So it took a year plus, but I finally got to take my rider test today, in lovely 80 degree heat, and passed. Made one error on the "stop to right turn" part, but otherwise finished perfect. The real story is that I had to cancel a number of times because of my daughter. She got me sick, didn't sleep the night before, etc. It gets tough when you're my age, 52, to bounce back from certain things. Anyway, Washington has made it a private affair, which can be pricey in the end, but it was worth going through. 10 of us took the test at once, all different kinds of bikes and people. One group of 3 shared a CRF 230, two of which could barely stand on the bike. Cheers to them especially. They were great. One girl would ride the part, then hand it off to her friend. He'd do his, then get to the back of the line and pass it on to the third guy. He almost wheelied on the swerve test. A few of cheered. He was our hero.
Be well, G.

 

Right turns will get you every time

 

Congratulations! I waited until i was 30 to get my license. I think I should have done it when i was 16, but better late than never. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as i do.

 

Congrats! Enjoy the ride!

 

I met a guy from Montreal who said it took a over a year to get endorsed in CA. At first that seemed silly, but after the year I spent with my drz sm, practicing, learning from mistakes, etc., it doesn't seem so harsh. Since I took decades off, and never had that early hands on riding exp. as a kid, there was no muscle memory and basic things took my attention away from the road. Now my focus is entirely on the dangers of street riding, everything else is second nature, and I can enjoy riding while being vigilant of our local yahoo drivers and their cell phones. Still having fun, learning each time I ride and feel there are endless possibilities. And to think, none of this would have happened had I not sold my beloved KTM. Ha.