MA Road Test (Lowell)

[hurstshifter]

Hey Guys,

So after 5 years of riding I'm finally deciding to get my license (yes I've been riding on a permit this whole time ). I was just wondering what the MA road test for bikes is like? If anyone has taken this at the Lowell branch that would be some nice info as well. Thanks.

[spicy]

i only know one person (one of my brothers) who's actually taken a motorcycle license test at an RMV/DMV, the one that used to be in Reading. he rode his ninja 250 there, the cop told him to meet him out behind it in the parking lot, asked him to do some figure 8s and circles, which he didn't do with his feet all the way up.

the cop shrugged and said "well, you're a pretty bad rider, but you did manage to get yourself here, so meet me back inside and i'll approve your paperwork."

pretty much everyone else i know got their license through the MSF course. it's a pretty extensive parking lot test (extensive, but certainly not exhaustive), and if you pass you wind up with your M license.

not that you don't know how to ride after 5 years, but i'd suggest doing it through the MSF course just because you can always benefit from some formal education. it's not too expensive, and it ends up paying for itself since it's gives a 10% discount off your insurance. plus it's fun as hell ripping around on someone else's bike in an empty parking lot -- i always thought of it as roughly motorcycling's autocross equivalent.

[LiononaLeash]

I'm sure its changed since...

I showed up for mine back in the early 90's, the cop saw that it was raining, looks at me and said, "Well, your not bleeding. So you must have done ok. Give me your permit."

He puts a stamp on it and I go get my license. I kid you not about this. I was beside myself. No wonder so many folks were getting hurt on motorcycles.

[Pittenger5]

I had to do 3 figure 8s in hte back of the DMV. THat was it.

[Kham]

I kid you not about this. I was beside myself. No wonder so many folks were getting hurt on motorcycles.

why? you didn't get hurt. knowing how to do figure 8 and pay attention on the road are two different thing. is it not?

[Jim]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8330/4.5.0.131 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)

I took the road test on my gixxer 600. I had to do two figure 8's, then two circles (reversing each time). Then show the hand signals, and through gears 1-3 up and down in the parking lot to show I could shift.

The guy was on his cell the whole time talking to his wife. Said he has a sport bike and rides with his son all the time. Very easy test.

I had a friend fail becuase he forgot to flip down his visor, so remember that.

[LiononaLeash]

why? you didn't get hurt. knowing how to do figure 8 and pay attention on the road are two different thing. is it not?

They kinda go together I think. Paying attention is only part of what can get you, or keep you, out of trouble.

In an emergency situation(typically little or no warning), if someone doesn't have reasonable skill to stop/manuever their bike, they can get hurt in a crash. Some things suddenly come up. Paying attention just reduces the frequency of those occurances, but it can't eliminate them.

I guess my point was that the test back then didn't really check for rider competancy very well. They often would pass folks that didn't have a reasonable set of skills needed to ride a motorcycle without relying too much on hope and luck, to stay out of trouble. It was a long time ago and I'm sure its changed(I would hope?).

Hmm... maybe 'll go for my pilots license in MA.

[e30addict]

Hmm... maybe 'll go for my pilots license in MA.

The feds get you on that one. It is easier than you think though.

[Omahastylin16]

Hey Guys,

So after 5 years of riding I'm finally deciding to get my license (yes I've been riding on a permit this whole time ). I was just wondering what the MA road test for bikes is like? If anyone has taken this at the Lowell branch that would be some nice info as well. Thanks.

do yourself a favor and make an appointment for the lynn armory, they have you do a lap around the park out front using hand signals and call it a day

if you can get there without crashing youll pass no problem

[jdobelbower]

yea i went to southbridge two weeks ago like you i rode for six years on a permit guy was cool went out of the parking lot back in at a different entrance strait to the back of the building 3 fig eights and 3 circles reverse em park it and get in line to pay guy was tellin me he used to have a bike shop and race a european circuit pretty cool guy actually

[loridin64]

the Lowell test isnt a problem, if you have any type of riding experience.

once you pull onto the road (between McD's and the gas station), just past the McD's parking lot is a section of the RMV parking lot with 4 cones set in a square. The statie has you start at one cone, do a circle within the cones one way, then the other. Has you stop and go to his predetermined point and then has you do a couple figure 8's inside the square.

Of course he'll ask you youre hand signals and, this is HUGE, if you even start moving the bike without your face sheild down or glasses on, he'll fail you immediately. Thats happened to a couple people i know who went there

good luck!

[redwinger]

i took the test twice, once in FL where it was a pretty difficult parking lot test w/ tight zig zags, u turns, etc...then i took it when i moved to MA. It was a joke, i followed around a girl taking her drivers test in a car for about 5 minutes.

[hurstshifter]

the Lowell test isnt a problem, if you have any type of riding experience.

once you pull onto the road (between McD's and the gas station), just past the McD's parking lot is a section of the RMV parking lot with 4 cones set in a square. The statie has you start at one cone, do a circle within the cones one way, then the other. Has you stop and go to his predetermined point and then has you do a couple figure 8's inside the square.

Of course he'll ask you youre hand signals and, this is HUGE, if you even start moving the bike without your face sheild down or glasses on, he'll fail you immediately. Thats happened to a couple people i know who went there

good luck!

Awesome. Too bad I can't get the goddamn RMV hotline to answer my call to schedule one. I was on hold for 45 minutes yesterday with no pickup.

[ZX11D]

When I got my tag the cop at the Registry had just gotten back from a vacation. He asked me what I was riding, how long I had been riding it and had I ever been down. I answered his questions and 1 minute later I was leaving the registry with my license. I think times have changed a bit since then so be prepared and you will do just fine.