New, but not new - Mod 1 :)

[Bomberman]

Bit odd posting this as I don't consider myself a 'new biker' (although I'm sure many of you will ) I'd originally not planned to make a thread like this, but I thought I'd share my experience after all.
I consider myself an 'somewhat experienced' rider, as back in 2004?ish i did my CBT and got myself a two stroke 125. Two years later I did another. Rode daily through anything, rain, sleet, snow, occasionally sun! Always intended to do my DAS before they brought in all the new module balls, but just couldn't afford at the time. So it kinda slipped away, as did biking for a few years after that (you can see the gap in my posting here!).
Been missing it really badly recently, and I'm suddenly a fair bit better paid so the time had come. Plus the poor old TZR is in loads of bits and will probably take me a while to put back together So, third CBT Theory test (which I still consider something of an insult considering I've had a full car license since '94 ) and then today, my Mod 1. Actually, on the theory, has anyone else been happily clicking at hazards and had the machine say "X! you clicked inappropriately and will not score!"?. Put me off my stride somewhat!
Anyway, Mod 1. I was so nervous, in a way I thought a 37 year old had no right to be anymore I was dreading the U-Turn. I have NEVER in all my riding had a problem with my slow control. In fact I'm quite proud of it. But one day on my training I just forgot how to do it! Couldn't stop staring at the line, and therefore beelining straight for it! And it freaked me out. Couldn't get it out of my head. On the test, tried so hard to look up and along (like you do when you u-turn in real life) but couldn't do it. Fortunately had discovered earlier that day that on the GS500, going a bit faster than you think you should, it drops in really very forgivingly into the corner and practically does it itself.
That out of the way I was feeling pretty good. Never had a worry myself about the speed stuff, but my instructor was worried I'd go at it too hard I did a bit, hit 61km through for the E.Stop, and 59km for the avoidance Nice.
That was pretty much that. Worried I'd missed an Obs, but the instructor said 'now wasn't that easy?'. I said 'Dunno, you tell me' Passed, no minors So much adrenaline, I could barely sign my signature!
People complain about the new system of testing. I do myself. The hoops I now have to jump through to get a bike license in comparison to the half hour I spent in a car test is insane. But. It's the car test that's wrong, not the other way round. I still think it's a bit excessive on the bike side (and ludicrously costly) but I think there's a balance to be found. If you can't get up to 52km, and you can't get round that cone - when you KNOW it's coming - you aren't going to do it when a kid hops out in a 30. Fair D.
Anyway, Mod 2 in a fortnight. Not so worried about it as I was the Mod 1 to be honest. Mod 2, you're on a ride. Anything can happen, you can be forced into a fail by some idiot (even when not your fault at all), you could possibly drag it back by some superlative avoidance. Mod 1 - it's ON YOU. No-one else. You do it, or you don't and it is entirely your fault. Tense

tl;dr: Holy wall of text! Bomberman passed his Mod 1. Has reservations about the current testing system. Posted his thoughts about what makes the Mod 1 stressful. Is fairly drunk
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'Allo! My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!
'89 TZR 125 - '94 GPZ500s - ZK3 GSXR600 Alstare

[trikeschick]

Congratulations on passing your mod 1, good luck on mod 2...
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"Light travels faster than the speed of sound, which is why some people appear bright until they speak"

[FerretFing]

Congrats & good luck

[Bomberman]

Thanks both
____________________
'Allo! My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!
'89 TZR 125 - '94 GPZ500s - ZK3 GSXR600 Alstare

[Sherwood Bambi]

Congratulations and a good post mate - and a few good points.

I recently came back to bikes after a long time and the whole experience has proven to be a roller coaster, very expensive, but worth it in the end !

Your post is a reminder to newbies like me that many riding 125's with L plates on have potentially a lot more experience than I have - and anyone with a licence who haven't come up against the "New" regs might just find the modern 2 Mod test far harder than they would think !

The point you make about the Theory Test - or the Hazard Perception struck a cord; that's exactly what happened to me ! I was thrown out of 1 part and told I'd score no points - fortunately I'd done enough on the others to pass.

Part of the "problem" I think for many with car licences or biking experience is you tend to look too far ahead and spot potential problems too far in advance. Someone absolutely fresh to it all may not be as "trigger happy" and click more in line with what the test is calling for !

[melter]

Well done BomberMan. I just did my Mod 1 today and passed with 1 minor for a wobble off-course on the slow ride. It was weird reading your thread because it sounds exactly like what happened to me. I failed theory first time by one point for over clicking on first clip!!! Nightmare. Then yesterday I went out for lesson prior to Mod 1 today and absolutely rode like a child learning to ride a bike for the first time. I just couldnt get the slow manouevres down. It was only when I kept banging on about how different the bike felt since I last gone on it that my Instructor noticed his colleague had adjusted the clutch and had it set to 1. He moved it to 3 and it was as smooth as the last time!!
It knocked my confidence though as I had been riding for hours and worrying about not being able to do the U turn and slalom/figure 8 etc.

Anyway today was better and Mod 1 passed with my learner mate who passed to. He was spot on yesterday then bottled the swerve as the rain was in his eyes as he forgot to put his visor down. He decided to put the visor down part way through the curve and he lost it and couldnt commit to the move. Anyway he was allowed a second go due to freak weather (rain in North of England Ha Ha).

Mod 2 in a couple of weeks also. Good luck to you, I'll definately be needing it.
P.S.
Coming home after in side wind at 50mph really freaked me out. Is this normal????

[Bomberman]

Thanks lads

Glad to hear I'm not alone on the Theory test thing, it really was very annoying. I had my proper complain head on ready to demand a recount (obviously they can't) but the bloke there said 'You won't need that complaint form unless you really want to complain' So I left it at that. Bambi, I think you may have something there with the clicking early due to looking ahead. I did badly on the HP, but scored 100% on the Q's... Something awry there. melter, I'd have gone absolutely schiz at them for that! Burn! We just (literally by minutes) missed the rain, but they say that it makes no/little odds on that landing strip grade tarmac. Visibility though, that's something else! Congrats on the pass, and good luck to you too for the Mod 2 Hope the weather holds off!
The side wind thing, that you will get used to. I remember when I went out for one of my first solo rides, I headed out to the nice roads round my area in the countryside. I'm literally minutes from Derbyshire proper (google 'sheffield owler bar' for exactly where I was). Very exposed road in parts. Heading up the hill on my TZR125 (fully faired, can be picked up by two men and run down the street with ) I caught a sidewind at around 60 and I felt like I was on a kite. Scared the absolute shit out of me, I thought I was gonna be lifted up and thrown into the pub!
Obviously I wasn't but it felt horrible. Had to stop and take a breather! But yeah, you'll get used to it and learn how to alter your balance to compensate
____________________
'Allo! My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!
'89 TZR 125 - '94 GPZ500s - ZK3 GSXR600 Alstare