My experiance doing my MOD 1 (with Video Footage NOT FINISHED)

This is my experience doing a Mod 1.

I turned up to the training center, was greeted by the instructor my bike is a 2011 CBF600. Was a bit beaten up can tell it has been dropped but everything that needed to work worked really well.

1st thing they get you to do is sit on the bike as it was my 1st time on a big bike they wanted to make sure I was ok with it (and I was)

They wheeled the bike to the school playground and went through a tutorial of how to ride a bike clutch control. They then asked me to ride around the edges of the play ground to make sure I can handle the bike (was heavier then I thought) I'm a quick learner so I got use to it quickly.

Next up he laid cones out and I practice weaving in and out of these cones. Was quite easy and done it very well. Next up was the figure of 8, I did ok on this trick is to look in the direction of the cones using clutch control and a little throttle at the same time.

They can tell I've been on bikes before and pick it up very well. I then met up with one of the other instructors and we then proceeded to the DSA training center in Mitcham. I thought great a bit of MOD 2 training as well.

We arrived at the DSA training center with the cones all laid out as someone else was there doing mock tests. We then spent some time practicing it all. To the point we got to a mock test ourselves.

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Below is my mock test I did on day 1 and the order I done them in is the order I did it on my actual test.

1st up was Manual handling. you had 2 box's and my bike was facing the wrong was. What I had to do was move it to the other box facing the right way, WITHOUT touching the cones and keep looking around for observations you have a choice which box to start at but be careful on your choices (i'll explain in the next step). This is how I done it.



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Next Weaving in and out of cones and figure of 8.

As above depending on which box you choose depends on how you start your maneuvering. once you done your manual handling you'll be ask to get on the bike and start the weaving and then figure of 8. usually the tester will ask you to do 2 but may get you to do more if he feels you need it. Now this needs to be practiced a lot as if your foot touches the ground you fail your MOD 1.

Below is how I did it. Keep an eye on where I'm looking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G55qi3rAAdw

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Slow Riding then U-Turn.

The slow riding I found easy, just cruise at about 5MPH for about 200 yards (i think) then turn around for the U-turn. With the U-turn MAKE SURE you do your lifesaver before you turn, So you move forward a few feet-lifesaver-moved head back then turn head again to move, You have to make sure the life saver is really obvious and not linked to the maneuver. Here how I did it. Keep an eye on me helmet.

Slow riding

U-Turn

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Controlled Stop.

according to DSA the rule is

There is a minimum speed for the hazard avoidance and emergency stop exercises:

for motorcycles this is around 31mph. In between the red and yellow cones is a speed trap that tells the instructor how fast you're going. The idea hear is to hit the speed trap and to stop with the front wheel in the middle of the 4 blue cone square.

for this its best to start in 2nd gear, you then release the throttle after the speed trap then slow down both brakes then clutch in near the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9rOP2fksRM

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Emergency Stop.

Same as above but you need to stop quickly and safely. if you lock the wheel or come off you fail.

idea here is same speed as above but the tester will raise his hand above his head and that's when you start. Apply front and rear brake DO NOT USE THE CLUTCH until the last minuet. Also it can be tempting to release the throttle.....Don't. just keep that speed going until that hand raises.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyG8Azs7xtY

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Avoidance

Again same as above. As you saw there was some blue cones to my left. idea here is to hit the speed trap release the throttle and swerve in between the blue cones, if you hit the blue cones you fail. For some reason i kept getting close to one of the cones.

Once you've made that maneuver you then need to stop at the same place as the controlled stop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dONR1qDagHk

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and that's it. i got through it in 8 minuets. My tips are.

-try not to be nervous, relax take your time.
-never be afraid to ask questions (even on test day)
-while you're on ya bike ALWAYS look over your left and right shoulder. you will get minors if you don't do it. even in training look over your shoulder before moving. it will help.
-take as much time as you need and listen to your instructor.

 

i booked my mod 1 and 2 right after each other, on my mod 1 he said my slow riding was "too slow" i breezed it, but i ride everyday and i ride a whole lot of different bikes each day. my biggest tip for the slalom and figure 8, look ahead, you cant go wrong, just dont look down, or like directly infront of you

 

I wouldn't

say look ahead I'd say look in the direction you wanna go (if that's what you meant then my bad lol)

 

true but the end result will be worth it

 

all up loaded

 

Thanks for posting this Ben - how very different from when I just had to ride twice round the block - once clockwise and once widdershins, remembering to slow down for the unmarked crossroad, and to stop when Mr Anderson jumped out in the road exactly when and where he said he would.

 

Ha my dad thinks it's silly "when are you ever going to do a figure of 8" he remembers those days.

 

A good trick for a U-turn is to imagine there is a pole in the middle of it and you are trying to look at that. It keeps your head up and makes it way easier to control the bike.

On the road it's all a different game and it helps to just look where you are going lol.

 

I do figure of 8 lots, mainly because its a good way to test the handling of a bike after ive fixed crash damage. I would rock at motorcycle gymkana on a yamaha jog, I ride a lot of them at work!

 

In my day it was best to take your bike test in winter, because the examiner would want to get back indoors as soon as possible.

When I took my car test the local examiner was off sick and the stand-in didn't know his way round so we just went round the block, which included a set of lights.

Funnily enough when I did my Class 1 Heavy Goods there was a similar situation - stand-in examiner and also the local village had recently complained about the constant stream of learners and tests going through, so all tests were having to go down the road to to stafford. So after the initial manoeuvres and emergency stop we had to go as fast as legal to Stafford - straight through 1 set of lights, left at a roundabout, right at the next roundabout and right at the next lights, then fast as legal back to the test centre - stopping on a bank part way for a hill start and a run up and down the gearbox.

 

I was around the block twice and stop for the man with the clip board when he jumped out on the second time round (he was in exactly the same place I left him and I could see him from the moment I turned into the road). He congratulated me for my decisive overtake of a milk float on the way around as well lol.

Car test I didn't use the hand brake once. Examiner let me off as I had told him I was a biker. Also I didn't have to do the parallel park as when I got in position a fire engine came screaming down the road. So I abandoned the attempt to let it through. He said, that was 'good enough' for him!

 

what was the company you did your bike test with? i did mine in peterborough, makes me laugh what they call a hill start, its the fens! there are no hills!

 

My dad doesn't see the point in the MOD 1 lol.

"when do you ever do a figure of 8 blah blah" "IN my dad it was a lot more simpler"

Wonder if he'd pass the MOD 1 and 2 lol

 

I doubt it would be easy for an experienced rider to pass the current test. For example I know someone who failed for not riding in the centre of the lane.

Sorry examiner go read Roadcraft - road position depends on many factors including the prevailing conditions. The guy that failed detected the centre of the lane was slippery with oil so moved out of it and that is a reason to fail?

The whole thing smells of a massive con to me.