"test fear" - how can i get over it? (failed mod 1

[wayne.p]

Hi guys...

Bad news for me, I failed my mod 1... im not sure what happened, just complete utter nerves.

Got to the test centre fine. got in the waiting room, was chatting to a couple of guys from street bike... and then came my turn...

I was fine, until i got to my bike, then i just started shaking... no idea why either... tried everything. even the suggestion by andy (i think) of singing lets go fly a kite... lol...

well long story short...

two serious faults...
1) I was shaking so bad i felt the bike tipping on the u turn, so i put my foot down... IF i increased speed a little, i would of been fine... and as soon as i went to put my foot down i even said "ahhh fuck it!" - and the examiner said to me, is something wrong... "I said, well i went and fucked that one right up, didnt i" he was a cheery guy, and i cant fault him... but carried on with the test... did the controlled stop, and he said "use any method to turn the bike, using as much room as you need.... so i decided "lets do a u turn, and did it perfectly... (the examiner even said it was a well executed turn, and its a real shame i didnt do it that way the first time...)

and

2) Locked the bloody back wheel on the emergency stop... Well like most car drivers.... im guessing... my instinct was "ahh bollocks- need to stop, slam the foot down" - well needless to say, I locked my back wheel good-n-proper... - also, i only managed to get up to 46kph on that run, but knowing i'd already ballsed it up, i was like "you know, i know ive failed.... so lets just call it a day"...

I was shaking, the nerves really got to me so badly, and i dont know why...

in the de-breif room, the guy went "im really sorry, but you;ve failed...." i let a slight joke of "you're kidding, i thought i aced it?"

but he was a friendly chap, in the Garretts green test centre...

my obs were spot on, the only manouver i didnt test on was the swerve... but im certain (well 99%) i would easily do this... (if i fail again because of the swerve feel free to link back to this post )

but I'd had no lessons, etc so wasnt expecting to pass... (was hoping to though if you get what i mean)...

but heres the deal:

no minors etc throughout (except the 2 serious) - i totally let myself down... the most basic thing... easy on the back brake! and i totally forgot it and slammed my foot down... the skid was only a metre or so, but as soon as i did it, i released and knew i'd cocked up.

so some notes from my test:

i got on my bike. and rode into the test area... - making sure i stopped just before exiting the parking bay to "peak" because of a giant obstruction for my vision...

diesel (or something that made a rainbow like diesel) was on the floor in front of my bike... so i made sure to avoid it...


rode into the right hand bay (as i parked forward) then it was a left hand bend "pushing backwards" (easy as pie) then when i was sat back on my bike. he explained the slalom and fig 8...

after some questions online, i asked him "am i allowed to go round the final slalom cone? he said "well, you can, as long as it is clear that is what you intended to do, and its controlled well... you can use as much room on the other side of the blue cones, so the same applies to either side, as long as you pass between the two blue cones, and keep control of your machine"...

so that made things easier... (although, i would of easily done it without passing the yellow marker cone, i decided i would use the extra space, (why make things harder on myself eh?)

so the slow control ride... this is where i really began to "wobble my confidence" and nerves started to strike big time... (why? i dont know maybe it wasnt so much nerves, but the cold... it had been raining, and i was a little wet etc but....) nice ride and i think i managed to keep it at about 1 or 2 mph (and i saw him smiling as i checked my mirrors *slipping the clutch, nice steady high revs...*

stopped in the box, (close to the left for the turn...) my problem i think was that i stopped the first try for the uturn, i should of just mirror mirror right LS turn... but i stopped, brought the power back up to bite, life saver moved a foot or so forward and went for it... PROBLEM: not enough speed... got about halfway round, lots of room left, and wobbled and foot down. "ahhh...." didnt even stop though, i dont know why i tapped my foot, i just did, if id just increased my speed a little, (as i did) and forgot the foot, it would of been fine! - stopped on the other side, and Mirrors...

