After now passed our CBT it was just the big hurdle of the Bike practical test and the inconvenience of the theory test that we had to overcome!
The beast had dropped off the radar at this point happy with his CBT accomplishment, which left Captain Slow and myself to get our lessons booked in and completed with the run up to our tests. This wasn’t easy as Tim has a busy schedule and I am pretty easy going, so the first couple of lessons we took apart. Also due to Tim’s solid performance on the CBT day out he didn’t need as many lessons as me to get up to standard.
2 weeks to go till the first lesson…, best get the theory done! I’ll keep this one short and sweet. If you drive a car.. it’s a lot easier! However if you’ve never actually read the Highway code, or you have about as much common sense as a grain of rice I would recommend that you do a good bit of geeking before you undertake this, Otherwise you might end up feeling quite the fool. In all honesty though, there is a hazard perception section where you have to spot emerging/developing hazards on a series of video runs (14 in all) that is rather tricky. Although the DVD they send out to you before you take the test gives you a clue as to what to expect until you have sat down on the testing day and run through the first example video its still a little fuzzy! (HINT DVLA: could do with some extra interactive DVD work here!!)
Theory test pass! ROCK ON!
Lessons:
Day 1: Tipped up; Had a Brew with Rob; Met Jimbo; Jumped on one of the Fouls (Honda CG 125) and off we went! A good run around Stoke and surrounding areas. U-turns, emergency stops and general on the road miles practice.
Day 2: Tipped up; Had a Brew; On my own with Rob this time; talked about maybe getting on one of the 500’s in the afternoon; Jumped on one of the Fouls and off we went! Stayed around Congleton, in out and around many housing estates covering off the usual, turning off indicators, U-turns, turning off indicators, emergency stops, turning off indicators etc. The afternoon brought a whole new experience.. the big bike!!! A 1998 Honda CB500 in black! MASSIVE! Now were on the Stallions! Same as the morning, but it all felt easier! There was no fannying around with gears as much. You have much more power at your wrist so it was just a case of being aware of a heavier bike. I think I smiled until be next lesson!
Day 3: Tipped up; Had a Brew; with Rob & Tim (Captain Slow) this time, his turn for the big bike! 😀 Much the same again, honing the new skills and running over all the manoeuvres etc. Trip to Macclesfield in the afternoon, went to see the test centre, a good days riding! Some good fast roads between Macclesfield and Congleton, so long as Tim wasn’t in front! Awesome at the technical stuff, but kept complaining about the wind lack of screen or something!! 😉 you know you loved it Tim! There was born – Captain Slow
Day 4: Tipped up; Had a Brew; with Rob & Tim (Captain Slow, complaining of a sore arm after working with the 5-O); Trip to Macc; Ran through all the usual; Good Cumberland Sausage butty from Tesco; and more of the same in the Arvo.
Day 5: Tipped up; Had a Brew; with Rob & Tim (Captain Slow, confirmed fracture on his arm!); Trip to Macc; Ran through all the usual; but today was different, if was the DAY BEFORE THE TEST! At which point call it what you will, over confidence, pressure or just shit riding, all the little things started creeping back in from the first couple of days, stuff like: Turning indicators off; successful U-Turns; planning ahead (by far the most required skill of a rider! Rob drilled that one home). We push on through the day and really worked hard on getting it right for the test. Its times like that when it must be very frustrating for an instructor; when you know your student can do the task but it all just starts to go a little tits up!
Test Day: Tipped up; Had a Brew; with Rob & Tim (Captain Slow); Trip to Macc; Ran through all the usual up near the Football Ground, then Off to the Test Centre.
Keepy’s up first! Parp! Well Dave the test guy was a nice chap, we’d met him on some of our trips to the testing centre on our lessons. The route: Link. Through Macc; past Halfords; up Buxton Road (via the Borehound); back into Macc; up the Silk Road (good progress made 😛 ); up to Tytherington and back to the centre.
Sat me down. Pass! AWESOME!
Captain Slow’s test then seemed to take a lifetime! I was more worried for his test than I was for mine! Especially knowing that I had passed, after all the prep, all the talk the lessons etc. I just wouldn’t have been right unless we both passed on the day! Especially with a broken arm! Tim get back! Sit down! PASSED! AWESOME!
The experience was great, the instruction from Rob was second to none, I wouldn’t think twice before recommending him to anyone who wanted to learn or get back on a Motorcycle.
Now the fun bit! Which Bike!?
