Shot in the dark

[benbangui]

Hey my bro in law lives in Santa Cruz. He is from Canada and has his Motercycle license up there but is taking his test at DMV beginning of June so he can have his M1 here.

Unfortunately getting a bike isn’t on his priority list at the moment and I had to sell the cruiser he was planning on using for the test. My 2 bikes are almost impossible to do the little circle on (Cbr954rr and cbr1000rr).

So, I thought it was worth a “shot in the dark” to ask the barf community, if anyone has a bike they don’t mind being a loner for a week or so?

I thought about maybe renting a bike for him but once you start adding fees up, might be a better idea to just take the class to get the license.

Let me know what y’all think and thanks for reading. Suggestions will be appriciated

 

[Abacinator]

opcorn

 

[benbangui]

opcorn

:rofl yea this gonna get dicie


I know the last 2 cruisers I had, I didn’t care if someone borrowed cause the only reason I had them was for friends to learn on. So maybe someone else has something similar.

 

[WeekEndWarrior]

Plenty of people out there renting scooters for the test. Keep looking.

 

[rodr]

A shame that California makes him do that. When I took my US license to Australia they converted it to a full local license, including the motorcycle endorsement. No hassle, no tests.

 

[Clem Kevin]

A shame that California makes him do that. When I took my US license to Australia they converted it to a full local license, including the motorcycle endorsement. No hassle, no tests.

Thanks Obama

 

[rsrider]

Thanks Obama

Ha! I'm pretty sure it has more to do with $$$$$. Fees for everything in this state are obscene.

 

[antidote]

If buying a motorcycle isn't a priority, why bother with M1?

 

[benbangui]

If buying a motorcycle isn't a priority, why bother with M1?

It’s my fault. I told him he could use my cruiser a while back. So he scheduled the appointment but I didn’t know he did. It had been a while, I needed the cash. Sold the cruiser.

 

[KittenMeat]

rent a honda ruckus and take the test. done.

 

[Entoptic]

Give him one of your sport bikes to train with prior to the test?

What’s the issue? It’s hard? That’s the point. Lend him the bike so he can learn. Don’t give him a bike that makes it easier. He learns nothing from that.

 

[fubar929]

Suggestions will be appriciated

Seems like there's no point in jumping through hoops to get your brother-in-law a license he isn't planning to use. There's no penalty for canceling the appointment, so that's what I'd do. If he thinks he might buy a bike at some point in the near future he could also show up, take the written test, and get a Learner's Permit. The permit is good for six months, IIRC.

 

[Blankpage]

Why does he have to do that if he already has a motorcycle license?
When I moved from New Mexico to California I just transferred my license.
When I moved from British Columbia to Washington it was also a simple transfer.

If California makes him redo the test does he go back to new rider status and given no credit from insurance as an experienced rider?
Blows

 

[mean dad]

Just ride the rear brake and deal with the circle. He's gonna have to do a U-turn at some point anyway, might as well learn how to ride a motorcycle.

 

[planegray]

Just ride the rear brake and deal with the circle. He's gonna have to do a U-turn at some point anyway, might as well learn how to ride a motorcycle.

crazy talk, I've only ridden in a straight line since 1979 :x

 

[fraz]

What’s the issue? It’s hard? That’s the point. Lend him the bike so he can learn. Don’t give him a bike that makes it easier. He learns nothing from that.

I'd suggest riding rear brake like mean dad suggested but there are some physical impossibilities here. The keyhole test behind Capitola DMV is hella tight as I went with my buddy in the evening to try some years ago just to see what it was all about. Well it's a stupid easy test, but the radius is so tight, bikes with a wider steering geometry or longer wheelbase bikes just can't do it. After a couple attempts and realizing it wasn't possible, I turned off my bike and walked it a few times with varying lean angles and still couldn't stay in the painted lines. This was with my 2007 GSX-R 1000 and I am sure other bikes may have quite different results. This 600RR seems to handle it fine.


youtu.be/paGQ5Vd08RQ

My buddy's DR-Z at the time he motored the radius easily and finished with a stoppie. I suggested he not do that in the actual test. :rofl

Bottom line, they should re-engineer the tests. Back in the 80's when I took mine in SoCal, the radius was much larger and distance between lines was a tiny bit bigger as well. Super easy though doable on any bike. Even back then I was amazed that these stupid tests were all that was required to take land rockets out on the highways.

My test was on my 1972 BMW R50/5 toaster and I put it in first gear and had to ride the brake all the way around.

