My first bike: Helmet & California License Question

In article ,
Michael Black wrote:

> On Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:37:25 -0700, David White wrote:
>
> > The "keyhole" test means nothing.
>
> We agree.
>
> I think the whole point of the California keyhole test is to funnel even
> experienced riders into the MSF Basic Rider class.
>
> If the intent was to "teach" riders, then they'd allow people to take the
> advanced rider class ... but they don't.

Huh. They teach an advanced rider class every weekend, not far from
where I live:

http://www.motorcycleschool.com/sanfrancisco/index.html

--
Timberwoof <me at timberwoof dot com>
faq: http://www.timberwoof.com/motorcycle/faq.shtml
It's easy to say a war is so important your neighbor should go fight it for you.
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

David White wrote:
> Patti Beadles wrote:
>> In article ,
>> J. Clarke wrote:
>>
>>> That's not the impression I got from the DMV site. Is it in error or
>>> just misleading? If all one has to do is present one's existing
>>> license then I don't see what all the bellyaching is about.
>>
>> I just called the DMV, spoke to a senior technician, and got an answer:
>>
>> "If you move to California and have a valid drivers license from
>> another state, we will issue you the same class of license that you
>> had in the previous state. You only have to take the written and
>> vision tests."
>>
>> Problem solved.
>>
>> -Patti
> Thank you, Patty. What I was told originally is correct. But, Why did
> they make me take the lollipop over again?

They recognized a sucker when they saw one? <g,d&r>
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

Rich wrote:
> David White wrote:
>> Patti Beadles wrote:
>>> In article ,
>>> J. Clarke wrote:
>>>
>>>> That's not the impression I got from the DMV site. Is it in error
>>>> or just misleading? If all one has to do is present one's existing
>>>> license then I don't see what all the bellyaching is about.
>>>
>>> I just called the DMV, spoke to a senior technician, and got an answer:
>>>
>>> "If you move to California and have a valid drivers license from
>>> another state, we will issue you the same class of license that you
>>> had in the previous state. You only have to take the written and
>>> vision tests."
>>>
>>> Problem solved.
>>>
>>> -Patti
>> Thank you, Patty. What I was told originally is correct. But, Why did
>> they make me take the lollipop over again?
>
> They recognized a sucker when they saw one? <g,d&r>


DOH!!
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

In article ,
J. Clarke wrote:

>The joke is that California makes someone coming into the state with a
>valid driver's license take a test at all. In most states you just
>give them your old license and fill out a form.

In most states, you have to pass a written test but not a
driving/riding test to transfer an existing license. California
is exactly the same in this regard.

An experienced rider with a liter bike almost certainly has a
valid license from another state, and therefore does not have
to take the test or the MSF class.

-Patti
--
Patti Beadles, Oakland, CA |
pattib~pattib.org | All religions are equally
http://www.pattib.org/ | ludicrous, and should be ridiculed
www.urbanscapephoto.com | as often as possible. C. Bond
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

On Thu, 6 Sep 2007 15:29:35 -0400, J. Clarke wrote:

>> You obviously have never seen nor taken the California keyhole test.
>
> It's a 20 foot diameter circle with a 2.5 foot wide lane and a weave
> between cones (they use painted circles but it's the same idea).

That's close enough. The circle is 20 feet to the inside line and the width
counting the two lines is 2 feet 3 inches and they do use cones, really
small 1-foot cones on the five painted dots in the weave section.

> No magic there. You don't even have to make a sharp turn to enter the
> circle.

Depends on how you define "sharp" since you have to head in straight and
then immediately turn one way all keeping within the lines and then exit
the other way after two complete circles, where the intersection is a 90
degree intersection at the 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock position on the circle.

>> There's a diagram of it somewhere on the web in a PDF file I
>> remember seeing.

