Honda CX500 & GL500 Forum

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07-20-2008, 6:20 PM Nittany Joined on 12-21-2007 Posts 147 Funny and Sad both: I thought you guys might get a kick out of this - a young kid at work (young to me, anyways - I think he might be 22) went out around the 4th and bought one of those Honda Interceptors. Crotch rocket type bike. I think they are, like, 12 grand. It's the kid's first bike. The thing is, though, he is so dumb that he can't get through the state's motorcycle licensing process. You have to take a written test first, multiple choice (I imagine it's the same in most states), and he has tried 4 or 5 times and can't get through it. So, the bike sits in his parents' garage. '82 GL500 Bleedin' Blue & White    Report

07-20-2008, 6:25 PM N.W.OhioNomad Joined on 05-31-2008 Archbold,OH Posts 33 Re: Funny and Sad both: Mostly funny! 1981 cx500c "silver bullet" "Its better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not" -carpy carpenter    Report

07-20-2008, 7:11 PM mcreviver Joined on 05-06-2007 Williamsport, PA Posts 568 Re: Funny and Sad both: If he can't pass that he shouldn't be on the road, period. Ron in PA    Report

07-20-2008, 8:22 PM WayneDW Joined on 07-28-2006 Minneapolis Posts 581 Re: Funny and Sad both: That's funny. What's so hard about passing the written test? You read the book they give you and go in and answer the questions they ask you where all the answers were in the book you just read! If you can read and comprehend you can pass the test. Duh! Wayne 1983 GL650 Silverwing Interstate WWW.fossilapostles.com    Report

07-20-2008, 8:29 PM RichNCT Joined on 03-02-2006 Posts 2,079 Re: Funny and Sad both: Just another viewpoint. Some folks just can't take written tests. I've known two men in the electrical trades who knew the material, but emotionally just cannot stay functional when they sit for a test. End result is the same though, no license. Born to be relatively wild    Report

07-20-2008, 9:19 PM Blindstitch2002 Joined on 05-16-2007 Greenfield Wisconsin Posts 1,045 Re: Funny and Sad both: I took the written test 3 times. The first time I was just stopping in to get the bike titled and asked how much the test was. When the woman at the counter said $13 only if you passed. I asked her for a test and got 6 wrong. I then picked up the book and went home read it a bit and came back and passed the second time. Didn't have time to take the road test so it expired. Took it a third time and passed. Barely made it to the driving test and now I have a license. My girlfriend passed it on the first try. She's a know it all. You should see her college grades. 1979 Honda Cx500 Custom    Report

07-31-2008, 8:41 PM CXorsist Joined on 06-29-2008 Posts 7 Re: Funny and Sad both: I passed the written on the first try and only missed one question but I've failed the driving twice. I just ride on my permit.I think I'm too fat to pass the riding part.    Report

08-01-2008, 6:48 AM mcreviver Joined on 05-06-2007 Williamsport, PA Posts 568 Re: Funny and Sad both: When I started riding in 1964 in PA, they never thought of a special test, a license for motorcyclists or state inspections for bikes. Those were the good old days. Someone thought it would be a good idea to raise more revenue I guess. I will say though that I am probably lucky to have survived my first year or two on two wheels without any training at all. Trial and error, self taught worked then but............we didn't start out on 100 horsepower as our first machines either. It was 5 for me for the first 9300 miles, then 25 for another 27,000. Maybe they ought to consider a tiered licensing program for beginners. Show me you can handle somthing 500cc and under for two years or 10K miles before you can move to the unlimited class. Comments? Ron in PA    Report

08-01-2008, 9:21 AM RichNCT Joined on 03-02-2006 Posts 2,079 Re: Funny and Sad both: I think it's a great idea, but HD folks consider anything under 900cc a "girl's bike" (because they've never seen 50hp in under 900cc) and would lobby against such a rule.  My 17 yr old nephew is permitting on a 400cc Yami and loves it.  Peturbs him that his MSF instructor has only been riding since '05, less than Jason has (around the farm).  Especially when the instructor tries to correct his bad habits! Born to be relatively wild    Report

