Motorcycles.

[12,000 RPM]

It's damn near year round. Admittedly, I don't see as many people on bikes as I used to.

[CaminoRacer]

Honestly it might be too late for prime selling seasom

[giant_mtb]

It's damn near year round. Admittedly, I don't see as many people on bikes as I used to.

Bummer. Hopefully that price drop gets a sale. Nice chunk of change to take in.

[MX793]

Honestly it might be too late for prime selling seasom

Especially in a year round or near year round climate.  Tax return season is the time to try to sell a toy down south.

[giant_mtb]

I think my next bike will be a KTM Freeride.  It's exactly what I want, 'specially as a smaller guy (5' 10", 145lbs).  I'mma keep the 230L forever, but.

[shp4man]

I sold the Sportster. Sometimes I think about getting a smaller bike, maybe a 650 enduro, or whatever they call dirtbikes with lights and a license plate these days.

[Eye of the Tiger]

But ... a Sportster is a smaller bike 

[giant_mtb]

I sold the Sportster. Sometimes I think about getting a smaller bike, maybe a 650 enduro, or whatever they call dirtbikes with lights and a license plate these days.

You could get that, an ancient bulletproof design, and it will outlive you and three generations after. Or go more modern and get a CRF450L.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I sold the Sportster. Sometimes I think about getting a smaller bike, maybe a 650 enduro, or whatever they call dirtbikes with lights and a license plate these days.

I think they call them Dual Sports now! I still call them Enduros tho..... 

[SVT_Power]

Doing my road test tomorrow to get my full license. Let's see if the last 20k+ miles were enough to learn how to ride properly or not 

[CaminoRacer]

lolcanada

I'm glad I took my test (well, MSF course) in Kentucky. No graduated license there, just pass & get your full license. And when I transferred it to Utah, which has license levels, they gave me the full license still even though I took the test on a 250cc and normally ride a 550cc. (I think their levels are <599cc and >600cc)

[12,000 RPM]

Damn, so I'd need a stricter license for my 650R than I would for a ZX6R with nearly twice the power?

[CaminoRacer]

Ok I looked it up:

Less than 90cc
Less than 249cc
Less than 649 cc
650cc and above, no restrictions.

So 650R would probably be the same level as a ZX6R because I assume it's probably actually a 648 or 649cc bike.

[MX793]

Damn, so I'd need a stricter license for my 650R than I would for a ZX6R with nearly twice the power?

Displacement-based is so silly considering a 600 repliracer makes double the power of a 1200 Harley.  IIRC, Europe bases theirs either on power or power/weight ratio.  More sensible.

[CaminoRacer]

Displacement-based is so silly considering a 600 repliracer makes double the power of a 1200 Harley.  IIRC, Europe bases theirs either on power or power/weight ratio.  More sensible.

Yup!

[SVT_Power]

For us it goes M1-M2-M

M1: Only written test required, only good for 90 days. Basically just enables you to take the road test to get your M2.

M2: M1 + road test or approved safety course. Only good for 5 years, only difference between this and the M is 0% alcohol allowed with M2.

M: M2 + road test or approved safety course. Never expires, allows up to 0.05% alcohol.

So really M2 and M are practically the same thing. No displacement restrictions anywhere.

[CaminoRacer]

That seems unnecessary?

So you have to take another road test? Or is it a tougher test/course? Can you skip M1 and go straight to M2?

[MX793]

M1 sounds more like a learner's permit here.  Take the written test, get a permit (need to be supervised by a licensed rider).  That's good for like a year here instead of 90 days.  Then a road test or safety course gets you the full M endorsement.  The Canadian M1 seems kind of pointless.

[SVT_Power]

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure some insurance companies won't even insure you here with just a M1. Basically forces people to have to get their M2 via an approved course. Probably for the best anyway...

[CaminoRacer]

Oops I meant can you skip M2 and go straight to M?

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

The remote for my alarm bit the dust! Thank God i was at home! $137 for a new remote! 

[SVT_Power]

Oops I meant can you skip M2 and go straight to M?

Nope.

You need your M1 for a minimum of 60 days before you can get your M2. A lot of people, myself included, do their safety course before the 60 days and then just have to sit on their license until they hit the 60 day mark when the ministry will automatically bump your license to a M2 if you've done the course.

I think the M2 is a minimum of 22 months before you can do your M road test, or 18 months if you're doing another safety course. I assume the same would apply as the M1 where you can do your course first and then sit on it until you hit the 18 month mark.

Regardless, I'm done with all that shenanigans now 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Wow. South Carolina hands out MC licenses like candy. Joke of a written test= permit, jump on a Hayabusa and do 180 MPH, as long as it's daylight, and no passengers.
Riding test, accelerate, stop, weave through cones= ride at night with a passenger.

[SVT_Power]

I did get dinged 12 points during the test though. I don't know how many you can lose before you flunk it.

The tester at the end said I need to signal earlier getting onto the freeway, pretty much as soon as I'm in the merge lane instead of when I'm actually changing lanes. And also that I need to flash my brake lights earlier when slowing down instead of just gearing down, especially getting off the freeway.

Oh right while we were on the highway, she asked me to make one lane change to the left and then to the right. I moved to the left lane, then the semi in the right lane sped up and I got caught in no man's land where I couldn't speed up because speeding = illegal = fail, and there was a Bentley Bentayga riding my ass. After a few seconds, the Bentaga pulled out onto the left shoulder and flew by me.   

[giant_mtb]

There's an actual road test like that?  Does the instructor like follow you and give you a radio helmet so you can talk and stuff??

AFAIK, the "road test" here is just like...lines and cones in a parking lot.

[SVT_Power]

There's an actual road test like that?  Does the instructor like follow you and give you a radio helmet so you can talk and stuff??

AFAIK, the "road test" here is just like...lines and cones in a parking lot.

I THINK the M1 to M2 road test is actually done in a parking lot, but the M2 to M road test involves riding around town and also includes getting on/off the highway.

They gave me a walkie talkie with a headset plugged in to wear under my helmet (which surprise surprise took me a few tries to actually get on without taking the earpiece out of my ear), and the tester followed behind me in a car which was driven by someone else.

[shp4man]

In CA, we ride around in 15 foot circles in a prescribed figure 8 pattern for the M1, the full motorcycle license. Sound stupid? It is. You can rent little 250's and scooters just to do the test. It doesn't matter. Or you can take the CMSP course and forgo the roundy rounds.
The written MC test is no joke, though. You gotta study.

[MX793]

In CA, we ride around in 15 foot circles in a prescribed figure 8 pattern for the M1, the full motorcycle license. Sound stupid? It is. You can rent little 250's and scooters just to do the test. It doesn't matter. Or you can take the CMSP course and forgo the roundy rounds.
The written MC test is no joke, though. You gotta study.

I had an actual road test.  Drive around the block a couple times with a tester following in a car.  U turn, figure 8s and circles on a side street as part of the test.

I took mine like 30 minutes after a really heavy thunderstorm.  Roads were slick and wet and I had to dodge downed branches laying in the street.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

There's an actual road test like that?  Does the instructor like follow you and give you a radio helmet so you can talk and stuff??

AFAIK, the "road test" here is just like...lines and cones in a parking lot.

Same here....

[12,000 RPM]

I just did the MSF course and then went to the DMV

Motorcycle road test in NYC... I don't think anyone would insure that