17 in a few days and need some new info on the Jan 13 rules

[Jay99]

Hello again BCF and the time is quickly approaching for me to rush through the tests before Jan 13. Its my birthday in a week or so and I need to get planning. Has anything changed regarding the rules?

I have my provisional licence now and have done for quite some time, but I have put the CBT off as I've been busy (getting a part time job at this age was difficult, but I now have a steady job at primark which means money)

I'm not going to be able to get myself a machine just yet but I'd rather get this out of the way now so I can get a bike next year, but if I don't do the tests now then I'll never be able to get a bike. Driving is not an option due to cost and cycling is silly and buses are ridiculous)


What do I need to do? How much would a motorcycle school cost for a mod 1 and 2 and do I do a car theory test before I do Mod 1 and two?

[Jay99]

One more question, is a motorcycle theory test required if you have passed your CBT?

[sidewinder]

You need
cbt...theory test ...you need these two to do mods 1 and 2
____________________
"Nitrous is like a cheap hooker, you want to hit it but are scared of the consequences

[Jay99]

Will it be likely that I could pass my Mod 1 & 2 before january 13? What if I fail mods 1 or 2? The swerve test does look scary and it looks like I'm running out of time! Will the test centres in manchester manage to fit me in about november or december or shall I not bother and stick to a 125 till' I'm 21?

[Matt-]

[Jay99]

dammit, I could book my theory a day after my birthday, and I've continually passed all the practice exams on the internet from general knowledge, with a bit of revision I would definitely be able to do it. Some of the questions are remarkably silly.

So from the 10th of october, and say I did my theory on the 11th, CBT on the 12th/13th would there be enough time to book mods 1 and 2 before Jan 13? Mod 1 is cheap so if I failed I could always retake it but mod 2 is a problem and I'm not sure I could afford it more than once so a school is a must.


Does anyone know the timescales for these mod 1 and 2 tests as it won't let me look at the appointments online without a theory test number...

Its getting desperate now, if I don't do it before these rules then I'd have to wait for a long time.....

[kotachi]

Go for it. I went from nothing to full license in 3 months, with NO instruction outside of CBT.. You can too.
____________________
CBT done - 24/03/2012, theory test done - 03/04/2012.. Mod 1 done -26/06/2012, Mod 2 done - 29/06/2012. Current steed: Cage.
Suntan Sid said: "Look at it this way, your employer wants to pay you the minimum amount, it thinks it can get away with, and extract from you the maximum amount of graft. Ergo it's your responsibility to ensure that karma is restored and you do as little work as you think you can get away with, for the maximum amount of money."

[waffles]

Take a deep breath there!

You have three months before the new rules come into effect and you seem to be getting into a tizzy about it without having all of the facts in front of you.

You are 17 very shortly and can get an appointment for a theory test the day after? Awesome, book that sucker in and have a read through the Highway Code a few times. While you are waiting for your theory to come up, find a bike school local to you and have a chat to them about getting your CBT under your belt too. So, in less than a fortnight you could be fully legal on two wheels (with L plates admittedly). Go back to your bike school and tell them you now want to ditch the L plates, pls hlp. Bike schools block book test dates so if you are desperate to get your licence now they would probably be your best bet. Thats not to say that you can't do it yourself, many people have.

Good on you for being so keen though, and best of luck too
____________________
Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

[ThoughtContro...]

[Turkish]

[Jay99]

[Turkish]

[WillOdling]

I did all my tests within 3 weeks, you have 3 months so as long as you don't keep fucking tests up you'll be fine
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2002 GSX R600

[Teflon-Mike]

Start here:-
I want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do I start?
Then read:-
3rd Directive Licence Laws / Impending Licence Changes

There IS time to get an A>33 licence still between now and new laws, IF you get your act together; get a plan, follow it and don't let yourself get bogged down in over thinking too much chit, or conciousely looking for problems.

First thing I advice is you DO get your own 125, and right now, ANY 125 bike that runs, has a tax disc and you can hang L-Plates on is good enough.

You need the MOTORCYCLE theory test done. Costs £31, get it booked asap and go do, it has to be passed before you can take either of the Mod 1 & 2 Practicals.

You need to complete CBT before you can ride on the road and have cert to be allowed to do practicals, so that's your next priority.

Soon as you have your CBT Cert and Theory Certs, book Mod 1. Costs £15.50, and is basically more CBT excersises round cones.

Then you can tackle Mod 2, which is £75, and a ride round town, like the road ride on CBT, but SHORTER.

The tests ARE a little more demanding than CBT, which is BASIC TRAINING, but they are not looking for an expert standard of riding; merely basic balence and machine control, and managing to ride for half an hour on real roads, obeying traffic conventions, road laws and not falling off of putting any-one in danger or killing them!

Dont think TOO hard about it DONT try and put on a performance for the examiner, pretty good chance you can pass without too much effort. More you worry about it.... more chance you will fail, To Be Honest!

