The road to passing your licence
Discussion
Well, I've booked my first proper lesson on a big bike for next Monday.
The driving force behind it was twofold. First of all, I wanted to get my car through it's MOT in February and I wasn't really sure what the damage would be. On the one hand, it seemed solid and mostly fault free. A few creaks from old bushes at the back but mainly fine, and a noisy wheel bearing. But it's an ageing Jaguar, so prices could easily be refreshingly 'Ford' or depressingly 'Jaguar'! The ultimate cost was only £160 (and a lot of stress, if you've read about the f
king nightmare I had with both car and bike last week).
That, and I just can't be arsed riding a 125cc bike anymore. Everyone at work kept asking 'when are you doing your test, Cliff?', so before my CBT runs out in December I thought I better get on with it. Don't get me wrong, the 125 experience has been invaluable. Although I initially found riding it quite nerve-wracking, I soon settled into controlling the bike and managing different situations. I've had lots of experience in the wind and rain, during busy rush hour traffic when everyone is going hell for leather to get home and in the early morning when most commuters are still half asleep. I'd recommend such learning on your own to anyone (if you hold a driving licence, that is, not sure I'd recommend riding a motorbike on a CBT as an introduction to the road these days!). However, not being able to top 60mph at the best of times soon gets tiring, and a complete lack of weather and wind protection isn't ideal for a commute that takes in a long uphill D/C stretch). I decided I'd look to sell my CG125 come May, to bank my NCB and get a bigger bike. And if I'm going to do that, I'm going to need a full licence.
So, I've been on the phone to Newcastle Rider Training at http://www.motorcycletraining.net/index.html, of whom I did my CBT with, and I've booked a lesson for next Monday. They come with good recommendations for the DAS, as a few of my friends have passed with them and had a great time doing it. So I've started this thread to document my progress and hopefully I'll have passed soon. I'd like to have done a quick course to test route but I don't think I'll be able to fit that round my work shifts. On the other hand, at least I get time off during the week so I won't have to duke it out for a Saturday test spot!
The driving force behind it was twofold. First of all, I wanted to get my car through it's MOT in February and I wasn't really sure what the damage would be. On the one hand, it seemed solid and mostly fault free. A few creaks from old bushes at the back but mainly fine, and a noisy wheel bearing. But it's an ageing Jaguar, so prices could easily be refreshingly 'Ford' or depressingly 'Jaguar'! The ultimate cost was only £160 (and a lot of stress, if you've read about the f
king nightmare I had with both car and bike last week). That, and I just can't be arsed riding a 125cc bike anymore. Everyone at work kept asking 'when are you doing your test, Cliff?', so before my CBT runs out in December I thought I better get on with it. Don't get me wrong, the 125 experience has been invaluable. Although I initially found riding it quite nerve-wracking, I soon settled into controlling the bike and managing different situations. I've had lots of experience in the wind and rain, during busy rush hour traffic when everyone is going hell for leather to get home and in the early morning when most commuters are still half asleep. I'd recommend such learning on your own to anyone (if you hold a driving licence, that is, not sure I'd recommend riding a motorbike on a CBT as an introduction to the road these days!). However, not being able to top 60mph at the best of times soon gets tiring, and a complete lack of weather and wind protection isn't ideal for a commute that takes in a long uphill D/C stretch). I decided I'd look to sell my CG125 come May, to bank my NCB and get a bigger bike. And if I'm going to do that, I'm going to need a full licence.
So, I've been on the phone to Newcastle Rider Training at http://www.motorcycletraining.net/index.html, of whom I did my CBT with, and I've booked a lesson for next Monday. They come with good recommendations for the DAS, as a few of my friends have passed with them and had a great time doing it. So I've started this thread to document my progress and hopefully I'll have passed soon. I'd like to have done a quick course to test route but I don't think I'll be able to fit that round my work shifts. On the other hand, at least I get time off during the week so I won't have to duke it out for a Saturday test spot!
thatdude said:
Best of luck with it, although like many I found a bigger bike easier to ride (felt more planted, the clutch was better, the brakes worked better, the suspension didnt pogo everywhere and the tyres felt like they had grip!)
You'l have a great time!
That pretty much sums up my thoughts on what I don't like about 125's. Gripless tyres with no shoulder to lean down on, soft and bouncy suspension that isn't made for husky boys like me, awful brakes and diving forks and wheezing engines. I'm happy with the clutches on them but I can see that they're harder work than on a big bike as you've got to get the throttle and the release right to push the bike off and avoid stalling or bogging down. The upsides are the extremely cheap running costs and the minuscule footprint and width means you can filter them with great ease. Inner city work, they feel fine but on the open road their failings become apparent. You'l have a great time!
