So I failed the first time I took the test. It was a little rainy on the second day, and I was feeling really comfortable during the long curve practice session. We started with the left hand curve first, which has always and continues to be easier for me to do. I did that perfect every time. When then switched sides to do the right hand turn. I went into the first curve in 1st gear because I didn't quite pick up enough speed before the curve started. I was comming out of the curve and wanted to shift into second really quickly because I knew I had to pick up some speed before I goto the 2nd curve and because I was still not very good at shifting. Well apparently my mind had transposed the gear shifter to being on onside of the turn and not always on the left hand because that's how it was on the left-hand curve. So I pulled in the right lever instead of the left, locked the front tire, induced a skid which put the front and rear wheel out of alignment since I was still comming out of the curve. When I let go of the brake and the rear wheel started to roll again I almost high sided, but fortunately managed to tip the bike on the low side.

It was really cool because I was the only person to crash in the whole class. Most of the people there had been riding for years but needed to pass the class in order to ride their bikes at Fort Lewis Army Base. So I never got to practice the long curve going right, and i couldn't do the box because I hadn't managed to master the clutch yet. I failed the test because I got -10 for the box, -10 for missing the last cone on the curve, and -1 for taking 3 seconds too long in the whole curve exercise.

Take that all you perfect score people!!!

I went back a week later because I had to pass the test. In the mean time I bought the 2004 GS500F that is my avitar and got a learners permit from the DMV so that I could practice on my own. 2nd time around was fun because I rode a ninja 250 instead of the POS Kawasaki intruder that I road the 1st time. It was much closer to the GS I had been riding at home, and it felt alot more comfortable. When the test started I still sucked at the box, but didn't care because -10 is only half of 20 and I knew I could pass all the other tests. I did the quick stop in less then a bike length, and the swerve was super easy. The box I almost did, but barely touched the line twice once in each direction. I aced the long curve. Overall I got -10.

So yes I had to go back for the short bus lesson the next week, but I made it, have my endorsement, have a cool bike, and haven't had another accident since the class. I'm kind of hopping the one in the class going 7 miles an hour in a parking lot will count as my "it's not if, it's WHEN". 

Keep the shinny side up, and congratulations to all the perfect scores. I wish that my 1st MSF course was not also my first time on a motorcycle, and the first time ever operating anything with a clutch. I know that and the fact that everyone else in my class had been riding forever made me feel nervous I was embarassed and road like shaZam!. The second time was much easier because I was one of the best of the rejects that had to take the class again. Oh yeah and the second class was awesome cause it was mostly chics that all wanted to learn how to ride motorcycles.

Anyways, I just wanted to post my failure so that others would not feel bad if they did not get a perfect. I mean at least you did better then me!!!!!!!

Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on February 05, 2006, 02:43:39 PM
I think I was one point off from "perfect" because I got dinged for taking too long in one excercise. I don't think anyone completed it in the "reccomended" time, though.

same here, except I got dinged for not maximum stopping within 15ft...

I got through everything without incident up to the long curve (IIRC, that's the last part of the test).  My bike kept dropping out of 2nd into neutral running up to the turn so I had to hustle to pick up enough speed, got over-agressive and leaned over too far, lost sight of the last cone and crossed the inside line.  I think they gave me 15 points or something for the debacle. 

I ended up with the lowest score of all the people who passed (there were three who failed and two that didn't complete the session).  After the test, they corralled folks into two groups and led a bunch of us inside.  We were the ones who had passed, and they sat down with us and went over the results individually...where the points came from, what probbaly went wrong, that kind of thing.  The other group (those that didn't pass) hung around outside to wait for the afternoon session and try the eval again.

Quote from: pantablo on February 06, 2006, 11:58:23 PMsame here, except I got dinged for not maximum stopping within 15ft...

Should have locked it up like me...  I made it at the exact max distance...  One more inch and I would have been over.