my wife is going to the rider course riding portion Saturday morning(class was Thursday)..she took it 2 years ago and failed the figure 8 maneuver..we went to the lot where they do it tonite, the box they do the figure 8 in is ridiculous, there is no way my EG could even physically do it. good thing they are on little 250's.
just hope she does better this time.. she had a shadow 600 back then, after failing the test she never rode it again.. i got her a 1200 sporty a few months ago. she got her temps again but has only ridden it around the block twice. looking forward to her finally getting to ride with me more often after she is legal.

 

i'd bet a weeks pay that half the riders today couldn't pass the figure 8 test.

 

Good luck to her. My wife did the test,but told me to stay far away during the riding part. I guess I would put too much pressure on her,knowing that I was watching. Those figure 8's are tricky.

 

when i took the motorcycle test about 16 years ago,all i had to do is basiclly ride in a big circle in a parking lot, then stop in a box.. WTH is the point of the figure eight? if you were riding figure eights in a parking lot, a cop would stop you and give a ticket for reckless operation or something.. same state, i had to parallel park a tractor trailer to get a CDL.. any one on here ever have to parallel park a semi anywhere?? i never did it or saw it done again after the test.

 

Good luck to your wife today. My wife is also taking the course this weekend. And it's pouring rain here. UGH. When I took my course the instructor said as long as we don't dump the bike we will pass. Only 3 riders stayed within the lines on the figure 8. No one dumped. We all passed

 

Good luck to your wife!

I have to say though, everyone fears the figure 8, but it's really NOT that hard. I took the basic (on the state's 250) and advanced (on my SG) classes and if you do like they say and LOOK where you wanna go, you'll get there - guaranteed.

 

My wife had the same problem with the course the first time she took it. She now will only ride her 600cc Yamaha sport bike - and yeah she enjoys blasting past me on the highway. Best of luck with your new riding partner.

 

Good luck to your OL

 

Ya I could not stay on course on the fig 8 on my 250. Throttle and clutch control in the friction zone is key. The problem is when you panic you naturally let off the throttle when you should actually roll on the throttle to help pull you through the turn. But the old bikes can be a problem as well. I swear it's easier for me to handle my ultra now than the 250 then and I can do the fig 8 no problem in my ultra. Of course experience helps with that as well

 

took my MSF about 6 weeks ago, no fig 8 in Florida but 2 tight U turns in succession. I could not do it, practiced but ending up crying (ok go figure I'm a girl). The instructor said not to worry long as I don't drop the bike I can walk it on the bike. My feet went down at least twice and I went outside the lines and still passed. Done tighter turns since on my Sportster 1200c since than that awful Kwaka 250cc.