he came over, went onto slow ride, did that, turned the bike perfect u turn, then onto the e stop. and totally bollocksed it... my bike speedo said i was doing 35, the gate said 46kph (so obv my speedo is about 5 or 6 mph out, so next time i need to get to 38ish by my speedo... ALSO: i instinctively geared up to third.... DO NOT DO THIS ON A 125... my main speed gain is 2nd... dont know why i did it, but i cocked that up for gaining speed...

examiner explained:
if i passed at 45, i would have had to go round, but CAN be marked as a serious fault.
46/47 - i need to go round again (and could be marked either serious, or driver error)
48/49 would just move onto the next run, and mark a driver error, unless i wanted to do it again... (but obviously, if your given the chance NOT to lock your back wheel... why risk it take the minor lol)

so this was wednesday, meaning i can retake on monday onwards... just gonna look in the morning an hope for a tuesday booking... get some practice down morrisons on sunday/monday doing the E Stop on the nice long car park...


----

E stop... 75-80% front, 20-25% back (or as i believe the examiner hinted by the "im pretty sure most of the 125 candidates dont use their back brake and let the engine do the work, but if it looks like they use their brake we cant proove our beliefs"... during my debrief...)

also mentioned that "it could be worthwhile investing in a larger bike for the test due to my size, the weight gets thrown onto the front wheel, so the backend lifts and could cause the back to lock)

I honestly believe the guy WANTED me to pass... but sadly, i gave him no choice but to fail me...

and whats worse.... I was riding down from the test centre, and an egit in a hovis lorry edged out, i sounded the horn, he looked right at me, and STILL pulled out... perfect e stop that time... (or at least i believe so...

(i know everyone says "he looked at me" and they didnt actually see them, but when you know for a fact they saw you, but thought "oh fuck it, im going anyway..." - either way, the high-vis didnt help me that time

Now, im looking positively, even though I failed this time... its experience... and even though ive wasted 15.50, at 90 for a three hour lesson, thats five tests with change left over for fuel over to the test centre...

I have experience on the actual track, i know i can do the test... just need to solve the nerves...

(can i listen to music on the test? maybe some calming Children of Bodom or something )
____________________
CBT= 2006... Passed car test=8/3/08... then a break in biking...
CBT= 14/7/12 Done, Theory= 6/9/12 Done, Mod1= 26/9/12 (fingers crossed), Mod2= to be booked... (pending mod1)

[janner_10]

Hi Wayne

Sorry to hear you failed. One positive note is that you knew exactly where you failed and know what you have to do to correct it.

Its very natural to get nerves so try and get to the centre early, but not too early so it plays on your mind. Good nights sleep the night before too

Also the test isn't a race, so before each manoeuvre just take a couple of deep breaths and relax. Talk yourself through what you need to do if need be.

One tip for the U turn and slalom is try to not go too slow, that little bit of extra speed helps with balance. Also these 2 are the exercises that are easy to practise in a car park, just practise and practise some more, you will nail it with your eyes closed soon.

With regard to the E Stop, the distance to stop in is fairly generous, there is no need to use your back brake at all, just 100% on the front, you just need to cover it so it seems you have used it, the examiner wont know and there is no chance you will lock up if you don't use it. Again easily to practise.

Dust yourself off and go again fella. It a stupid silly test, the mod 2 is much more enjoyable and not as nerve racking I found.

Best of luck chap
____________________
Yamaha FZS600 (Now gone to heaven) > CBR600F4i (SOLD) > '99 YZF-R1

[Englishman]

That's really unlucky that you failed, but at least you know why and have a good handle on it for next time. I think you're right - the examiner did want you to pass; they generally do want more safe bikers out there and will give you the benefit of the doubt when possible on the tests. Unfortunately, the Mod 1 doesn't have much room for that, unlike the Mod 2 which it sounds like he might pass you for anything short of causing an accident.
As for the U-turn, watch YouTube's CaptCrashIdaho. He does a brilliant tips series; his u-turn one helped me on my Mod 1 immensely. Basically, you turn your head to look at where you want the bike to end up (this also serves as your second life-saver) - keep facing that way and the bike will come right around as easy as pie.
Relaxing breaths before each manoevre, and you'll pass next time. Good Luck
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INSTALLING SUMMER... ████████░░░░░░░░44% DONE. Installation failed.
404 error: Season not found.

