I want to get cycle endorsment, I understand that I have take the written and eye test and the skills test if I don't take the course. Problem with the course is they all seem to be on my rotation at work. PTO is short this year. Only 5 medics in the county so trading aint goin to happen. Anyhow, i've read what skills are tested, but can anyone explain them better. Like speed before braking........ Any tips on practicing for this test cause I want to just take the skills test to get my endorsement, then when I have time take the class.

 

The Skills test was a complete joke. For instance I asked how fast I needed to go before braking and stopping with front wheel in the box. the instructor told me, "their is no minumin speed" so I asked if he wanted me to go 25 or 5mph, he said whatever you want to do. Step 2 was to ride down the parking lot at whatever speed you want, 180 around a pylon and ride back. Step 3 was a slalom course, once again any speed you wanted. The test has nothing to do with things you encounter on the road I was very disapointed.

If you drop your bike during any portion of the test you fail. I took the test with 3 others, 2 Harley's and a Yamaha WRX400. the guys on the Harley's were complaining that I had an unfair advantage on my KLX. The last test was the slalom and swerve around a pylon. The guy on a 82 full dresser Harley laid it down, then held the throttle wide open with the back wheel spinning, insructor and everybody else around went running.

What area are you in ? I live in a Suburb of Detroit, you can practice anytime at the CAI building I took it at.

 

Man, here I had to take both the riding and the written test.

Basically, if you can ride a bike really slow, like 3 mph and drive in and out of some cones and stay within the lines, you will pass easily. The speed and brake test was just accelerate to 20 before a certain line in the pavement, and then jam both front and rear brakes on and try to stop within a box on the ground without wrecking.

Actually, here they hand out a sheet that listed the tests, and I knew where they tested you so one night I just cruised up there and practiced the tests while no one was around.

Either way, the riding test is pretty simple. If 60 year old ladies can do it on mopeds, you can do it. Also, the KLX is one of the easiest bikes to do it on.

 

Ha ha, the day I did it I had two law enforcement guys doing it on a dr400 , a guy on a harley, and an old lady on a scooter.

The old lady jammed on her front brakes only on the brake test and did an endo and held it there for like 5 seconds with her rear wheel way up in the air. She landed it too without wrecking. I have never laughed so hard in my life. I thought one of the police officers was going to fall down he was laughing so hard.

Yeah, she passed too....................

 

LOL

I'll bet the instructors have some cool stories to tell on things they see. Back when all the yuppies ran out and bought a Harley was probably pretty good. :-)

I did take the written test first to get my learners permit, you can only ride with a licensed rider with the learners permit. I called a buddy and had him meet me around the corner from the test at a ice cream stand, he rode the 100 yards into the parking lot with me.

You would think the test might prepare you for the average non-cyclists that is texting, eating and yelling at the kids in a full size suv, going 20mph over the posted speed limit and runnng a red light in front of you on a bike, but nothing like that. The test is about as usefull as parking your bike in a parking lot.

 

I thought the test was pretty easy, especialy on the KLX (3 harley riders have used my KLX) but as far as useless I disagree. I think if you cant stop a bike quickly, ride a strait line, or make a fairly tight turn without dropping the bike you should not have a license. It definatly does not prepare you for crappy drivers and crappy road conditiions but I am not sure how I would design a test that anyone would consider realistic.


Cheers Jim

 

I took the course at Monroe Community College over a weekend. It was the basic rider safety course. I had never ridden a motorcycle before, but am an avid mountain biker and also know how to drive a stick shift. The course was actually very good, and I would recommend it--the best part is that it only cost $25 because it is subsidized by the State of Michigan. Get past the "academic" part on Friday night, and the skills part on Saturday and Sunday is great. Oh, and they provide the bikes!

At this class, you must pass the Michigan test (MOST) and the skills test for the course. There were 25 people in my class. Four dropped out after the first day of riding (they couldn't keep the bikes up), and six did not pass either the MOST or the skills test (if you don't pass their skills test, they don't let you take the MOST). Fortunately, I passed both tests with only one demerit point total, for taking a turn too slow.

The MOST test starts with a tight right turn and a tight left turn, followed by a controlled stop in a box. Then, there is a low-speed slalom, an emergency stop, and an emergency stop in a turn. All of these skills are covered in the class.

When you leave, you will have your endorsement and all you will have to do is go to the Secretary of State to pass the written exam. Pay to upgrade your license and you're legal on Michigan roads.

A lot of people take the class at Schoolcraft College. I took the one in Monroe because I heard the instructors were better. They were right. I thought it was great.

Anyone can ride a motorcycle fast, but learning how to control and handle a motorcycle when riding slowly is much more difficult. Parking lots, tight turns, etc. take the time to learn these skills.

 

I don't think I've ever heard of someone get serioulsy injured or killed from a parkiing lot accident. Riding at 45mph or more is where you better learn how to control your bike.

Stopping in a box from a 5 or 10 mph roll means absolutly nothing in the real world. When do you ever ride down any road at 5 or 10mph ? Let's see the panic stop from 45 when someone pulls out in front of you.

 

A little thing you can do to make your test easier is take up a little slop in your chain. Make it a bit less than normal and it will make the slow rideing turns, slolam and slow speed strait line a little easeier. Just make sure to adjust back to normal so you dont wear out your bearings/oil seal
Cheers Jim