I've ridden a mates CBF600 round a gated car park at work during the night and found it very refreshing. Pulls away with almost no throttle, very stable and graceful feeling. Doesn't 'sag' when you sit on it. I can see why they'd be a nicer thing to ride on the road. Looking forward to getting on with my lessons and enjoying myself now.
CaptainSlow said:
I thought 125s were the bees knees?
Great for learning on, definitely. And great for commuting on, providing you're not going too far, or need to go too fast. Just had my first proper lesson after doing my CBT in December 2013. It was very enjoyable. The time I've put in with my own bike has definitely helped, and after a quick couple of circuits I was on the road on the school's CG125. Being a different model to mine, it felt quite different to ride. The biggest difference was after about ten minutes of riding, the instructor advised me to get as close to the tank as I could, rather than sitting upright with my legs in a relaxed position. I can't say if this helped or hindered me massively, but as I tackled some tighter corners and mini-roundabouts I did think the bike felt very stable so I suppose the benefit of centralising my weight on the bike was felt.
The riding was fun, and we did a few B-roads, stopping about halfway through the session for a leg stretch and a talk about bends, positioning and steering. I then did a quick pillion ride as the instructor demonstrated how little force was required to turn the bike, pushing the bars with one finger to turn it. It's the first time I've ridden pillion and I didn't particularly enjoy it, so I won't be rushing back to a pillion seat.
The only real issue I had was the U-turns, I could not consistently perform them on tighter roads. I've done hundreds on my bike at work in the back yard, although probably not as tight as the kerb to kerb ones I did on a small street today. We moved off to an industrial estate afterwards where there was maybe another foot between the kerbs to work with and they were much easier there, although the biggest issue remains cramp. Being a big lad, sat forward on the CG125, as I was doing the U-turns I could feel the outside of my thighs and arsecheeks cramping up. This pain was distracting, and my concentration suffered. I stood up on the bike and punched my leg and arsecheek, which numbed them and loosened the cramp and I was able to get another couple of successful U-turns before the pain came back again.
I'm back again tomorrow, riding a CB500. Hopefully, having a bit more space to flex on the bike should mean I can successfully perform those U-turns with a degree of consistency. When I picked my bike up from work at the weekend, I'll be practising many of them in my own time. I'm hoping the bigger bike will smooth this rough edge off, as I've found them much easier to ride slowly in the past.
carmadgaz said:
Are you going for A or A2? I find my GS125 like riding a bicycle but oddly (to me anyway) the CBF600 I'm doing my test on does feel more stable even at low speed.
I'm doing the A licence. First ride on the CB500 this afternoon, what a fantastic machine. Even just sitting on it feels miles better. The feet back, leaning forward position was far more comfortable than on the 125. Much nicer clutch than the 125, as you could feel it out slowly and feel the bike start to pull whereas with the 125's I find them 'all or nothing'; namely you let the clutch out and give it revs at a very small aperture during the lever's travel to get it going. On the CB500, there was plenty more room to work with, and I was given advice on using my left hand like a claw to move the clutch in an out, rather than grabbing the lever with the intention of making a fist to save on fatigue.
After some slow speed riding in the yard, we went off to a business park down the road for roundabouts and U-turn circuits. What would car and bike instructors do without industrial and business parks? It felt much more planted on the roundabouts, much better changing gears and it was nice to have suspension and braking that felt up to the job of carrying an adult. U-turns were much improved on the bigger bike, and I followed the advice given here yesterday; turning the bars early and looking towards where I wanted to go and giving a burst of throttle to get the bike round. Previously, I'd been slowing down too much. We did a right turn circuit about five times in a row round an estate to drill home the procedure for that. Previously I'd been turning too quickly, too close the centre line so we rode at walking pace and squared the turns right off to make sure the back wheel stayed on our side of the road.
We finished off with some country road riding and took in one of my favourite local roads. I'd ridden it in the height of summer last year on my CG125 (photograph from that day below) and found it quite doable between 50-60mph on the CG, but running it again today in similarly dry (albeit colder) conditions I was amazed at how much easier it was on the bigger bike. I would say out of all the riding I did today, the B roads were the easiest, least stressful and most enjoyable. I was surprised though that the CB500 didn't seem all that fast. I know by bike standards it's a right old slowcoach, and by car standards it's pretty damn quick, but it never made me go "f
king hell". It fairly picked up speed when necessary though and is easily one of the fastest vehicles on the road you're likely to see on a daily basis, in balance. I loved the usable grunt of the engine and the handling. The biggest revelation outside of the brakes and handling though is surely the width of the gears and the pickup of the twin engine. Makes a change from firing up and down the box on a 125 where the gears are all very, very closely spaced and feel equally as useless.
