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I have my M1's and I'm about to take me M1 exit test (M2 test) and I'm really not sure what to expect... Will I take the test in a parking lot? Will they only be testin my handling skills or will i have to use signals and mirror/shoulder checks?
I would love it if someone could share their experience with me and i'm sure it could help other people too!
Thanks :)
School Course or Ministry test?
I'm taking a Ministry Test.
I was in a parking lot, and they test you on various things such as emergency braking, swerving, sharp turns from a stop, and such things like that. There were no signals, however on the emerg braking, onced stopped, a shoulder check should be done. It was pretty much all handling, it helps alot if you learn the "friction zone" of the bike before starting.
I failed, and have to redo. My problem was I was not sure what to expect. I took the RIDE program at humber college, which prepared us for the test. However when it came test time, they removed all pylons and we had to stay within white lines on the pavement, which were hard to see because i wasn't wearing my prescription lenses. I really wish I woulda brought them with me, however 2 days of training and not needing them what-so-ever, I thought i was fine.
Obv if your driving on the street you should have perfect vision, I however never rode a motorcycle before and decided to not bring my glasses in. Its uncomfortable with a brand new helmet that fits so snug. Im going to switch to contacts soon.
I just did mine (and passed).
There were, I think five of us (one was on a CanAm Spyder), so there was a lot of waiting around for everyone to finish their test sections, as you go one at a time. I waited in the shade while the others stood in the blazing sun:confused1:, but I think they all passed.
You pull up beside the examiner before a double row of pylons. The examiner will ask you where your turn signals, brakes, horn etc. are on your bike. They'll also test you on the hand signals for left turn, right turn, stopping/slowing. This part should present no significant problems.
Then you walk your bike around one set of pylons. Just don't drop it.
What I think is the hardest part comes next: the serpentine. You do figure 8's around sets of cones spread out like so:
. .
. .
. .
etc. I don't recall the dimensions (~10' standard?), and they'll space them differently if you're riding something more exotic. You go through the "course" once, then back again.
Everyone in my test group went around them pretty slow. One guy even put his foot down twice and still passed the section. I think it's difficult because bikes can wobble at low speeds, and you don't have a lot of room for a wide turn radius. Plus, who the hell does a slalom on an actual street?
Anyway, next up you drive between the colums of pylons. The only way to really fail this part is if you have no idea how to ride, or your bike malfunctions, or you karate kick a pylon.
After that, you drive in a straight line and brake to a full stop where the examiner tells you. It's not hard, although it could be a slight problem if the parking lot is slippery. When I did it on my LSM, the examiner was an idiot and deducted a mark because I went too slow even though he just shrugged when I'd asked hiim beforehand how fast I should go. For the full-speed test, the guy just said to go around 25kph.
If you pass all that, you go on the road. The examiner will stand at a vantage point and observe your driving. I had to go left from the parking lot, through one set of lights, then right into a driveway, right at a 4-way intersection, left into another driveway, u-turn out of the driveway (really an alley), turn right, right again at the 4-way, and then another right turn into the lot.
Just make sure you neither go too fast nor so slow that you don't keep up at all with traffic. Check your blind spots, and make it obvious you're doing so. Come to complete stops (none of the half-assed rolling we might otherwise do), yield right of way especially to peds, and always always signal when you change lanes or turn. Honestly, the hardest part here was remembering the route the examiner described:p
If you're nervous, remember the worst that can happen is you fail. Seriously. It sucks losing the $40 & having to wait for/travel to the test, but with familiarity & experience you're more likely to pass your second time. If you made it to the test site on your bike, odds are you're a good enough rider to pass the M1 exit.