Total Motorcycle Community Forums

You should take it as a sign that you are extremely responsible, and I would be willing to bet more skilled than %80 of street riders. The problem of height will always be there. I say its better to learn the difficulties of that in a parking lot as much as you can than in the streets. You probably have the skill to take the DMV course and pass it, but I suggest you take the MSF course one more time (only riding part) to defeat the doubt (in yourself) you may have. This may also give you more experience on dealing with whatever was the problem during the course.

We only have fun while riding the bikes, not falling off or being scared on it. I say try one more time. Your diligence is commendable and I applaud you. I hope to see you on the road one day.

Try your best and even if you don't pass again, don't get discouraged. You probably will still end up with your license. I suggest maybe an alternative is taking the ERC at the begining of every season. You should be fine, and you shouldn't give up.

Where did you take the MSF? They are all run by independent owners and although they all teach the same material, there is bound to be variations in teaching style. Perhaps you can take the class at another site where the instructors might be more inclined to give you negative feedback when necessary.

I believe, IIRC, that you are entitled to a free retest of the BRC skill evaluation within 30 days.

Additionally (at least in NYC) a permit does not entitle you to ride without an accompanying LICENSED rider within a certain distance (1/4 mi). I know that sounds crazy, but it is what it is....Check in your area tho

this guy's in California... learners permits require that he stay off the freeway, not ride at night, and not carry passengers (as someone else said)...

How many times is too many?

Well, its like Abe Lincoln is supposed to have said (and which is in a funny way appropriate here) about how long a man's legs should be. He said "Long enough to reach the ground."

Take it or the DMV test til you have the license. Whatever number that is, I guarantee is LESS than "too many."

Post pics on your bike when you can, so we can all show our friends that height is not an excuse not too ride! Have fun, keep us posted!

JC

are you sure the OP is a guy? dont know a lot of guys who are 4'9"

To my generation "guy" is gender neutral.

Hey all, figured I'd post an update to this. I don't like to leave things undone, so I took the MSF BRC course one more time this weekend. This makes the 3rd attempt for those that lost count. I got a Kawaski Eliminator 125cc - same bike I had for the first attempt. I managed a clean u-turn, clean swerve and clean corner. I got 3 points for exceeding the standard emergency stop distance in the rain. I prolly need to work on fast stops. Anyway I did pass with 3 points.

I had incredible instructors for this 3rd attempt - easy to talk to and very helpful. They provided plenty of criticism, good and bad. This was a definite improvement over my last class. I've filed a complaint against the instructors from the 2nd class since after the 3rd one I can definitely see they aren't doing their job.

Overall I'd recommend the MSF BRC course for a new rider or someone just coming back to riding. But it is a ton of information in 2 short days and if you've never ridden anything before that can be tough. We had 2 failures in my 3rd class - both brand new never ridden before riders. Stretch it out over two weekends if you can and find a small bike you can practice on in between to make it much easier.

For me the instructors made a huge difference - if you get instructors that are just there to watch for safety violations you'll likely not learn much. Find another course or different instructors. And wherever you take the course and whether you pass or fail - fill out that feedback form. The instructors are required to provide one - so make sure you get it!

The California DMV test is virtually impossible to pass and is designed for you to fail and go through MSF. The state of CA really doesn't want to take the time to do M/C testing. If you put your foot down ONCE you fail. In fact, I don't know anyone who has taken the CA DMV test and passed.

NorthernPete wrote:Do the DMV test. Its probably cheaper then taking the MSF again, but try and find out what you lost points on the last time, and work on those areas.

basshole wrote:The California DMV test is virtually impossible to pass and is designed for you to fail and go through MSF. The state of CA really doesn't want to take the time to do M/C testing. If you put your foot down ONCE you fail. In fact, I don't know anyone who has taken the CA DMV test and passed.

You're right about that CA DMV test. I spent an aftenoon practicing it while helping out a couple of friends that were scheduled to take the test. I couldn't pass consistently with the precision required by some testers (i.e. no foot touch and your tires can't touch a line) when on my 750. It was substantially easier on a Rebel and a Ninja 250, since they're small enough to allow you to see the lines you're supposed to follow.

I have heard that some DMV testers are more lenient than others, so that enters into the equation too. With the tough testers, I'd be surprised to hear of a noob passing it.

On that subject, I wonder if Governor Arnold has taken the DMV test. Wanna bet he'd get one of the easier testers?