Here is a complete diagram with complete instructions.
SAVE THIS as it's probably the best there is on the web.
http://www.ducatigirl.com/california/dmv_moto_test.pdf

This information is good enough to post separately and save!
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

pinbob wrote:
> On Thu, 6 Sep 2007 15:29:35 -0400, J. Clarke wrote:
>
>>> You obviously have never seen nor taken the California keyhole
>>> test.
>>
>> It's a 20 foot diameter circle with a 2.5 foot wide lane and a
>> weave
>> between cones (they use painted circles but it's the same idea).
>
> That's close enough. The circle is 20 feet to the inside line and
> the
> width counting the two lines is 2 feet 3 inches and they do use
> cones, really small 1-foot cones on the five painted dots in the
> weave section.
>
>> No magic there. You don't even have to make a sharp turn to enter
>> the circle.
>
> Depends on how you define "sharp" since you have to head in straight
> and then immediately turn one way all keeping within the lines and
> then exit the other way after two complete circles, where the
> intersection is a 90 degree intersection at the 5 o'clock and 7
> o'clock position on the circle.
>
>>> There's a diagram of it somewhere on the web in a PDF file I
>>> remember seeing.
>
> Here is a complete diagram with complete instructions.
> SAVE THIS as it's probably the best there is on the web.
> http://www.ducatigirl.com/california/dmv_moto_test.pdf
>
> This information is good enough to post separately and save!

And if you look at that there are no "90 degree intersections", more
like 120 degrees.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

In article ,
pinbob wrote:

> http://www.ducatigirl.com/california/dmv_moto_test.pdf
>
> This information is good enough to post separately and save!

I have posted the link on my FAQ.

--
Timberwoof <me at timberwoof dot com>
faq: http://www.timberwoof.com/motorcycle/faq.shtml
It's easy to say a war is so important your neighbor should go fight it for you.
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

Patti Beadles wrote:
> In article ,
> J. Clarke wrote:
>
>> That's not the impression I got from the DMV site. Is it in error
>> or
>> just misleading? If all one has to do is present one's existing
>> license then I don't see what all the bellyaching is about.
>
> I just called the DMV, spoke to a senior technician, and got
> an answer:
>
> "If you move to California and have a valid drivers license from
> another state, we will issue you the same class of license that
> you had in the previous state. You only have to take the written
> and vision tests."
>
> Problem solved.

Cool--thanks for going the extra mile.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

You should find how to prepare for the California DMV riding test here
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-training/motorcycle-test
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

In article ,
Jim Benson wrote:

> You should find how to prepare for the California DMV riding test here
> http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-training/motorcycle-test

That's not what that page shows. That shows something very much like the
MSF final test I took.

--
Timberwoof <me at timberwoof dot com>
faq: http://www.timberwoof.com/motorcycle/faq.shtml
It's easy to say a war is so important your neighbor should go fight it for you.
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

Jim Benson wrote:
> You should find how to prepare for the California DMV riding test
> here
> http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-training/motorcycle-test

That's a very intersting site but it has nothing to do with
California. Note that it says that 39 states have adopted the test it
addresses. California is not one of them.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

In article ,
J. Clarke wrote:

>That's not the impression I got from the DMV site. Is it in error or
>just misleading? If all one has to do is present one's existing
>license then I don't see what all the bellyaching is about.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#two500

This suggests that you have to do the vision test and the
written, but not the driving test when you move a drivers
license. Since a motorcycle license is really just a drivers
license with an extra couple of letters on it, I believe it's
the same thing.

If I had a few minutes, I'd call the DMV and find out for sure.

-Patti
--
Patti Beadles, Oakland, CA |
pattib~pattib.org | All religions are equally
http://www.pattib.org/ | ludicrous, and should be ridiculed
www.urbanscapephoto.com | as often as possible. C. Bond
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question 

In article ,
J. Clarke wrote:

>That's not the impression I got from the DMV site. Is it in error or
>just misleading? If all one has to do is present one's existing
>license then I don't see what all the bellyaching is about.

I just called the DMV, spoke to a senior technician, and got
an answer:

"If you move to California and have a valid drivers license from
another state, we will issue you the same class of license that
you had in the previous state. You only have to take the written
and vision tests."

Problem solved.

-Patti
--
Patti Beadles, Oakland, CA |
pattib~pattib.org | All religions are equally
http://www.pattib.org/ | ludicrous, and should be ridiculed
www.urbanscapephoto.com | as often as possible. C. Bond
 >> Stay informed about: My first bike: Helmet & California License Question