I passed my road test for my motorcycle license today. However; it was not as easy as it sounds - let me explain.
In Connecticut, you can apply for a motorcycle learners permit by paying $40 and passing a written knowledge (computer) test. Actually there is another $15 to update your regular license also. Why? I don't know......
Now you have 2 months to practice your craft with a few restrictions. You must wear a helmet (CT has no helmet law normally), stay off the highways, can't ride after dark and cannot carry passengers. Besides that you are on your own. At the end of the 2 months you can renew the permit for another $15., but you can only renew it once in a calendar year. This leads to problems that I will get to later.
After you feel capable of passing the road test, you make an appointment. Here is gets complicated. Road tests seem to be scheduled at the DMV branches on a rotating basis. Now I live 3 miles from a branch, but they did not have a test day scheduled before my permit (renewal) ran out. So I had to schedule a time at a location 50 miles away. Now, since I had already renewed my permit, if I failed, I would have to have the bike trailered back home; I decided to bring it in the back of my pickup. So I built a ramp and wheel holder and got straps to secure the bike. Not a fun thing but I was not the only one to do this.
I was scheduled for 8:30 and arrived a little after 8am. I got the bike off the truck (easy) and got in line in the DMV. I had to fill out some forms and they sent me out to wait for a few more riders to show up. Note - since we were the first ones there, we could have ridden the course - but we didn't know that - if you can do a practice ride, it would help.
They lined us up an we went through a series of exercises. Now there are some penalties. Putting your food down was 2 points, stalling was 3, I think, dropping the bike was a go home and not obeying instructions was 5. If you get more than 10 points you fail.
We all went through the first exercise, which was a sharp turn and stopping with the front tire in a 2 x 2 foot box. So far, so good. The next exercise was a slalom though a series of cones followed by a "U" turn in a half box. The first person was taking the test on scooter (Hint - I think it must be 125cc but this is a great idea - you will see why soon). The second person had a large cruiser and had to put his foot down twice in the exercise. 4 points already. I went next and went through clear (note under 500 CC and you have a slightly smaller half box to turn around in - so the smaller the bike, the better). The 4th person put their foot down twice and went wide in the turn and was told to try again another time. The fifth driver went through the cones the wrong way (after watching 4 people before him) and then went wide in the box. Bye bye to him also. Now, I will admit, that this is the toughest part of the test and really not representative a real world riding. More on this later.
Now there were 3. The next test was a quick stop. You had to accelerate up to 15 - 20 mph and then at a certain point make a "panic stop". The instructor could not see the brake lights but the riders ahead of me were braking too early. So I said I would do it right. I went up to 15 mph and then hit the brakes. The inspector came over and said I was going too slow! So he allowed me to do it again (he seems to give one mulligan to each rider per test). This time I went too fast and but still stopped fairly short, but he gave me 5 points for a long stop. I didn't know this until later.
The last test was swerve through a set of cones. I felt comfortable but there was always that doubt in your mind. After completing the maneuver, the inspector gave me my score sheet and told me to go inside. After parking the bike I looked at the sheet and it said "PASS" with the 5 point deduction. Now the guy on the scooter got a perfect score (0) and the other rider a 6 so I felt pretty good.
After await of about 45 minutes back in the DMV office, I walked out with my motorcycle endorsement on my license. Wheeew! Put the bike back on the truck and head on home.
Now there is an alternate way of getting your license - that is to take a safe rider course put on by the state. Here you don't need a permit, you take the course on their motorcycles and if you pass the course, the road test requirement is waived. The cost of this basic course is $165 or there about. This is a great program and how I would do it if I had to do it over.
If you are going to go the private route, make sure you practice and also pick a bike that you can handle. At this DMV (I understand each test course is a little different) the slalom was VERY tight. Renting or borrowing a scooter is a sure way of passing.
Now the editorial - Virtually nothing on the road test has anything to do with riding on the road. It is a purely skills test and a low speed test at that. Maybe the assumption is that if you can handle a bike at these speeds and show balance and coordination it will transfer to street riding. But there is no test of speed, lane presence, signalling, handling traffic, etc. I know it is complicated since you cannot take an instructor with you, however; maybe a State Trooper could follow you through a designated road and observe as part of the test. If I had just practiced the skills for the test, I would have passed, but be in no shape to ride on the street.
Also, if you don't time your permit and road test right, you might find yourself waiting a year to do it again. The 2 months is not enough time to properly learn and being able to renew it only once in a calendar year is impractical. I can see they don't want to have "professional permit riders", but unless they are going to force you to take a test after a certain time, that is what you end up with. People will get a permit for the summer and never have to take the test. Oh, and the bikes were not inspected as was expected, nor was rider gear required (besides a helmet). I think having full gear has to count for something, so I would wear it anyway.
So good luck and safe riding. Later, more reflections on the difference between a motorycle and a car - things I did not expect.
ChrisZ
PS: I just found this on the DMV web site:
"If your motorcycle permit has expired, the permit can be renewed once, for an additional 60 days, during the same calendar year in which it was issued. If this additional permit expires, you may obtain an additional one-day permit on the day of your test. "
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&q=244752
This has magically appeared and evidently the operators who schedule the tests are not aware of this. I have sent a e-mail asking for a explanation as to why I had to take a day off from work needlessly, when I could have taken the test a mile from where I work...... TBC
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