Mod 1 failed and I was so confident !

[AndyRooster]

Today I failed my Mod1, in which i thought was a perfect run.

Apparently i didnt perform the lifesaver check on the U-turn, which I'm sure i did as my technique was to check the stopping point just before I begin my turn, which I did but obviously wasnt enough for the examiner.
I went into the room after parking the bike 100% confident that I'd passed, only to be deflated with FAIL. Oh well it is what it is, I better prepare for round 2.

My driving school will charge me £110 to go again and I have to wait a whole month, until 11th November.

In the meantime I will be getting no practice and I have Triumph Tiger 800XC just chained up in my garage and I can do nothing more than look at her.

I checked about insurance without a license today, triumph offered to insure me for £270 and allow me 60 days to pass with the only downside, I cant ride without an instructor which makes it pointless for me.

Is £110 reasonable ? Do I have alternative options ? Is a month waiting time too long ?

So many questions, so disappointed.

[andy_uk]

Providing you can legally transport the Triumph to the test centre then there's nothing stopping you booking the test yourself (cost £15.50). You can then do your Mod2 the same way (£75 weekdays/£88.50 weekends).
As long as there's not a huge waiting list then you should be able to get it wrapped up before the 60 days is up.
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Aprilia Classic 125, GS500E, ER5-A1, ER5-C4, ER6 & an XJ6 project frame...

[Bhud]

Yes, the cost is reasonable (hiring an insured bike and instructor for a whole afternoon or morning, including a bit of practice and the journey to the test centre and back) and one month is a short time to wait. There's probably a waiting list anyway. Sounds like you've got it nailed, so all you've got to do is remember your lifesaver checks.

[AndyRooster]

I could probably get a friend to ride the bike over for me..!
I booked the £110 though now, on a verbal agreement as I didnt hand any cash over and my mod 2 is already paid for in the original package deal.
I think the answer is, I'll ask them to defer the mod 2 payment into my extra mod 1 test, then if I pass mod 1 I'll top up the remaining debt for the mod 2 byt the deferred £110.
If after defering the money to retake my mod 1, worste case I FAIL again... I'll then do it solo, without the instructor and hope to complete both modules in 60 days at a reduced cost.

[AndyRooster]

Thanks Bhud ...
I'll go again with the riding school and see how things go from there, then weigh up my options if I fail again, "which I wont, I hope"

[Kentol750]

As above, 110 is about right. However, there's only a 3 day wait for another go. If you go on the dvsa site and find a test sooner you can do it. Insurance is your only problem, getting the bike there and it actually being covered for the test may be an issue. Yòur school may be busy or there just may not be tests available. But, if you rang me and said you'd passed I wouldn't be bothered. Another problem then arises, when was your mod 2 pencilled in for? They may have already cancelled it or filled the slot.
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Some bikes.

[Easy-X]

[AndyRooster]

[AndyRooster]

[Kentol750]

1st point, if you lifesaver as you turn, it's too late. If you lifesaver and then use all the space it's too early... Both fail. Them's the rules. It's a lifesaver to check there's no-one there and then the turn.

2nd. We book mod 2s 3 clear days after mod 1 to allow cancellation space. We also book a fuckton of both to fit in bookings and retrests. It's not the busiest time of year. I'm surprised it's a month. Also, your (and I missed this) insurer is offering a good deal if you do can get the tests earlier. The tiger is more than capable (Just practice on private land) so why not look and see what's available if you can get it to the test centre.

Ps. Don't ride it there and stick Ls on it, they're wise to that!
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Some bikes.

[Easy-X]

[steve the grease]

You need to over exagerate all your physical actions so no one can say you didn't ( look over your shoulder) or whatever.
All I had to do was ride round the block twice, using hand signals and then stop quickly when the guy lunged into the road a bit clutching a clipboard...........
Keep at it , you'll get there.

[sapstar]

I failed my mod1 yesterday for the same fault. No lifesaver check during U turn.

I was told I did the lifesaver check when starting on a U turn, but didn't do the lifesaver check just before turning. Felt a bit harsh as you would be looking where you are turning throughout your you turn. Having to go for the test again in a week's time by paying £115.

