Got my M2 license - hell yeah!

[vital2009]

It took all summer for me to do it, but I passed my M2 license on the weekend! I'm feeling great about it, have wanted this for so long!
I seriously recommend taking the Humber College M1 exit course to any new riders out there. Two full days of exhaust and exhaustion on Virago 250s in a giant parking lot, sunburns AND torrential rain to contend with, but great instructors and lots of fun too.
Cheers!
Laura

[Alex]

/moved to riding skills

[Kanestar]

good job! best wishes for u

[ninjagaiden09]

nice...

[Firehorse]

Congrats!
Just did mine at Bowmanville a couple weekends ago.
Feels wonderful eh?
Ride safe and keep up the new skills

[blink]

what is it?

[Snake]

Congratulations man, way to go.

[akima]

Congrats Laura I really enjoyed learning to ride.

I passed my test recently and remember the good feeling. I'm keen to do some non-compulsary advanced training when I have the money to pay for it.

[GeorgiaHooligan]

CONGRATS! Feels good doesnt it?

[Firehorse]

Originally Posted by akima

Congrats Laura I really enjoyed learning to ride.

I passed my test recently and remember the good feeling. I'm keen to do some non-compulsary advanced training when I have the money to pay for it.

Nice to hear! I'm going to be taking the technical course in the spring. Bring your own bike and work on whatever you need help with or whatever the instructor sees you need help with. Same people as my course

There's also an intermediate riding course, again with your own bike but I think it's to get you comfy with traffic or highways. May take that since I have no intention of highway riding but will have to do it to get my full license someday. I only like the on/off -ramps

[akima]

I'm always seeing people throwing out statistics that motorway (you say: highway) riding in England is statistically much safer than other types of street riding. It's a pretty exhilarating flying along on a lightweight Ninjette at 80MPH, but I guess that doesn't necessarily make it that dangerous. I do sometimes look at the side barriers on the motorway and it makes me think that I probably wouldn't survive if I came off my bike and hit one of them.

[Firehorse]

I should have phrased that better! The highways here are very safe. I have no interest in them because they are boring. Superwide, long, straight lines. Boring. I guess it might be okay at night since all the 18-wheelers take over and you would really have to have your wits about you.


If it was a perfect world, I would only do trackdays or riding twisty country roads but I can't get there from here so I need to learn city riding by default.
I don't drive a car so I can't trailer the bike to my dream locations.

Maybe I'll change my mind about highways once I have more experience and can go faster?

[akima]

Ah! I getcha now. I think I was just jumping to conclusions. Yeah - I don't enjoy motorways that much. I get the feeling that the Ninjette isn't particularly well suited to motorway riding, even though it can do it just fine. The wind constantly pushes hard against me and cross winds often blow me around on the road. I don't have experience with bigger bikes though, so maybe they're all the same.

[massacremasses]

Originally Posted by blink

what is it?

must be different there. M2 here is a "Motorized bicycle, moped, any bicycle with an attached motor, or motorized scooter."

we want an M1. which is "Two-wheel motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or motorized scooter."

this is from the CA DMV, but I think it is state wide (US States)

[Firehorse]

Blink: What is it?

Originally Posted by massacremasses

must be different there. M2 here is a "Motorized bicycle, moped, any bicycle with an attached motor, or motorized scooter."

we want an M1. which is "Two-wheel motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or motorized scooter."

this is from the CA DMV, but I think it is state wide (US States)

In Ontario we have the M1 first: No passengers, no night riding, no highways, no booze. Any size bike...
60+ days later, you can test for your M2 (now can have passengers, night riding and 80kph+ highway, no booze)
Then 18 mos later (if you took a course) you can get your full M license. If you didn't take the course, you have to wait 22 months. Now you can have booze in your system - (if you're a bone head.) If you let your M2 run out, you have to start all over at M1.
I think they make you wait so long to make sure you still have the skills to pass the riding tests 22 months later?
The other provinces may have different rules.

Oddly enough, If you don't ride at night or carry passengers, or ride on the 80 kph highways, you can just keep paying 17 bucks ad infinitum and never take any riding tests.

