Learn to ride with Visordown: Making progress

You are expected to show your ability to handle the bike at speed on your test.  So perhaps less about making progress, more about confidence.

Anyway it's only a minor.

I got stuck behind plenty of slower vehicles on the test, but never had an opportunity to overtake them safely.  Weather conditions did permit the slower speeds tho

Fallen Angel wrote (see)

I got stuck behind plenty of slower vehicles on the test, but never had an opportunity to overtake them safely.  Weather conditions did permit the slower speeds tho

My instructor told me to basically nail it wide open as soon as we were on NSL roads and get to 70mph quickly to open the gap from a vehicle behind me.  I did this with the police instructor as well, and had no issues over it either.  He just gave me a minor entering a corner a tad "hot" and using rear brake to stabilise the bike...   Still it is important to use the speed and power of a bike to get clear of traffic.  THis was emphasied on a BikeSafe day I did two years ago.  The police officer was rebuking another rider for riding like a car and not moving progressively.

dickymint wrote (see)

Fallen Angel wrote (see)

I got stuck behind plenty of slower vehicles on the test, but never had an opportunity to overtake them safely.  Weather conditions did permit the slower speeds tho

It was bone dry and sunny......???!!!!

Couldn't frigging see tho.   And it was cold...car drivers can't drive in the cold

To be fair, was never anywhere I could overtake tho - did think about it, but figured me racing past the car might give me the fourth fail

dickymint wrote (see)

Excuses excuses.....

What about filtering though? Been a while since my test but keep coming across riders sittingin happily in the middle of a lane in stationary traffic!

My fault for learning in London?

Bladerideressex wrote (see)

dont filter on a test! much easier to pass sitting in a queue!

When it is obvious that you can filter, e.g. past stationary traffic, the examinor might ask you to filter. Just do it carefully at low speed and look out for those gaps at junctions!

Cheers, Mansie

 You will not fail for being under the speed , maybe a minor mark against you. if you break the speed limit you will fail 

The police use Roadcraft to base their riding on-worth getting a copy to read and using it as the basis for your riding.

A lot of riders also use the "Thirds Rule", which is basically from starting off the first third is used to get to the speed limit as quickly as you can, the next third to travel at that speed, and the final third is for adjusting for the next hazard (whether braking/decellerating or adjusting road position). Three stages, even though it maybe a tenth, seven tenthes then two tenths, you get the idea why they use thirds.

I would not have made much progress but he stated its the benefit of a bike and it was safe to do so...

Paul Maddocks wrote (see)

I passed my direct access today and received 3 minors, 2 for inappropriate speed. Not riding fast but riding too slow. The examiner also pointed out at the end of the test that I should have filtered on the one occasion where I had the opportunity.

I would not have made much progress but he stated its the benefit of a bike and it was safe to do so...

Well done - what bike ya gettin?

Also, drinks on you mate? newbie & celebrating!

Did you ever hear anyone say “That picture had better be banned, because I might look at it and it might be very damaging to me”

's funny.. was discussing this with a friend this evening without having seen it on here. We both passed out DAS and were both told that the examiner we had was happy to see us make good progress during the test.

Mine said to me "I saw you looking back to see if i was still there. I wouldn't have worried about losing me If i were you."  He was driving a V8 Jag of somesort and wasn't exactly shy himself about using the power it had

Congratulations Paul!  An hour before I took my test my Riding Instructor gave me a "dummy test" and I failed the dummy-test 3 times    but when the real examiner came out, I got my act together and got an error-free pass. .  Guess I was lucky.

 Anyway, you got the shit part out of the way - now the fun starts. FFS though, ride safe while you build up your experience levels.

Tom.

My Bike Website