I got my "M" today !

[kudagra]

I just took the basic rider course and they sign off on the DMV paperwork. Just had to wait 2 weeks for it to come in the mail. $17, a new picture and my license now says CM.

[Larry D]

I could've taken the BRC and got my license that way as well. It's a 3 day course and I've found it difficult to find the time (it's been a busy summer) Not to mention it costs $50 for the course. I DO plan to take a course next spring, but, this only cost $20 total, $10 for the test and $10 to get my license changed and it only took 15 minutes.

[bwringer]

Congrats, Larry!

Marge got stage fright and failed her first time through. The examiner was kind enough to ask us to wait until the surly crowd of squids and biker bros was gone (maybe a third of these swaggering goobers passed -- fun to watch them slink away) and retested her with no one watching.

Her result? Flawless. Not one missed point.

I missed a point on mine for entering the braking test too fast, of all things. I stopped in the correct place without skidding (on a GS400 with drum brakes, no less) but for some reason you were supposed to be traveling in a certain range of speeds when you hit the brakes, and I was going too fast. Whatever...

Marge and I both took the MSF Basic RiderCourse, and I highly recommend it, no matter how long you've been riding.

I took the Experienced RiderCourse later and it was a complete waste of time, unless you really enjoy watching Harleys die. (Granted, that's amusing, but only the first 20 times or so.)

[Larry D]

How rude of me.......Thanks everyone for the congrats !!! I was a little wary going into the test, but I felt much better when noone was there to watch. I guess it's kinda like standing on the first tee with two groups behind you waiting to tee off.

I'm a goal oriented kind of guy and have accomplished what I wanted to this summer. I didn't plan on swapping engines but, you gotta do what you gotta do.....The next thing to do is get the bike looking as good as I can without dropping a whole lot of money. Then....years of simple maintenence and alot of riding !!!

[Buffalo Bill]

Beware the clipboard!

Big relief for you, I'm Sure! Congrads!
It took me 6 months of practice to pass my test, and It still was tough! Mainly because I was riding a Kawi EX500, it has an oversquare, 2 cylinder engine with 4 valves per.
I had to take the test with the bike in 1st or 2nd, and it would chug chug chug, or jump at the slightest throttle movement.
After I got my GS1100G I tried the course again, and with the smooth, low end torque of the G, it was a piece of cake!
Bill

[pontiacstogo]

After too many years of getting my learners permit each season, I finally booked for, and took the PA beginners safety course. The class consisted of two evening classroom sessions and two half-day parking lot sessions.

On the final day session, one of the instructors was demonstrating the 'stand the bike up in a corner to brake' excercise when he grabbed too much front brake and went down hard. I think his pride was hurt more than anything else .

Congrats on getting the full M license!

[GMSKEE]

M Licence

Congrats pontiacstogo,

I passed my M1 Exit to my M2 but because the MTO is on strike I cant do anything until they come back. I bet its a good feeling to have the Graduated licencing all done. I cant wait.

[Skateguy50]

Grats,

Here is Mass I did next to nothing to get mine... just showed up in the rain, found out my tail light burnt out on way in... replaced that while they tested the cars, then did a figure 8 in both directions, up the hill and back. All this in the RMV back entrance road.

If I hadn't shelled out a few hundred for my wife's course I think that is really the way to go.

Got about 8k miles on the road so far but still learning as I go.

[woodsietx]

+1 on the Congrats.

I haven't had to test for a bike license in 30 years. OMG that makes me feel old all of a sudden. I barely remember the test. I took it on what I think was a 1966 Honda 65cc something. I wish knew exactly what that bike was now. I'd love to have it back.

The bike had one safety issue that we had to take care of. The horn didn't work. Literally all we had to do was buy one of those little bicycle squeaker horns and affix it to the handlebar to get it to pass. Seems so silly looking back.

I passed with no trouble but I proved the next day I wasn't ready to ride on the road. I went to a friend's house on a 1974 CB350 twin. Dad had 2. My friend had an orange RD350 Yamaha that was a screamer. We took off for the town we went to school together in. Just outside of it were a couple of long high speed turns. You could go through them at the speed limit (55 mph) easily in a car. First one went left, second back right.