Edited by Baryonyx on Tuesday 10th March 19:06
I'm lucky to be doing lessons on my own, I suppose. That's one of the reasons I went with the school I did, because they're recommended for good teaching and solo lessons. A friend of mine recently did bike lessons elsewhere and did them all with a second student, unknown to them! The way I see it is the more time the instructor spends focused on you, the better off you'll be. I imagine the instructor's job would be much harder if they were teaching someone without a car licence, who was new to the road. At least when you're instructing in the car you can have a conversation to impart the rules of the road and give criticism and feedback. Much harder on a bike when all you can do is talk!
I was listening to Your And Yours on Radio 4 as I was driving to the riding school, the subject was how to reduce car accidents amongst young drivers. Someone rang in from Preston, saying that his son had been booked on an intensive course for car lessons and was expecting to get eight hours of driving for five days in a row, with a test at the end. He ended up sharing the car with a stranger, and factoring in breaks, averaged 3 hours driving a day. The cost of the course was £1600! Seems a lot of money for 15 hours in the driving seat.
Anyway, I digress...
I was listening to Your And Yours on Radio 4 as I was driving to the riding school, the subject was how to reduce car accidents amongst young drivers. Someone rang in from Preston, saying that his son had been booked on an intensive course for car lessons and was expecting to get eight hours of driving for five days in a row, with a test at the end. He ended up sharing the car with a stranger, and factoring in breaks, averaged 3 hours driving a day. The cost of the course was £1600! Seems a lot of money for 15 hours in the driving seat.
Anyway, I digress...
Just back from a lesson this afternoon, it was fantastic.
Another trip out on the CB500, this time doing a lot of traffic work. And the traffic was simply there for the taking, between three and five in the afternoon! Lots of riding through the city centre, across busy bridges and through queues of traffic waiting for junctions on hills.
I've got another tomorrow afternoon, riding some of the typical test routes and roads that the examiners favour to get a feel for them. I'll have to keep my eyes open on them as a lot of those routes are peppered with arbitrary 20mph limits that I can't afford to miss, especially since a lot of them start and finish seemingly at random, with no real change in the road conditions or things surrounding the road.
Another trip out on the CB500, this time doing a lot of traffic work. And the traffic was simply there for the taking, between three and five in the afternoon! Lots of riding through the city centre, across busy bridges and through queues of traffic waiting for junctions on hills.
I've got another tomorrow afternoon, riding some of the typical test routes and roads that the examiners favour to get a feel for them. I'll have to keep my eyes open on them as a lot of those routes are peppered with arbitrary 20mph limits that I can't afford to miss, especially since a lot of them start and finish seemingly at random, with no real change in the road conditions or things surrounding the road.
strudel said:
I wouldn't worry overly about the test route, if you've been driving for a while. Your road sense should already be there, so you just need to get the control right 
It's more just a case of spotting the speed limits and knowing them all - as I say, some of them are fairly arbitrary so you'll not spot the usual changes, and the repeater signage is often inconsistent. I'm alright in the city centre on the North side of the water as I know all the roads there like the back of my hand, but the test centre is in Gateshead which is home to worst roads in the area! With a little familiarisation time, I should be quite comfortable. Most of the ride I did today was in Gateshead, on roads I've driven before but couldn't confess to know as well as the roads over the Tyne. I'm sure though, once you've got your riding to a good standard, you could go to any test centre in the country with an equal chance of passing (be it Hackney or the Highlands) and that's what I'm working towards. I keep looking at pictures of SV650's and Pan Euros to keep me going.
Tonight, I brought the CG125 home from work. It was a slightly nervous experience as I couldn't remember how much petrol was in it, but it'll be filled to the brim tomorrow. What a way to spend £10! My local petrol station shuts at 9PM...
My head has definitely been turned by riding the bigger bike but what I didn't expect was that having ridden a bigger bike would make me appreciate the 125 as much as I did riding home tonight. On the CB500, everything feels immeasurably better; it'll tap down to first without grumbling, the brakes will stop you without diving, you don't need the back brake to draw to a stop in good time, it'll lean right over in the corners and at low speeds, and then of course there is the speed. It gives you the options to make your own choices on the road, and will settle into a fast cruise without feeling strained.