[wintelf94]

It is over a month now since you opened the thread, how did it go with your second round with the examiner?
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Beyond Limit

[hume]

[Ste]

The module one test fee is £15.50 so anything on top of that is what a training school has decided you need to spend on additional training before having another attempt at the test and the cost of hiring a bike from them.

So there's no incentive for the DSA to fail people.

Training schools might say that having £100 worth of training before you try the test again will give you confidence in yourself, others might say that knowing you'll have to fork out another £100 for unnecessary training if you mess up and make a stupid mistake in the test will put you under extra pressure.

IMO sapstar doesn't £100 of training to remind him that a lifesaver is necessary when doing the U turn, I think he'll remember that one now.

[Ribenapigeon]

I actually wonder how much money I could make just hiring a bike out up at the test center for people who just want to take a shot at the tests. £££

As for the U-turn. Lifesaver before pulling away, lifesaver before manoeuvring. Simples. Basically do a lifesaver before you do anything as you cant fail for dounf too many of them.

[sapstar]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[B0ndy]

You'll get it next time, no worries
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CBF 125 -> CB400SF -> GSX600F -> ZX6R (G1) -> GSXR1000 K4 -> ZX6R (B1H Stunt bike) -> VFR800 -> R1 5PW -> Sprint 1050 -> Fireblade 929 -> ZX10R C2H

[A2WillDo]

I had the same thing on my first mod 1 test. The examiner didn't seem to be taking much notice generally, but I 100% did all my lifesavers. After the test the examiner said he'd given me 3 minors for "not checking my blind spot before moving away" but I 100% checked every time. I failed anyway because I briefly locked the rear wheel on the emergency stop (I did the test last week in the middle of storm Dennis, it had been raining heavily all morning, and during the test). The examiner said "you locked the rear wheel on the emergency stop so that tells me you don't know what to do when that happens" - Which is rubbish, I know exactly what to do but I'd already stopped by then. Even when it was ridiculously wet I stopped in a really short distance. I know the correct answer is release the rear brake and then gently reapply but I felt like saying 'what I should do is not use the rear brake on the mod 1 emergency stop' - if I'd have stopped in a further distance but without the rear lock up and just pretending to use the rear I'd have passed, but the point of the emergency stop is to stop as if it's an emergency i.e quickly (although I get it has to be in full control). Anyway I locked the rear brake and that is that, no point worrying about it for £15 but it is a bit of a pain getting back to the test centre another day during working hours as I've never seen a test that available at a weekend.

In regards to the lifesaver checks, is there anyway to make sure the examiner definitely sees you do them other than don't move until he's looking at you and verbally announcing out loud "just doing my lifesaver" - unless I'm doing it wrong, before moving away I always look to the left and right of me (actually turn my head to the left and right) and then turn my head completely back to check over my right shoulder. For the U turn I do this before moving away and just before starting the U turn.

[Peanut_Butter]

@A2WillDo no point stressing over what could've happened or what you should have done. I doubt the 'examiner'* tried to fail you on purpose and despite storm Dennis the criteria for cancellation was not there. The best thing to do is just lose all anger and/or bitterness, dust yourself off and have another go.
Try and do your observations slower and more pronounced before you take off, do your final lifesaver on U turn before you start moving not during.
Wishing you all the luck for your next try btw



*Waits for some pedant to pull me up because of my incorrect use examiner and not DVSA assessor...anyways...

[A2WillDo]

Thanks for the comment Peanut_Butter. I realise my post may have come across angry and bitter but that wasn't my intention. Although I do have an opinion on the robustness of the examining/testing process and it's certainly not completly faultless. On the other hand I'm not suggesting it needs improving either. It's just part of life and we have to deal with it. There are many things to be gained by failing someone unecessarily but I won't go into them as they're just in my opinion, but something like a shoulder check is fairly black and white, assuming you did a proper shoulder check, you either did it or you did not. And it would then become your word against theirs, who'll win.. anyway there were many other things not quite right about my first mod 1 examiner. But guess what? yesterday I took the test again (at a different test centre as the first doesn't have available slots for weeks) I didn't do anything different (besides not lock the rear on the emergency stop), had a laugh and joke with the examiner (or whatever the correct term is) and passed with 0 faults!

So basically, if you're confident with your approach but fail and disagree with the examiner, just try again.

[Peanut_Butter]

Congratulations