I went into the lefty too fast, for my ability not the turn, and dropped off the edge of the road. I got pitched off the bike. I was wearing a helmet fortunately. The gouges in it showed I probably wouldn't have survived, certainly not without long term issues. The crash broke off the clutch lever and dented the tank. My buddy had to drive it into town because I didn't have the skill to speed shift it. Dad came and got me. Wasn't happy about the crash but glad I wasn't hurt.

My point is that most of these motorcycle tests do not really test your skills. I'm impressed that Maine requires a road test.

It's in my plans to take the MSF course or it's local equivalent soon.

BTW, that same motorcycle pitched me off again 2 years later when it developed a high speed wobble going down the highway. I should have stuck to my 750 that day.

Woodsie

[DanTheMan]

After too many years of getting my learners permit each season, I finally booked for, and took the PA beginners safety course. The class consisted of two evening classroom sessions and two half-day parking lot sessions.

On the final day session, one of the instructors was demonstrating the 'stand the bike up in a corner to brake' excercise when he grabbed too much front brake and went down hard. I think his pride was hurt more than anything else .

Congrats on getting the full M license!

Everybody has a bad day, and it really sux when you happen to be the demo guy and it's your day for it. A friend of mine was doing the demo for that same maneuver and I was doing the yakking. He went down, but it wasn't the front brake, he's a real heavy guy, the suspension on the bike was maxxed, the tires were complaining, and our parking lot that we teach in at that tech college has always been on the marginal side. That day it was a little damp, and that combined with cold tires, his weight and a little gravel led to his downfall. He picked himself up, said "that's not the way to do it", and demo'd again, perfectly, made an oops into a teaching moment, we talked over contributing factors leading to dropping a bike.

[Steve]

Jerry the Motorman shows his 110 lb lady friend slamming a full dresser through the cones, and I'd hate to think that anyone on here would have to surrender to being less than a lady and cheating by using a smaller motorcycle.

Interesting that you should mention that. Our Goldwing chapter likes to book an entire class for the ERC every year. It is quite a sight to see a dozen Wings weaving through the cones, doing the figure 8s and all that. One year, the two instructors both rode Harleys. First thing they had us do was check the oil level to make sure we would not have any problems. We all kind of looked at each other and asked, "Why?" They did not accept our explainations that Goldwings do NOT use oil to the point of having to check the dipstick between oil changes. It may have been for the amusement factor, though, because they got to sit there and watch 12 Wingers peel off TWO pieces of Tupperware just to get to the dipstick.

.

[Ohioan]

I took the Ohio Basic Riders Course this past spring, never having been on a motorcycle before. I can't imagine someone getting a permit, getting a bike and learning to ride on their own. SCARY.

I came away from that course with A LOT of knowledge.

I had the best score of the day. I missed 5 points on the 130degree curve because I was going to slow in the curve. The instructors complemented me on my riding, and were surprised I'd never been on a bike before.

I'm going to take the course again in the spring. and then the advanced in the fall.

I rode a nighthawk 250.

[bwringer]

I missed 5 points on the 130degree curve because I was going to slow in the curve.

The instructors told me I set a new land speed record on that particular test...

They looked like this during the test, though:

We had Suzuki 125s, which have a LOT of ground clearance. Plus, it was nearly 100 degrees out, so the tires stuck like bubblegum.

[MelodicMetalGod]

The instructors told me I set a new land speed record on that particular test...

They looked like this during the test, though:

We had Suzuki 125s, which have a LOT of ground clearance. Plus, it was nearly 100 degrees out, so the tires stuck like bubblegum.

I didn't have to take the test, been license since 1987, but when I took th BRCII in 2006 on their Nighthawks and the ERC in 2007 on my GS, I railed the braking test in class...one the highest entry speeds and still the best stopping distances in both classes. When I was in the ERC on the GS, I had the oldest bike by about 20 years and it still hauled down faster than any of the new bikes.

I guess practice makes perfect!

[duaneage]

I lent my Hondamatic to someone for the test, no stalling that bike out or shifting required.