California motorcycle driving test question (behind the wheel)

Dennis , Mike, Barbz, Tom and everyone else who shared your DMV test
experience.
Barb, thanks for your offer to help. Appreciate it.

I took my 'behind the wheel' test this afternoon at Clairemont, SD
(San Diego, not Dakota for the ignorant and passed it!
I practiced the circle on Sun evening at the same DMV. I couldn't do
more than a quarter to a semi circle to start. The 'turn the head 90
degrees' method was effective but I wasn't comfortable doing it for
more than 3/4 the circle.
So I used the caveat you guys mentioned "Look where you want to go" and
modified it a little bit. I looked roughly 7-10 feet ahead in the
circle , looking at the circle a series of small "geometric chords".
This worked better for me and in an hour I had it down. Repeated the
circle practice till I could do it like 9 in 10 times.
Kawasaki Ninja 250R. 2nd gear, started off trying pure rear brake
control with the throttle fixed at a certain level. You then
automatically start using a little bit of the clutch and throttle to
make adjustments as you get comfortable staying in the circle.

Felt great to pass it in my first attempt.

1. first part was the 'slalom' - there are a total of 8 cones or so
spaced around 8-9 feet from one another. These cones are in a straight
line leading up to the circle part of the lollipop - it is a 10ft
radius circle. It has a concentric corcle with a radius of aroun 12 ft.
The circumference of the circles are each painted 1 ft thick.
You can let the front wheel wander onto the lines.
They specifically say that they don't care about the rear wheel.

I had to swing between the 8 cones
- and just as I went past the last cone,
-had to enter the circle in the clockwise direction, do 2 circles, then

-exit the circle
-weave between the cones and get back to the starting point.

Just as I was finishing my second circle and getting back to the first
cone, I didn't have enough speed on the bike and had to swing wide to
accelerate.
She asked me what went wrong and I told her "I was too anxious to get
out of the circle, I forgot everything else". She smiled and let me
redo the exercise. I got it done right.

2. This was again a circle exercise. This time , I had to ride between
two lines towards the circle,
-do two anti-clockwise circles,
-exit the circle through another pair of lines - these are parallel to
the first set of lines I mentioned at the start of the exercise.
Something like this:
' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
' '
' '
' '
' '
' '
' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
|| x ||
|| x ||
|| x ||
|| x ||
|| x ||
Lines A Lines B

So you ride between the B lines, enter the circle (that ugly thing I've
drawn is supposed to be a circle), go around it twice, exit through the
A lines, ride all the way down.

The x's above are the cones I mentioned in point 1. You weave between
them and enter the circle in point 1.

3. Checking gear shifting:
Ride out of the DMV, turn from Balboa into Derrick drive, left turn at
the light into Genesee Ave, do a U-Turn at the first light you see,
return to the testing spot.

Thats it! So I saved myself the $235 I wanted to. YESSS!

It would be a good idea to get to the DMV a half hr ahead of test time
to practice the circle 3-4 times and get back your groove. Stay loose -
thats the key.

Madhu

 

Dennis , Mike, Barbz, Tom and everyone else who shared your DMV test
experience - Thanks a lot! Really appreciate your advice.

Barb, thanks for your offer to help. Appreciate it.

I took my 'behind the wheel' test this afternoon at Clairemont, SD
(San Diego, not Dakota for the ignorant and passed it!
I practiced the circle on Sun evening at the same DMV. I couldn't do
more than a quarter to a semi circle to start. The 'turn the head 90
degrees' method was effective but I wasn't comfortable doing it for
more than 3/4 the circle.
So I used the caveat you guys mentioned "Look where you want to go" and
modified it a little bit. I looked roughly 7-10 feet ahead in the
circle , looking at the circle a series of small "geometric chords".
This worked better for me and in an hour I had it down. Repeated the
circle practice till I could do it like 9 in 10 times.
Kawasaki Ninja 250R. 2nd gear, started off trying pure rear brake
control with the throttle fixed at a certain level. You then
automatically start using a little bit of the clutch and throttle to
make adjustments as you get comfortable staying in the circle.

Felt great to pass it in my first attempt.

1. first part was the 'slalom' - there are a total of 8 cones or so
spaced around 8-9 feet from one another. These cones are in a straight
line leading up to the circle part of the lollipop - it is a 10ft
radius circle. It has a concentric corcle with a radius of aroun 12 ft.
The circumference of the circles are each painted 1 ft thick.
You can let the front wheel wander onto the lines.
They specifically say that they don't care about the rear wheel.

I had to swing between the 8 cones
- and just as I went past the last cone,
-had to enter the circle in the clockwise direction, do 2 circles, then

-exit the circle
-weave between the cones and get back to the starting point.

Just as I was finishing my second circle and getting back to the first
cone, I didn't have enough speed on the bike and had to swing wide to
accelerate.
She asked me what went wrong and I told her "I was too anxious to get
out of the circle, I forgot everything else". She smiled and let me
redo the exercise. I got it done right.

2. This was again a circle exercise. This time , I had to ride between
two lines towards the circle,
-do two anti-clockwise circles,
-exit the circle through another pair of lines - these are parallel to
the first set of lines I mentioned at the start of the exercise.
Something like this:
' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
' '
' '
' '
' '
' '
' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
|| x ||
|| x ||
|| x ||
|| x ||
|| x ||
Lines A Lines B

So you ride between the B lines, enter the circle (that ugly thing I've
drawn is supposed to be a circle), go around it twice, exit through the
A lines, ride all the way down.

The x's above are the cones I mentioned in point 1. You weave between
them and enter the circle in point 1.

