DMV Driving Test - California

For those who care to know, here is a description of the DMV driving test
that I took today (7/30/03) in Oakland CA:

The test is in three parts:
1. Part 1 they simply ask you to identify the following controls on the
bike:
(a) clutch
(b) throttle
(c) front and rear brake
(d) choke (my bike doesn't have one and the woman looked perplexed)
(e) starter
(f) gear shift

2. Part 2 is a pass fail driving test. You only get 1 try but she did offer
to let me practice once. The course that you ride on is in the parking lot
and it looks like a basketball free thow area with two tracks of lines on
the left and right and a large circle at the top. There are 4 cones in the
middle spaced fairly close together. Your job is to ride the bike without
putting the feet on the ground around the cones (without touching them) and
when you get to the circle to ride around it twice with your front wheel
always staying between the lines. Then after the second lap, you drive back
through the cones in the opposite direction.

3. Part 3 is also a pass fail driving test. You ride the bike through the
track on the right always staying in the track and then lap the circle twice
and finish by riding the bike back down the other track.

That's it.

Comments on how to pass: This test is really like trails riding - very slow
with a strong sense of balance. Since the DMV "course" are simply painted
lines on the parking lot, take the bike there after hours and practice a few
times. Also, using a light bike with a generous turning radius would help.

Good luck

Yeah, when I took the test here about 15 yrs ago it was the same. Seems
like the Harley guys get more than one try though....

Troy

"Milt" <miltr.TakeThisOut@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:5UTVa.4324$RM2.41898313@newssvr13.news.prodigy.com...
 > For those who care to know, here is a description of the DMV driving test
 > that I took today (7/30/03) in Oakland CA:
 >
 > The test is in three parts:
 > 1. Part 1 they simply ask you to identify the following controls on the
 > bike:
 > (a) clutch
 > (b) throttle
 > (c) front and rear brake
 > (d) choke (my bike doesn't have one and the woman looked perplexed)
 > (e) starter
 > (f) gear shift
 >
 > 2. Part 2 is a pass fail driving test. You only get 1 try but she did
offer
 > to let me practice once. The course that you ride on is in the parking
lot
 > and it looks like a basketball free thow area with two tracks of lines on
 > the left and right and a large circle at the top. There are 4 cones in
the
 > middle spaced fairly close together. Your job is to ride the bike without
 > putting the feet on the ground around the cones (without touching them)
and
 > when you get to the circle to ride around it twice with your front wheel
 > always staying between the lines. Then after the second lap, you drive
back
 > through the cones in the opposite direction.
 >
 > 3. Part 3 is also a pass fail driving test. You ride the bike through the
 > track on the right always staying in the track and then lap the circle
twice
 > and finish by riding the bike back down the other track.
 >
 > That's it.
 >
 > Comments on how to pass: This test is really like trails riding - very
slow
 > with a strong sense of balance. Since the DMV "course" are simply painted
 > lines on the parking lot, take the bike there after hours and practice a
few
 > times. Also, using a light bike with a generous turning radius would
help.
 >
 > Good luck
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->