Bike Test Memories

[welshy]

All I remember about my bike test - 26 years ago - was the instructor standing on the corner of a small block of houses and shops in the same place throughout the test, in the pouring rain with his umbrella up. He told me to keep riding around the block until he told me to pull over. When i pulled over he said ride around again a few times until you see me standing on the side of the road with his arm up and I should then do an emergency stop before I reached him. He then asked me a couple of highway code questions and said "Fine, you've passed". It took me all of 15 mins and cost me £7 in total. I was on an A100 suzuki. On the way home all of my lights blew as i drove through the torrential rain but I didn't care because I passed. A month later a friend let me have a go of his Z1300 that he had just finished doing up. He couldn't ride it because he hadn't passed his test but I was an accomplished rider of 4 weeks. Had about 10 good accidents over the following 2 years on the A100, 250 Superdream and then a 400 superdream. I think the accidents made me very carefull of the roads and other idiots since then. They say you learn from your mistakes and I think that is very true.

[alpaholic]

I stopped at a Green Light. :-(

[welshy]

Better safe than sorry ;D

[justso]

My instructor took me on a tour of what he thought the test route might be before the test and got it spot on!

In the test itself I went through an amber because there was a WVM on my tail which was NOT intending to stop. This left me proceeding at speed down a dual carriageway with the examiner stuck at the lights. I had to go about a mile, taking in a right turn at a roundabout, before I could safely pull over and wait for him. I was beginning to wonder what the range on the radio was.

[welshy]

How much does it cost for a newbie to get his or her licence these days? I bet it's a lot more than 7 quid.

[Pops]

Took my bike test 36 years ago and I think I paid about 3 pound something for it.
I can remember the examiner saying I want you to keep riding round the block while I walk round it so I will observe you at different points. Some where round I will jump out in front of you holding my clip board up I want you to do an emergency stop. In the mean time just keep on riding round it.
About my fourth time round this madman threw himself in front of me. Lucky for him I managed to halt a couple of foot away from him. Then the obligatory questions. If the traffic light is amber what should you do? sort of thing.
Well Mr Flynn I am glad to tell you you have passed. Good job for him, if he said I had failed, I would have got my own back the next time he flung himself in front of me.
Happy days

[alpaholic]

26 quid in '97. My god, 10 years of road biking this year.

[latestartertommy]

I was the last one of five from the bike school to sit my test on that particular Friday.

At the centre I asked the instructor how things had gone that day and he replied "examiner 4, us 0. Oh and he never passes anyone last thing on a Friday."

So I set off wth some trepidation and into the first manoeuvre - U turn and I felt I made a complete hash of it.

So between no-one else passing, it being late Friday and messing up the U turn I just relaxed and went for a ride for the rest of the test.

It seemed to do the trick as I passed with only 1 minor fault! Although, I ocassionally wonder if the examiner being in a car meant he missed more than he saw.

Ride safe,

Tommy.

[Tigger]

I remember 8.45am on a Monday morning. Having the examiner come out and tell me their bike wouldn't start so he would follow me in a car. So 10 mins after leaving the centre he was stuck with all the yummie mummies on their way to school and me waiting at a lay-by 5 miles away waiting for him to catch up. After 20 mins he reappeared on the radio and instructed me to make my way back to the test centre. Shook my hand handed me the paperwork and I've thanked the school run ever since.


Matt

[iooi]

Posted mine in another thread here, but my abiding memory is passing and walking straight into the pub for a coke shall we say. Hey waht a place to start and finish from a pub car park.
Got to love just how easy it was back in them days, but the loss of live's was a real waste and the test and restrictions now are really needed.
Can't remember how much it was but it was not a lot.

[HRHpenfold]

i remember doing me test, when i were a lad, going round the block before the test, i completely stripped and rebuilt me norton 250 single, the examiner then asked me if i could ride a bike, i said i could ride a push bike and the addition of an engine to do the work, just made it easier like, an i needed me bike to make it easier to walk me wippet, so got an instant pass for me honesty ;D

[Haggisxj900]

Boy, did I have fun on my test.....

On the way to the St Albans test centre a old codger steped in front of me, nearly killed the old goat.....

The other guy from my riding school went first, The examiner was in a car because the normal bike examiner had been knocked of his bike and had a broken ankle......

On his test the radio kit failed and he had to do the rest of his test following the examiner.....

My test was delayed for 30 mins to allow the radio kit a chance to recharge.....

On my test we came of a dual carridgeway and up a sliproad, although being asked to turn left at the top I set myself up for a righthand turn (don't ask my why, some sort of mental block caused by the truma of the test). I was sat at the top of the sliproad abought to turn right when I relised what he was asking me to do. I looked round and saw his car in the left hand lane holding the traffic back. I flicked my left flasher and pulled away at 45deg in front of him....'OOOHHH S**T' I thought 'thats it I failed my test'.........

Got back to the test centre got asked the few questions and the last question was 'did you have a problem on that slip road'.....

There was my chance. 'Yes' I replied 'the radio was playing up a bit'.......