 

[LakeMerrit]

I'd suggest riding rear brake like mean dad suggested but there are some physical impossibilities here. The keyhole test behind Capitola DMV is hella tight as I went with my buddy in the evening to try some years ago just to see what it was all about. Well it's a stupid easy test, but the radius is so tight, bikes with a wider steering geometry or longer wheelbase bikes just can't do it. After a couple attempts and realizing it wasn't possible, I turned off my bike and walked it a few times with varying lean angles and still couldn't stay in the painted lines. This was with my 2007 GSX-R 1000 and I am sure other bikes may have quite different results. This 600RR seems to handle it fine.


youtu.be/paGQ5Vd08RQ

My buddy's DR-Z at the time he motored the radius easily and finished with a stoppie. I suggested he not do that in the actual test. :rofl

Bottom line, they should re-engineer the tests. Back in the 80's when I took mine in SoCal, the radius was much larger and distance between lines was a tiny bit bigger as well. Super easy though doable on any bike. Even back then I was amazed that these stupid tests were all that was required to take land rockets out on the highways.

My test was on my 1972 BMW R50/5 toaster and I put it in first gear and had to ride the brake all the way around.

I believe you only have to keep the front wheel within the lines, not both. This should make the wheelbase less of an issue. If you search on BARF, you'll see we (can I say regularly now?) go to the Pleasanton DMV on the weekend and disprove all the "you can't do it on X bike" comments seen here.

I've heard you get 2 years worth of get out of tickets free cards if you do the whole test on one wheel :teeth :squid

 

[benbangui]

rent a honda ruckus and take the test. done.

If you take the test with a bike under 150cc they issue you a m2 license. Not a m1. :nchantr

Give him one of your sport bikes to train with prior to the test? What’s the issue? It’s hard? That’s the point. Lend him the bike so he can learn. Don’t give him a bike that makes it easier. He learns nothing from that.

Agreed. But you know how people that ride cruisers are... “my back” “that riding position bla :blah bla” :laughing
Also, we don’t live in same town and Then that means I’m without my bike I ride everyday. I have 2 street bikes but The 954 isn’t legal currently.

Seems like there's no point in jumping through hoops to get your brother-in-law a license he isn't planning to use. There's no penalty for canceling the appointment, so that's what I'd do. If he thinks he might buy a bike at some point in the near future he could also show up, take the written test, and get a Learner's Permit. The permit is good for six months, IIRC.

Very true, reality tho, is dmv sucks to deal with. there is only 1 hoop now, Just take the test. So at this point it’s easiest to just take it if we can find him a bike.

Why does he have to do that if he already has a motorcycle license?
When I moved from New Mexico to California I just transferred my license.
When I moved from British Columbia to Washington it was also a simple transfer.

If California makes him redo the test does he go back to new rider status and given no credit from insurance as an experienced rider?
Blows

Yea, I go to the dmv a lot and have come to the realization that they are all pretty much dicks with different answers a lot of the time. If there are 10 windows only one of them actually knows what they are doing and 1 of them is a nicer person. Unfortunately if there are 10 personality traits... none of the nice people traits are represented. So you might have just lucked out or the person my bro dealing with was a dick.


All in all guys, I’m definitely not asking anyone to borrow their everyday ride. Or anything nice for that matter. I had 2 extra cruisers at one point. I got both under $1500 and where fun at the time for people to learn on. It was during a buy and sell time I was trying to get my wife to take to the bug but it never stuck with her so the cruisers got sold. So I was just thinking, if someone else had a similar situation or a bike they don’t care about much... then it doesn’t hurt to ask

but something that should be noted...
I agree on the just practice with the street bike and learn how to ride part. But that’s what I think about everyone I see that’s riding around on a cruiser...
:rofl





opcorn

 

[benbangui]

I'd suggest riding rear brake like mean dad suggested but there are some physical impossibilities here. The keyhole test behind Capitola DMV is hella tight as I went with my buddy in the evening to try some years ago just to see what it was all about. Well it's a stupid easy test, but the radius is so tight, bikes with a wider steering geometry or longer wheelbase bikes just can't do it. After a couple attempts and realizing it wasn't possible, I turned off my bike and walked it a few times with varying lean angles and still couldn't stay in the painted lines. This was with my 2007 GSX-R 1000 and I am sure other bikes may have quite different results. This 600RR seems to handle it fine.


youtu.be/paGQ5Vd08RQ

My buddy's DR-Z at the time he motored the radius easily and finished with a stoppie. I suggested he not do that in the actual test. :rofl

Bottom line, they should re-engineer the tests. Back in the 80's when I took mine in SoCal, the radius was much larger and distance between lines was a tiny bit bigger as well. Super easy though doable on any bike. Even back then I was amazed that these stupid tests were all that was required to take land rockets out on the highways.

My test was on my 1972 BMW R50/5 toaster and I put it in first gear and had to ride the brake all the way around.

Totally and some the ground isn’t flat either. It’s like a carnival game... it should be easy... but it’s not. I bet you (in my made up statistic) that if 10 “seasoned riders” went to a parking lot right now to try it, only 3 would pass it.

It can be done, I did it on my sv650 and people do it all the time. But each parking lot is different and It’s definitely more like a carnival game IMO.

 

[SRAD600]

If you want an additional 0.02, it's totally possible on a SS. I took the test on an Rf900R (it was my first bike...yep :afm199 I know...) and I never took a class (just read the books and practiced in a school parking lot nearby). I passed the first time. Just takes practice (and balance).