Anger over motorbike 'swerve test'

[Dave20046]

ah that's a point I didn't even think as to whether you can do it faster than 50kph

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Because its supposed to be a swerve test not a slow speed slalom test. I wasn't a fan of this concept and a DSA examiner told me he thought it was a bit too severe, but those videos certainly seem to tell a different story.

Driving at an appropriate speed for the conditions doesn't turn it into a 'slow speed slalom test' - while doing your on the road practical test regardless of whether it's car or bike if you don't slow down for the conditions you'll start getting minors and get a fail if you keep doing it. Yet in the off the road test it's the complete opposite where you are supposed to ignore the conditions entirely and keep a constant pace which is exactly what you shouldn't do in real riding conditions.

In the rain the grip of the bike is reduced therefore its ability to handle a swerve or similar is also reduced, we are always being told speed limits are limits not the speed you should be driving at therefore it doesn't make much sense to me to have a test where no consideration is given to the external conditions.

John

Did it today in the wet, yuk!, on 500cc reached 53kph, swerved no probs and pulled up just fine, unfortunately touched cone elsewhere so failed (oh why, oh why am i so stupid!!!) Instructor had thoroughly prepared me for 'swerve' and at no time did i feel too much was being asked of me. Having said that i have ridden a lot of miles in the 3 months since cbt and notched up a lot of experience, i wouldnt have been anywhere near as confident had i gone straight from cbt to mod1 on a big bike in a matter of days.

Note to examiner from this morning - Rode around peterboroughs roadworks all day and didnt tap one cone, any chance you might change your mind and make it a pass cant wait for attempt no. 2 next week, things can only get better

[Dave20046]

good luck

Welcome to the forum.

Originally Posted by Loz

My daughter did it at 54kph on a cg125 for her A2

Her friend doing his Das clocked 61kph on the bigger bike

both said it is easy...

Is that you Loz? or another Loz

Originally Posted by JohnMcL7

Driving at an appropriate speed for the conditions doesn't turn it into a 'slow speed slalom test' - while doing your on the road practical test regardless of whether it's car or bike if you don't slow down for the conditions you'll start getting minors and get a fail if you keep doing it. Yet in the off the road test it's the complete opposite where you are supposed to ignore the conditions entirely and keep a constant pace which is exactly what you shouldn't do in real riding conditions.

In the rain the grip of the bike is reduced therefore its ability to handle a swerve or similar is also reduced, we are always being told speed limits are limits not the speed you should be driving at therefore it doesn't make much sense to me to have a test where no consideration is given to the external conditions.

John

Have you got some documented proof that this test (which has obviously been intended for all normal conditions in the UK since that is its implementation) is designed specifically for dry surface riding? I'm tired of posting the same thing.
It's either a:
A - Test designed purely for dry conditions (dangerous in the wet), unlikely no?
or
B - Test designed for all conditions including the wet (probably a bit too easy in the dry), likely, no?

It's a test remember, it should be a challenge.

I'll laugh if the DSA change it so that the speed requirement for bone dry conditions are simply increased by 15kph.

Or they force you to get your knee down or something

If you're tired of posting the same thing over and over again how about actually reading posts first before replying and you'd save yourself a lot of time? The test does not have to be as black and white as you believe and there is no 'documented proof' required (which is a nonsense claim anyway) as that's how the on the road test for both cars and motorbikes has worked for many years.

Look at it this way, for the emergency stop on the road do they measure your exact stopping distance which must be within the same limit regardless of the conditions? No of course they don't - your stopping distance is going to be based on various factors the main one of which is going to be the condition of the road. There is no fixed limit at all instead the examiner uses their judgement to decide whether you stopped within a reasonable distance for the conditions.

One of the key elements of a driving/riding test which has been exactly the same since I passed my car test back in 1997 is driving at an appropriate speed for the conditions and even outside of tests I see it regularly mentioned that speed limits are the maximum limit, not the constant speed everyone should be driving at. This swerve test goes completely against that - any rider (or driver) should be going slower when the conditions are such that the ability of their vehicle to carry out an emergency manuever is reduced.

Something for you to remember is that the examiner is not a computer which can only base its decisions on basic numbers (nor are you despite the claims in your post), instead they are qualified people who are capable of obsvervation and their own expert judgement. Trying to break everything down into simplistic, arbtirary numbers does nothing to improve safety or riding standards if anything it does the opposite. I dislike this approach in any field as it does happen everywhere but it's even dafter here.

John

[Spiderman]

Originally Posted by sinbad

It's a test remember, it should be a challenge.

so agreed.

And the second vid clip that was posted above shows it being done on a wet surface. It still looks safe and easy to me and clearly no problem for those showing how its done.

Bikes dont just go in straight lines and bank over to take turns, they also swerve when the rider wants them to so why not make that part of the education a rider gets? Dont forget before this "eeeevil" test comes the education part so if the instructor feels you're only good at going in straight lines and couldn't swerve your bike when the conditions need you to then he either gives you more tuition on that or suggests that riding a bike isnt really for you.

I'd rather that than people out on the road who need to make a simple swerve to to avoid a ball or something but end up hitting the tramc instead cos they justy aint aquired that skill yet.

The argument wasn't against the swerve test it was about arbitrarily fixing it at one value.

John