Common sense questions my butt. I remember that part of the test. I nearly failed, just 1 more wrong and I would have been screwed. But I passed.

Here in Oklahoma, for motorcycles, its 6 month on a permit with another motocyclist or take a MotorcycleSafetyFoundation course (2 day course). Then after that, a quick written test of 20 or more questions (fail at 5 wrong). Then a drive to the tag agency to get a new driver's license for that speical "M".

 

Thats how it should be with all vehicles. And also sounds more practical. That sounds alot like how they do things down under.

We need to tighten up stuff around here. There was an old guy who wrecked his car today, yesterday a 79 year old woman drove several miles down the wrong lane on a 4 lane highway, killed a guy and his passenger on the motorcycle. Totaled both vehicles. Someone drove through the wall at the Supershoes yesterday here. I remember a while back someone went through the front window at the Fashion bug across town, someone also drove right into the movie theater too a few years ago. Right through the damn wall. You can still see the difference in the bricks in the wall.....thats what I call a 3D movie.

Theres so much bad driving in PA, especially here in Altoona. No one has ever heard of a turn signal before. Its like a foreign language.

 

I was the same way. I always stress out over tests, regardless of what they are. It's hard being a perfectionist.

 

I got my endorsement in 1987. 1 simple written test. That was it. No additional road test.
In 1993 a girlfriend took the safety course so I went with her. What a thorough class.
The road test was on Honda 250 Hawks (?), and I saw a few biffs, but it was an easy ride for the most part.
I thought it should have been way more difficult so that it really tested someone. It seemed like the state was just looking for the additional $$. Nothing more.

 

Congrats on getting your license!! I felt it was way too easy to get one here. A simple written test to get the permit - (Ride daylight alongside a licensed rider). I then obtained a list of driving schools who offered the road test. A friend of mine had just taken it and suggested one to me. I took it before I picked up my KLX a little over a year ago. This driving school supplied the bike, a 150cc scooter w/hand brakes. The test took me about 10 minutes and consisted of a simple navigation through cones. Forty bucks to them and another nine bucks to the Sec. of State (DMV) and I'm licensed. I did stick around long enough to watch the cone crusher after me fail on this little scooter, he looked like he was barely old enough to drive a car. Kissed his $40 goodbye. Scary #*it to think of someone just barely passing then jumping on a 160mph crotch rocket in traffic!!!

 

I am currently in the process of getting my license and let me say that you guys all have it easy compared to $/%"$ Quebec. Bare in mind that I live up north and for that reason, prices might be a tad lower if in a more populated area. But the process is the same throughout the province.

First off, cough up 700$ for the mandatory lessons (it rounds up to 1000$ once you paid the different tests). Then attend a 6 hour class telling you the basics so you can pass the theoric exam.

Next up is the first of three tests at our equivalent of the DMV. Thats a written test in wich any score lower than 27 out of 32 is a fail. If you succeed, you get the right to attend to a practical class on a closed circuit. I have to suffer that one for 22 hours divided in 5 blocks.

Then, I go back to the DMV, do a close circuit exam that will allow me if passed to ride on roads but only accompanied by someone with a real permit on a separate bike. If caught doing otherwise, 400$ fine.

And I have an obligatory wait of 7 months before I can show my face back at the DMV for the last part wich consist in a 40 minute drive with someone following in van.

Oh, almost forgot, the bike class is a "class 6" on our license. But depending on how many CCs you machine has at the exam, you will either get a 6b, 6c or 6d. To get "the works", you have to use a 400cc or more.

Talk about a freaking pain in the butt.

 

Congrats on Passing!
I heard of this test and never thought to much of it tell now.
I have twin sons that received there’s and told me that they had a hard time and almost didn’t pass. I just thought they were just joking with me. Maybe, three months ago an employee of mine told me he just passed it too.
Now, I'm thinking dum-a#$'s But after reading what you went though. Crap! I think I need to make it up to the twins some how. Cuz man did I give them crap. And a raise to one of my guys for the same. And man did I give him a hard time about it on the job too.
Now, in my defense. I'm 42yo. I got my endorsement when I was 16. There was no written test. All you did was ride in a circle at fast speeds and slow speeds. Then fast stops. That was it. Glad I did it then.
Congrats again

 

Yeah, thanks for the support. I wasn't even going to post anything...but I was killing time here and figured, why not? I didn't realize it would get such a good convo going....glad I did it.

 

Ya know whats funny? There is another DMV about 40 miles from here or so. And the town/area where I'm originally from is about 20 miles from here, and most people up there, including myself when I was younger and lived at home, went to the other DMV because it was known for being easier. Perhaps that's why I breezed through it when I was 16. I talked to a friend of mine who took his test for his motorcycle out there and he told me it was a breeze as well. Now, taking into consideration everything is relative, so it all depends on how you approach the situation mentally. Maybe it was easy, or maybe it was the same difficulty. He does have a sport bike though, so it would have been more "lean" friendly on doing those U-turns, figure 8's, cone weaving, etc. So point being, there's a good chance each state doesn't mandate a specific test, which I thought they would. Perhaps they are free to make up their own test within certain guidelines......who knows?

 

Congrats! I got my license about 10 years ago, but it was the same process you went through. I took my skills test on a DR650. The poor guy before me was in his 50's/60's and was trying to take the skills test on a huge, fully-dressed Harley Electra Glide. No ****. He didn't complete even one figure 8 before laying it down. He bailed before it hit, but that pig was so heavy it took 3 of us to right it again. Everything on the right side was smashed and dangling, and they wouldn't even let him ride it back home because a turn signal was smashed.

Fast-forward to last year. My girlfriend was trying to get her license, but failed the skills test (she put her foot down twice during the figure 8s). They told her she could take the PA Motorcycle Safety Course. She didn't want to do it by herself, so I said what the hell and took it with her. It was free, 2 weekends (4 days), and you ride their bikes (250 Nighthawks, 250 Rebels, and DR200's). The written part was the same test you take at the DMV, but the skills part was taught over 3 days. Basically you ride around a parking lot for 8 hours, practicing accelerating, shfting, braking, and swerving. Once you pass the class, you get your license (or in my case, an "atta boy"). It was wasn't hard at all, and she and I passed with flying colors. Some didn't though. When practicing, everyone did OK, but once they were told that a particular maneuver would count toward passing the class, some of them choked. The biggest problem was not using the enough front brake (and locking up the rear) during the braking test.