Now, a good deal of my renewed appreciation for the CG125 probably comes from doing lessons. Sitting much further forward on the bike than I previously had, I felt no less comfortable but much more in control of the bike. Okay, the new chain and sprockets have helped immeasurably as the bike now feels very smooth and relaxed on the throttle, with none of that awful driveline lash or on/off throttle that I took as normal before. The gearbox is much smoother too. It's no faster though!
Anyway, sitting further forward on the bike I was pleasantly surprised to see it felt much more willing to tip into a bend and much more stable through it. The roads were dry and grippy tonight, and I was able to lean it down to the shoulder of the tyre with more confidence than before, although the limit is still communicated with the same 'shimmy' as you run out of tyre. As it was on my way home, I rode down to the business park where I had first practised both on my CBT and on the 500. I did about 30 u-turns up and down one of the side roads and found dragging the back brake and being positive and fast on the turn in phase meant I was much more likely to pull it off. I felt a bit deflated the other night doing them in the back yard at work, where I was nailing them with success as other colleagues (also bikers) shouted "no one does fking U turns except for their test". In the back of my mind was my mate, at the conclusion of his last U turn, lying in the road with his bike on top of him swearing he'll never do another! Perseverance paid off, and I managed U turn after U turn without putting my feet down. I then rode back to the residential street where I had first ridden the 125 again after starting my DAS course. I can see why the instructor takes you there for U turns. It's on a hill, and it's tight. Much tighter than the lines on the Mod 1 course, even accounting for the decreased turning circle of the 125. I did a couple of U turns there, noting that you had to get them bang on perfect to get round and any wobble or time off turning will see you run out of road. Clearly, that's an early test to see how good you are!
So I am convinced, whilst I've no desire to keep the CG125 past my test, that it's been worth my while getting it and riding on it. Just riding tonight, I was surprised at how sensitive it is to inputs. The big bike will mask most cack-handedness but the 125 won't. The only thing you don't need to worry about is the throttle and the gears, as their connection to the engine and road speed is tenuous at best. Practice on the 125 has allowed me to start riding properly on the road pretty much straight away on my DAS lessons, and I'm glad we didn't have to spend time going over basic controls, and could get on with fine tuning my ride. I recall about five years ago, I was new to the job I do now and was out on an early shift. At about lunch time, driving through a residential area, I came across two bikers at the roadside looking flustered. I stopped to see if they needed help; it transpired they were an instructor and student from a riding school about ten miles away. The girl having the lessons had apparently got a bit flustered at a junction, pulled out onto the road and wobbled and had lost her nerve and didn't think she could ride the bike home. The instructor was calling for a friend with a van to come and get the bike, and the girl was in a semi-panicked state. I did think then, if someone loses their nerve on a biking lesson, it's not just like a car lesson where the instructor can hop in the driving seat and take them back home!
The main tips I've picked up so far, which I'm incorporating are:
1) More mirrors, less life savers. This was probably spurred by the small, vibrating mirrors on my CG125. They're fairly hopeless. I wasn't surprised when I was told to check my mirrors more but I was surprised when I was told to spend less time looking over my shoulder, the logic being if I've looked in my mirrors enough I shouldn't need to look over my shoulder as much. I've adjusted the CG's mirrors tonight for the widest possible view but they're still pretty st. I still need to make loads of life savers on the CG, just because they mirrors are useless but I've adapted on the big bike to the correct routine.
2) Ride slightly over the speed limit and look in control of the machine. I had thought a conservative, slightly-less-than-speed-limit ride was the test passer. I could argue that I was anticipating hazards whilst avoiding failing for accidentally speeding. Apparently, this won't float on a test as the examiner will note my 28mph in a 30 zone and fail me, but they're not so concerned with a slight overspeed. Looking confident and alert to all hazards seems to be the order of the day.
3) No back brake on right angle corners. I was guilty of this on my second lesson as I felt the back brake made the bike feel very stable in the corner, like taking a 1st gear left hander off a road. Apparently it will send the wrong message to cars behind me as they'll see my brake light when I'm not stopping or even slowing down, and I should be doing it all on the throttle and clutch. The exception being wet, slow speed work with acute turning angles like mini roundabouts. I got pulled up on this again yesterday and felt like a right tt, I didn't even realise I was pressing the brake and I certainly didn't intend to but I couldn't feel the pedal through my boot. When I was told what I was doing, I was furious at myself, especially as we'd already discussed not using the brake for slow speed turns.
