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I passed my test back in '72 on my Sportster. Back then, the instructor just told you to ride around the parking lot. If you didn't fall down by the time he finished filling out the paperwork, you past!
+1 in 2010
I had to re-certify for some reason, but that is all that I had to do. Oddly enough a guy in his 50s failed on a brand new Super Glide. All he had to do was ride around and make 4 left turns.
I've never taken one. When I started riding you didn't need one. And when one was required I was grandfathered in. I just went to the DMV and told them I need a motorcycle endorsement and they gave it to me. had one ever since
Lou
I took the California road test in 1975 on a 13-foot long custom, and there was no way I could make it around that small diameter circle portion of the track while keeping both wheels inside the lines. I told the inspector the test should accommodate any motorcycle that's legal to ride in California. But he wasn't going for it, LOL.
I rented a small Honda 350 and passed it that way.
Here's the current California road test (it's pretty much the same as then.)
I got my motorcycle endorsement about 25 years ago. At that time I had been riding for 10 plus years.
Anyway I tried to do the practical exam on my Yamaha XSEleven. I failed miserably. The next week I took the test again only I borrowed my friends 350 something or another. I aced the practical! The test can be passed on big bike like an HD, but you need to practice a lot and be very good at slow speed maneuvers.
It might be worth it to rent, borrow or beg a small bike to take the test.
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Finally took it a few years ago on a Suzuki 1500LC (a c-hair larger than the ultra I'm on now - length wise at least).
No problem at all for me. I had WAY over-practiced though. NOT saying it is the way everyone should do it, but I wanted to take the test on the bike I was riding instead of borrowing a smaller bike.
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