08-03-2008, 7:47 PM mocx500 Joined on 07-10-2008 Posts 36 Re: Funny and Sad both: I know in my old state they had a age restriction vs bike size. I forgot the details but it was like if you were under 16 or 18 you could not have a bike bigger then like 250cc or 500cc.. Ofcourse that doesn't stop guys my age from going too big, too quick. I personally think just being able to pass the written test shouldnt' be enough to ride a bike.. My permit's only restriction is no passengers, and daylight driving only.. 6 months and renewable. My twin sister could pass the test after looking at the book for 5 minutes, and she wouldn't even know how to start a bike(and not that isn't addressed in the book:)) Its scary how easy it is to get a permit, one day maybe they'd have some kind of simulator or balance/coordination test to pass, or something.    Report

08-03-2008, 7:50 PM mcreviver Joined on 05-06-2007 Williamsport, PA Posts 568 Re: Funny and Sad both: You're right Rich. And I see WAY too many riders without any head protection. I am thinking about pointing to my helmet instead of waving to other helmetless riders. Think about this for a moment: Accidents will happen. People will try to knock you down due to their carelessness or inattentiveness to their driving. When a bike hits a car and it wasn't the rider's fault, what happens if the rider dies? The car driver now has to deal with some possibly serious charges, maybe even negligent homicide. If the rider had been wearing a helmet, his chances of survival are better in most cases. Don't we owe it to car drivers to try to lessen their chances of having to deal with a legal mess that results from a rider being killed? I predict the legislatures will eventually see the light and reverse the ruling eliminating helmet laws. Ron in PA    Report

08-05-2008, 9:07 AM Markmakeitso Joined on 09-08-2007 Mankato MN Posts 32 Re: Funny and Sad both: I'm generally against mandatory helmet laws, not because I believe they don't save lives but because it seems like one more step towards a nanny state and the continuing decline of personal responsibility. Can't say I'm thrilled with having to pay for the bad decision making skills of others though. Perhaps a "helmetless rider" clause in health insurance contracts? I doubt a driver would get a negligent homicide charge for killing a rider in a traffic accident. Most people assume that motorcycling is so dangerous that anyone on a bike deserves whatever misfortune may come their way. I've heard of several incidents of drivers who killed bikers and were slapped with several hundred dollar fines. You know, the kind you can get for not picking up after your dog.    Report

08-05-2008, 8:37 PM Blindstitch2002 Joined on 05-16-2007 Greenfield Wisconsin Posts 1,045 Re: Funny and Sad both: I'm not a fan of helmet law. I always wear one no matter how short the ride. Helmet less riders are the equivelent of free or cheap parts after they get into an accident that they could have survived if they were wearing a helmet. About 10 years ago my dads friend died while riding his bicycle down the road. He was crossing the road on his bike and a car decided they were going to run the stop sign and hit him. He fell onto the cars hood as the bike got sucked under and when the driver slowed to a stop it threw him forward off of the car where he hit the pavement. In the process of falling to the pavement his head struck a man hole cover causing serious injuries and he died an hour later. If he was wearing a helmet he would have been fine. No matter what we do there is always going to be someone out there not paying attention or driving to fast that causes a problem. If you can do a little bit to prevent it then you should. But you shouldn't be forced. The one thing that I think is nuts is that while watching the news here in wisconsin, every other day there is an accident that hurts a number of people caused by a drunk driver. I say drunk driver but I really mean someone that should have been aborted. I'll give you the benefit of a doubt if you get caught once but these people have been caught 5 to 10 times drunk driving.  The last one I saw a man drove into a weekend parade and the citizens detained him while taking care of the people he hit. Be safe, use your head and do what you want. 1979 Honda Cx500 Custom    Report

