How tough is it to get your street bike license

If you’ve got good dirt bike skills, it’s easy. 

It’s so easy especially if you borrow a dual sport/adventure/enduro to do it on. 

Cool part is you don't need to take the MSF course. The skills aspect is ALWAYS easier when you take it on a small(250ish) dual purpose bike. Maybe you know someone to borrow one from. 

Oklahoma :

Basic Steps to Get a Motorcycle License

Complete a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Course

Successfully finish the MSF course to waive the written and skills tests.

Pass Written and Skills Tests

If not taking the MSF course, you must pass a written test and a riding skills test.

Present Valid Identification

Provide proof of identity, such as a birth certificate or state ID.

Proof of Motorcycle Liability Insurance

Show evidence of valid motorcycle liability insurance.

Not as hard as it should be. Take a class and learn about counter steering, changing directions fast on a heavy street bike going 80 mph is a different animal than mx. The class also takes care of the riding part of the test.   I know.... here we go 😄 

I took my license test on my dad's KLR 600 when I was 16 in 1985. Wore my moto III Helmet, my Scott 89 goggles and my Mx gloves. All still were dirty from the weekends race. Rode that test like it was a moto, the instructor approved me and said it was nice to see someone who could ride for a change. I did a wheelie and a stoppie on the way out.

I’ve been to road-race track days, where they brought “newbies” out. 99% had no business on a motorcycle, never mind a track. Organ Donors. 

I’m a believer that the skills you learn in the dirt, are going to keep you alive on the street. 

Understand what you mean about a direction changes at 80. Most people don’t understand push left to go left. 

 

It's too easy in Texas.  I walked into the DPS and asked what needed to be done.  The lady says pass a written test and pass the riding test.  I passed the written test right then and there and set up a riding test for the next day.  This was in 2006, so things may have changed.  I was riding an Aprilia 450SXV supermoto, so no problem.    

I got mine 40ish years ago. The most difficult part was making the U turn in the 15ft (being generous with that number) wide alley (keeping your feet on the pegs) behind the Oceanside DMV at the time. No idea what's involved now in CA now but I'd not do it on a street bike given the choice dualsport for sure. If you already have skills, you're golden. I can't imagine anything they ask of you is more complicated then we do at a track without thinking, we just do.

TM

I did my test on a Harley and it was a breeze.

In Oklahoma you just schedule a written test, then take the driving test. you will have to wear a helmet and have a speaker around your neck that they give you directions through. the actual riding part is much easier than the written test. you better study for the written test and answer the questions the way they want them answered, which isn't always correct.  I remember one question was what to do in the event of front end headshake. the answer they wanted was to apply brakes and pull to the side of the road. 🙄

I took the msf course which allowed me to take the riding test with them, which is a much more relaxed environment than at the local motor vehicles department. They provided nighthawk 250s which sit upright and feel pretty light and natural when coming from the dirt world. Highly recommend. 

I was scared to death for a few of my friends who bought streetbikes in the '90s. They mashed up a bunch of different ideas in their heads about how to steer the bike around; the first being the countersteering you are describing. The other part was having watched On Any Sunday, wherein the LSR aero bike had to turn opposite over 100 MPH because of the aero, but then reverted back to regular steering at 200 MPH. The end result is that my friends thought, "turn left to go right until 100 MPH, then turn right to go right after that." 
Those dudes had no idea what they were doing. I'm happy they are still alive.

https://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Non-Moto,21/Counter-steering,1318483?page=1

Falcon's story is consistant lol. Glad there still alive 9 years after this post was made. I still think the class is a good idea no matter how good an MX'er you are. Plus it covers the riding part of the test. The XT 250 has proved to be a bulletproof little thing, the WR450 got sold and replaced with a KTM EXCF 500. 

I recently took the Harley Davidson riding school which allows you to get your license. We used 350cc bikes which were light and fun to flick around. I rode street without a license many years back. This was a really beneficial class that taught me skills I didn’t have before. I took the completion certificate straight to the Texas DPS office and got my license. 

Take it on a street legal enduro 

Easy. MSF isn’t required, but you’ll save more than the cost of the class in your first year of insurance premiums. It’ll also teach you some road stuff you might not know. 

Also, I wouldn’t recommend taking the test on a dual sport. A taller bike is going to be less stable at the speeds you’re going. 

I’ve taken the MSF twice. My dad signed me up for it when I was 13. It was kinda cool cause I could legally ride my KE100 around town before I had a drivers license. The second time was when I was 22. I had been off street bikes for a few years and bought a 1050 speed triple. My dad asked me to retake the class for his peace of mind. 

Riding part is easy but some of the writing questions correct questions are stupid and wrong. Crossing Rail Road tracks is one of them.

I had to ride through a road course set up in a parking lot. The slalom part used  cones. I was on my ZX6 and was hitting the bump stops because it was so tight.

A street legal enduro would have been a better choice.

Took it when I was 16.  I was the only one of 10 people to pass that day.  Got a 100%.  Guy said you must ride,  I replied since I was 10 years old.  Took it on a 400 street bike.  In Minnesota under 18 must take a class.  Every Saturday for a month we sat in class for an hour then went to a donut shop and rode around for an hour around town. 

Extremely easy if you are coming from MX. Other people have mentioned taking it on a dual sport. I second this. It’s not impossible by any means on a fully dressed bike, but you’ll feel much more at home on a dual sport 

Go by the licensing office or courthouse and pick up and READ the book, manual whatever. My dumbass still doesn't have an endorsement because I was too sober, left too much gap between the rider in front of me and my wrist was at the wrong position leaving a stop light. And I got my AMA road racing license in 99.