'That explains it' he said 'I will let you have that one, I am pleased to tell you.......'(you all know the rest).

As for the ride back to Letchworth......it chucked it down......




Andy C

[biwoz]

1971 - suburban Subiaco Police Traffic Branch. Rode myself there on my mate's CB350 Honda, which he'd lent me for the day. ;D The examiner, a very large motorbike cop, came out and looked at the bike standing at the kerb. "How'd you get here?" he asked. "Umm ... errr ... my mate brought me on the back." "And where's he then?" (The street was empty.) "Just ... ummm ... walked down to Rokeby Road to get a sandwich for lunch."

The cop obviously didn't believe a word of it, but said, "Right, get on board, start up, and do a U-turn right here, at walking speed. Wobble, or put a foot down, and it's all over."

In a cold sweat, I managed to do it -- which was great, 'cause all through my practice I wobbled like hell!!

That done, he climbed on his white Yamaha 750 (from memory) and made me follow him for the next 20 minutes while he watched me in the mirrors.

I passed, got my licence, went outside and rode back to the office -- and still wasn't late back for work. ;D

[staki900]

It was a sunny day in May 1975 riding my 9 month old (second hand) Honda CB200. No such things as U turns in those days just the emergency stop (essentialy for avoiding dinosaurs that used to wander at will in those days) and a hill start. Examiner walked around as I rode round and round a triangle of streets in Colchester. The same examiner passed me on my car test in November 1975.

[alpaholic]

staki900 said:

No such things as U turns in those days

So when were they invented then?

[m40man]

alpaholic said:

staki900 said:

So when were they invented then?

I think 'dreamt up' would be more appropriate.

[harrier]

ay up, ive done me theory test yesterday, passed ok , have got me das at end of month, oooo getting excited now !!

lee

[teffort]

I took my bike test in 1975 in Folkestone on a GT250 that I'd had for a few months. You could ride a 250 on L plates then but I was planning a trip to Scotland with my then girlfriend as pillion so needed to pass. I had the same experience as others, examiner stood by the roadside with a clipboard and I had to ride around a block a few times so, most of the time, he couldn't see me. Had to do the route using indicators and then with hand signals. I definitely remember there being an emergency stop and a slow riding test where I had to ride alongside the examiner while he walked for about 50 yards. I'm pretty sure there was a U-turn as well.

[eliminator]

My CZ175 was in the shop, having the little end replaced.

I borrowed a mates Honda CD175, it was winter. Rode around the block a few times, pathetic emergency stop. He must have been 50' away!

Started snowing about 5 minutes before the end of the test, which I passed. 1973 '74 maybe?

[charlietbird]

Passed my test in1980 on my antique CB200.
. Same thing as most other people here- examiner walking round the block, and wandering leisurely out on to the road for my "emergency" stop. Did anyone fail?

Charlie

[pebbles]

took my test in 1976 at herne bay kent fairly basic
back then,i remember pulling over on the thanet
way pulling off the learner plates and throwing them
in the air i was on a suzi gt 250 ram air wrote that
bike off the same day elvis died

[teffort]

Pebbles
Sourh East Kent and around Thanet was my old stomping ground back in the 70s. Do you remember Nero's nightclub in Ramsgate? Still have a lot of family down that way but it's changed so much now. Also remember summer parties around the old wooden watchtower on Herne Bay beach.

[Welsh Ade]

the test fee last Aug was £58. my first test in July I lost the examiner and he was on a pan and me just on an ER5.

[costablancabika]

Like a few of the others, my test was a basic half a dozen trips round the block which I took in 1969. You never knew where the examiner was but you can imagine that the vast majority of time he would never even see you. I had only gone about 5 minutes into it and it started to snow. He appeared from behind a tree to stop me, not bothering with an emergency stop, and told me to go back to the test centre. There, I had the obligatory half dozen highway code questions and then gives me that slip of paper that I so desperately wanted.

I must admit considering how basic the test was, compared to today, I do not think the level of competence is any greater now than then. Once you have passed, you are going to ride the way you want - good, bad or indifferent.

p.s. I took my test on my Honda 90 SuperSports

[pebbles]

nero,s night club that is not something you forget
went there from 1975-1979 about twice a month
had some good times on the thanet way ones
that never get forgotten

keith

[pebbles]

can someone remind me of the test fee in 1976 if
anyone says 2 groats u get a smite

[teffort]

I seem to remember it was £7 in 1976. Mind you, was earning less than £30 a week in those days.

[iooi]

teffort said:

I seem to remember it was £7 in 1976. Mind you, was earning less than £30 a week in those days.

Hell you were well paid. In 75 i started on £16 a week.... £15.11 a week after deductions..... :-[God some of the sad facts you remember

[pebbles]

you rich man, in 75 my wage was £10 a week working
in a garage

[Padster]

Passed the one part test in October 1981 (as I got my application in before April and the new two part test). Round the block a few times at Loughton, a few questions and that was it. Did the test on a Honda CD200T Benley. Bought a 250 Dream to celebrate and then a Suzuki GT750 kettle shortly thereafter.