Taking the California M1 License Test with a Moped: A Personal Account

As I prepared to take my motorcycle license test, I stumbled upon an interesting quirk in California's vehicle laws. With old bikes, you can actually use the test-giver's ignorance against them. If your vehicle did not have turn signals or a horn, then according to the DMV representative, you don't need them. This is especially useful when taking the written test for a motorcycle license.

I was told that the written test is the same, and you simply declare whether you want an M1 or M2 license. However, it seems that even DMV representatives are confused about the rules. I've visited two different DMVs, a year apart, and each time, I received conflicting information.

Despite this confusion, I decided to take my chances and attempted to take the written test with my moped. The representative didn't know whether I could take the M1 riding test on my moped or not. I was told that if I passed the written test, I would be able to choose which license type I wanted.

In California, mopeds are classified as motorcycles with engines under 250cc, while scooters are classified as a separate category. However, there's an interesting loophole - motorcycles under 250cc but over 2hp are neither considered mopeds nor scooters. This means that these bikes don't fall into any specific classification.

As I prepared for the riding test, I noticed that the DMV representative didn't know whether my moped was eligible to take the M1 test or not. When I asked if I could take the test with my moped and still get an M1 license, they seemed unsure.

The riding test itself seems relatively easy - you simply ride around a small circle, turn around in some cones, and then go around the circle again. With a moped, it might even be easier to complete this task due to its smaller size.

However, there's one catch - your bike must have turn signals and a horn. This could potentially make it more difficult to take the test with a moped.

In the end, I decided to practice before taking the test and hope that it doesn't rain on the day of my test. If all goes well, I'll be able to get an M1 license despite riding a moped.

California m1 license test