Sportbiking for Dummies

Ok guys I have some really stupid questions I feel embarrassed asking. My first one is what are clip-ons? I was reading some reviews in Sport Rider of the BOTY a year or so ago, with the R6, Gixxer 1000, and RC51. Kunitsugo mentions that the Rc51 has a short reach to the clip ons. What does this mean? Also, I noticed that some of the MotoGP bikes and AMA Superbikes/Supersports have a cloth ring wrapped around something on the dash; what exactly is it and what is it on there for? I am sorry if I am wasting your time but this has puzzled me for quite some time....  
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Clip on's are essentially handle bars on most sportbikes. They are called clip ons because they literally clip onto the upper fork tubes to steer the bike. The cloth sweat band looking thing is usually wrapped around the front brake resvoir to avoid condensation and thus water or moisture getting into the braking system.  

Ah quite obvious. Thanks for clearing that up for me.  
www.MinimotoGP.tk

Hey, man, it's all good. The only way to find something out is to ask, right? Or look it up on ebay. lol But seriously, clip-ons are referring to the handle bars of a sport bike; they're what you grab in your hands. They're not exactly a handle bar in the traditional sense. They clip-on around the top of the fork tubes...hence the name. Click here for an example.

The fabric you're referring to is a piece that wraps around the brake fluid cup that's mounted to the right clip-on. Picture a wristband like everyone wore in the 80's and you're on the right track. I believe it's there to absorb any drops of brake fluid that don't make it into the cup. Either that or else it's purely decorative. But I lean toward the former becuase brake fluid is very damaging stuff. A drop of it on your tank will likely mar the paint job faster than you can say "dizzam!"

I'm not sure if it's corrosive, or acidic or what. But even the bottle warns you to not let your skin come into contact with the fluid for too long, otherwise it can cause kidney failure or something! Yikes!  

I could have sworn on Rossi's M1 it wasn't on the brake resovoir at all though. I really don't remember, but on a closeup shot of the cockpit, there were two resovoir looking objects. Perhaps technicians relocated the rear one to the front "clip on" for easy acess? I have no idea but that was just bothering me because I didnt know.  
www.MinimotoGP.tk

http://www.triumphchepassione.com/valentino-rossi/yamaha-m1-vale.jpg I think that this is the case. if you clearly look at the picture, one of the brake fluid resovoirs is clearly exposed, while the other is covered with the wrist band item. Looking at the cap, it looks like specs/info about the type brake fluid to put in, so maybe front/rear resovoirs are both in the front cockpit.  
www.MinimotoGP.tk

I don't think they relocated the rear break fluid cup up front...it's a little illogical. Have a look at this page. Click on the photo, and you'll see that the rear brake fluid cup is in it's normal place, just behind the rider's right calf.

Perhaps someone else can shed some light on what the other, smaller fluid cup up front in the cockpit is for?

Here's some other nice photos from that site.  

The reservoir on the left is most likely for a hydraulic clutch.  My Superhawk has two reservoirs like that...left is for clutch fluid and right is for front brakes.  A lot of twins have hydraulic clutches to make the engagement smoother but I-4's do not, so I'm guessing since Rossi's bike has outrageous power they gave it a hydrolic clutch to help him out and save some wear on the clutch plates.  

I believe hayabusas also have hydralic clutches.  I didn't know what "clip ons" meant when I started reading all the magazines either, or "rear sets" (foot controls/pegs for the rider).  

Good call, hawkman...I thought that it might be for a hydraulic clutch, but honestly didn't want to make too wild a guess. "Better to keep your mouth closed and appear dumb, than to open it and remove all doubt."  

Ok guys I have more questions from a noob. I was just wondering the exact process of getting your motorcycle license. Now I do know that the requirements and safety training varies from state to state. I did some looking around on my local Department of Motor Vehicles website but I still have questions about obtaining a motorcycle license. Assuming that I have had a valid and good standing drivers for about a couple years (I'd be about 21 then), what exactly do I do to get my license? If I take a MSF rider safety course for beginners, do they offer motorcycle license tests there, or would I have to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get it? If this makes little to no sense please disregard my stupidity.  
www.MinimotoGP.tk

If you do the MSF course (this is how I understand it for most, if not all, states) and complete/pass it (which is uber easy) then the MSF guys will give you a piece of paper you take up to your DMV.  You give them the piece of paper and you get a new DL with a "m" endorsement on it.  You might have to take a written motorcycle test, I don't remember.  If you get your license through the DMV without going to MSF you have to do a motorcycle skills test at the DMV.  Which I've heard isn't the easiet to do on a sportbike.  Plus the MSF guys are no where near as strict as the DMV people, MSF guys will let you retest.  MSF wants you to pass, DMV...well you know how much they care about their job.  

Get your license by taking the MSF course.  As enp83 said in most states you can get your endorsement after passing their course.  

In Michigan if your under 18 you have to do a class.  I was 19 when I got my license and all I did was go to the Secretary of State office and take a 20 question test, after passing they gave me a temporary license to ride with other endorsed individuals.  This was only valid for 3 months but after two weeks I took my "driving" test.  It was kind off hard on a sportbike but I still passed.  

Sounds like the process is pretty standard. Here in sunny CA, we can take the written test to get a permit that allows us to ride only in the day, without passengers and never on the freeways. From there, you can either A) take the riding exam, or skills test as it's also called, to get the actual M1 endorsment on your license; or B) take the MSF course and get a waiver that exempts you from the riding test. Highly preffered.  

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The cloth sweat band looking thing is usually wrapped around the front brake resvoir to avoid condensation and thus water or moisture getting into the braking system.

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