I got mine in Florida. Back then, all I had to do was ask for it. So, I never got tested. I bought a new bike and off I went, no endorsement. I have one now due to reciprocity. I probably still have no business operating a motorcycle.
-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
Just Ride.
- Thread starter Jim
- Start date
I rode from 1975, when I was 16 until 1983. I could have gotten grandfathered in but never did. When I decided to get back into it in 2016, I had to take the course. It was a bit humbling but I'm glad I took it. I learned a lot of bad habits in my youth, that the course helped me correct.
To be honest. I took the course. I had a friend who was an experienced rider get my new bike to my house. I poked around in the parking lot down the street on a couple of evenings and took the new rider course the first weekend I had the bike. I rode their bike. I did not drop it. So, I got some training, I just never had to prove it to the state.
At MCAS Yuma you needed a Motorcycle safety course to get a base sticker (permission to operate on military base roadways). That was 48 years ago. Curiously before that at Ft Bliss when I was in Radar School they only needed a valid DL with MC endorsement.
When I did some temp work at NAS Jax in '82, I had to take a M/C safety course too. I had totally forgotten about that.
Nother reason I love you Marty....
I got a Michigan MC endorsement on my driver's license when Dad bought me that Honda 90 at 17. Don't recall ANY training or testing to get that. I went through the USAF course while stationed at Clark AB, RP. When I transferred to Misawa AB Japan, it was rubber-stamped. It was rubber stamped again when I returned to Misawa 3 years later for a second tour. When I changed my residence to Maine my MI endorsement transferred to ME.
All from taking a half-day USAF course that, IIRC, consisted of an hour classroom on local and AF regs, riding a tight circle in both directions, a figure 8, a slow weave through cones and a 30-ish MPH "emergency stop".
All from taking a half-day USAF course that, IIRC, consisted of an hour classroom on local and AF regs, riding a tight circle in both directions, a figure 8, a slow weave through cones and a 30-ish MPH "emergency stop".
When I bought a new Suzuki B120 from Chatham Motorcycles in Edinburgh, the salesman asked about my riding experience - none. (Many years as a pillion, but none at the front.) Took me and the new bike outside, next to the kerb on a public street. He sat on the bike and demonstrated putting the bike into gear, moving away and stopping. Then he asked me to try. Stalled it the first time, so he explained a bit more about coordinating clutch and throttle. Pulled away successfully second time, so walking alongside he told me to change into second. Which I did. Then stop, which I did. Told me I could practice as long as I wanted to and went back into the shop. The sum total of my rider training.
The law changed a few years later, bringing in compulsory training before you could venture on a public road - a car park element with cones etc then accompanied on-road riding, theory test etc. All after my time.
Did my driving test a few months later - that was not very hard. Tester, on foot, observed you driving around a few streets, road positioning, priority at junctions, signalling, proper control of the machine, slow riding, emergency stop. And two or three theory and Highway Code questions.
The law changed a few years later, bringing in compulsory training before you could venture on a public road - a car park element with cones etc then accompanied on-road riding, theory test etc. All after my time.
Did my driving test a few months later - that was not very hard. Tester, on foot, observed you driving around a few streets, road positioning, priority at junctions, signalling, proper control of the machine, slow riding, emergency stop. And two or three theory and Highway Code questions.
I got my motorcycle endorsement here in Vermont over 50 years ago. Back then there was a written test with 10 questions and the riding test which required you to do a figure 8, shift up and down and come to a stop in front of the instructor. 10 years ago my son took the rider course and I went to see how it was going. While I was there I saw the instructor tell two people to go home because they couldn't keep a bike upright for 20 feet. I still don't know how the CFmoto guy managed to get a motorcycle endorsement. Maybe a little under the table cash was involved.
Here's a pic from the ride yesterday. I'm headed for the mountains in the background that are in New York across Lake Champlain.
I’ve ridden over there, but never crossed into Vermont. That was a long ride on an Eleven Special.
We've all heard the story about the tester who stood out in front of the wrong bike for the emergency stop test, and got run over.
My test was the corollary of that. I went around the course and came back to the test centre, without seeing the examiner any time.
I reckon he mistook another rider for me, but got lucky.
Indeed we have, don't know how often I've heard it. Actually tester stands on the pavement (sidewalk in N America) and tells you, If I move my arm slowly up & down, pull over and make a normal stop. If I hold my clip board out and suddenly move it down, stop as you would in an emergency.
Congrats on your easy pass, Grimly.
Last edited:
My driving examiner wasn't so lucky - same year, same test centre.
The emergency stop he instigated, I reacted so quickly, he wasn't able to brace himself properly and clattered his head off the dashboard.
He seemed a bit distracted as he wrote out the pass slip.
Lake Champlain / Upstate NY / Northern VT is somewhat familiar territory. Great riding roads in the area. Planning to do a ride to the Lake Placid area, hopefully soon. Whereabouts on Lake Champlain is that picture taken?
The downside is broken pavement. Otherwise, it's beautiful.
It's from a fishing access just south of the Champlain bridge off Rt 125. You can see part of the bridge in the pic.
Got it... much further south than I thought. Beautiful country down that way!
Make me laugh out loud!!! As a Quebecer, I always marvel how the roads in Upstate NY / Vermont, which are within 60 miles of Montreal, are comparatively impeccable. I am convinced that we must have some of the worst paved roads in North America. Some of the gravel roads can be excellent, however, as most are regularly graded.