First Sign of Spring

[free2ride]

spotted my first bike of the seaon the other day. 53F out, only one bike but still I'm in "yippee" mode. 'course, today it's 32 and snow predicted, but starting Monday high 40s-low 50s predicted for 2 weeks.

I'm taking next week off so going to dust off the bike/put the battery back in and see if it starts . . .

[Scrappyike]

Weather here has been up and down so I've some bikes off and on since last week.  I'm spending time with the old gal tomorrow getting her cleaned up and ready for next week.  

[MarkPBG]

Must be nice having seasons. We only have two in Florida…Hot season, and Wet season.

[free2ride]

Mark, I used to live in Winnipeg, and there were only 2 seasons there -- winter, and mosquito.

[shinyribs]

Gonna be in the 60's tomorrow. I'm heading to the DMV in the morning and see if I can pass the driving test! Maybe I will actually have a motorcycle license tomorrow afternoon! *fingers crossed*

[TOOLS1]

Be sure to do the pop the clutch trick during the test. That will impress them.
TOOLS

[shinyribs]

 Are you sure? I mean...if you say so. Oh,that was good. I almost swallowed my tobacco I laughed so hard!

[rrgunslinger]

Yea, I got dumped on yesterday.

[shinyribs]

Failed my driving test todayMy bike would not turn inside the obstacle course they had set up. There was a series of six cones to weave thru,make a hard right hand turn and then a u-turn. It physically would not make the u-turn. I am not sure a stock one would do the course. But having my steering stops welded up to keep the clubmans from hitting the tanks cuts my steering to about half. I dont know what to do. This sucks in a HUGE way. Oh,and the woman had a seriously bad attitude about the whole thing. She was pissed to have to go outside and she ran me thru the ringer because of it,but that is a story in itself. She did inform me that the guy who comes around to set up the course has no problems running his scooter thru it. Yeah...a scooter. Whatever. Will your bike do a u-turn within a 10 foot square?

[rrgunslinger]

Sorry to here this, Check out the video "Drive like a Pro"  rent a scooter and go back.
 

[TOOLS1]

I told, you to do the pop the clutch trick.  My daughter never could pass the test on her Ninja 250. It could not make the turns either. Find a small street bike, or enduro to borrow, and go back. If, you were closer, I would let, you borrow my TLR 200. That bike will turn in 5 ft, or less.
TOOLS

[Piute]

                           Had to take a test like that back in cal.in 92 on a 87 low rider ,
                       Did it to fast and had to do it over slower he said ,was harder but did.
       last few were follows and watch there turn signals in mirror (fer directions)as they watched you.

[Piute]

                                                        SPRING

                                                 IT'S finallly here,
                         70s this week and I'm waiting on gaskets

[shinyribs]

TOOLS1 wrote

I told, you to do the pop the clutch trick. 

I did when I left the parking lot. I was pissed and got a decent little wheelie out of it. It made me feel better. I just want to ride legally (uh,  legally licensed that is anyway),I wasn't trying to join the circus with extraordinary balancing skills. Oh well,maybe my slow speed skills just suck. I'll go again next Saturday.

[Luke M]

I got my MC operator's license using my wife's Honda Metropolitan scooter.  Piece of cake. It's 50cc, so it needs a license.  If it's a licensed MC, you can use it for the test. It's the letter of the law, but not necessarily the spirit of the law.

Luke M

[MarkPBG]

Just pull up the front end and do the turn on the back wheel, You just lean a little and you can do a u-turn in a ONE foot box. :)
(best attempted on a rental) lol

and p.s._ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZx5RLSY02Y

THe uturn is supposed to be 10 feet deep, but NOT just 10 feet wide. You're supposed to get an average two lanes to make the turn, just like a car. 20-24' is the correct width for the test. Sounds like theirs is set up improperly. If a car can't make a turn in 10 feet, why should a motorcycle have to? They both use the same roads and the State cannot discriminate against one group of drivers.

I don't know about your state, but in FLorida, if you take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation class…which does not have such a short uturn test in it…you are exempt from the DMV test and it qualifies you for your motorcycle endorsement on your drivers license. (update, I checked the Florida DMV website and apparently, since 2008, the DMV no longer gives the motorcycle endorsement test…riders are REQUIRED to take a motorcycle safety course to qualify for the motorcycle endorsement) (doesn't sound fair that bikers need a 3 day training class, when the inattentive cell-phone using, texting, eating a happy meal while driving crowd just goes in a and takes a 10 minute test! WTF? Cars run into bikers MUCH more often than bikers run into cars! WHO needs the training? THEM more than us I say!) <rant over> lol

[shinyribs]

LOL! well,I never thought of that as a way to make the u-turn. Maube I'll hone my wheelie skills and try again!

What you said was the basic conversation I had with the "lady" testing me. I told her the bike would not make the u turn. I knew well before trying it. I could tell as soon as I pulled around back I was doomed. She said that if I couldnt pass the course then I had no business on a motorcycle. I asked if she rides,she said no. I told her that the course they have set up is a dangerous thing to attempt and that if ( refering to the cones) I ever encountered a road with a tree sprouting up every few feet that instead of weaving thru them like a circus attraction,i would just find another road. She didnt like that. When she got all attitudey-judy about the u turn i asked if her vehicle would make that turn. "Well,of course not it is an SUV!". Well,Im testing to ride the same roads as you drive on,why do I have to be able to make a turn that no other vehicle possibly could make? She also didnt like that. She really didnt like when I told her I rode over 100 miles that morning ( I felt like joy riding) before I made it to her test without killing myself and that i wasnt gonna risk dumping my bike for such a ridiculous course.Im sure I will not revisit that DMV for the test!
  The local community college has a riding course like you described. Once completed the DMV just mails you a license. It is $165,but it would probably be good for me to take anyway. I'll probably go that route. Do you think it would be frowned upon if I ride my bike to riding class?

[shinyribs]

Oh,and thanks for the link. I spent a good amount of time yesterday in the culdesac of the industrial park practicing my slow speed turns. I wonder what the guy reviewing the security camera thinks of me?

[TOOLS1]

The class here is $210.00. You should also get a discount on insurance if, you take the class.
TOOLS

[MarkPBG]

The class was $165 here, got me my motorcycle endorsement on the license, an insurance discount, and enough skill that I could ride my bike with confidence. ( bikes in the beginner class are provided here, they had 20 Honda Rebel 250's ) Before the class I tried to ride the bike I bought (bought one before learning to ride, because I was that cocky of a kid!) , and just kept killing the engine because I couldn't teach myself how to shift it. (lol…DUH) After the class I took a 100 mile ride across 2 counties, that was how much I learned in those three days!