Friday, April 17, 2009

Remember if you fall over your disqualified!

That was a pleasant thought! After I had about six instructions as to what I was to accomplish in the motorcycle skills test, that bit about falling was the last thing I needed.

But I should start from yesterday when I was practicing going around the cones over in the church parking lot. I wasn’t having any particular difficulty, so this morning, I decided to go give the test a shot.

A kind of spur of the moment decision, that I never thought about all night, like I would have had I planned all along to go on Thursday. Its about 13 miles up to the test location, so I was quite tired when I got there. That didn’t help much.

Since there was no one around the cone course, I did a preliminary run thru the weave course and made it without any incidents. Well then, lets go get this out of the way!

The test was four separate parts, thru a forty foot set of four traffic cones. Set about 13 feet apart. They are spread about three feet wide. The first is a foot and a half right of center the second left and so forth. So you are forced to weave around the outside long way.

First you have to ride down the center really slow so as to take more than 10 seconds or 15 I’m not sure, but I went really slow and had to stay within the yellow lines in between the cones. Then the weave. Then accelerate to 15 mph and stop quickly. I didn’t go fast enough, the first time, but you get two tries at each element. Last was accelerate and stop with your front tire in a square box painted on the course. And just like that it was over.

On the way back to the office the officer told me had I failed, I could have paid another fee and taken it again. It was $20 to take it the first time, and $1.50 each time after that. So he said it isn’t that you are not going to pass, it just depends on how quickly you get the skills done so we know how much it is going to cost you. Very few folks go away without the license. (Unless you fall over, LOL.)

This time I had to surrender both the Instruction Permit and my Drivers License, as the new license that will be mailed to me is a Class CM. So I am back to the paper, just passed the test license, that I had a week ago when I passed the permit.

And I was so worried that this would be excessively hard. Now I can take passengers and ride at night. But not Loyce, she said there was no way she would ride on that thing! OK dear!

Retired Rod

2 comments:

  1. Hmmmm, so before I ride as your passenger I'd like to know what the final total was for your testing.

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  2. I missed one question out of twenty five on the written, and had no points deducted on the skills test. And it cost the original $20 and no more. But the written cost $10, two weeks ago, so I have $30 in the whole works.
    Now wouldn't you and I look grand on top of a 150cc stepthru scooter? Kind of like two packaderms on a tricycle!

    ReplyDelete

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