My head has definitely been turned by riding the bigger bike but what I didn't expect was that having ridden a bigger bike would make me appreciate the 125 as much as I did riding home tonight. On the CB500, everything feels immeasurably better; it'll tap down to first without grumbling, the brakes will stop you without diving, you don't need the back brake to draw to a stop in good time, it'll lean right over in the corners and at low speeds, and then of course there is the speed. It gives you the options to make your own choices on the road, and will settle into a fast cruise without feeling strained.
Now, a good deal of my renewed appreciation for the CG125 probably comes from doing lessons. Sitting much further forward on the bike than I previously had, I felt no less comfortable but much more in control of the bike. Okay, the new chain and sprockets have helped immeasurably as the bike now feels very smooth and relaxed on the throttle, with none of that awful driveline lash or on/off throttle that I took as normal before. The gearbox is much smoother too. It's no faster though!
Anyway, sitting further forward on the bike I was pleasantly surprised to see it felt much more willing to tip into a bend and much more stable through it. The roads were dry and grippy tonight, and I was able to lean it down to the shoulder of the tyre with more confidence than before, although the limit is still communicated with the same 'shimmy' as you run out of tyre. As it was on my way home, I rode down to the business park where I had first practised both on my CBT and on the 500. I did about 30 u-turns up and down one of the side roads and found dragging the back brake and being positive and fast on the turn in phase meant I was much more likely to pull it off. I felt a bit deflated the other night doing them in the back yard at work, where I was nailing them with success as other colleagues (also bikers) shouted "no one does f
king U turns except for their test". In the back of my mind was my mate, at the conclusion of his last U turn, lying in the road with his bike on top of him swearing he'll never do another! Perseverance paid off, and I managed U turn after U turn without putting my feet down. I then rode back to the residential street where I had first ridden the 125 again after starting my DAS course. I can see why the instructor takes you there for U turns. It's on a hill, and it's tight. Much tighter than the lines on the Mod 1 course, even accounting for the decreased turning circle of the 125. I did a couple of U turns there, noting that you had to get them bang on perfect to get round and any wobble or time off turning will see you run out of road. Clearly, that's an early test to see how good you are!So I am convinced, whilst I've no desire to keep the CG125 past my test, that it's been worth my while getting it and riding on it. Just riding tonight, I was surprised at how sensitive it is to inputs. The big bike will mask most cack-handedness but the 125 won't. The only thing you don't need to worry about is the throttle and the gears, as their connection to the engine and road speed is tenuous at best. Practice on the 125 has allowed me to start riding properly on the road pretty much straight away on my DAS lessons, and I'm glad we didn't have to spend time going over basic controls, and could get on with fine tuning my ride. I recall about five years ago, I was new to the job I do now and was out on an early shift. At about lunch time, driving through a residential area, I came across two bikers at the roadside looking flustered. I stopped to see if they needed help; it transpired they were an instructor and student from a riding school about ten miles away. The girl having the lessons had apparently got a bit flustered at a junction, pulled out onto the road and wobbled and had lost her nerve and didn't think she could ride the bike home. The instructor was calling for a friend with a van to come and get the bike, and the girl was in a semi-panicked state. I did think then, if someone loses their nerve on a biking lesson, it's not just like a car lesson where the instructor can hop in the driving seat and take them back home!
The main tips I've picked up so far, which I'm incorporating are:
1) More mirrors, less life savers. This was probably spurred by the small, vibrating mirrors on my CG125. They're fairly hopeless. I wasn't surprised when I was told to check my mirrors more but I was surprised when I was told to spend less time looking over my shoulder, the logic being if I've looked in my mirrors enough I shouldn't need to look over my shoulder as much. I've adjusted the CG's mirrors tonight for the widest possible view but they're still pretty s
t. I still need to make loads of life savers on the CG, just because they mirrors are useless but I've adapted on the big bike to the correct routine. 2) Ride slightly over the speed limit and look in control of the machine. I had thought a conservative, slightly-less-than-speed-limit ride was the test passer. I could argue that I was anticipating hazards whilst avoiding failing for accidentally speeding. Apparently, this won't float on a test as the examiner will note my 28mph in a 30 zone and fail me, but they're not so concerned with a slight overspeed. Looking confident and alert to all hazards seems to be the order of the day.
