed the first time luckily on a 1991 zx11

 

[Alsterbator]

The DMV test in my opinion is a waste of time. You are evaluated on low speed control which is good, and your ability to stop quickly and swerve (accident avoidance skills). But no where does the DMV test a riders ability to corner.

That being said, the MSF courses teach the skills and techniques necessary for riding safely. What I saw in that video was a lack of knowledge in performing a limited space maneuver. I have run the DMV course here in FL as well as the MSF course both basic and experience on 04' R1, 05' ZX 10R, 06' C50T, 07 VStar 1300, 08' Raider (stock 71inch wheel base), 06' Warrior, triumph 995i, and 08' Busa... zero points and using "U" turn dimensions of 20' x 60'. All it takes is proficiency with the skill or technique and proper application.

 

[Alsterbator]

to turn the bike while going slow you will need to apply a slight preassure on the rear brake and feather the clutch, also sit as upright on the bike as you can.

It can be done without the brakes... Use the friction zone, turn your head in the direction of the turn and "counter weight" the motorcycle, you want to lean your upper body in the opposite direction of the turn. Counter weighting is taught in the BRC.

 

[Pardini]

Just have to get good at slippin the clutch and feathering the rear brake. In those tests the only time to use any throttle is when the bike is turning in too much and you feel like you need to put your foot down.

When that happens bring the rev's up slip the clutch and the bike will stand back up, then add alittle rear brake to keep the speed down.

95% of the time you should be coasting with the clutch in. In the turns use the same technique as on the street. Stay to the outside, turn in late, hit the apex and look where you want to go. Don't be looking down at your front tire and the lines.

Practice riding in circles as slow as you can, as you get better the diameter of the circles will get smaller and you'll pass no problem.

 

[fastblackblur]

+1 MSF.... if your new the riding they'll teach you some good stuff, much more important than figure 8's

 

[ike]

Used a 125cc for mine from a driving school.

 

[bowwow]

I took my test on the busa. It was with cones, but the course was obviously set up for a really short wheelbase bike. The cones were so close to each other for the weaving test, that my bike wouldn't fit through them. I had to go at almost a 90 degree to them, turn around, and come back through. A 250 took the test after I did, and he zipped right through them with no problem.

 

[dadofthree]

Sounds like the same course layout here in SC. They had trouble with me on the final portion of the test. Fast as you can start and stop. On the forth try I took it half speed

 

[Spudley]

YOU TOOK A HAYABUSA THROUGH A DMV COURSE ????........WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA......HAHAHA......HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....UHHHH....UHHHH.....WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-HAAAAAA-HAA...........

No seriously, no one told you to get a nice, light, street bike of sorts to take the test with ?????...."What's up with that ????".......

MSF Course, three days, mostly riding skills, and they do all three days on Buell Blasts, or Honda some-thing-or-another's...........

Take the course, get your endorsement, never look back....and you'll walk away with a MUCH IMPROVED perspective......

One of my instructors asked the group, "What have you learned over the last three days ????"......"We learned how to ride around a parking lot.....NOW, go out there and practice what you've learned and don't die doing it"....HELLUVA Woman !!!!

 

[gaeducator]

I believe the best way is to take the MSF course. I took the MSF course and they used the Buell Blast for our bikes. Learned many of the tricks about the License test and instructors gave you a lil leeway if they saw you were trying. They really worked with you. It was hard for me at 5 11 and 280 to manuever the bike without putting my foot down. It has a lot to do with the mechanics.lease:


Unless you have excellent body mechanics and have been riding the busa for about 15 years, it would be hard as He77 to pass the course on it.

 

[teamorion22]

Can someone from oklahoma confirm the difficulty of this test. My friend told they gave him an ear piece and followed him while he rode telling him to turn left, right, stop, etc. No mention of cones whatsoever

 

[mvanlone]

Exactly you have almost no chance to pass that test with the hayabusa. Even seen 600cc bikes have a hard time. That test is BS for the size of our bikes. I have skipped this test as well did the MSF course. Borrow a moped, and you can actually make some money. Cause you can charge people $5.00 to use it and trust me......EVERYONE will pay you cause it would be easy to pass on the moped. As someone on here commented about learning skill and all that to pass the test....that is BS too!!!! The test needs to be remade cause I don't need "skill" to pass it with a moped.

just get different bike and pass it. I did with 250cc small kawi or whatever, these courses are like 2o year old thing, they havent been updated and they were never intended for hayabusa or other sports bikes

 

[Cerberus]

Take the MSF course. You will be better off for it.

 

[Hayabusa Fury]

I've had the busa for a year. I am good at riding at slow speeds and manouvering. The difference is the course size and the fact that in order to make the turns you have to be on the lock and going about 1 mph. Go out on your bike and try and turn at 1 mph with the bars on the lock. I bet you can't do it. Maybe it's different at other DMV's, but I just plan on taking a course and gettin it that way. At the speed that you have to go to make the turns, you have to put a foot down riding a bike that size and especially being seated that high on it making it top heavy. Oh, did I mention that the course is layed out on a bit of a hill?. . . Stupid. I'm just gonna take the intermediate riders course at Spartanburg Tech and get it that way. It'll give me a 20% break on my insurance too, so screw the DMV.

A trick I found is to go a little faster than 1 mph and it is actually little easier and more comfortable. You don't need to peg the handlebars all the way to the lock position to make a tight turn. Trust the grip of the tire and just lean a bit, much easier than just trying to balance it. Lean the bike not your body. Kind of like a swerve maneuver.

Sorta like this guy...