[ScaredyCat]

[ijmok]

Try something to relax you,

Half a bar of Green & Blacks worked for me for my bike test, and spending an hour in a cupboard full of mentholated spirits fumes worked for my car test

I was very much the same nerves destroyed my otherwise fine riding prior and post test, my car instructor couldn’t believe I failed the first time nor the second,
Chris told me of a pupil who later confessed to him she had had a shot or 2 before her driving test having done failed on nerves before
Out of all of these I have to recommend the chocolate and take no responsibility for any other solutions

Rob

[supZ]

take some https://www.nelsonsnaturalworld.com/en-gb/uk/our-brands/rescue-remedy/ before your next go to help calm you down.

its good stuff. can get from most health food shops/online places etc..


as you've said, for the emergency stop just rest your foot on the pedal, dont push. as you brake you'll rotate forward pushing it anyway. if you're consciously pushing it you'll push it 'too' much and risk locking the wheel again.

the rest, just sounds like nerves so sort that out and you'll be fine.

remember you CAN ride, so whats there to be nervous about? scared of failing? well, you just did and it hasnt made anything bad happen so again, whats there to be nervous about? just go out there and smash it!! (the test not the bike.. heh)
____________________
CBR954RR - Daily toy
CBR600RR - Trackbike

[yaigi]

Just a quick tip as in work and didn;t have time to read it all in depth but on the emergency stop - DON'T USE THE BACK BRAKE! Just cover it, so they can't tell if you're using it or not No need for it, no chance of locking it up, less chance of fail - This is what I was told to do by my instructor, not just some random nonsense, I promise xxx
____________________
What would you do in life, if you knew you could not fail?
Currently own - Fazer 600, 2000, Red. (But no riding as baby on board atm)

[Rogerborg]

I say this with the genuine intent to help: get over yourself and just get it rebooked.

So, you fucked up a test that you were easily capable of passing?

Well, so what? A lot of people do, it's not a big deal, it's a stupid artificial test anyway, and your honour isn't besmirched.

The worst thing you can do is to worry away at it like a dog with a boner. Laugh it off, it was a £15.50 "lesson" that did its job - now you know exactly what to expect, and what you can correct next time. Stay in 2nd, don't look at your speedo as though that'll make you go any quicker, and foot on the brake for visual purposes, but use the front entirely to stop. Handful of revs for the slow speed stuff, job done, post about how easy it was.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[matto]

Given the length of your post and the detail you have gone into regarding the test I think that you are massively over thinking things.

When learning any physical skill you pass through four stages:

Unconsciously Incompetent - You don't know what to do or how to do it.
Consciously Incompetent - You know what you are supposed to do but you still can't do it.
Consciously Competent - You know what you are doing and how to do it.
Unconsciously Competent - You can just do it without thinking.

It appears to me that you are stuck between the middle two areas as you are obviously very conscious of your mistakes, when in reality to comfortably pass a test you need to have a mixture of the last two areas. Are you getting enough practise? Spending time in a car park, away from other traffic, just slow riding around the bays and in a figure of eight etc will really help as you want to get to a stage where you are not thinking so much about what it is you are doing.

tldr: more practise!