08-06-2008, 7:56 AM Broncoman2000 Joined on 09-27-2006 Raleigh, NC Posts 132 Re: Funny and Sad both: According to a report I heard on National Pravda Radio the other day, talking on a cell phone while driving impairs the driver far worse than alcohol does.  They put people on simulators and had them talk on the phone, then they did the same thing only got the people drunk first.  The talkers had several accidents, the drunks had none.  Dont know the details as far as how challenging the test was or how hammered the drivers were, but still......   I know cell phone drivers have nearly hit me multiple times while commuting to work.  What I hate the most is people text messaging while driving.  Some broad was weaving in and out of lanes in rush hour traffic yesterday next to me while I was on my bike.  She was texting someone.  Either that or dialing a number in China or Japan for as long as she was typing on her keypad.   David 1979 Honda CX500 Custom 42,000 miles and rising, thanks to Dick in Raleigh    Report

08-06-2008, 7:50 PM mcreviver Joined on 05-06-2007 Williamsport, PA Posts 568 Re: Funny and Sad both: When I first got a cell phone, and believe me I waited a loooooooong time after everyone else I knew had one, I decided to try on a empty residential street how well I could control the car and use the phone. I was just creeping along at under 20 mph but quickly found that I wasn't doing a very good job driving. If I remember to take a cell phone with me, it's turned off unless I want to use it, and then I'll pull off somewhere. Ron in PA    Report

08-06-2008, 9:55 PM Blindstitch2002 Joined on 05-16-2007 Greenfield Wisconsin Posts 1,045 Re: Funny and Sad both: I'm pretty good driving with a cellphone and I don't drive an automatic but I don't talk for long. I try to get what I need quick and get off. I don't answer the phone if it is anywhere near busy and if I do get a call and it's busy I tend to answer it real quick and say that i'm driving so I cant talk. I was behind a woman last week for about 5 miles of backroad driving and I stayed way behind her because she was swerving into the other lane and off the road. Almost missed a red light and then she stopped dead in the road for a minute and took off again. If I wasn't on my bike I would have called the cops. 1979 Honda Cx500 Custom    Report

08-07-2008, 8:33 PM brianwarner983 Joined on 03-21-2007 Duluth, MN Posts 33 Re: Funny and Sad both: here in MN, you can take safety classes that provide the bike for the test.  it is way easier on their small 250 bikes.  if u dont want to take the class, the easiest way is to borrow someones scooter  :) ~4L3X    Report

08-10-2008, 7:13 AM Chris DeHaan Joined on 05-10-2008 Southern New Jersey Posts 15 Re: Funny and Sad both: In New Jersey a scooter is about the only way you can pass the test.  Rumor has it next year they will be actually classifying your license depending on what you bring for your test.  Show up with a scooter you get a scooter license. Chris DeHaan FF/EMT Salem County NJ 1983 GL650 Interstate 45mpg 2006 Jeep Wrangler 18mpg-glad I have the bike    Report

08-12-2008, 8:12 AM kingston73 Joined on 04-19-2008 Norton, MA Posts 273 Re: Funny and Sad both: I think some people just aren't meant to ride a cycle. Here in RI we have a mandatory MSF course if you don't already have an out-of-state endorsment. I had 2 idiots in my class, 1 a 17 year old kid who as a first bike bought a Yamaha R1 (1000cc race bike). He'd already crashed twice, once when he did an endo and flipped his bike forward and upside down, the other when he tried to do a wheelie and went all the way over backwards. The other guy was clearly afraid of the bikes (RI uses 250cc Nighthawks and Rebels) . I still don't know how he managed to do this, but during one of the exercises he pinned the throttle, went uphill, out of the parking lot, over a sidewalk, up the grass on the other side, and crashed into a garage door on a shed nearby. I don't know how he managed it, but he was ok. He put a dent in the door and bent the bike's fork though. 1979 cx500D/1980 CX500C engine    Report

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