Tennessee Motorcycle Endorsement - Road Test - Safety Class

[gmcjetpilot]

Well got my bike and did not have an endorsement. I let my endorsement

lapse in another state and moved to Tennessee two years ago. I did not

bother with a M-class endorsement to my DL at the time, because I was

not planning on getting back into bikes at the time.

 

I take the motorcycle written and get 100%. Then I make an appointment

to take skill/road test. THREE MONTH WAIT!!!! On top of that, there is

no "learner" or temporary motorcycle permit in Tennessee, unless you

are 15 years old. Then you can get a learner bike permit with the limit

of day time, w/i 20 miles of home and 650cc, which is not much of a

limit, since a 650cc can go 140 mph.

 

Say 3 months are up, I will have to trailer my bike to the DMV or have

someone ride it to DMV. You could drive it there and take a chance.

 

Side note, the bike is still registered in Texas where I bought it. I

assume I can't take the test on my bike unless it has Tennessee

plates? To get the title transferred I will have to get emission

tested. Again I will have to ride illegally to get to test station.

 

The other option in Tennessee is take an approved all weekend safety

class, both class work and bike work, on loaner bike. You take the

diploma to DMV, with cash, eye test and birth certificate, they issue M-

class permit outright, no testing. The wait for class is about 3-4 wks

and cost is about $300 + Friday evening and all day Sat & Sunday. I have

to say, I'm NOT against training, but I have to say Tennessee's process

for motorcycle endorsements is idiocy. The one DMV highly discouraged me

from making a road test appointment at their location; they said it was

because of the roads in the area. I agree roads (and drivers) in

Memphis are pretty screwed up. So I made appointment at a station 30

minutes drive north of my house, outside the city (verses 10 minutes

south). BTW I have no desire to cruise around Memphis, the bike is for

road trips away from the city. I'm too wise (old) to drive around here

on a bike; it is scary enough in a car with 8 airbags.

 

I was going to skip the class and do the DMV written and road test on

my 2004 R1150RT; that is why I took the written. However since the state

of Tennessee is abdicating their responsibility to license motorcyclist,

with their 3 month waits and Catch-22", where they don't give you a

legal way to drive your bike to the skill/road test, I guess I will fork

out the cash for a class or wait three months. I can borrow a friends

trailer to get the bike to DMV.

 

However the whole processes in Tennessee is ridiculous. They will not

issue a temporary permit to an adult rider with +20 years on bikes, but

they will issue it to a 15 year old, with limits, like 650cc. Again a 650

is not a limit, it's a rocket.

 

Signed Frustrated in Memphis...

[smiller]

I've to say I'm NOT against training.

Yeah, no one's against training, but the sort of thing you've described (and I experienced something similar in another state) is not uncommon. Requiring riders to be responsible and receive proper training is good, but the state has to be responsible as well. In my view if a state is going to require special tests/certifications/etc. for a motorcycle license they should be required by statute to provide the testing within a specified timeframe and a not-to-exceed amount, as well as establishing a reasonable administrative process without Catch-22s. This is the way most 'shall issue' concealed weapons permit laws are drafted, else it wouldn't be long before before there was a 12-month wait and a $500 fee.

 

But the bottom line lesson is don't ever let your motorcycle endorsement lapse these days as you may end up going through a lot of stupid hoops to reacquire it.

 

[BMW_Ken]

 

Side note, the bike is still registered in Texas where I bought it. I

assume I can't take the test on my bike unless it has Tennessee

plates? To get the title transferred I will have to get emission

tested. Again I will have to ride illegally to get to test station.

 

 

There is no vehicle inspection or emission test in TN, so you don't have to worry about that. Just take Texas title to county clerk's office, pay the taxes and fees and you will receive your TN tag and later a TN title in the mail.

[donbmw]

I lived in Memphis when I got my car license and motorcycle endorsement . This was in 73 and 75. It was't like that then. Out by Charles Baker Airport they had a driver license station. You where able to take written a driving test the same day. They had a special track for the driving test you did not get out on the main road at all. For me the car driving test was a joke. The instructer had me follow him while he was in another car. For the motorcycle test they had cones set up to go around, double lines to stay in and a stopping test. Times have changed. Did you ask why you could not get a temporary permit. The way I always read it 15 or older.

