Run over 2x4s - lift your butt off the seat and dook dook!
Stopping while in a curve
U-turns in a tiny box
Pausing, then go!
Driving on a straight line super slowly
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| Hey look it's me riding over a giant piece of wood! |
Yes there is a skills test at the end! If you're a crazy person like me, you're going to feel, "Holy shit a test!!" and then the immense pressure comes. Another thing that helped me was advice from Lion_Lady on twowheelfemales.com. She said to think of the test as a RECITAL. You're just showing the ridercoaches what you've learned. It was amazing how much those words helped! I mean, the course can't expect you to be perfect after a few hours of riding, right?? Besides, you get to practice right before the "recital". Pretty much the only way you'll fail is if you fall off your bike.
You're tested on:
U-turns - Fail if you put your foot down!
Quick stops
Cornering - Pretty lax on this. As long as you don't fall off you'll get points.
Swerves
After doing the skills drill, the coach will either direct you to the back of the line to repeat it, or direct you to an area to mean that you did it fine and are done. I am proud to say that I didn't have to repeat any part of the test and Coach John said my U-turn was perfect!!! When I got the okay that I was done with the test and started heading towards the staging area, I don't know what happened, but my hand slipped and I rolled on the throttle and started jerking forward just like the first day!!! I ran over a shrub and hit the magical red emergency button to kill the engine. I was like, "What the hell was that???" This time I was less panicked and not so shaken up about it. I think I was just excited to have passed the test...
Everyone passed the course!!! My classmates were great. No one dropped the bike at all during the course, which I hear is common and no one failed. We exchanged emails in hopes to meet up again and go for a ride together.
Next step: Get my license!!! You'd figure that I would make a trip to the DMV asap to get it, but I procrastinated. It is required to take the M1 written test AND the written driving test. Booo!! A month after taking the MSF, I sucked it up, studied the handbooks, stood in a long line, and took both tests. Thank god I studied. The questions were NOT common sense. I passed on my first try! Yessss!!! I am now a licensed motorcycle rider! My BF and I celebrated the best way I know how: FOOD! Went to La Fondue in Saratoga, CA.
After doing the skills drill, the coach will either direct you to the back of the line to repeat it, or direct you to an area to mean that you did it fine and are done. I am proud to say that I didn't have to repeat any part of the test and Coach John said my U-turn was perfect!!! When I got the okay that I was done with the test and started heading towards the staging area, I don't know what happened, but my hand slipped and I rolled on the throttle and started jerking forward just like the first day!!! I ran over a shrub and hit the magical red emergency button to kill the engine. I was like, "What the hell was that???" This time I was less panicked and not so shaken up about it. I think I was just excited to have passed the test...
Everyone passed the course!!! My classmates were great. No one dropped the bike at all during the course, which I hear is common and no one failed. We exchanged emails in hopes to meet up again and go for a ride together.
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| My completion card! |
In case you're interested, there is a series of 5 you tube videos from this guy that explains what he was tested on for the riding skills part. It may vary place to place, but I'm pretty sure I was tested on the same stuff.
Next step: Get my license!!! You'd figure that I would make a trip to the DMV asap to get it, but I procrastinated. It is required to take the M1 written test AND the written driving test. Booo!! A month after taking the MSF, I sucked it up, studied the handbooks, stood in a long line, and took both tests. Thank god I studied. The questions were NOT common sense. I passed on my first try! Yessss!!! I am now a licensed motorcycle rider! My BF and I celebrated the best way I know how: FOOD! Went to La Fondue in Saratoga, CA.
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| Me posing with my paper license! Excited to see M1 next to my name =) |
Now I gotta practice, practice, practice!!
Posted 2/24/11
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