| Author | Message | ||
     Johnnymceldoo |
So I opted to just do a lot of riding on my temps which Ive had since last November rather than take the motorcycle rider course. I scheduled the test for this coming thursday and am trying to practice some of the obstacle courses. Today I tried the staggered cones course. 5 cones are placed 12 foot apart and staggered 2 feet. You have to go around them the long way or outside the cones. I found it to be very difficult. I dont know if its just because Im not used to such low speed turning or if its the turing radius on the steering. I can do a U turn in the middle of the road no problem. Im hoping those that have took the test can give me some pointers. One thing I didnt do was lean. I pretty much depended on the steering which doesnt give you much at low speed. Heres the layout of what I was practicing:  | ||
| Hughlysses |
Johnny, There are several BadWebbers who are MSF instructors; hopefully one of them will speak up. IIRC, the trick is as soon as you are approaching one cone, shift your eyes to the next cone. If you try to watch the cone as you steer around it, you'll run over it every time. Remember the rule "you go where you look". | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
Remember the rule "you go where you look". Ain't that the truth, Ya know I looked at a stone wall once......and Only ONCE!  | ||
| Xb9er |
Going through the cones you have to do in 2nd gear speed range from 12-18. Do yourself a favor and take the BRC, its easy, fun, free, and will help your insurance. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
An old observed trials rider once said "anybody can ride fast, but not everybody can ride" There is something to be said about that. You will do fine. | ||
| Dhalen32 |
Johnny: I am one of those MSF RiderCoaches. Look 2 cones ahead instead of at the cone you are going around at the time. If you can use 2nd gear, lean the bike and control your speed by slipping the clutch (we call it using the friction zone) things will smooth out. You can also use a little rear brake to control your speed. Do not touch the front brake! Dave | ||
| Johnnymceldoo |
Thanks guys. Im going to try it again tomorrow this time leaning the bike. | ||
| Tdiddy |
The DMV test I had to take made you ride through the cones than around a 12' circle like 3 times one way, than 3 times the other. I leaned the bike WAY over and sat on top of it. It felt really wrong but made it way easer to control the bike at such a slow speed. If you can, before you take the riding test, practice the course. There might be other people testing around the same time and you'll gain a lot just watching. If your really lucky, you might see a bad to the bones weekend biker try and pass on a 800+ lbs hog. Good Luck. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
I also teach the class, my preference is first gear, lots of clutch feathering and a lot of rear brake drag to modulate speed when I do this on my own bike. I concur with Dave, look two cones ahead. Don't worry about speed too much, slower is usually better as long as you can counter weight (as Tdiddy explained, lean the bike but you are almost on top of it, it's an interesting practice). The rider course is fun and you would probably learn things you'd be surprised at. I know it has saved my butt a number of times. Hopefully at some point you can take the class. Good luck, -Mike | ||
| Phat_j |
also, what bike are you taking the course on???? piece of advice, find a small bike to take it on... such as a blast, or a ninja 250 or something..... makes life alot easier. | ||
| Leftcoastal |
Ditto on what Phat said! The CA test is a 'keyhole' shaped thing with a circle about 12' on one end - You have to go around it a couple or 3 times one way, then the other way, and back to the start. Silliest thing you've ever seen. Of course, if you can do those maneuvers, you're guaranteed to be able to whiz thru 5 lanes of 75+ mph Hummers and semi's jockying for position while their drivers are on the phone and drinking a latte! When I moved to CA in '78, I took that test on a 1967 FLH, which is slightly lighter than a bulldozer, but without the nimbleness. Still not sure how I passed the test! | ||
| Dick8008 |
I've gotta speak up. The MSF class is awesome! You learn a lot from that class, more then just riding. I'd recommend it no matter the outcome of this test. But yeah, 1st gear and feather the clutch. | ||
| Phat_j |
i'll agree with that too.... you really should take the course.... | ||
| Johnnymceldoo |
Incredible is all I can say after today. I practiced for roughly an hour and a half. This time I used 1 quart oil bottles as my cones instead of 10 gallon buckets. I couldnt make it through without knocking down a bottle. On my last run I walked the bike through on foot. I found even this method to be difficult. I had to virtually touch the bottles almost to make it through. I did find it easier to stand up on the pegs but Im not sure if this is allowed on the test. My bike is a 97 S1 pictured in my profile. I thought it would be cake with the short wheelbase but Iam finding out different. