Ninja edited to be more readable. I also fixed the typos:

Here in PA, it use to be all you had to do was walk into the driver license center, otherwise known as the DMV in other states, slap down your car drivers license and 7 bucks and your cocked and locked. Your free to do anything except: ride without a helmet (doesn't apply to me), carry a passenger (doesn't apply to me), or ride at night (under most circumstances, does not apply to me).

Well, they changed the law, not only does it cost a few bucks more, but more importantly, you have to take a knowledge test (this is for the permit, not the license). I have no problem with that. But whats funny is, before I had to take this test, everyone was like "oh I passed it, it's just common sense." I suppose being that the questions are randomized, they did get all common sense questions (either that or they're fibbing like alot of people tend to do). But when I went to take it, I didn't study because of what I was told (common sense questions) and I bombed that SOB. They weren't common sense questions, I can tell you that. It was typical standardized test crap. There's two right answers, so you have to pick the "rightest"....or none of them are right so you have to pick the least wrong. Or.. its just a total "duuuuuuuuuuuuh" question and your thinking, "why in the hell are they even bothering asking something like this?"

So basically, I just memorized the book as best I can, went and took the test like 2 weeks later and I JUST passed. This surprised the crap out of me. First time I failed it (I can understand why. I listened to others and didn't study.), and second time I just barely passed. I'm not stupid, I always did well in school and college. And here I am struggling at this crap. I didn't have this much trouble for my car test back when I was 16 years old. Breezed right through that. Maybe I've developed stupidity now and just haven't realized it because of the fact that I'm stupid.

So fast forward 1 year, exactly.

I go over to the DMV to take my permanent test (which is just performance). Ok, I've been riding machines of all sorts since I was 5 years old. Three wheelers, four wheelers, dirtbikes, streetbikes, snowmobiles, etc. And some of you are familiar with my freestyle history. If I can hit a damn ramp and land with no hands its suffice to say that I know how to ride a bike. Now, I'm telling you that to tell you this.......The instructor gave me instructions on the test. I had to go up this dotted line and enter this box from the middle. And let me tell you its a damn good thing I put my 13 tooth sprocket on. Because if I had my 14 I would of chugged along and either fell over, stalled out, or put my foot down. All would have been bad. I don't know if that's grounds for failure, but it would have been bad for me. I had to do 3 figure 8's in this box without touching the lines. On the first one I damn near put my foot down because I almost fell over. It was that tight. And being this bike is so damn high doesn't help either. After the first one though, I was fine. I ended up doing liek 3 1/2 figure 8's I think. So she waves me back down and I had to do a U turn in 2nd gear in this really tight area. There were those concrete mini medians they have in parking lots to keep you from going up too far in the space. They were on one side, and the other side had the full jersey barriers. I don't think it was more than 2 bike lengths wide. Then I had to go around the fake cones, which were spray painted dots on the pavement. I think I went through them too fast because I wasn't sure how fast I was suppose to go. I was instructed to go fast prior to that but was never told to slow down. I went through them all easily but the last one there was no way I was making so...in attempt to not look as if i miserly failed and just rode off, I cut the bars hard and ran up the middle of it. Then I was told to go fast toward the instructor. Then yank the clutch and hit both brakes. In which case I ended up skidding both tires on the pavement. It was fairly fresh and smooth surface. It didn't have the tar and chip sealer on top, like on a road, just pavement.

I shut the engine off, and she goes "What happened to my cone?". I'm thinking "oh F#ck, I failed." Please try to keep in mind my state of mind here. I had this permit since last year and barely passed the damn knowledge test. This was the last day for my permit before it expired. I wasn't procrastination, I just kept getting it put off because its a super pain in the *** to get setup for testing over there and had several failed attempts in synching up with them. And when I finally did get synched up my test wasn't for quite some time later, which ended up being the day my permit expired. So if I failed I would have to take the damn permit test again and, wait the prescribed time, then take the test again. And who knows when that would have been. May be later in the year when the weather is unpredictable again and it gets canceled. And even if I still had time on my permit, again I would to of waited the allotted time you have to wait, then reschedule the test and wait forever and do this again. Its a real pain in the ***. And not only that they aren't exactly descriptive as to what they want from you in a test and I feel that's on purpose to see if you can read between the lines and figure stuff out. So I didn't want to ask too much stuff and get labeled as incompetent. Because while I'm sure that's not a failure right there, should I happen to not ace the test, that may be taken into account tipping the scales away from me. Maybe I was thinking too much into it, but I really don't think I was. I think I was right on the money as to how it all worked.

