Yippie!!! I passed!

[placidfemme]

Good stuff. Did my Full License Test in Browns Bay yesterday afternoon. Was pretty nervous riding up there from the city, practising my indicating on the motorway and everything else I could practise within reason.

Got there about 20 mins early and the guy asked if I wanted to wait until 3pm or do the test right then. Considering schools close at 3pm I thought it best to do it right then.

He gave me an ear piece and a walkie talkie. Which wasn't too bad except he had the volume up high and I couldn't wear my sunglasses cause of the ear piece. Everytime he pressed down on the button to talk to me it would go TSSSSSSKKKKKK *talking* TSSSSSSSKKKKKKK in my ear... rather painful at full volume.

I'm not very familiar with the roads in Browns Bay (I know how to get around but dunno the street names). We came out Andersons Rd and went down Sartos (Directly opposite Anderson Rd) and second or third road on the right (a dead end cul de sac), I missed the road and had to do a U turn to get back to it... and the guy was chirping in my ear "Tammy turn around TSSSSKKKKKKKK can you hear me? TSSSKKKKKKKK". Pretty dumb asking if I can hear him... I can't talk back lol

Went round the cul de sac at slow speeds on an odd angle... not the safest thing to be doing on a bike... oh well. Turned back onto Sartos and then down to the Sherwood Dairy, right onto that road (dunno what its called), up into Browns Bay, Left passed the funeral home (Forrest Funeral), Stopped at the stop sign, left up to Beach Rd, Right onto Beach Rd.

This is when he started asking me to point out Hazards. To me Hazard is something that endangers myself... so pretty much pointed out every car I saw from every direction (including him behind me in his HUGE hilux) followed by "TSSSSSKKKKK good job Tammy TSSSSKKKKKKK". Went through the round about just before that big hill going towards Torbay. Screwed up the indicating on the roundabout (d'oh :shutup: ) followed by "TSSSSSSKKKKK are you trying to kill yourself? TSSSSSSSSKKKKKKK" in a semi paniced voice lol

Thought from that point on "crap I've failed". Went up towards Browns Bay followed a detour cause of road works... dunno the street names, but ended up at the traffic lights at Northcross, turned right towards Rodney District Rd. Went down that road for about 4-5 minutes, he asked me to turn into a side street (more like a driveway) and do a 3 point U turn... no worries... then back to base at Anderson Rd.

Found I had to keep the bike in 3rd gear on the 50kph roads just to stay below 50kph.

Got back to base and went upstairs,he started to lecture me on my roundabout antics... asked me if I wanted to die... and showed me the road code and made me pick out the correct way of doing that round about... so I pointed at the correct picture and he said "so why didn't you do that?" lol um... cause.....

Then he gave me another lecture about not using the median lane (think thats what its called) when turning... didn't even realise I'd done anything wrong there.

Sat there sweating in my leather jacket thinking "ok just tell me I've failed so I can go home and sulk" and then he says "I've been riding for 25 years, I've got a 1300cc (XV??) and I like your style of riding, your a good rider, so I'm passing you"

yay! So that was good :) All up test was only about 25-30 minutes at the most, would have been less if there hadn't of been road works.

So yeah :) Popped in and had a chat with Darren and saw his little horses and then went home :)

Thanks for all the support everyone, and I didn't even go past a school lol :Punk:

[bugjuice]

CONGRATS!!
piece a pee, ay..?
so the 250 goes now?

[Vagabond]

You have to practice to use your indicators?

[yungatart]

Well done!!!

[Lias]

Woot! Congrats Tammy!

[placidfemme]

CONGRATS!!
piece a pee, ay..?
so the 250 goes now?

Yeah :) It wasn't too bad. The ZXR is going and all painted (rangi styles) so no worries for the test...

[placidfemme]

You have to practice to use your indicators?

The timing of it. 3 seconds or something... also wanted to make sure that when I looked over my shoulder when changing lanes that it was obvious that I could see into my blindspot to anyone behind me. Didn't wanna fail cause I indicated for 2 seconds and not 3 and not looking over my shoulder correctly... shouldn't have bothered as we didn't even go on the motorway...

[Fat Tony]

Wahey! Congrats :first:

[MyGSXF]

AWESOME babe!!! :wari: well done!!!!! :clap:

Jen :rockon:

[Rosie]

Woohoo!! :rockon:

[Vagabond]

[QUOTE=placidfemme;929266]The timing of it. 3 seconds or something... also wanted to make sure that when I looked over my shoulder when changing lanes that it was obvious that I could see into my blindspot to anyone behind me. Didn't wanna fail cause I indicated for 2 seconds and not 3 and not looking over my shoulder correctly... shouldn't have bothered as we didn't even go on the motorway...[/QUOT

Had to check-up on that, must be the way you wrote it!

Congrats by the way!

