So I've booked my assessment ride...now for my test!

[Feasty]

for this Saturday at a local and well recommended riding school. I'm hoping that my experience of commuting on my XR125 for the past year and a bit will stand me in good stead for the minimum number of lessons required to learn the skills to pass my A2 test.

Finances are a priority and I'm just a bit concerned at being told I'll need a full days training or 2 at £100's of pounds when I feel I may not need it. Though who am I to judge!?
Anyone got any advice/experience on how to handle instructors in these situations?


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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[Bofh5]

same here.
Finally found someone who will let me do my CBT on a 500 so they can assess how much DAS training i need.
None of the other places gave a toss about how many years of experience i have driving / riding.
Just sent me a price list.
It's fine paying 400 - 500 if you are starting from scratch but not if all you need is a brush up on the test criteria.
____________________
(L)users...Disk space is to good for them.

Bikes: Honda 50 / CB125-TDC / 93 CBR600 F2 (Stolen & Trashed) / 2001 SP-1 (Sold) / 95 CBR600 F3

[Eddie Hitler]

Theres alot to learn about the test, so you may well need 2 days.

[pa_broon74]

Hey.

I rode around on my CLR for about 18 months, booked my test online then arranged an afternoon lesson for just before. (Turned out the test was first thing on the Monday so had the lesson on the Saturday afternoon.)

This whole thing about having to do days and days of lessons is over-hyped (possibly by learning centres, although, my local place told me to do it the above way...) I suppose if your starting from scratch and want it over with its valid but....

If you've been riding around for a bit and feel confident, just book it online (you'll get a date sooner, instructor centres are allocated [as i recall] 6 DAS tests and only 2 A2 tests a week,) then get in touch with an instructor and book in for a 3 hour lesson as close as you can to the test date.

I paid £60 for the test and £45 for a three hour lesson (all done on my own bike) and passed on the Monday morning.

That was last October and I still haven't got a bigger bike...

Anyway, good luck what ever you do.


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Didn't catch anything.

[Feasty]

Thanks. Well I'll keep you updated as to how it goes.

I tried a guy nearest me first and he was going to charge me £70 for 2 hours, regardless of using my own bike or what level I was at - and then take it from there.
I'd much rather I was assessed first, then if the instructors are competent enough they should be able to give me a rough estimate as to how many hours they think I need... then I can decide if I can afford it there and then or wait a bit longer and save up!

My biggest problem is going to be sticking to the speed limits and not automatically filtering to the front of every queue!!
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[pa_broon74]

[Billd]

I think you have to have had 10 hours training from an authorised school before you can sit your test!
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Remember. wherever you go, there you are!!
FVMCC

[chris-red]

[Feasty]

Yeah I thought that was bollox...
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[Billd]

I guess not. I just thought I had seen it somewhere but have searched and found no trace. Strange how things creep into my brain sometimes.
____________________
Remember. wherever you go, there you are!!
FVMCC

[Bofh5]

[The Tot]

You should be fine. I guess you're in the same situation that I was in 3 years ago. I had an XR125 which i spent a year commuting on in London, i did a bikesafe course too which helped but also distracted from the back to basics approach.

2 days (roughly 6 hours) is more than sufficient to iron out your bad habbits. Assessment ride is usually free since they'll decide how much you need, but my instructor had firm belief that i'd pass with only a day's and morning's training.

Worked nicely and passed first time.

Common bad habbits - snicking it into netural at the lights (I was infomed NOT to do that - and my method of throttle control - index and thumb around grip and three other fingers on lever - they also didn't like me covering the clutch!

If you ride a car, then road positioning maybe a bit off too.
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[Feasty]

Well I had the assessment on Saturday and they just completely pissed me off!!! They were fucking idiots from the word go, and no way am I going back to them...

First off they made me wait 20mins while the instructors bigged themselves up in front of the 16 yr olds they had there. Yeah I'm sure they were impressed...
Then an instructor got me to ride round a yard with cones in it for 2mins, do a figure of 8 and an emergency stop. He then took me back into the office and said "Yup, you'll need a 3 day course with a test at the end of the 3rd day - that's £270 please!! Oh, and your observations were crap.."

WTF!! I was in a closed off yard, the only one riding around, and never doing more than 10mph. If he wanted me to show observational skills he should of either taken me on the road or asked me to display these skills whilst riding round the yard!
To make things worse, he also gave me a sheet showing the 4 day course - with the 1st day crossed out (CBT), and the 2nd day was a days riding to get used to riding a 125 - after I'd already told him I'd been riding for over an effing year!! Grrrrrr...

I do keep thinking back and trying to make sure I wasn't just up my own arse and think I'm better than I actually am. But I really don't think I was... it was just a case of the instructors being only able to cope with teaching teenagers wanting 1000cc bikes in 4 days, not using their heads and tailoring the courses to individual needs.
Well I've found another bloke nearby who sounds much better, and I've now got a 2 hour stint booked for £70 to see what I'm like - fingers crossed I'll be much happier!

(And apologies for the long rant!)
____________________
Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[yankeedoodle]

im sorry to hear about that.sounds like a crappy experience.maybe you should name and shame the riding school??

tbh you'll probably be fine. I rode an sr125 for 6 months.then i had a days training and then did my test.

when i had the days training, i found that my riding of the bike was fine.....and the training was purely there to remind me about all the little things like observations.go for your test, you'll be fine

[Bofh5]

Sorry to hear that !
I tried loads of places clearly explaining that i had experience etc and only one got back to me who didn't just send a price list.

He even agreed to me doing my CBT on a 500 and using the day as an assessment.

I would be really fed up as well with that "you'll need a 3 / 4 day" course.
____________________
(L)users...Disk space is to good for them.

Bikes: Honda 50 / CB125-TDC / 93 CBR600 F2 (Stolen & Trashed) / 2001 SP-1 (Sold) / 95 CBR600 F3

[iooi]

[Feasty]

So I've got my test booked for 2nd May, bit annoyed it's so far away but better then than never! And it also gives me time to practice.

Question though, does rough weather like what we've been having i.e gale force winds, rain, possibly snow etc ever stop tests taking place? Or are instructors generally a little more favourable when the weather makes it all so much more difficult?
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[Mudskipper]

[Scotch Bonnet]

If the test is cancelled due to weather, while there's no refund as such, the centre will book you into the next available slot at no further cost for you.

Depending on just how bad the weather is, you may be given a choice - I certainly was on friday, as the wind was picking up and the examiner felt it was borderline, and gave me the choice to scrub and reschedule, or to go ahead. If it's really gale force, or there's snow/ice on the ground, the examiner may just call it without giving you the option.
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Hmmmm..... is it supposed to do that?
2001 CB500

[Mudskipper]

[Peter3hg]

I would be surprised if you need more than 1 day. I had been riding for 2 months, had 1 days tuition and passed the A2 test first time.

[eddyh]

Same here, well kind of. Did 3, 1hour lessons then went in for my test. Past first time with 2 minors, both for resting foot of back brake and turning brake light on.