As I mentioned in a previous post. I've got my test on the 3rd September finally burn the l-plates.

I've got the day of training on the 31st.

All in all I am pretty confident about it all. Slightly worried abotu the u-turn but it should all be good.

Basiclly what do I expect in the test.

All the help I can get will be helpful.

Thanks.

Ok, On the day you will have to demonstrate that you are competent and safe on the roads, what the examiner wants to see is that you can ride and be safe, you will be nervous and make mistakes on the day. If you think you made a mistake carry on cos he may not have seen it or he may mark you for it try and focus on the safety aspect of riding cos most ppl concentrate on the riding and forget about the safety stuff.

I made a mistake on my test cos I was in the wrong lane coming off a roundabout but before I moved over I checked then moved over he did say at the end that I saw you shoulder check and it was fine.

Good luck on the day and try and relax deep breaths oh and enjoy it.
Dave. SP.

i was thinking about the u-turn on the bike test myself, if i were to take my test on my NSR would the fact that it has a massive turning circle be taken into account do u think?

Haven't done my big test yet, but I don't imagine that the turning circle of your bike would be taken into consideration, unless ofcourse its a bloody Goldwing or something like that lol, but who's doing there test on that. In theory, your supposed to be able to Uey any bike, are you not?

Best of luck to you mate, hope the L-Plate bonfire comes soon enough for you!

I've yet to do the actual test but from what I have heard from examiners and trainers- some places will refuse to do U-turns on bikes witha legenderyily crap turning circle.

Mostly RaceReps (yeah- that includes the NSR and Aprillia RS) are covered with that- along with a couple of cruiser types.
But that's why the get you to push it around the road first... if you can push it without a problem, then you should be able to ride it!

A ridden U-Turn is mandatory, you must prove to the examiner that you can turn the bike without putting a foot down.
It's part of the control portion of the test.
As stated, you push the bike around first, i've never heard anyone say that hasn't been achieved, besides, if you can't, then you can't do the test so it'll be an instant fail.

Good luck

Thanks for the advice. I'm sure the u-turn should be pretty easy as I am carrying out my test on a CG125 which the training school I am doing the test through is lending me.

I own a CBR125 so its the same as the NSR its got a cack turning circle. I can do t u-turn on my bike pretty well just depends on the width of the road.

But the CG125 has a good turning cirlce so I'll easily manage the u-turn as long as I take my time and I am easy with the clutch.

Phil

You do a walking u turn first, this proves that the bike will fit round in the road, and then you do a ridden U turn.

This was my worst bit of the test, I had a habit of staring at the curb and then putting my foot down!

Got it right on the test!

Good Luck for the 3rd

Mark

If you can push the bike round, then you can ride it round.

(I was most nervous about the puching around bit, could not stand the embaressment of failing because I dropped the bike during the puch-round - never did, passed my test with two minors and I picked those up in the last 200 yards coming up to the test centre)

Best of Luck!!!

I was that fail!
Used to be embarassing; don't care any more

During practice the bloke training with me kept droping the bike while pushing it around - really annoyed the instructor (ex-army so was very polite when he said he was unhappy )

Everyone else has pretty much covered it. The day before my test the instructor told me that it would do no harm practising the u-turn that evening as that's what people seem to fear, so practising helps that. So I spent an hour or so in the local supermarket car park on the CG doing u-turns in the parking bays until I could do them without thinking. It's worth it.

I had my test last Friday and was lucky enough to pass. The one good piece of advise my instructor gave me was to look the part of someone who wants to be a proper biker. If you turn up in jeans and trainers with a lightweight jacket on the examiner will look upon you as an uncommited biker, whereas wearing full leathers and proper boots shows you mean business. I trained with a younger guy who turned up for his test in jeans and trainers and was taken to the narrowest road with the steepest camber in Ipswich for his U-turn, whereas I had a nice wide flat road for mine.
Doing the U-turn was my achilles heel as well. Two things I was taught which made it a lot easier.
1. If you're doing the DAC test on a 500 then you don't need any throttle, you can do it all on tickover with clutch control. Only 1 hand to concentrate on.
2. Make a clear observation before you start to turn but keep looking back up the road, do not look at the kerb. You go where you're looking.

When you do your walking U-turn remember your observations at the start and when walking around and keep two fingers over the brake lever to show control of the bike.

Emergency stop. Once you have completed the stop remember IGLOO.
Indicator (indicate left)
Gear (select 1st)
LOOk (Right mirror, right shoulder, Left Mirror, left shoulder).

Questions: I had show me tell me questions on the bike before the test, and questions on carrying a pillion passenger at the end.

Lastly relax. He will be behind you but pretty much forget he is there as there will be times when his position in the road will be different to yours. This does not indicate a fault, he is just getting a clear view of how your riding. Remember your lifesavers and don't leave your right hand on the brake lever at lights and junctions which was my worst habit.

Good luck.

Thanks for that brownsjuk.

What you (and what everyone else has said) has been really useful.

I'm going out for a ride tomorrow for some practice then I have my days training before my test on the friday.

<fx: sucks air through teeth>

Hmmm ...

I'm not too sure about that - personally I'd rather have a few revs on the motor - it makes the clutch control easier IMO. On tickover it's too easy to stall. Friend of mine did that turning his blade around - tried to do it on tickover, stalled, bike fell on him and he was pinned with his head pointing downhill unable to lift the bike and with fuel coming out. If we hadn't been there to pick it up he'd have been jiggered, and given this happened at about midnight on a quiet road on the Isle of Man he could have been there a long time.

AIH I know I can pull away (and climb a slight incline) on my blade one handed, but you have to be pretty gentle with the clutch. Too risky on your test when you're already a bit nervous, I think.

A twin would have more torque than a four for the same capacity, but a 500 twin is basically half a fireblade motor near enough.

Hi there,

Not really informative (as I haven't sat my test ), but I just wanted to wish you the best of luck for your test. To good weather and a human instructor

Thanks Muse