Mod2 filtering? Mod2 failed due to 'incomplete test'?

[Adame]

With my mod2 coming up, a question

Personally I would never ever filter on mod2 as too many things can go wrong, but my useless instructor keeps on telling and scaring us that we should filter If we encounter a heavy traffic as sitting in traffic can be a fail due to 'incomplete test'. Anyone ever heard about that??

Test is in London that can have some traffic jams

What to do if an examiner tells you something like 'feel free to filter if it's safe to do so'? Ignore or proceed?

[KiwiBob]

On my mod 2 the examiner only gave directions, left, right straight on etc.
I may be wrong but I doubt they would say filter if safe as he wants you to make the decisions.

You need to make progress but you must be safe and cause no problems to other motorists.

[Easy-X]

Not one I had to consider (I did my Mod2 in Uxbridge) but I think I'd avoid filtering. I would imagine whatever you have (A/A1/A2) as a test bike is more than capable of filtering but the examiners tend to have lardy police-style bikes. i.e. it's not so much can you filter but can they?

Also, let's get real here: "filtering" in London is really about barging through traffic, weaving about the centre line and creating your own space. But making any of the incoming traffic take avoiding action is an instant fail.

Ultimately even if you could filter safely where are you going to go? Cutting up some fucker at the lights is perfectly reasonable now I have my full licence but I don't think the examiner would appreciate it!
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Adame]

[Nobby the Bastard]

I have heard of them but thats when the test was abandoned due to no insurance or no cbt or that sort of thing.

The examiners will know what the prevailing traffic conditions are like and plan accordingly.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[ThunderGuts]

There is no requirement to filter on your test and I would suggest you don't; all it will do is introduce more variables to cope with, the last thing you want on the test. It's the examiner's choice where to send you, if they send you into a traffic jam that's their lookout. The mod2 is about riding in the real world; there isn't the same rigid agenda as the mod1, instead its more about "normal" riding and how you deal with it. I very much doubt the examiner can "cancel" your test because they lead you into a traffic jam. If they do (!), there are (or at least used to be) provisions for claiming back the test fee, your instructor fees (i.e. because you've got their bike so a cost will be involved in using it again) and time taken off work (up to a reasonable amount). The only caveat is the instructor/test centre must advise you of the cancellation with little or no notice for this to be viable, but if they're cancelling it effectively as you're taking your test, I'm sure it'd be claimable. But as said, I doubt it'll be an issue.

Good luck with the test.
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TG.

[Bhud]

The examiner likely knows several test routes, and will choose an appropriate one for the time and day of your test to avoid heavy traffic.

[Easy-X]

I think "incomplete test" is a misnomer here, what the OP is talking about is failing due to "not making good progress."

For example if you come up to a T-junction and the examiner asks you to turn left you would signal, wait for a gap in the traffic, look right, look left, etc. and off you go. Waiting too long for a really big gap (one you might think is considerate for the examiner behind you) could arguably be "not making good progress."*

Given this is the City then not utilising an empty Bus Lane (must have a sign with a motorbike on - not all do, looking at you, Lambeth) might be argued as also "not making good progress."

Anyhoo, AFAIK it would only be a black mark not an outright fail to hesitate when a situation is presented. Always remember Safety > All.

*Something I actually did on my Mod2 but didn't get marked down for.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Nobby the Bastard]

No, that used to be hesitancy. You are not expected to filter on your test. It wasn't appropriate when I did my test 30 years ago and I bet no instructor recommends doing it on a test now.

he didn't ask about bus lanes.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Ste]

Replace the word filtering with the word overtaking.

If you're sat in stationary traffic the entire time then it's not going to be possible to complete the test but they're not going to take you to places that are gridlocked traffic.

You can get minors or a major for undue hesitation but that doesn't mean you need to be looking to make progress by overtaking. If you start looking for and or doing overtakes then you're doing lots of things that the examiner will be watching closely to see if you do anything that could be marked as a fault.

Plus the examiner might be following you in a car rather than being on a bike.