[massacremasses]

Originally Posted by Firehorse

In Ontario we have the M1 first: No passengers, no night riding, no highways, no booze. Any size bike...
60+ days later, you can test for your M2 (now can have passengers, night riding and 80kph+ highway, no booze)
Then 18 mos later (if you took a course) you can get your full M license. If you didn't take the course, you have to wait 22 months. Now you can have booze in your system - (if you're a bone head.) If you let your M2 run out, you have to start all over at M1.
I think they make you wait so long to make sure you still have the skills to pass the riding tests 22 months later?
The other provinces may have different rules.

Oddly enough, If you don't ride at night or carry passengers, or ride on the 80 kph highways, you can just keep paying 17 bucks ad infinitum and never take any riding tests.

lol I was confused with you adding the booze comment then when you said you can have it eventually I was like wuuut ! thats nuts

But I figured it was something like that. Here we go permit, which you have to have 6 months if youre under 18 or 21 (cant remember) then you can get your M1 AFTER that and thats your license with no restriction. Our permits are like your M1. No night riding, no freeway/highway, and no passengers...

[Firehorse]

Originally Posted by massacremasses

lol I was confused with you adding the booze comment then when you said you can have it eventually I was like wuuut ! thats nuts

But I figured it was something like that. Here we go permit, which you have to have 6 months if youre under 18 or 21 (cant remember) then you can get your M1 AFTER that and thats your license with no restriction. Our permits are like your M1. No night riding, no freeway/highway, and no passengers...

I was kind of confused by the booze thing too. The first course I took used USA MSF slides where they talk about how much booze can be in your system while riding.
It's zero here for 22 months.


Any cc restrictions there? I think they have restrictions in the UK but not here. I could hop on a 1400 right after I did the first written test. Stooooopid.

[massacremasses]

oh yeah here you can have like .08 or some ****. its like nothing one beer can set you over... Stupid to have any but you really cant drink any....


No cc in the restrictions here in the US. although I think there should be...

[akima]

Originally Posted by Firehorse

I was kind of confused by the booze thing too. The first course I took used USA MSF slides where they talk about how much booze can be in your system while riding.
It's zero here for 22 months.


Any cc restrictions there? I think they have restrictions in the UK but not here. I could hop on a 1400 right after I did the first written test. Stooooopid.

Yep - UK restrictions are as follows!

No license
Bike limit: 0CC: no riding on the road!

CBT license (CBT = Compulsory Basic Training)
You obtain this by doing a day course. Most people pass this in the day and get their CBT license.
Bike limit: 50CC for younger than 18, 125CC for older
Before the CBT was introduced anyone could just legally jump on a 50CC and ride away. Apparently the number of motorcycle accidents and deaths have been substantially reduced since the CBT was introduced.

Full license
This is a much bigger series of tests than the CBT. You do 1 computerized theory, 1 stunt test (balance, cone maneuvers, emergency stops etc) and 1 road test.
Bike limit: 250CC for the first two years; after that you can ride a bike of any engine size.
(This is the test I've done)

Full license: direct access
This is the exact same test as the Full license test above, but you do your training and practical tests on a 500CC bike instead of a 125CC bike. This means that as soon as you've passed you can ride a bike of any engine size.

There are also a whole bunch of non-compulsory advanced riding tests you can do. These are purely for your benefit and often reduce insurance prices. The police do a really cheap advanced riding course which I plan to do. Website here. £50 and you get to spend a day with some very skilled motorcycle bobbies. They watch you ride and give you tips and advice. I plan to do this soon.

[Boom King]

Originally Posted by Firehorse

Oddly enough, If you don't ride at night or carry passengers, or ride on the 80 kph highways, you can just keep paying 17 bucks ad infinitum and never take any riding tests.

You could do that but the M1 does expire in 90 days and once it expires, if you haven't upgraded to the M2, you would have to go back and do the M1 written test again. An expired/lapsed license is no good for your insurance history and rates.

[Firehorse]

Originally Posted by Boom King

You could do that but the M1 does expire in 90 days and once it expires, if you haven't upgraded to the M2, you would have to go back and do the M1 written test again. An expired/lapsed license is no good for your insurance history and rates.

I wrote my M1 test exactly 61 days before my course (fell during test..) and rewrote it three times to keep it ready for when I could find another course. When I passed, Aug 26th??, I took it to the ministry and they had records that showed I had my M1 since the first writing (Feb). It had actually expired between rewrites. No change in insurance rates so maybe a ministry goof-up?
Either way, will count my blessings just in case!

I'm hijacking here...sorry!

Need to nose into how Laura (vital2009) is doing these days, it's her thread.