I could go back over there right now when no one is around and do all that stuff at my own pace and do everything perfect, but who's to say that may way is their way as well, ya know? Anyway....So I'm sitting in the building and this guy that worked there wasn't doing anything...and he yells over the divider "how did you do?" I said, "I guess I passed, I'm still here." And the woman says "yeah, he did", I said, "it was harder than I thought, which is good." He goes "Oh, I think it should be harder" I just thought to myself. If it were any harder no one would pass that damn thing. If I had my 14 tooth sprocket on, I would have failed. If my bike wasn't jetted right, I would have failed. Because it would have stuttered or coughed out on me. If I still had my big *** cruiser bike, I would have failed hardcore. Knowing what I know now, it would have been worth it to go borrow someones 50cc bike and take the damn test on that.

Oh well, its all over. I got the class "M" stamp on my license now.....yey.

 

So they were common sense questions and you failed? LOL so is this where we pretend we are surprised? OH NO HE DI"INT!!!!! Just messing with ya man, thats awesome!! You are legal now. Unlike most of your girlfriends. DANG!!! I did it again. Sorry man. I'm just in a goofy mood I guess.

 

HAHA....no no, I'm saying they ended up not being common sense questions. I was told they would be, but in reality, they couldn't have been further from the truth.

I didn't go back to reread my post like I usually do. You know how it is, your typing and the way things come out don't always make sense or tell the full story.

 

hmmm... i guess its good to see a license being hard to get? working on the principle that if your that good that you can pass the test, you're probably going to survive on the roads?

Possibly it's actually easier for newer riders, who haven't developed a strong personal style of riding?

 

Yes, as I said, I appreciated that. It's good to see its not coasted through.



People say the same thing about shooting guns when going into boot camp. While I understand the logic, I don't think its 100% true. What the problem is is that some people are too stubborn to learn new things and bend to the will of standardized way. Your free to go back to your old ways when not being tested. But for that time period, you do as they say. Regardless of what it is, I can't ever find it to be a bad thing to get your feet wet testing something out before you do it officially. That way your use to how it feels instead of it being totally foreign to you. Or maybe that's just how my brain works. Either way, that's how I prefer it.

 

Glad it worked out. You were probably over thinking things a little, though. I do it too. When I took mine, there was me on my KTM, a dude on a scooter, and two bandana skull capped lawyers on big Harleys. Scooter dude went first and did so so, but he signaled correctly, was shaky yet still managed the cones, but did a freakin' stoppie on the emergency stop portion. No ****, pretty good one too. Don't think it was on purpose, though. Then it was my turn, I did everything fine, but skidded my rear tire a few feet on the emergency stop test. I figure, oh crap, that's it. I failed. Then Harley dude goes and I think he ran smack straight over every single one of the cones, could not turn that big thing around, could not signal correctly while simultaneously downshifting for the turn, and did just about everything wrong. I overheard him saying to his buddy, "I think that went pretty well."

The officer giving the test had us all go in the office where I saw Harley dude get handed his license. I just shook my head. And here I thought maybe I didn't pass because my rear wheel locked up for a few feet on the emergency stop test.

 

That's awesome lol. My dad has failed his license twice, and I could tell you it sounds similar to that situation with the Harley lol. His nickname is crazy legs, if that helps any...

 

Those might have just been the key words right there.

 

Wow, sounds like you were really frustrated with the process.
Congratulations on passing your test.

We have a 3 step process in Ontario.
M1 - is a written test showing knowledge of the the rules of the road. Then you have a 90 day beginners license that allows you to ride any type of 2 wheel rocket, only in daylight, one up, no superslabs.
M2 - Take a practical test with engineered turns, stops, etc. and a m/mouse written. This gives you an M2 license good for 4 years to ride anything on 2 wheels, anywhere, but zero alcohol.
M - Final motorcycle license. Is a 35 minute road test where we follow you in a van giving directions on the radio. We check for 400 items during the test including lane position in turns and 35 places where you should do shoulder checks. Miss 26 items and you are out. The only diff between this license and the M2 is that it is permanent and you can now drink and drive (up the legal limit), go figure.

 

I'll most certainly agree that I may have been over thinking.....the............strictness, of how well they grade you. But..I didn't want to take that chance, that's why I took it as seriously as I did.