Future of the bike test

On page 19 of tonight's Shropshire Star there's a piece on driving test price rises that take effect from today, bike test up to £51.

It says 'New European laws mean full motorcycle tests will be too dangerous to carry out on the road. As a result the DSA needs to build dozens of new test centres.'

Have I missed something?

Originally Posted by Sythree

On page 19 of tonight's Shropshire Star there's a piece on driving test price rises that take effect from today, bike test up to £51.

Typical but it doesn't surprise me!

Originally Posted by Sythree

It says 'New European laws mean full motorcycle tests will be too dangerous to carry out on the road. As a result the DSA needs to build dozens of new test centres.'

WTF!!
Too dangerous!? Does that mean you won't be able to take lessons as well!!??
And how is that going to make roads safer? People taking their tests in a sheltered, safer than safe environment, only to be unleashed on the roads!!?? Messy!

Originally Posted by Sythree

Have I missed something?

I bloomin' well hope so!

there must be more to it than that.

Originally Posted by Sythree

It says 'New European laws mean full motorcycle tests will be too dangerous to carry out on the road.

Perhaps it includes wheelies, stoppies and burnouts

Originally Posted by Wiltshire7

there must be more to it than that.

There is. I've just spent ages on the DSA's website and you can read all about it under 'Consultation papers' - appears not to have a separate page. But among all the stuff on there I couldn't actually find the changes to the test. There are high speed exercises - ie over 31mph (!) - but it doesn't seem to list them. Or have I had too much to drink tonight....

Originally Posted by mumstoy

Perhaps it includes wheelies, stoppies and burnouts

Oh No!!! You're in trouble Tim!!!! I know you've done 2 stoppie attempts with no luck already. One in a car park in front of loads of sv riders and one over the bonnet of a car!!! Thank god you've passed already

I know when I did my test a couple of months ago there was a notice in the test centre saying that they were looking for sites on which to put their new style test centres for bikes, due to be fully opertional by 2008, but i didnt know what it was refering to at the time.

[northwind]

I read a thing in the press a while back saying that larger training centres would be needed for CBTs in future, but nothing suggesting that the whole thing would be done off road... I think that's just hyperbole really.

Still, I'd say there's bound to be some changes, the system at the moment is a bit of a lash-up at best. I rode for 9 months on CBT and I don't think it's adequte for serious, regular road use- to allow it for 2 years, with resitting the only requirement at the end, just doesn't make sense to me. It's intended as a route into obtaining a full license, so why give it such a huge timescale? 6 months should be enough to get you up to a standard where you can pass the 125cc test, surely?

Then you have DAS... Pass your test on a GS500 and then go and buy a 499bhp turbo hayabusa, you'll be fine. Maybe more categories are needed, or compulsory training before you get on a higher output bike...

The general perception, or at least the impression I got talking to instructors and candidates, is that there's only 2 levels of qualification that riders want, DAS or CBT. The other test categories seem to be only for those who can't do DAS, or who lack the confidence or skill to do DAS. I'm not saying this is a hard-and-fast rule, but it's certainyl common, in my experience it's the majority. And that's a bit mad. DAS is the accelerated scheme, but now it's become the norm it seems.

The way a lot of people use the system, it works very well- I think I'm a reasonably good example, did CBT, spent 9 months on my orrible Yam then did DAS, before getting on a powerful but not ludicrous machine. But that's certainly not the way everyone's doing it.

One of my customers just did his DAS and now he's on a new Blade 2 days later. He's a good guy, and not a reckless kid, but I fear for him on that thing. There's plenty of experienced riders that'd find that bike too much.

Bloody hell, does he work in insurance?!

Ahh, the joys of passing your test over a decade and a half ago, t'was mostly a load of bollards back then!