 

Don

[tallman]

I haven't read it, but it would seem that Don's take is correct, 15 yo>.

Won't hurt to check.

 

BTW, pretty sure our overseas members would not find this licensing process unusual.

 

Good luck.

[Lighthiker90]

New York State is fairly similar. Check your written exam notes and instruction form. Usually once you pass the written test, it becomes the temporary endorsement. However, you must have someone riding with you that has a valid license. This way you can legally show up to the test.

[donbmw]

 

Side note, the bike is still registered in Texas where I bought it. I

assume I can't take the test on my bike unless it has Tennessee

plates? To get the title transferred I will have to get emission

tested. Again I will have to ride illegally to get to test station.

 

 

There is no vehicle inspection or emission test in TN, so you don't have to worry about that. Just take Texas title to county clerk's office, pay the taxes and fees and you will receive your TN tag and later a TN title in the mail.

 

The City of Memphis when I lived there had a city inspection station that you had to go to. You were supposed to have your vehicle inspected wither you live or worked in the city. The county did not have this requirement.

 

Don

[Chris K]

I don't know where in TN that you live but I did s quick search for Nashville for the HD Riders Edge Beginners course and found many open classes within the next 30 days. You can search yourself here: http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/learn-to-ride/search-riders-edge.html?locale=en_US&expLvl=new

 

Completing this class will get you a motorcycle endorsement here in GA. You will have to check if that is the case in TN.

[aterry1067]

Maybe try another DMV? My older brother just took the skills "test" a couple weeks ago pretty much on a walk-in. May try a DMV in a smaller county.

 

The weekend class though is a good suggestion, whether you take the test at the DMV or not. If you are just getting back into riding, or starting anew, you will be suprised what you don't know/forgot.

 

 

And if you REALLY want to feel some DMV pain, come to MD.

 

 

[Deek]

Wouldn't it be interesting if they had a "skills test" for 4-wheeler drivers? My guess is 95% would flunk.

[gmcjetpilot]

Just finished my MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) Course, Fri,

Sat and Sunday. I passed and had fun. I recommend it for beginners

or experienced riders. Now I know what to practice with my RT.

 

I rode a GZ250 Suzuki. There was a mix of bikes. You needed to slip

(friction zone) the hell out of the clutch for many maneuvers, but

it is great to control low speed maneuvering. You have to do it

some times. Never rode a "cruiser" with pegs forward, don't like

it.

 

The final skill test was four parts. It started with a maneuver box

you enter, to make two tight U turns (really 210 degree turns

linked) with out going out of bounds or putting a foot down. The

BOX is NOT wide btw. You have to use balance, LOOK where you want

to go not down and use the friction zone to regulate the speed. I

got zero deduction points. You get points for putting a foot down

or going out of bounds. Dropping a bike was auto flunk. A few guys

really struggled.

 

The slow U turns went right into a swerve course with out stopping,

accelerating out the box to 15-18mph at a gate (two cones). As soon

as passing the gate you have to swerve left or right, get into an

escape lanes and then stop. You can't hit cones or go out of bounds

or back off throttle. If you do you will get deduction points.

That was fun, and I got no deductions.

 

Then we regrouped and did the emergency stop. You had to ride at

another gate in 2nd at 15 to 18 mph; when at the gate (no sooner)

you initiate an emergency stop. From a stand still to the stop gate

they time you (you have min time). You can't go too slow. You get

to stop gate, stop, using both brakes, assuring you down shift to

first before putting your left foot down first then right. I got 3

points off for going a foot over the allowed distance for my time

to gate. All day I was hauling and braking aggressively. For some

reason I decided to ride slower and brake smoother... No big deal.

However I have never emergency stopped the RT....

