Mod 1 on Thursday

[DomP]

I've got my mod 1 in Newport on Thursday, feeling mildly confident. Any tips/advice that may help? Obviously my instructors have given me all the help I need but just in case there are any 'non instructor' tips.

On the subject of Newport, what's it like for mod 2? I've learnt in Hereford so I'd imagine it's going to be easy different.

[Alexander94]

Don't drop the bike... Haha
Relaxing is very important, if you get stressed and worked up you tend to make mistakes.
Don't try to rush through, take your time and listen to what your instructor. I learnt that with car driving, I was al alright driver before having lessons (after years of driving round a private field) but I've listened to my instructor and I feel like a much better and safer driver now.

Good luck

[DomP]

That's the risk I suppose, nervous energy.

[Alexander94]

As you're learning no one's going to expect you to be perfect (otherwise you wouldn't be learning would you?) Knowing that should help cos a lot of nerves come from being afraid of making mistakes

[DomP]

Thanks mate that makes complete sense

[atassiedevil]

Good friend of mine is a DAS instructor, and i hear plenty of stories....I actually redid my test 3 years ago, as i'd not been on a bike in over 10 years, and wasn't prepared to "throw a leg over and just hoon it"

People usually fail Mod1 for one of 4 reasons.

1. Nerves, gets you every time. Once you've turned the bike around in the green cones, sit on it, get your head clear, and your nerves out of the way before you do the slalom / figure 8. It helps. The instructor will give you all the time you need, so don't feel rushed.

2. Not enough revs/too little clutch resulting in putting your foot down. No revs, the bike starts to drop in one of the turns, and down goes your foot, you fail. Keep your revs up and haul the bike around the slow stuff on the clutch. U turn is a good example of this.

3. Observations. The Mod1 is designed so if you don't look at all, you'll fail. Do your look around observations before every manouvre.

4. Speed through the trap. There is a natural inclination to either not go fast enough, or to roll the throttle off early before the speed trap. While you're out training practice gunning the bike in 2nd gear til you're doing 35mph. Learn what the engine sounds like at that speed. As you come off the banking on the test, pin 2nd gear til it sounds right (you won't have time to look down). Even if you roll off a little you should be doing 50km/h give or take the 2kmh allowance. Stops you becoming a member of the "47km/h club" and having to take another stab at it.

This should greatly improve your chances.

HTH.

[Corny Gizmo]

The reason I failed my first one was on the emergency brake, I locked the back wheel up pretty good (Blue smoke, it was epic)

I learned that its easier to just cover the rear brake with your foot and do 80% - 90% braking with the front.

[DomP]

Yep nerves are my biggest threat I think, I've been doing it all fine in practice.

[Kenzie]

Don't go in on an empty stomach.

[DomP]

Well I passed today! Pleased about that but I did some real stupid stuff riding around Newport having pretty much never been there before. Some of it in embarrassed to even think about. Still in going with the idea that it's better done now than in two weeks in my test

[maviczap]

Well done

[Kenzie]

Congrats

Sent from my Kindle Fire

[DomP]

Thanks folks! I so nearly screwed it up, on my emergency stop I began to move out to do the swerve avoidance for some bizarre reason but pulled out of it just in time. The things that go on in my head?!

[andrewsmith]

Well done

sent with all the fury of a clogged drain!!

[carelesschucca]

Thanks folks! I so nearly screwed it up!

So nearly, yet didn't. S'all good then. Stay positive and we'll be giving you more congratulations in a couple of weeks.

[atassiedevil]

Congrats, hopefully some of the advice helped you on your way there.
When is your Mod2?

[DomP]

9th October, I obviously don't want to fail it but I couldn't accept failing my mod1. Newport is a bit different to my home town of Kington which only has two roundabouts

[Nomad Z]

I did my Mod 2 in a relatively unfamiliar area (Musselburgh, which is east of Edinburgh, but I'm west of the city). If you can, try to spend some time in the area to build some familiarity - I had a 125 and went for a scoot about a few times, and the DAS training concentrated on the area as well. I didn't get to know the area like the back of my hand, but I think having a general idea of what other towns and villages were around helped a bit with the independent riding thing.

Roundabouts - don't straight-line them if you're going straight on (that was something I needed to sort out before the test - my instructor pulled me up for it a few times). Something else is don't trail brake going round. After the 125, I found the torque of the SFV650 made throttle control a bit harder at low speeds/revs in 2nd, so I was sub-consciously trail braking on the roundabouts, probably to give myself some confidence that I could keep things smooth. Picked up several minors for that (but the ride was generally good, so the examiner was okay about it).

I think the other main thing I found was that the test takes a lot less time than you think. On DAS, we would head out and ride around for about 3 hours with a couple of breaks, but the test only lasts about 40 minutes or so.

In the sessions before the test, the things that probably made the biggest difference were comments from my instructor. He said at one point that I seem very relaxed on the bike, which I hadn't noticed until he said it (had been commuting on the 125 a lot). He also said that his critiques of my riding were being picky and that I was at the standard. Small things, but they helped my confidence a lot going into the test, and that helped me to stay relaxed. If you're relaxed, you're not getting stressed or flustered, and you're more likely to ride smooth and safe, read the road and observe the signs.

I remember at one point, about half way through the test, noticing that I was rather enjoying myself and that this wasn't all that hard after all. The idea that the examiner is your talking sat-nav, and that you're just out for a short pleasure ride helped. (Go left here? Yeah, why not...)

[DomP]

Unfortunately Newport is about 1 1/4 hrs from me so not likely to get a chance to get over there until test day. Thanks for all the advice though, I think I will just go in to it thinking I've got nothing to lose bar some cash. Hopefully I can control my troublesome nerves.

[ManMango]

Domp, If you can figure out some of the bike routes (perhaps your instructer can help here) then it might be worth checking out google maps, street view etc. Might help just get a first hand feel of the environment you will be riding on when mod2 comes.

Gratz on mod1 by the way :)

[DomP]

I've had a few hours around Newport and will get a bit more on the day but yeah that may help. Thanks by the way.

[DomP]

Tomorrow is the day, Fingers crossed!

[Kenzie]

Good luck!

Sent from my Kindle Fire

[DomP]

Ah well unfortunately luck wasn't enough this time but thanks anyway. I made 3 really silly mistakes, 2 for misunderstanding the road and one for trying to not be too cautious at a junction (my way of saying I caused a car to have to slow down when emerging from a junction)
Not too annoyed as at least I know the test process now. Only got 1 minor however

[Nomad Z]

Bummer. Have you got a retest booked?

What were the two misunderstanding the road mistakes? What did your instructor say?

[DomP]

Yeah for Friday 13th November ☺. One was the dreaded bus lane, moved over too late. The other was difficult to explain without diagrams.