Dang! 700 bucks is pretty harsh. You won't be forgetting that lesson for a while. Not if your wife is anything like mine, anyway.

I got mine in '90 when I was riding a Yamaha XJ700N. I was living in SC at the time and the road test was actually pretty challenging, at least for a 19 year old kid who was just learning to ride a bike on the street. They put you through the paces though. As I recall, they had railroad tracks painted on the parking lot at an angle to your path to see how you would handle them. They had a little hill built with lines crossing you path. You had to stop the bike on the hill with your front tire between two specific lines. You then had to start from that position without rolling back past the first line. The serpentine portion of the test was done with an "out of bounds" such that you could not take the loops very wide. All in all I would say they took the test pretty seriously.

My older brother had a Ninja in SC that he tried to use to take his road test. The turning radius on that bike was such that he was never able to do the wide serpentine and stay in bounds. He ended up borrowing a small dual sport bike to test on.

As for my MC endorsement, I had to retest when I moved to NC, but since then I have been able to maintain it. I even moved to Finland and it transferred there. That was pretty incredible actually, because it is extremely difficult and expensive to get a MC license in Finland and many other European countries. I never actually rode a bike there, but I am pretty sure I could have done so legally. When I returned to NC, my endorsement was intact, as it will be until the day I die.

I agree with Finger Mullet, though. I would love to spend some quality time with an experience off-road rider to learn some proper technique. I am sure that I could be much safer and more effective on the trails with some better "learnin'".

 

i have been pretty heavy into mountain biking, some pretty extreme stuff, i ride the same trails i do with th klx as i did with my mountain bike. I have found that all the experience i have learned mountain biking when it comes to balance and instinct on knowing what to do in panic situations. So even though this is my first motorcycle i feel right at home behind the bars and very comfortable in the woods on the trail. I did get my motorcycle license though, i had to pass a written test to get my permit, then to get the license you had to do 3 figure 8's in a painted box on the ground with out putting your foot down then weave in and out of 3 painted x's on the ground without touching them and go fast enough to show you know how to shift gears then stop with the front tire in a box for a "controlled stop". The instructer said i could make some money on the klx if i rented it out to take the test on... hehe.. it was easy for me. but i think the bike had alot to do with that, if it was a big harley or crotch rocket i think it wouldnt have been so easy...

 

When I got my license in 1975, if you could pull away from the curb without falling over you were good to go. After a 20 year absence from motorcycles, I bought the KLX. For the first order of business, I attended the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course. I'm quite a bit older than I was in '75, and I was thinking that there's probably more to riding a motorcycle than just good balance. Yes, I had some bad habits that were easy for the instructors to spot. I had considered myself an "experienced rider", as I had put many miles on that old KE250. It turns out that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I recommend the MSF BRC to everyone. They had a wide assortment of bikes to try, and in addition to being informative, I had fun! The skills I learned have already paid off. I keep wondering with the headlight on and the bright neon green color, how is it that anyone would ever pull out in front of me, and then I spot the cell phone...luckily, I have new knowledge, and the reflexes of a cheetah...

 

That's weird, me too. About 31 years older to be exact.

Don't take offence, warski. Just messing with you.

I am thinking about taking a class myself. I think I hold my own pretty well out there, but as much as I am going to be riding this bad boy (commuter), I need to be as safe I can. I have a wife and 4 little ones at home that want me around more than they want my life insurance money. I hope so anyway.

That would be kinda cool to ride a bunch of different bikes all on the same day. I need to check into what classes are offered near me. Thanks for the tip.

 

Since this is my first motorcycle, I thought it would be wise to take the MSF course and get my license. At the time I didn't know I would be buying the KLX. Since this bike gets so much attention on the road, I'm glad I have a license. The other day I had a police car pull up beside me at a light. I'm sure they did a double take when they saw me.

 

Ok, I'll weigh in here. First, That was No kool cop dude, 700 bucks. Wow. Perhaps you can throw yourself on the mercy of the court. I've always found, even if guilty the fine are usually less if you go to court to pleed your case. with those fines its worth a try.

Umm yes I have my license, about 2 years now. In florida it's pretty easy. Pass the written and you get a leaners. The written is real easy, lots of it is common sense. If you can ride a bike and understand how they operate and read the manual youre golden. You get your leaners and can renew it every couple of months for up to a year I think. The driving test itself was easy too. couple of lefts and rights, figure eights, etc. In fact I was on my Suzuki dr250 at the time and I asked the guy if I could stand while doing the slow speed stuff. Guy said sure. Taking the driving test on the klx is a piece of cake compared to a big bike like a harley or something. If you dont have a license and ride on the street you Need one no matter what Anybody tells you.

As to the MSF course I havent ever taken one but I hear nothing but good about them Even from Experienced riders with years of saddle time. It's a worthwhile invest if you have the extra cash.

My 3 Cents


LV

 

The road test varys from state to state. Depending on what your state requires (check the manuals) practice doing figure 8's and braking. Do the figure 8's to the left and the right. Also most states will have you accelerate and decelearate using your gears and stoping your front tire in a small square. As long as you have some practice on the bike the riding part should be no problem. It is much harder to go down a gravel road at 40MPH than it is to pass your driving test. I took the basic and advanced motorcycle saftey courses. I recommend both of them for beginner riders. Attending the basic rider course felt a little weird for me because I had been riding since I was 10 years old. There were kids in the course. I attended with a motorcycle cop from the local state police depot. They are required to take the courses as a part of there certification. Anyway, the basic course, is just as it says (basic) it covers and teaches a lot of the principles covered in your saftey guide that came with your bike. If you want to prepare in advance go to the motorcycle safety foundation website and you can download manuals to help you along.
I got lucky, I didnt have to pay for either course Uncle Sam requires me to take them so he took care of the bill. When you buy a new bike and dealership offeres you a motorcycle safety course. Take it! What they dont tell you when they offer it is that you often recieve discount coupons or in Honda's case "bonus bucks". A lot of dealers will give you that little piece of info after you turn down the course.

 

I know what you mean about taking it on a crotch rocket! I took my first in CA on a Ninja 600. Hardest part was driving in a small circle with double yellow lines. Had to keep the front tire between the lines had to do three left circles and three right circles. That was the hardest part