How to make a M1 motorcycle drivers license

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Believe it or not- I’ve been together with my wife Marion since my second year of racing, and we’ve ridden tons of bikes in all those years- she was always a passenger… even on Germany’s famous 13 miles Nuerburgring Nordschleife to smoke guys on big bikes- but she NEVER rode a motorcycle her selves!!!

But since we have that sweet Superbike-Coach rental bike, a Ninja 250- Marion sat on it… declared it as ‘cute’- looked at me and said “…teach me to ride. I wanna make a drivers license!”.  From here, I want to pass this three part article on to her to tell the story of how it’s like- and what to do in order to get a motorcycle drivers license:

Here is how to make your M1 drivers license, Part 1 of 3, by Marion Akkaya

First, I went to the DMV to get the booklet (http://driving-tests.org/california/california-motorcycle-manual/) to prepare for the written test. After studying it for a couple of days, I took some free available test online just to make sure not to see where I’m at. I also scheduled an appointment not to waste my time by waiting for hours in line, which is easy to do online: )

How to learn to ride a motorcycleWhen I arrived, I still had to wait in line, but it was much shorter than what I saw on the other lines. I had to fill out some paperwork about name, address, SSN, information about already existing driver license – the usual stuff, than I got a number and I went back to wait until they called my name.

It took about 15-20 minutes until a DMV worker told me that I have to renew my car driver license when adding a motorcycle license. This information took me by surprise because I wasn’t prepared for the test. I paid $ 29 before I got to window A, where they took my picture. Then they send me to the testing room, loaded with about 20 computers. The nice part by taking it online is that it shows right away if your answer is correct and it is much faster. On the other hand it makes you more nervous after a mistake. Some of the questions were common sense, while other just confused me. I passed my written test for the car right away, but had to retake the written motorcycle test. I had to go back in line, pull a new number and wait for probably 15 more minutes before I could take it again, but this time I’ve passed the test!

The good part is that you can retake the test three times before they send you home and you have to pay again. I am just glad that I past and now I can focus on the “little circle” through which I have to go to pass the driving test. I have no clue how to get through it, but I have the best riding Coach I possibly can think of- who will get me through this successfully. I was convinced he’ll be more sensitive with his wife- was I wrong! J

Now, the fun staff started –riding a motorcycle. ‘Coach husband’ started giving me riding lessons. We started first with some easy lessons, how to shift, to break, to steer, and the right body position. He showed me how to turn my head into the right direction instead of looking right in front of me. I learned shifting up without using the clutch, which is not easy in the beginning, but like he says:” what you don’t have to do- you can’t mess up” –and he is right. Believe me it was not easy for him, because I am a bad listener and I am just glad that I haven’t had make any push-ups yet :)

After a couple of days of training with him, he installed a vox radio in my Arai helmet and says “Let’s hit the freeway hon”, and off we went…

To be continued!

Author Marion Akkaya, Sacramento CA

 

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Sometimes it comes back…

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…those memories of my time as a racer- but do I really want this?!

1994 Can Akkaya starts from first row after a tough battle in 250cc qualitying for the German IDM, pro racing

1994 Can Akkaya starts from first row after a tough battle in 250cc qualifying for International Dutch Open in Zolder Circuit in Belgium

Please don’t get this ‘self-asked-question’ wrong… because heck, I don’t want to loose those memories, and if I had the chance to do this all over… I probably would. But here and there are popping up some pics, videos or even race or qualifying result lists which are digitized now- thanks to scanners and Internet these days. Just like this one here, which I received from ex-racing pro colleague Wilfried Gehrman, who also attended this race.

Then I look at a document like this, and something is happening… like a flashback to specific moments of this particular qualifying. I begin thinking of what I did wrong… what i could have done better… and so on and so on. In fact it just gets me down, and takes me away from what this sport really meant to me… it gave my live a direction, goals, commitment and passion.

So I am keeping it short looking at this list to protect myself, and to memories things like this… that I started racing on a 3000 German Mark ‘junk ready’ bike and almost made it up to MotoGP anyway… that I crashed out of my first International pro race, 8 seconds in lead on the last lap because I denied to slow it down. Stupid?! yea, but I could learn a lot.

It took a lot to make my feet slowing down paddling, but I still move forward because I am still using my will and passion. I am thankful that I can help others paddling in the right direction today.

Coach

 

 

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CSD-3: Reschedule to 9/20/ (UPDATED)

OK folks, after evaluating the headcount for the CSD-3 class on 8/9/ I have to transfer all bookings to the scheduled CSD-3 on 9/20/, which is going to happen by 100%.

CSD-3 on 9/20/ is a guarantee- promise.

Thx for understanding,
Can Akkaya
 
Superbike-Coach Corp.
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Knee Down Class Has Been Booked Out Again

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Three months upfront… the Superbike-Coach Knee Down class has been booked out. This alone may doesn’t say much to you, but our 85% success rate tells the story. Oh… and hundreds of testimonials on https://www.superbike-coach.com/177-2/student-testimonials

Send us an email to put you on the waiting list for October 24th.

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Google with Superbike-Coach

Finally A Fix Date For Cornering School Day 3

I know many of you are waiting for a long time for this one… a new date for the rescheduled Cornering School Day 3. We got it finally done and I am just hoping that everyone of you can make this one:

August 9th 2015

If you haven’t sign up for this one and you’ve absolved CSD-2 already, then this is the link to do it quickly: https://www.superbike-coach.com/events/cornering-school-day-3

If you already booked/paid, but August 9th doesn’t work for you, then maybe our CSD-3 on September 20th would work better for you. If both CSD-3 dates don’t work for you… there will be a 2016 schedule in December coming out- or you simply request a refund.

However… I’m happy to finally have that thang off the table :-)

Coach

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Free Coach Seminar

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Spend a nice evening with Coach Can at Black Bear Diner and listen to his favorite subject “What’s between those ears”. Come to meet the Woman On Wheels chapter (www.goldcountryriders.com) meet up event:

  • Black Bear Diner at 2700 El Centro Road, Sacramento, CA 95833
  • Date: 6/16/2015
  • Time: 7:00pm
Can Akkaya, Headcoach of the Superbike-Coach Corp, 2014

Can Akkaya, Headcoach of the Superbike-Coach Corp, 2014

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Marc Marquez Ego Trip

I think I said that last year and get lots of doubtful looks for it- I said that if Marquez would have to deal with a Casey Stoner- or an motivated Lorenzo- or Rossi back in form… he would never have been a world champion. But don’t get me wrong… I like his aggressive- up to arrogant riding style, but he has kinda the same easy to calculate weak spot which also Max Biaggi had… his ego runs him in trouble.

Simple said… if you show him your front wheel during braking travel- Marc would let go off the brake. It’s easy to figure him out for highly experienced guys like Rossi and Lorenzo who learned to control their temper. And it will become worse, when his temper runs him in total madness, which can be the beginning of the end in terms of injuries and motivation.

Of course it’s not the front wheel. In Mugello, Marc was on a permanent fighting line- where there was no sense for fighting lines. Instead of setting up the Ducati in front of him for a clean pass on the brakes- he went off the line in the left turn to eventually pass on the flick into the right. This made him going a tighter line into the right. The second mistake was that he  miss judged the speed for that particular line because he still tried to attack the Duc. Totally senseless loss of points.

Long way to go, and when competition bites back you gotta be smarter then that. A championship isn’t won in the first three laps of a single race. This is consistency, calculated risks, strategic thinking and learning- not overdoing. If he keeps this attitude up- he ends up where Pedrosa is today.

Headcoach Can Akkaya

Superbike-Coach Corp

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