3) No back brake on right angle corners. I was guilty of this on my second lesson as I felt the back brake made the bike feel very stable in the corner, like taking a 1st gear left hander off a road. Apparently it will send the wrong message to cars behind me as they'll see my brake light when I'm not stopping or even slowing down, and I should be doing it all on the throttle and clutch. The exception being wet, slow speed work with acute turning angles like mini roundabouts. I got pulled up on this again yesterday and felt like a right t
t, I didn't even realise I was pressing the brake and I certainly didn't intend to but I couldn't feel the pedal through my boot. When I was told what I was doing, I was furious at myself, especially as we'd already discussed not using the brake for slow speed turns. I had another lesson today, and the booking of the tests is now in the offing. When that'll be, I'm not sure. My shift pattern moves over to nightshift and late day shifts next week which severely limits the time during business hours for me to get my last lessons in (this is compounded by the Easter bank holidays).
Anyway, on getting there today I went out for an afternoon lesson with a different instructor, as the instructor I'd ridden with previously was off. The change of instructor is, I find, usually a good thing as you get a different perspective on your ride and a fresh set of eyes assessing your weak points. The instructor today really listened to what I was saying which meant the finer detail could be pored over. He was happy with my effort as a whole.
Today was the first lesson I've done on the 600cc, a Honda CB600. The majority of the riding students do seems to be on the CB500, with the CB600 introduced just before the tests for DAS. I felt my low speed control was a little glitchy but other than that, things went very well. The bike was very enjoyable too, I think I preferred the four cylinder engine which felt a bit more relaxed below 50mph and very docile at low revs, but it really had some top end punch and felt loads faster than the CB500.
At the end, we went back to the yard and did U-turns again, I'm pleased to be able to do them quickly and tightly. Today I focused on relaxing as I brought the bike to a stop. The front brakes on the CB600 are even stronger than the CB500, and I was too stiff on the bars when stopping (a habit of bracing for the dive on the CG125). Humming to myself to keep myself breathing, and flexing my arms to keep them loose solved that problem. Overall, I had great fun.
Anyway, on getting there today I went out for an afternoon lesson with a different instructor, as the instructor I'd ridden with previously was off. The change of instructor is, I find, usually a good thing as you get a different perspective on your ride and a fresh set of eyes assessing your weak points. The instructor today really listened to what I was saying which meant the finer detail could be pored over. He was happy with my effort as a whole.
Today was the first lesson I've done on the 600cc, a Honda CB600. The majority of the riding students do seems to be on the CB500, with the CB600 introduced just before the tests for DAS. I felt my low speed control was a little glitchy but other than that, things went very well. The bike was very enjoyable too, I think I preferred the four cylinder engine which felt a bit more relaxed below 50mph and very docile at low revs, but it really had some top end punch and felt loads faster than the CB500.
At the end, we went back to the yard and did U-turns again, I'm pleased to be able to do them quickly and tightly. Today I focused on relaxing as I brought the bike to a stop. The front brakes on the CB600 are even stronger than the CB500, and I was too stiff on the bars when stopping (a habit of bracing for the dive on the CG125). Humming to myself to keep myself breathing, and flexing my arms to keep them loose solved that problem. Overall, I had great fun.
Edited by Baryonyx on Tuesday 24th March 18:52
I passed Mod 1 today. What a great feeling! 
Things came together quite nicely. I'd taken half a night off work and finished at 3AM this morning to try and get a good sleep before setting off for the test. Before the test, I did about 45 minutes practice on the yard doing the manual handling through to U-turn section. We then headed off to a nearby industrial estate and on a disused section of road at the end, did more U-turns in a circuit with cones set out for the the three last three speed checked exercises. Riding alongside was a lad also doing his Mod 1 today, on an A2 bike.
I thought I was riding terribly for the practice session. Mostly the manoeuvres were coming off without a hitch, but I was making mistakes I could have kicked myself for. Particularly at the end, when the instructor was collecting the cones in, he set us away just doing U-turns in the road, whereas previously we'd been using a driveway to a disused unit to make the turns because the road was narrower than the markings at the test centre. I managed the U turns on the narrow road, but they felt cramped and choppy.
On getting to the test centre, I was up first for my test and it went over like a breeze. I had expected to feel nervous, but I felt very calm throughout. Everything came off absolutely without a hitch. The toughest part was probably the slalom due to the clutch on the bike I was using. I don't know who adjusted it, but they must have fking massive hands, as I have big hands and found it a strain to balance on the clutch due to the length of the extension, which made it tricky to trickle the bike along the little course. I dragged the back brake to smooth it out, and that was that. No issues, before I knew it I was riding through the gate to the finish. The examiner was spot on, the ride went well and I can now look forward to booking my Mod 2 test.