NOW: test waits and training. How long you have to wait for a test date at the moment is variable. Depends where you are in teh country. Some harder pressed test centres with fewer examiners, and a wider catchement area are struggling, and for Mod 2 tests, I suspect that apointment times could soon be booking for past 3rd Dir dead-line. Others though, are still unclogged enough you could have a test next week. Its a BIT of a post-code lottery. And I dont know your post-code.

BUT.... its another bonus for having your own bike.... you can travel, which means that you could take test pretty much anywhere in the country, if you were prepared to ride there.

Trying to do it all on a school bike; I think is going to make life difficult, and probably short term expensive, if you are on a tight budget. BUT to up your pass odds, and get some grounding, lessons would probably be helpful.

However; its still do-able, if you have the mind to crack on.

If you dont pass all three tests before Jan? Well, no, you will be stuck with the 125 only licence for anything you 'carry-over'....

But thats still worth something, and count-down on New Drivers Act probation counting down in your favour if nothing else, and would mean that in two years, if they are 'nice' you have option to 'upgrade' via training in two years to an A2, and get your A3/ Full unstrestricted A ahead of being 24.

And if you get your own 125 now to try for it; still a useful machine post Jan if plan dont go to schedule.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Jay99]

[bencav]

Sounds like you want the current license, in which case got he schooled route.

The 125 route isnt a bad idea, but if money is tight and its 1 or the other, look to what you really want out of it. If that isnt a 125 license, get a place at a school sorted ASAP!!

[ThoughtContro...]

[Teflon-Mike]

If you do it school-wise; and I DO see the expedience, it is still more expensive; you are paying for bike hire, and DONT have a bike at the end of it.

Meanwhile, you are short on practice ability, because you can only 'practice' during lessons.

So you would be going for tests with bare minimum saddle hours under your belt.

I have to say, back in 1988 that is the route I chose. Things were a bit different back than and ANY training was rare, but yes, now a devout convert, abhoring the intensive 'crash-course', as a 17 year old with five years competition riding behind me, I thought I could avoid all the hassle of buying my own 125 and doing it the conventional way, with a 'Crash-Course'....

It didn't work. I failed the first test I took for random error, and was 'aborted' on the second having had to borrow a mates bike that wouldn't bludy run when I got to the actual test!

Took two more years, before I could even less afford my own bike, and bit the bullet, taking out finance to buy brand new

Of course, bike was stolen, soon as I got a test apointment, and I was left without wheels for it.... or for anything for four months... then when I got the bike back, had to fix it before I could book another... adding to my trials and tribulations..... and bigger me, after gettig bike back, and fixed and booking another test.... bike was nicked again!

Spent just over two years on that bike, and Hmmmm well, I do feel I was held back, BUT it did teach me a heck of a lot in the time I had it.

Back to where you are......

If you put your money on the crash-course..... well its a gamble.

If you win, great, you got your licence in the bag and have the pass-port to take your biking in any direction you want after.

Fail though, and you could be in the chit. More cost for more training to correct faults and put wheels under your bum for extra practice.... means more cost on top of extra cost of repeat tests, plus the delays to get those repeat tests.

There is an incentive to get the tests done as soon as possible, BUT needs to balence haste with 'progress'.... test too soon and fail for lack of prep... could set you back more than spending an extra week to get it nailed and be more sure of a 1st time pass.

THAT you are more likely to get if you have the greater opportunity to practice, provided by having your own bike.

Wizzened old biker, with more hair on his chin than his head, many many years ago, offered me the sage advice:

"There ent many problems in this world cant be solved with the application of large amounts of money......

This, resolves MOST problems in life to the single imperative, of finding large amounts of money... down-et?"

On which basis, knowing that you are on an incredibly optimistic budget to achieve almost anything, BUT with a large enough budget that could easily be wasted, in haste leaving little or nothing to show for it.......

I would be inclined to ponder the problem of pennys, and from what sources I might obtain ready funds to weight the levers and tip the balence in my favour.....

Debt is a horrible thing, but when deadlines loom, it may be the only expedience to achieve anything before they lapse.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Jay99]

[Rogerborg]

Any bike is better than no bike and 125s are fine for getting around on - just don't ride anything bigger or you'll get a wicked craving.

However, your budget is a bit suspect. Is it a fixed £500? Then what about insurance and gear for your own bike? Bare minimum is a £30 helmet, but you'll want gloves, solid boots and (at least) waterproofs. If you do manage to squeeze your tests in, the DSA will expect you to wear what they consider to be appropriate clothing.

Sounds like you really will be getting any bike. I foresee a lot of "should I get this Zing Ping Happy Joy Machine?" threads in your future... just don't buy anything from a diamond geezer named "Vinny."

[Teflon-Mike]

[HarryPalmer]

Count yourself lucky you have enough time to try! Poor buggers such as myself are going to be scuppered, what with a birthday on Jan 10th..

I'd have done anything in my power to pass before the law change, but ah well, such is the way of the EU..