Hey Guys:
I took the test here in CA without the MSF course. I had ridden for years and had an endorsement in MI some years back.
Written test was mainly common sense, but there's always a few off the wall questions that are really hard to get right. I remember there being a question I presume was about "countersteering", but that's a technique where a video is worth a thousand words. "push down on right handle-grip whilst leaning towards the...." You get the idea.
Anyway, the riding test was preposterous. It did not test your actual ability to ride on the street whatsoever. I had heard that it was tough, and here in CA it's well known that you can't pass it with a large bike of any sort unless you are an awsome rider. The tough part was riding around a circle that was about 8 or less feet in diameter, keeping your front tire within a band of 8 inches or so.
I practiced quite a bit though in the evenings before my test I couldn't locate the painted course at my local DMV -- so I just practiced riding in circles a bunch in some parking lot. I could turn around in a parking space
Day of the test there was 5 or so people watching, and some indian guy who obviously hadn't ridden a cycle administered the test. Couple questions about controls, then it was ON.
The course was sort of like a basketball key except long and thin. About 20 feet long, circle 8-feet and the key part was about 5 or 6 feet wide. Down the center was cones. Basically, you had to ride down around the cones, enter the circle, ride around it twice without your front tire leaving the circle, then ride back the other way around the cones. There was another variation, where you had to go around the circle the other way -- this was way harder. I could do the counter-clockwise circle easy, but the other way was tough.
I read online that you should turn in the idle screw to idle about 2000, so that in the course you can feather the clutch to control your speed. First gear at idle is much too fast, you can't do it at that speed. This saved my ass. Even so, it took me to tries to get the CCW circle.
I passed, but I have to say this didn't check anything except your ability to masterfully park your motorcycle.
A newbie friend of mine took the MSF course and was awarded his license the same day. When I tutored him on my motorcycle he had no idea what he was doing. He could barely even start out in first gear. Didn't know really how to change gears.
In his defense, he had NEVER ridden a motorcycle before the class. But I'm suprised he got a license. Under my tutelage however, in a big empty parking lot, he's gonna be alright and won't die.
Good luck, the state tests are ridiculous.
Zeke