[Dilyan]

I failed MOD1 as well, some 2 years ago. Hit a cone with my boot on the emergency swerve. What I did - told the instructor to book me in first thing back. Booked 2 extra tuition hours (we practised on a stadium car park), coned off figure of 8, swerve, blah blah; and for the time left I did test after test after test ....
Ya get ma point boy?
Good luck next time
____________________
Current: 2007 VFR800; Ex: 2001 YZF600R Thundercat
Škoda Octavia (yes, a taxi driver)

[Shall78]

hi

last week i took Mod 1 and put my foot sown just before i was about to start the figure of 8. i carried on and the rest of the test went fine, i knew i had failed but used it as an experience.

i took the test again yesterday and passed, you now know what is expected and will have no fear of the unknown, dont beat yourself up about it and over think it. you know what you have done wrong first atempt, relax and learn from it.

good luck on your next one.

[thepuma]

Bad Luck mate.....keep going, be positive and don't let it get you down.

With regards Mod1, here is my 2 penneth......


"going round the first yellow cone on figure of 8"......this is something that has always baffled me. Bare in mind that you can go as wide and long as you need (within reason) , you should be looking to make the top figure of 8 a large curve so that when you come back downwards you are passing close to the last blue cone and therefore have ACRES of space before the first blue cone, let alone the last yellow one....you really shouldn't be needing to go past the yellow one...imho that's giving you a target to fix onto which is actually a bad thing.

The U-turn......if you ask me this is ALL about practice....if you put the time in, the U-turn is a doddle. For my mod1 I must have practised it a hundred times in a local car park..and narrowed the gap every time. When the mod1 test came, I ended up doing the u-turn in just over HALF the width, so I had to swerve left to pull in next to the examiner. I'm convinced its all about practice, if you've messed it up on the test I'd bet you haven't practiced it enough, or it would just come naturally.

The emergency stop......the amount of people I hear failing for locking the back wheel up is just amazing....its almost seems like 50% of fails are on this alone. My advice is, simply use the front brake only, cover the back and stop normally albeit firmly....take the minor for not stopping quick enough (if you have to) and get your pass....you don't get any extra brownie points for stopping on a sixpence. The ONLY time you may need to try and do it properly is if you feel you may have already accrued a few minors for forgetting obs etc etc...in which case getting the minor for not stopping quick enough may tip the balance.

Other than that just practice. You'll always get nerves, no matter how many times you take it, you just have to deal with it and not let it affect your performance.

Best of luck for next time
____________________
YBR125 (SOLD) - CBR250R(SOLD) - CBR650F(SOLD) Current - Street Triple
765 RS

[ScaredyCat]

[Galileo]

Took me two mod 1's (Stupidly tried the "impossible" first turn for the slalom) and three mod 2s due to test nerves. Totally fine on each occasion, chatting away at ease at the centre until the instant the test started, and then heart rate up, legs gone and everything seems to rush towards me. A classic example of a phobia in that it is quite irrational, I was completely fine before and after, apart from feeling pissed off and a lot poorer after.

On my last two mod 2's I was paired with another guy at the rider school who was all for giving up after 5 failures, somehow managed to convince him to not give up now and to carry on and by total fluke we got paired up once again and both past.

You now know the centre, course and the staff, this is all useful as familiarity breeds contempt, and that allays the nerves, you'd do it next time, and then wonder what the fuss was all about.

[ScaredyCat]

[thepuma]

[wayne.p]

unfortunately, my practice wasnt on a proper course, it was Slalom between carpark bays (a little less room than on the test so was no problem (down the middle if you get me?)

man hanling = every day getting my bike out of parking spot behind car... and up into back garden on the weekend (room for just the bike with a mill or two each side of the handlebars up the passageway)

e stop - on a quiet road, getting to 30, then braking.... - swerve...

on my way to work theres lots of manhole covers.... some conveniently placed for the swerve


===

from all the vids i saw, i expected like 100 people to be watching, but garrets green has signs saying "do not watch blah blah show respect, it'll be your turn soon" and so on... - which did make it easier...

I hope i get the same guy next time... like i say, he seems a good chap, and cant fault him.

