bike test

The only things I can think of that'd be specific to an ex 'ped user would be the things Mr Fat Bs'tard mentioned above about clutch specifics. Don't know if the examiners round here use it but the instructors all take their yellow bib clad ducklings to a really nasty hill start junction up the road from me to get them to practice.

Peds have linked brakes too right? So presumably not much experience in when to use which and in what proportions etc? You don't really want him locking the back on his emergency stop or trying to hold the front on a hill start.

Would second (third/fourth/fifth) the call for some lessons at least. His experience on the roads will certainly help him in real life, but I'm sure we all know that we wouldn't pass a test if we had to take one tomorrow, as road awareness and test passing are often ever so slightly different. Plus bad habits etc.

I did my CBT, rode for a year then did my test without any lessons.

This was back in the early 90's. The test was something like £25 or £35 and my mate sold his Super Nintendo to help raise the £150 for a course. He did it, passed and told me that the test was basically the same as the road section of the CBT but with an emergency stop and U turn. So I thought stuff selling my Nintendo! I could fail the test 5 times and it would still be cheaper than having training. The feedback at the end of a failed test would tell you where you went wrong. Plus paying out to do the course is no guarantee you will pass anyway as it can come down to random luck and examiners mood most of the time.

Originally Posted by Toypop

I did my CBT, rode for a year then did my test without any lessons.

This was back in the early 90's. The test was something like £25 or £35 and my mate sold his Super Nintendo to help raise the £150 for a course. He did it, passed and told me that the test was basically the same as the road section of the CBT but with an emergency stop and U turn. So I thought stuff selling my Nintendo! I could fail the test 5 times and it would still be cheaper than having training. The feedback at the end of a failed test would tell you where you went wrong. Plus paying out to do the course is no guarantee you will pass anyway as it can come down to random luck and examiners mood most of the time.

I don't really agree with this, although it might work its a slim chance. The test is now about £50 (the price of 2 hours with an instructor). The feedback at the end of a test is often pretty vague and candidates can sometimes not know exactly when/where the examiner was refering to. To go for test without any training at all since CBT is a big gamble, spend the money on a bit of instruction. The test gets harder all the time so a test in the early 90's would be far easier than now.

Originally Posted by Endellion

I am a driving instructor and this is rubbish, the speed limits should not be broken, otherwise why have them, they are mandatory

This is my understanding too. The highway code seems to suggest so as well (No surprises there then).

If you have to break the speed limit to overtake, why do you have to overtake?

However.... which is safer?

If matey is doing 55, or a lorry is doing 50, in a NSL, then most drivers will either do one of two things (IMHO)

1). Break the speedlimit and overtake
2). Sit right up the *rse of the car and try to intimidate it into going faster, at the speed the driver behind wants to go.

So, surely in this situation 1). is the safer option, assuming that it's a 'safe' overtake and the only danger in doing it is that the speed limit is broken (eg on a long straight)?

(Yes, I know the best option would be to drop back and leave the 2 second gap, as you're meant to...)

[Wideboy]

only one i had problems with is keep your right foot on the peg at all times, is this part of the test of was my instructor talking out of his bottom? (i didn't like him, last 2 instructors where cool, i had one for each day)

Originally Posted by Kinvig

I have offered a few tips:

Don't bother filtering, the examiner won't take you anywhere where you're likely to get bogged in traffic to have to filter.

Anything else?

Mine did, never got taught on my CBT or DAS, on the test the examiner TOLD me to filter.

I would say definitely get some lessons. I thought I had nothing to learn except how to control a bigger bike after owning a 125 for a year and taking a couple of lessons 10 years ago, and clocking up hundreds of thousands of miles in a car. I got some lessons and it improved my cornering, road positioning, observation and safety as well as enjoyment of biking. Having somebody experienced giving feedback on your biking I found really useful though some instructors were better than others but they all had something to teach me. You always have something to learn, no matter what your experience and to get on a bike with no proper training just isnt worth it. I 'd much rather have dropped one of their tatty bikes than my shiny SV and a low speed off could easily cost you a weeks training.

Originally Posted by Al_Sweetman

If you have to break the speed limit to overtake, why do you have to overtake?

However.... which is safer?

If matey is doing 55, or a lorry is doing 50, in a NSL, then most drivers will either do one of two things (IMHO)

1). Break the speedlimit and overtake
2). Sit right up the *rse of the car and try to intimidate it into going faster, at the speed the driver behind wants to go.

So, surely in this situation 1). is the safer option, assuming that it's a 'safe' overtake and the only danger in doing it is that the speed limit is broken (eg on a long straight)?

(Yes, I know the best option would be to drop back and leave the 2 second gap, as you're meant to...)

In a 70 zone, the examiner will mark you down for undue hessitancy(?) if you sit behind a vehicle at below the speed limit when you could easily/safely overtake. My instructor told me this. He also told me that the instructor wont fail you if you have to break the speed limit by 5-10mph to get past a vehicle safely.

Riding a bike is all about safety and confidence and they like to see this on the test.

In a car they teach you to go 60 in a 70 so you have that 10mph safety barrier but on a bike thay like to see you maintain that 70 mph as much as possible.

Maybe it's just in this area that this is tought/accepted, I dunno, I only know what I was tought on my lessons and I passed first time so what I was tought can't be all that bad!!

needless to say he failed.

He reckons it was 50/50 between him & the hire bike - an abused kick start 125cg. He did it Weds morning at 9am & the bike kept stalling.

Having said that the examiner said it was obvious that he hadn't had a bike lesson since his CBT 2 years ago.