I would still question the usefulness of the Mod 1 test, having discussed it with my instructor asking for his thoughts on it. He reckons you can really see the difference in riders who had passed their Mod 1 and are awaiting their Mod 2, as they have a new confidence in an 'I can do this' sense, since all that then stands between you and your licence is the road test. As for the slow control, surely that sort of thing has always been marked on the road test as whatever the conditions, no doubt at some point you'll find yourself having to crawl up to traffic or pulling away slowly. The U-turn, which seems to be the easiest way to fail a Mod 1, is a bit of a moot point. I love being able to do them, but if they weren't marked as part of a test now, would most riders do them? I doubt it. Most of my mates and colleagues who ride avoid U-turns for fear of dropping them bike and would rather just paddle, which I probably would with hundreds of pounds of luggage and fairing to think about. I understand on the continent, the Mod 1 is performed on the road rather than on a closed circuit, although I can see the benefit of consistency when you're testing on a marked yard.
Things came together quite nicely. I'd taken half a night off work and finished at 3AM this morning to try and get a good sleep before setting off for the test. Before the test, I did about 45 minutes practice on the yard doing the manual handling through to U-turn section. We then headed off to a nearby industrial estate and on a disused section of road at the end, did more U-turns in a circuit with cones set out for the the three last three speed checked exercises. Riding alongside was a lad also doing his Mod 1 today, on an A2 bike.
I thought I was riding terribly for the practice session. Mostly the manoeuvres were coming off without a hitch, but I was making mistakes I could have kicked myself for. Particularly at the end, when the instructor was collecting the cones in, he set us away just doing U-turns in the road, whereas previously we'd been using a driveway to a disused unit to make the turns because the road was narrower than the markings at the test centre. I managed the U turns on the narrow road, but they felt cramped and choppy.
On getting to the test centre, I was up first for my test and it went over like a breeze. I had expected to feel nervous, but I felt very calm throughout. Everything came off absolutely without a hitch. The toughest part was probably the slalom due to the clutch on the bike I was using. I don't know who adjusted it, but they must have f
king massive hands, as I have big hands and found it a strain to balance on the clutch due to the length of the extension, which made it tricky to trickle the bike along the little course. I dragged the back brake to smooth it out, and that was that. No issues, before I knew it I was riding through the gate to the finish. The examiner was spot on, the ride went well and I can now look forward to booking my Mod 2 test.I would still question the usefulness of the Mod 1 test, having discussed it with my instructor asking for his thoughts on it. He reckons you can really see the difference in riders who had passed their Mod 1 and are awaiting their Mod 2, as they have a new confidence in an 'I can do this' sense, since all that then stands between you and your licence is the road test. As for the slow control, surely that sort of thing has always been marked on the road test as whatever the conditions, no doubt at some point you'll find yourself having to crawl up to traffic or pulling away slowly. The U-turn, which seems to be the easiest way to fail a Mod 1, is a bit of a moot point. I love being able to do them, but if they weren't marked as part of a test now, would most riders do them? I doubt it. Most of my mates and colleagues who ride avoid U-turns for fear of dropping them bike and would rather just paddle, which I probably would with hundreds of pounds of luggage and fairing to think about. I understand on the continent, the Mod 1 is performed on the road rather than on a closed circuit, although I can see the benefit of consistency when you're testing on a marked yard.
I passed my test this afternoon. It felt like it took ages in the sense that I rode up with the instructor and another lad, the other lad did his test and I went out whilst he was doing his for another 45 minute circuit, and then came back and did mine. In total, mine felt like it blew by in about twenty minutes but I guess I did much the same route as the other lad. Passed with one minor, which I was quite happy with - having missed a 20mph on a road I drive all the time, but slowing down for the traffic calming further up the road. I remember consciously thinking at the time 'is this a 20 or 30 zone...should I press on, drop back or bimble in the middle?', but my mind was made up for me when I got to the traffic calming.
Anyway, that's that done and dusted and for all it was a slog having to arrange lessons, I quite enjoyed the lessons I had, though if I could have had my time again I'd have worked harder to compress them into a shorter timespan. Not that it matters now.
