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Having failed for only doing 49k on a rainy day, I was gutted.Everything else was fine.

So I paid £75 again for extra training and another £90 for the instructor & bike to go again, rode the 30 miles to the test center again only to find they were on strike.When can I do it again?? They reckoned a couple of weeks, but I might need a few hours training again & an instructer & bike to get there again. Are they trying to price us out? Bikes are supposed to be the affordable transport. Even so having contacted the Riding school 3 times , they haven't called me back!! Trying to organise training & test dates has been very frustrating.

I would just like to get on with it, so took myself to another test center 72 miles away as they had spaces, unlike the local one or indeed Peterborough who had stopped taking booking till their backlog of car tests were cleared. Unfortuneately even after the long ride out there ,nerves still  got the better of me and the guy ahead of me dropped his bike, did not help my nerves either. 47k on the swerve, no minors.

So I'm working on the third time lucky with a different school as they book practice time on the test site, which really helped today in training. Why didn't someone tell me I could do that before??? Fingers crossed for tomorrow!

@AlbertHerring You are probably right but I can't find anything on the DSA sight relating to a separate Moped test, although I'm sure there is one. The Video is suppose to show the Motorcycle Module 1 test, which it clearly isn't. Anyway I've passed this test but it's not in may opinion a fair test and I agree with many that it appears to be about making motorcycling inaccessible to beginners. As a driver with 30 years experience in cars and 8 on bikes (OK only a light Honda H100A to and from work) and no accidents since I was 17, I know that real road experience is what counts not cones on a tennis court. If they really want to make the roads safer STOP teaching new car drivers to approach junctions too fast and then block change!!!!! If they did this you wouldn't be swerving around cars who haven't stopped in time.

MikeRotherham

Agree with you 100% mate, it's shocking how wrong they've got it

Crash_666 - I actually laughed out loud at that one!

born again biker-mike

I'm not arguing, my born again pal, 212 injuries out of how many tests? I would also like to look at a link for where you got these stats, so do your home work, also if the stats are so right why have MCN taken down pages condemning the current up take on tests?

I would think that's because they didn't take into account the recession, the worst winter in thirty years and yes a new test. most schools were lucky to get a couple of days in between mid-Dec and mid-Jan did they count that

www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/.../feb1910-fifty-thousand-fewer-tests/

if its a typo, its not mine as all I did was try to look it up

And I would like an answer, do you where a safety helmet?

Fighting good

You got the bit between your teeth on this one Mike. Given your passion for this I would see if you can have a go at the mob1 at you test centre or a training area. You have taking in alot of the theory but experiencing it may give you something to hang your hat on.
Just to clarify a few things: A larger than average 17 year old has no option but to take his / her test on a 125, you can't go for direct access until you are 21. Therefore the youngest you can be to hold a full motorcycle in the UK is 19 (pass test at 17 on 125, two year on restricted 33bhp, automatic upgrade afterward). The reason the numbers of DAS tests are overwhelming is the average age of a learner is over 21 and male. In my time training learner 2 in 10 of my tests were on a 125, all where 17 /18 or ladies (or both). There are a large number of 16 / 17 year old that do their CBT as a stop gap to a car and that nothing to do with cost that to do with, for a better word, practicality (or parental pressure).
As far the 4 parts of the test, yes your right, but I personal would like to see the theory before CBT. I have sent people home before there CBT has started because they haven't read or pick up their highway code. Is these 4 stages are a blocker? I thing the jury out on that one, yes there has been a 50,000 reduction and yes it could be the news test is putting people off but it could be the weather, the recession or a combination as our friend has point out below. Until we get some new figures to this year we can’t say. If this year is hot and sunny we could get a rise in test (and a rise in motorcycle fatality).
Is the third directive going to change the motorcycle landscape, yes is it going to drive people of motorcycle no. The directive will set direct access at 24 and as the average age of a motorcycle is 35 to 45 (I think, can’t find that paperwork at the moment) getting access to large machine will be fine. What it could do is effect the type of people taking up motorcycling, 24 is the age for marriage, kids and houses, therefore no money. As you and a number of people have said people could be priced out. The 3rd directive upgrade route could be test or more training that has not been decided as far as I am aware, but it will cost. My view is it will be more training as retesting will be a logistical nightmare and there are schools and post test trainer in place at present.
But you right we all need to stick together and make are voices heard, we just need to say something sensible. The government are not out to take motorcycles of the road, there just inept enough to do it by mistake.