Im planning to book test ASAP, but its fitting it into busy worklife... Im going to look later for a slot, hopefully they have a wednesday, or friday morning for coming week *(prob not)*

and E - stop, after watching even more vids, i see i tried to (and actually did) stop in a shorter distance then the vids do, so obviously i stopped TOO quickly... (despite locking the wheel)

...

a guy had the same examiner has me the other day, and he locked his wheel slightly, but passed... he thought he'd failed, but he went through at 62kph. examiner told him h'd passed, and he explained that he saw the wheel lock, but he reacted quickly to it and the bike wasnt effected in the slightest.

--- I went through at 46kph, and i thought i was going over 40mph next time, i will just floor it... and heed the "advice" of front only ... (hell, if the examiner basically tells you only to use front - then )

but cheers guys... gotta head out to work now,
____________________
CBT= 2006... Passed car test=8/3/08... then a break in biking...
CBT= 14/7/12 Done, Theory= 6/9/12 Done, Mod1= 26/9/12 (fingers crossed), Mod2= to be booked... (pending mod1)

[cimbian]

Sorry to hear but as one poster mentioned, Rescue Remedy can realy help (St, Johns Wort, I believe).

Ignore the speedo, It'll screw with your mind, just crank it open.

Sounds like you may also be too fond of the rear brake. Make sure you are not riding it on slow-control, just covering it.

Nerver aren't a bad thing if you can get on top of them. Chill and good luck.
____________________
22PlusY
Current: Moto Guzzi 1100 Breva. Previous: Honda XL650V TransAlp
Bearded, Balding, Born again Buddhist Biker

[Ribenapigeon]

Cimbian: are you saying that you shouldent use the rear brake on the figure eight, U-turn and slalom? Please clear this up for me because I use a lot of rear brake when doing those manouvers. I can practicalyu do the figure eight blindfold.

[Flatbadger]

Try this -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V06rflOrA2g

Says 'module 2' but mentions a few things to help with nerves in any test.
____________________
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
You're in ISIS

[cimbian]

[trikeschick]

I used Bachs Rescue Remedy as I seriously couldn't get a grip on my nerves! Don't over think what you did or have to do. Just follw the instructions and don't try to take the bike up to third and you'll nail it
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"Light travels faster than the speed of sound, which is why some people appear bright until they speak"

[wayne.p]

i rarely use my rear brake when riding... I am used to "coasting" to a stop with gears in car etc and took it over onto my bike...

i dont think i used my rear brake on the mod1 last time, except when actually stopping... (although, perhaps some "unconcious dabs" but i dont believe in riding the brake etc - first thing the CBT instructor said was "only use your brakes when you need to, if they are hot, they dont work too well on smaller bikes"...

throttle, clutch and gears have worked for me perfectly fine so far (perhaps why i was a little too powerful with the rear )

i will try this rescue remedy. I am also, praying for a nice "sunny" day (although, would settle for a mild dry one )
____________________
CBT= 2006... Passed car test=8/3/08... then a break in biking...
CBT= 14/7/12 Done, Theory= 6/9/12 Done, Mod1= 26/9/12 (fingers crossed), Mod2= to be booked... (pending mod1)

[matto]

Completely ignore the above advice regarding the rear brake!

I recently did a DSA Enhanced Rider Training Course and one of the instructors is a IAM observer who's day job is rider training (CBTs and for tests) and he insists the best way to control a bike at low speed is to slip the clutch and use the rear brake to control the speed, which surprised a lot of the other people on the course. However when I took my last CBT the instructor there said that the rear brake should be used to control the bike at low speed so I was already doing it.

And do you know what? It works, in fact it works really well you just get your hands comfortable on the throttle and clutch so the bike is gently pulling and use the rear brake (and the turning motion of the bike) to keep the speed low, it feels very controlled and is probably one of the main reasons I aced my mod 1 without even thinking...

...and could be a reason why so many people struggle with it if it isn't something that is taught everywhere.

[andy_uk]