Failed motorcycle road test today

Sorry for the above being a Yardley. But still amazes me. I hope to be that confident on the beast some day
practice all you want the Rocket will never and I mean never be able to do what that Harley is doing, we practice this all the time and we have a major competition at least once a year in my area, I have had some expert riders try the cones on my Rocket and they just laughed at it, one guy from Texas said thank god it can go fast because at slow speeds it handles like ****.

But that being said please prove me wrong I am all for practice practice practice.
 
Hmmm I'll have to check on it then. Find out the places in my area. I have found a friend that will allow use of his Honda Rebel if I need it. That would be cheating I suppose. Time is what I have a hard time with. My new job is not allowing anything happen to my plans. They didn't really like me taking time off to go to the DMV yesterday. They acted like it didnt matter but I could tell. I work six days a week with every other Saturday off. Anyways .... I still have a hard time understanding how going that slow maneuvering proves anything. I have put 20,000 miles on my Roadster, and who knows how many on my other bikes I have rode through the years and never once have I had to maneuver that slow to do dodge others, go through parking lots, parking decks and so forth. Passing that test really doesn't prove anything to me. Who in the hell is going to veer in and out of cones and do wacky stuff like that in normal daily driving? To me if you put yourself in that type of situation you shouldn't be riding a motorcycle. If they wanted to get "real" they should have gravel laid out there somewhere and have you turn around in it to really prove something. I mean things that motorcyclist encounter on a daily basis that can really mess your day up. So I learn how to veer through cones, turn around in a small box then forgot about it and never use that capability again?


Let me know when u plan on taking it again and I'll try to ride by and make it rain for u :roll:
 
All good advice about riding slow. All of the beginner courses teach mostly slow riding technique on their own bikes and then advanced courses where your bring your own machine. Slipping the clutch will not harm any "wet clutch" which the R3's have, but BMW and some others have dry clutches and it's to be avoided. Dragging the rear brake at slow speed is not going to harm your brakes nor add excessive wear (how often will you be riding slow?) The one thing I didn't see mentioned is to look where you want to go. Want a U turn, look over the shoulder. Always look where you want the bike to go. So when you need to make a slow corner, U turn or weave -look where you want the bike to go, ride the rear brake, slip the clutch and feather the throttle (hardly needed on a R3.) Oh yeah, and take the test on a smaller bike.
On another note, I've been to the Motorcycle Rodeo in Denver, CO. It is amazing to watch these Police officers, not only maneuver the cones without knocking them over, but they are also racing a clock for best time. They have different classes for Harleys, BMW and Honda/Kawasaki. All the Harley riders are scraping their floorboards on the tight corners.
 
Did all my lessons on my 1972 650 Tiger but used the riding schools Honda 250 after getting a seriously filthy look from the tester when I lobbed on my Triumph the first time. He wouldn't even take me out for the test on the Tiger. Got it on the 250 first crack.
When I turned up on my rocket to do the test they handed me a green vest to wear with a big L on the back
 
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