 

Last was a sweeping 135 turn that requires you to slow and

maintain speed an/or accelerate.... You have to look ahead and use

the apex, enter outside go to inside and then outside. You stop

next to rider coach's. They take your score and time. The lines

you have to say in are fairly narrow and obviously you can't hit

cones or go outside lines or go too slow. I got two or three more

points off for something.

 

You pass with up to 20 deduction points, 21 points is fail. So 5

points ain't bad, but it was the worst I rode all weekend. All 10

riders passed, one got 20 points. I could see steady improvement

through the weekend with some of the weaker riders. A few said they

never rode a motorcycle and they did pretty good. The 20 point guy

was new to bikes. One was a gray hair who said he rode a lot and

was a little scary (Yikes).

 

We broke for lunch and came back for a 50 question multiple choice

exam. I got a 100% on that.

 

I'm most definitely going to practice some of these skills on my

bike. I'll find an empty parking lot, get some "cones", and

practice: emergency stop, slow U turns and so on. I'm not going to

abuse my clutch as much I did the training bike (with wet clutch),

but the slipping/friction zone was fun to play with and USEFUL! I

had been slipping the clutch 30 years ago, I just never knew it was

an official technique. Of course I always avoided abusing clutches

on cars or bikes.

[lkraus]

Signed Frustrated in Memphis...

 

Still frustrated?

 

 

As you know, your RT will not tolerate clutch slipping like a bike with a wet clutch. Keep the revs down while slipping the clutch, as long as you do not smell the clutch plates heating up, you should be OK. Dragging the rear brake can slow and stabilize the bike until you are moving so slow you must slip the clutch. Like everything else you learned this weekend, it takes practice.

[gmcjetpilot]

Signed Frustrated in Memphis...

 

Still frustrated?

As you know, your RT will not tolerate clutch slipping....

Like everything else you learned this weekend, it takes practice.

Not frustrated anymore. Have the diploma. I'll be at DMV tomorrow morning before they open to get M-class endorsement.

Yea I was frustrated, 3 month wait, no easy way to get to DMV for road test (legally), but that is old news. Moving on.

 

Despite my past experience and this safety course, I'm going to practice.

I'm a perfectionist and want to master my bike. Also I don't want to die.

It all is coming back instinctively to me again, after my hiatus.

I put almost 800 miles on the my RT when I bought it and drove it from

San Antonio to Texas.

 

Here are some stats I recall:

37% of bike fatalities are single vehicle (just one motorcycle)....

75% of the single bike accidents involve going too fast into turns....

Most car & bike accidents involves cars turning left into the bikes right of way.... on and on.

All the bike skills will not save you, unless you use superior head work as well.

[Matts_12GS]

Simple cones are tennis balls cut in half, we used them in my local club for teaching slow speed maneuvering. I learned the hard way to get my butt off the seat, stomp the back brake and get my head turned around behind me in the real tight stuff, but I learned.

 

I think that these kinds of skills are the ones that make going fast easy. They are great for confidence building and give you some valuable skills for everyday riding.

 

If you are up for it now, practice on the RT some, and take an Experienced rider course, basically the basic course, but on your bike. Then go practice some more.

 

Above all, practice the braking drills. Threshold (e.g. no ABS) braking is one of the best skills you can learn and will make your ABS much more effective.

[gmcjetpilot]

Simple cones are tennis balls cut in half, we used them in my local club for teaching slow speed maneuvering. I learned the hard way to get my butt off the seat, stomp the back brake and get my head turned around behind me in the real tight stuff, but I learned. I think that these kinds of skills are the ones that make going fast easy. They are great for confidence building and give you some valuable skills for everyday riding. If you are up for it now, practice on the RT some, and take an Experienced rider course, basically the basic course, but on your bike. Then go practice some more. Above all, practice the braking drills. Threshold (e.g. no ABS) braking is one of the best skills you can learn and will make your ABS much more effective.

Great advice and echo's what the riding couch's said. I could see, braking and swerving (but not at the same time) is critical. Of course there is SEE: Search, Evaluate & Execute and keeping time and space between you and threats... so you don't have to use those skills. Reading about ABS failures I am going to test mine from time to time.