3. Checking gear shifting:
Ride out of the DMV, turn from Balboa into Derrick drive, left turn at
the light into Genesee Ave, do a U-Turn at the first light you see,
return to the testing spot.

Thats it! So I saved myself the $235 I wanted to. YESSS!

It would be a good idea to get to the DMV a half hr ahead of test time
to practice the circle 3-4 times and get back your groove. Stay loose -
thats the key.

Madhu

 

OK. Now start saving your pennies to spend on rider education.

Yes Sir!

btw, the lady who was doing my test was one by name Monica. She's
really friendly and cool. very unlike DMV officers I've seen elsewhere
- they act like their mission is to make you feel miserable.
This was a refreshing change.

 

OK. Now start saving your pennies to spend on rider education.

Yes Sir!
I live on my scholarship money and I live purely on my funds. Hence the
penny pinching

btw, the lady who was doing my test was one by name Monica. She's
really friendly and cool. very unlike DMV officers I've seen elsewhere
- they act like their mission is to make you feel miserable.
This was a refreshing change.

 

Wouldn't be useful at my DMV... If they're running motorcycle exams
that day, they're likely packed all day.

When I came in (with my course certificate) there were two "speed"
bikes, and a Harley there for testing (and a Harley rider with a very
dejected look on his face slinking out of the test zone)

And the facility, I think, is chained off on weekends.
--
Wulfraed Dennis Lee Bieber KD6MOG

HTTP://wlfraed.home.netcom.com/
(Bestiaria Support Staff: )
HTTP://www.bestiaria.com/

 

You mean there's another DMV office besides the one in Concord (Calif)
that's across the street from Home Depot? What an odd coincidence!

 

I wouldn't necessarily call it saving $235 but more like not having to
spend it, because you didn't get the education that the $235 would give
you, but whatever. If you are a totally inexperienced motorcycle rider,
perhaps you were a tad penny-wise and pound-foolish not to take the
course these days. Anyway, the course is still well worth your while,
because if you take and pass it, you will probably get a discount on
your motorcycle insurance.

 

Who's paying for your motorcycle insurance? If it's someone else, might
they be persuaded to foot the bill for your MSF course so that it will
lower your insurance costs?

 

Some people could stick it on the trailer...

http://postwhore.biz/albums/userpics/10156/DSCF0101.JPG

(But ask the dog first.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/RogerRamdrive/GradyWars.jpg)

 

Congratulations!
If you ever find yourself in a position where you can afford the
Motorcycle safety Class, I'd recommend it for your own good.
The highways aren't getting any safer!

--
--
Barb
Chaplain, ARSCC



"Comparing Scientology to a motorcycle gang is a gross, unpardonable
insult to bikers everywhere. Even at our worst, we are never as bad as
Scientology."
-ex-member, Thunderclouds motorcycle "club"

 

$80 for my first helmet, $270 for the KBC.
$180 for the jacket, about to spend $300 for kevlar.
$30 for the gloves, $50 for armored ones.

I'm a college student, too - but I want to live long enough to
graduate. Hundreds now < thousands later to put me in a pineboard bed.
Taking the MSF course this summer, before I get on roads with speeds
in excess of 35 mph. Heck, they even offer one every other month that
uses scooters instead of Ninja 250s - guess where I'll be?

- Ben

 

I'm 51 years old, long removed from a college I never went to.
$15 for the tank top, $5 for the flip flops, $25 for the shorts, $150 for
the Oakley's, and $10.000 for the GSX1300R. Oh, and $587 for the Shoei X11
helmet (fuckin helmet law).

Thumper

 

No common sense then? Heh.

 

They're very special kevlar riding shorts.

 

54 years old here. Vanson racing leathers $400 (25 years ago), 30 year
old army boots, gift from Uncle Sam. $30 for gloves, $110 for Snell
approved HJC helmet, BMW vintage racing hack $2000. I own the thing,
so I get to choose the driver. I have more fun scrambling around on it
at speed

Here are a few pics from last weekend.

http://tinyurl.com/ons65

The leathers have needed a few touch ups over the years, as can be seen
by the different shades of red.

http://tinyurl.com/p9zyy

This driver did pretty good for his first time ever driving a hack.
Note the back end kicked out under power.

http://tinyurl.com/o9nq4

Best part is you don't have to worry about falling down

Bruce

 

I've heard that before. Actually, I think you can be to smart to
function in daily life. Are you like that? You would have to write
many diffent "slangs" to be able for the people in this country to
"understand you." Can you do that?

 

*chuckle* That reminds me of another quote, which -- absolutely
sincerely -- I am not directing at anybody in particular:

"We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters
will eventually reproduce the works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the
Internet, we know this is not true."
-- Prof. Robert Wilensky, UC Berkeley

 

VEHICLE SHIPPING HELP:

Hi,

I need to ship my bike to Dallas , Texas from San Diego, CA . I'm
totally in the dark about the options available to me. U-Haul requires
you to have a car to which they permanently weld a hitch and their
quote is around $400. Driving from San Diego to Dallas would be super
painful.

Do any of you know of other ways of shipping motocycles ? Any
help/suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thank you
Madhu

 

You get on the bike, ride to Dallas, park it, grab a taxi to the
airport and fly back. 24 hours ride time. Sounds like fun to me.

 

Let's see...you want to live long enough to graduate? I'd guess the
motorcycle course rather than the one that teaches you how to ride those
motorized roller skates.

--
--
Barb
Chaplain, ARSCC



"Comparing Scientology to a motorcycle gang is a gross, unpardonable
insult to bikers everywhere. Even at our worst, we are never as bad as
Scientology."
-ex-member, Thunderclouds motorcycle "club"