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Well if I was the tester I would not be so concerned with the technique as that you were able to operate your bike well enough to pass. That said I hope you don't have to be fully standing, but, when you ride that way you are probably counter weighting the bike through the turns - that is keeping your weight outside the turn so your body leans independently from, or opposite that of the bike. Am I making sense? Let me try to explain, on approach to the cones at a (slow to moderate) controlled speed, sight in on the first cone, once your bike is committed then check the next cone. Once you've passed the first cone you should look ahead to the third cone - this is how you are looking two cones ahead. As I said before, once the bike is committed to a path of travel (turn-in initiated) you need to find your next point of focus. It's tough to explain without you seeing it in practice, then doing it yourself, once you get the trick of where to look the rest comes pretty easy. Learning to turn properly at low, and faster speeds is where you want to get skill, cause if you don't turn eventually your gonna hit something... | ||
| Deton8r |
I just took and passed the MSF course today and I'm glad I went that route. I do know where you're coming from and had considered just practicing on my own like you are. Since you still have a bit of time, run down to your local bookstore and see if they have a copy of Motorcycling Excellence by MSF or Total Control by Lee Parks. Each book has a small chapter on slow speed bike handling. There is a great picture in Total Control of a guy on a huge full dress HD doing a u-turn that really drives the counterweighting concept home. I highly recommend the MSF course to anybody on the fence. When you practice on your own, you don't get any coaching on any bad habbits and/or poor technique that you need to correct. | ||
| Hdbobwithabuell |
Getting the "M" endorsement is cake but your bike ROCKS!! | ||
| Johnnymceldoo |
Thanks HBbob. I think I figured it out today. I found some clips on google of the test and noticed the markers are small and low to the ground and not the big tall pointy cones. So I took some small 4" steel plates and laid them out. Still had some difficulty till I picked my speed up to 5-10 mph. The extra speed let me swerve better rather than just going as slow as possible. I also U-turn better now. I should be good to go by thursday. | ||
| Fez |
if you want real fun, try it with gravel all over the course. i let my license expire years ago and since i didnt have a bike i didnt get the motorcycle endorsement at the time. got my buell and had to do the test. i was pretty pissed when the whole test course was covered in sand and gravel. but made it through no problem. much better than the guy with some enormous kawasaki h-d clone did anyways. | ||
| Xbullet |
i did the DMV test on a road king. then i went back on my sportster and passed it.  | ||
| Tdiddy |
When I took my test, there was this grey haired guy, said he'd been riding for 40 years on his different Harleys. Didn't need to practice. When it was his turn (there were 4 riders testing) he damm near broke his foot while driving in the circle. He was yelling at the tester from the DMV, saying you'll never need to turn that sharp!! The tester said you will if you want a license. I almost fell over laughing. That bad dude biker didn't pass that day. | ||
| 99buellx1 |
Some speed definately will make it easier. Without speed you cannot lean the bike, and as you have proven by walking the bike around the cones, bikes dont like to turn without leaning. Keep practicing, but take the MSF course too. There is alot more to being safe on the road than passing a DMV driving test. | ||
| Djkaplan |
I took my MC written and riding test the same day in August of 1978. I was 16. The riding test consisted of me riding my dad's PE250 Suzuki dirt bike (that was registered for the street) behind an instructor who was giving a lady a driving test. He said he'd, 'keep an eye' on me while he rode in the car. I just followed the lady through some cones and stopped at a stopsign... and passed. That was it in 1978. I remember the girl who was typing the new license information was so pretty, I immediately responded 'yes' when she asked me if I wanted to be an organ donor - I didn't give it a second thought. I said it so quickly, she giggled... it took me awhile to understand why. I still remember that girl's face. | ||
| Xbullet |
i remember a lot of girls' faces.... just can't remember all their names....... hey johnny -- today's the day. good luck! | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Johnny did ya pass????? | ||
| Interex2050 |
Best of luck on the test today! | ||
| Bcordb3 |
good luck today | ||
| Johnnymceldoo |
I passed! Just barely though. I must have practiced that cone weave for 5 hours every and still messed up on the test. I ran over the 4th cone and missed the last one. Then I had to put my foot down on the U-turn at the very end. I could all it all again and ace it but I think I was a little nervous. I did the other tests perfect which is what saved me. Your allowed 10 points against you max to pass and thats what I got. At least it over and done with! | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
congraz..... now your legal so what did you do about the turn signals | ||
| Johnnymceldoo |
I put the stock ones on last night. Only took about 20 minutes. I got alot of questions about the bike while I was running all around town taking my test and getting my endorsement. You just dont see too many Buells out. | ||
| Xbullet |
congrats! now take those stock turn signals back off. |