Now, thinking turns to bikes. Not sure what I'll end up with. I had really fancied a 955i Speed Triple, applying the common sense that I'm not some young lad who can't contain himself, and that it'll only go as fast as you want it to. My instructor today (not the usual instructor I've had, but I had done a session with him before and he's a very sound and down to earth sort) reckoned it wouldn't be an ideal place to start. Not that the handling is too twitchy, but it'll apparently put a lot of power down very quickly which could lead to spinning the back wheel or hoisting the front, both of which I'd be on the lookout for. More than that, the weight of it doesn't lend it to quick corrections mid corner if you find you're in trouble. That was food for thought, as he was signing their praises as a tool for an experienced rider, but I might be better off looking elsewhere. I shall see. I know I don't have the talent to really use a Speed Triple but I had hoped to work on my skills on one.
Perhaps I'll look towards a smaller bike, like the TT600, instead. That's for another thread though, on another day.
Anyway, that's that done and dusted and for all it was a slog having to arrange lessons, I quite enjoyed the lessons I had, though if I could have had my time again I'd have worked harder to compress them into a shorter timespan. Not that it matters now.
Now, thinking turns to bikes. Not sure what I'll end up with. I had really fancied a 955i Speed Triple, applying the common sense that I'm not some young lad who can't contain himself, and that it'll only go as fast as you want it to. My instructor today (not the usual instructor I've had, but I had done a session with him before and he's a very sound and down to earth sort) reckoned it wouldn't be an ideal place to start. Not that the handling is too twitchy, but it'll apparently put a lot of power down very quickly which could lead to spinning the back wheel or hoisting the front, both of which I'd be on the lookout for. More than that, the weight of it doesn't lend it to quick corrections mid corner if you find you're in trouble. That was food for thought, as he was signing their praises as a tool for an experienced rider, but I might be better off looking elsewhere. I shall see. I know I don't have the talent to really use a Speed Triple but I had hoped to work on my skills on one.
Perhaps I'll look towards a smaller bike, like the TT600, instead. That's for another thread though, on another day.
Aye, fk it, I'll stick with the plan to get the Speed Triple. I'm 15 and a half stone so I'll just lean over the tank to keep it steady 
I'm now looking forward to buying a new bike, albeit it might take a couple of months waiting for the right bike to show up close enough to make it worth going for. I can see some lovely bikes for sale all around the country but I'd prefer just waiting a little longer for something more convenient. It does give time to save (I never finance anything if I can help it).
k it, I'll stick with the plan to get the Speed Triple. I'm 15 and a half stone so I'll just lean over the tank to keep it steady I'm now looking forward to buying a new bike, albeit it might take a couple of months waiting for the right bike to show up close enough to make it worth going for. I can see some lovely bikes for sale all around the country but I'd prefer just waiting a little longer for something more convenient. It does give time to save (I never finance anything if I can help it).
With regards to further development, there is much work to be done.
The first port of call will be buying a proper bike and getting some miles on it at an easy pace, to settle into riding full time again. The plus side there is, I always preferred riding alone to riding with an instructor behind me; I was never as relaxed and never thought I rode as well as I did when I was alone, putting aside the good advice I learned during the DAS. If I could have taken the advice and tuition I'd had there and applied it to a solo ride, I'd probably feel like I was putting on the best ride I could.
The next steps will be some group rides with friends who are experienced motorcyclists, and a combination of ex-police bike riders and trainers, hopefully to pick up some of their tips. I'll also be looking to do a few sessions with the head instructor at the riding school I went to, as he is well regarded as an advanced trainer and they do discounted advanced sessions for riders who passed with them. I may look at some advanced certification in future, but more as likely not, I'd sooner just work on the skills than chase a certificate and pay to be part of an affiliated group.
Anyway, that about draws the thread to a close. If you're reading this and thinking about getting your licence, just go and get it, as the sooner you get started on it, the sooner you can get riding at your own pace.
The first port of call will be buying a proper bike and getting some miles on it at an easy pace, to settle into riding full time again. The plus side there is, I always preferred riding alone to riding with an instructor behind me; I was never as relaxed and never thought I rode as well as I did when I was alone, putting aside the good advice I learned during the DAS. If I could have taken the advice and tuition I'd had there and applied it to a solo ride, I'd probably feel like I was putting on the best ride I could.
The next steps will be some group rides with friends who are experienced motorcyclists, and a combination of ex-police bike riders and trainers, hopefully to pick up some of their tips. I'll also be looking to do a few sessions with the head instructor at the riding school I went to, as he is well regarded as an advanced trainer and they do discounted advanced sessions for riders who passed with them. I may look at some advanced certification in future, but more as likely not, I'd sooner just work on the skills than chase a certificate and pay to be part of an affiliated group.
Anyway, that about draws the thread to a close. If you're reading this and thinking about getting your licence, just go and get it, as the sooner you get started on it, the sooner you can get riding at your own pace.
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