Anyway, surely the test doesn't finish until everything necessary has been completed?

[Pjay]

I filtered a little on my test as there was a lot of traffic. After the test the examiner said "I was happy to see you filtering but then you stopped doing it" The reason was that I realised that sat in traffic there is very little to fail me on, so stopped. Anyhow, I passed with no faults.
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struan80 - I'll go first - satisfied tick 1

[Ste]

If only there was an instructor on BCF who could give a more accurate answer than our guess work.

[Nobby the Bastard]

I imagine they are all out training spotty little oiks not to filter during their tests.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[c_dug]

Going back a while, but my instructor called traffic "free time" for the tests sake, and said he wouldn't be hurrying to get moving again. It's hard to fail your test when sitting in a queue!

Incomplete test would make sense if you hit such gridlocked traffic that there was no time to properly assess your road riding on the move within the allotted test time. Perhaps at that point you might consider very slowly and carefully filtering, but I suspect that is a very highly unlikely scenario even in central London.

Although, thinking about it, in ~10 years of central London commuting I don't ever recall seeing a test underway anywhere near the city centre, and I tend to spot them closer to home quite often.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[pinkyfloyd]

Filtering on tests is a grey area. There is nothing wrong with it but should something happen then its a sure fire way to fail.

As an instructor we do teach not to filter, but when the Mrs done her test she had an examiner from London down and he said over the radio "If you would filter on your bike then get on with it"

Or words to those effect.
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illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.

[Freddyfruitba...]

Slight but relevant thread hijack: yesterday found me filtering on a two-lane road... my lane was stationary for about half a mile leading up to a junction. So I - suitably cautiously and slowly - overtook, which involved me dipping into the oncoming lane occasionally. There was some traffic there, slow-moving, plenty of room there, no problems caused. Until. The inevitable one bloke took exception to my presence in 'his' space and as soon as he spotted me, stood on his horn. As we drew level, without even turning my head I gave him the finger, and to my extremely childish but highly intense satisfaction, the guy nearly wet himself with excitement and almost went into orbit.

Anyway - just checking - am I correct in thinking that filtering like this (ie riding on the 'wrong' carriageway) is kosher and above board?
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KC100->CB100N->CB250RS--------->DL650AL2->R1200RS->R1250RS

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Keithy]

My interpretation of this is, if you can pass vehicles in a queue of traffic without crossing a solid white then you are ok.

The qualifiers are…

You spot and filter into natural gaps in traffic
You don’t go above 30mph
Your speed relative to traffic is +10mph
Not at or approaching junctions

Sound ok?

Nor so confident re ‘filtering’ on motorways at higher speeds.

[jonquirk]

After a day out by myself on a 125 hired from my instructor where I had sat in traffic queues while other motorbike riders had filtered past I asked about filtering on test.

His reply was that it was not required on the test and doing so could lead to mistakes that might cause a fail, so basically don’t. His only caveat was that in London things were a little different, but my test will be in Farnborough.

[Kentol750]

Just to add to what Pinky and others have said, the examiner should have a good idea of the route and traffic on the test to enable it to be completed in time. The examiners at our local test centre avoid roadworks and temp lights like the plague. When once one of my pupils went out and they encountered some new ones the examiner said 'follow me, we cant wait forever' and filtered the pupil to the front.
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Some bikes.

[spongefinger]

My instructor told me of this happening once. There had been an accident and the guy on his test could not proceed across a roundabout he sat there for twenty minutes once traffic cleared the examiner told him to head back to test centre as test was cancelled. When they got back the examiner praised the guy for his patience and not trying to do anything silly. I believe the did not have to pay for the restest. Apparently it's very rare that this happens. You are not required to filter on your mod 2 and one small error could end up with you failing the test. Keep it simple and good luck !

[ThunderGuts]

I think the other thing to consider is bike test examiners are also by definition bikers . . . they have more of a tendency to want a learner to pass (and join the 'club') than a car driving instructor might. Certainly that was my experience (echoed by my instructor); they'll try and make it work for you if you encounter naff circumstances.
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TG.