Putting in for test/training

gosshawk

gosshawk

gosshawk

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Joined
14 Feb 2012
Posts
181
Location
South Wales
I am quite excited, after commuting 5 days a week, 60 miles a day on a 125 for the past year, I am finally in a position to do my proper license!

Theory test booked for 22nd August, and sent off to some local schools for a few days training that same week. Will see where I go from there.

Any advice/tips from anyone who has done their test recently?
 
When you do your MOD 2 treat the examiner like a sat nav giving you directions in your ear and if you take a wrong turn you'll not fail as long as you take a wrong turn correctly.
 
just try to absorb your riding system/lifesavers ect and on the day of the tests try to relax and remember what you've been taught

they usually try and catch you ought with one turn,they might instruct you to turn into a one way road or something similar,just be aware and do the correct thing
 
Good luck! :)

Don't forget your lifesavers every time you move off on mod1. Don't forget to position yourself all the way to the right or the left when turning out of a one way, regardless of what the road markings look like. Don't fall off.
 
ElliorR said:
You must've ****ed off your examiner or something :D
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They do to a lot of people. Happens all the time unfortunately. They'll say something like "take the next available turning on your left" which will technically be a one way but they're referring to the next one you're allowed to take. Can catch learners out quite easily.
 
Loving the help so far, thanks guys. I havent long had to sit my cbt again - long, boring story.
But the second time I done it, it was a breeze. Sounds like mod 1 and 2 are just a beefed up version on a bigger bike?
 
MOD 1 is the slow speed stuff in a tarmac off road area.

This consists of:

Manual handling - pushing the bike from one box into another.
Slalom into a figure of 8
U-turn
slow ride (walking pace)
then the 3 exercises when you go round a long bend, have to hit 31mph through a speed trap, and:
1 - stop controlled with your front wheel between 4 cones
2 - emergency stop
3 - avoidance (swerve).

I think that's it - if you put a foot down, even dab it for a slit second on the u turn/slalom/figure of 8/slow ride, that's an instant fail.


It's 20 minutes at most, and it's over before you know it. If you get it all right, it's easy. But, that split second loss of concentration or balance, followed by a foot down or a locked up back wheel, and it's all over.
 
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gosshawk said:
Loving the help so far, thanks guys. I havent long had to sit my cbt again - long, boring story.
But the second time I done it, it was a breeze. Sounds like mod 1 and 2 are just a beefed up version on a bigger bike?
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I'm on CBT as well, but since I'm always really curios what the practical tests look like I watch them on YouTube. You can do a quick search on YouTube 'Mod 1' and there're videos from 3rd person view & POV.

You can always get some cheap cones for a fiver and practise on a quiet parking, so once you go for the final thing you're more confident. Well... that's what I do now :p

BTW

Good luck! ;)
 
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TallPaul_S said:
I think that's it - if you put a foot down, even dab it for a slit second on the u turn/slalom/figure of 8/slow ride, that's an instant fail.
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I was told otherwise. If you dab your foot down but are still in control, they can pass you with a minor. If you put your foot down to control the bike then that would be a fail.
 
Craig321 said:
I was told otherwise. If you dab your foot down but are still in control, they can pass you with a minor. If you put your foot down to control the bike then that would be a fail.
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It'd be down to the examiner to determine if you were still in control or not - and the only reason you'd normally put a foot down would be because you've lost balance.
 
Would it be worth practicing on my little bike like IC3 said? - I can see the benefits for sure, but just how different is it all on a "big bike"?

I have started practicing going as slow as possible in works car park when I get there in the morning, so hopefully that will help.

How exactly do you go slow and controlled then? My instructor on my last cbt told me to keep foot on back brake, and ride the clutch to get a slow speed maneuver done - does that sound about right?

Would you expect me to need any more that a day or so training on a big bike?

Cheers
 
gosshawk said:
Would it be worth practicing on my little bike like IC3 said? - I can see the benefits for sure, but just how different is it all on a "big bike"?

I have started practicing going as slow as possible in works car park when I get there in the morning, so hopefully that will help.

How exactly do you go slow and controlled then? My instructor on my last cbt told me to keep foot on back brake, and ride the clutch to get a slow speed maneuver done - does that sound about right?

Would you expect me to need any more that a day or so training on a big bike?

Cheers
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Sounds about right, you should be able to do it without the back brake pretty much. Also keep the engine revs up, even with the clutch pulled in as it helps balance.

It's quite a lot easier on a heavier bike and feels a bit different, but no harm in practicing on your small bike.
 
gosshawk said:
Would it be worth practicing on my little bike like IC3 said? - I can see the benefits for sure, but just how different is it all on a "big bike"?

I have started practicing going as slow as possible in works car park when I get there in the morning, so hopefully that will help.

How exactly do you go slow and controlled then? My instructor on my last cbt told me to keep foot on back brake, and ride the clutch to get a slow speed maneuver done - does that sound about right?

Would you expect me to need any more that a day or so training on a big bike?

Cheers
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Its definitely worth paying for some time on a bigger bike with an instructor, that's what I'm planning on doing with the school I did my CBT.

I have been told exactly the same thing, I can see what he meant. As I saw a guy on a 125 L plates grabbing front break at low speeds, it didn't end well... never have your hand over front break at lower speeds, as your brain will trick you to pull it. It nearly happened to me once, on gravel...

Even though the difference between bigger bike and a light 125 are there, practicing your technique and control of the bike will be fairly similar on a bigger bike. Some more experienced riders should explain this in detail, I'm a newbie which ridden some bigger A2 cat bikes couple times up and down the street. :p
 
Glad I made this thread now, getting some good tips here - thank you all.

I will just pootle around my works car park every morning and do some more advanced techniques on the weekends in bigger car parks.

Similar to you IC3 - I have learned my lesson when considering low speed front braking too! :p
 
wazza300 said:
Good clutch control if you want to ride slowly,feather the clutch
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hydraulic clutches ftw on this front :p

my mate who basically only rides for fun in a psychotic sort of way, always stalls my bikes whenever he tries them cause my clutch is always adjusted to be very far out (i commute and spend a lot of time filtering/in traffic compared to blasting around the open roads) makes life so much easier.
 
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