[frogfeaturesFZR]

Well done Tammy,:rockon:

[ceebie13]

When I passed my bike test back in Blighty in nineteendiddleysquat, they didnt have Bike2Bike comms. The examiner was particularly pleasant to me at the end. He noticed my schoolmates who had gathered at the test station on their AJS's, BSA's and Triumphs to either congratulate or commiserate. He said..."there you are son, you've passed, (handing me the traditional pink slip).. but only just! I suppose you are now going to rip off those L plates and race off down the road scaring old ladies with those hooligans over there?" I said, "What! on a Honda 50? Do me a favour". He said, "I just did!"

Congrats by the way.:rockon:

[outlawtorn]

well done pf....so whats the new bike gonna be?

[MSTRS]

Good on ya PF. Well done. Gunna get a proper bike now?<_<

[paturoa]

I was talking just last night about what we had to do to get our bike licence in the good old days (ha 1977 isn't that long ago) :scooter:

From memory I rocked on into the traffic cop building and paid my $5, or what ever it was. I answered 5 oral questions, not too hard mind you. I think we were alowed to get one wrong.

He then updated my licence then and there (already had a cage licence for all of 2 weeks).

All I had to do was keep under 250 cc for 12 months and it automaticaly became a full.

[placidfemme]

lol thanks everyone...

I'd love the new bike to be either a R6 or a ZX6R, but unfortunaltey an't afford to upgrade anytime soon... so won't even be looking at test riding any bikes. No worries though, still enjoying my ZXR so not in a rush to buy a new bike...

[WickedOne]

Good on ya Tam!!!! Thanks for the visit and sorry I had to rush off.... :o

[skelstar]

Well done PF...roll on the next bike :niceone:

[placidfemme]

Good on ya Tam!!!! Thanks for the visit and sorry I had to rush off.... :o

no worries :) Your driveway (or your road rather) is really decieving... it looks like its got a great seal and that its a good road, but its bumpy as hell lol

[surfer]

Well done, congratualtions.

I did my bike test before they even followed in a car or on a bike. No walkie talkie stuff going on, sounds painful. The examiner stood on a corner and watched as you went by, then he ran through an alley way and watched as you went by again, met up somewhere else for a hill start and a u-turn and that was it. In between the examiner watching was the time to pull the wheelies, donuts and ride like a hoon, fall off and have a crash. I was too freaked out to have this much fun whilst doing my test though. But the feeling of passing was fantastic and I know that this hasn't changed, well done again.

[vifferman]

Then he gave me another lecture about not using the median lane (think thats what its called) when turning... didn't even realise I'd done anything wrong there.
Congrats Tammy! :niceone:
Uh - what's the thing about the median? Please explain what he said.

[DMNTD]

Onya Tam...time for some 2 up now huh? :innocent:

[WickedOne]

Onya Tam...time for some 2 up now huh? :innocent:

Make sure your video camera is charged bro!!!!


no worries :) Your driveway (or your road rather) is really decieving... it looks like its got a great seal and that its a good road, but its bumpy as hell lol

LOL, yeah, there is a patch of uneven seal and has caught me off guard a couple of times as well!!!!

[crashe]

Congratulations.........

Told you it was a piece of piss.......... to do the test......

[Beemer]

Congratulations, PF, I just assumed you had your full licence anyway as you tend to post good advice! Go out tonight and celebrate! (If you haven't already...)

[LilSel]

Celebrate good times come'on... do do de do do!!! :D

Congrats!! :rockon:

[Swoop]

Good on ya PF!!!

[placidfemme]

Uh - what's the thing about the median? Please explain what he said.

Its hard to explain without drawing it...

Your heading up the road... say you want to turn right, there is a tunring lane, the start of the turning lane has white lines painted across is (the median lane or something), when you get closer to the top of the turning lane (where you turn) the painted lines stop and there is just a painted arrow pointing to where your going to turn.

Well as I came up to where I had to turn right (From East Coast Rd right onto Andersons Rd), there where no cars behind me other than the instructor, no oncoming vechicles and no vehicles on Andersons Rd. I indicated, and then pulled into the turning lane (where the arrow is), stopped, even thought I could see no oncoming traffic, thought I'd play it safe, then turned.

Apparantly, if your turning, you should pull onto the median lane (painted lines) as soon as you are even with them, instead of pulling in where the arrow is.

I assumed because there was no traffic what I did wasn't a problem. But apparantly it is.

[vifferman]

I was talking just last night about what we had to do to get our bike licence in the good old days (ha 1977 isn't that long ago) :scooter:

From memory I rocked on into the traffic cop building and paid my $5, or what ever it was. I answered 5 oral questions, not too hard mind you. I think we were alowed to get one wrong.

He then updated my licence then and there (already had a cage licence for all of 2 weeks).

All I had to do was keep under 250 cc for 12 months and it automaticaly became a full.
In the 70's (and earlier) to get your provisional/learners, all you had to do was answer 5 oral questions pertinent to bikes, then for 50c you got 6 weeks worth of temporary bike licence. You were supposedly limited to a bike less than 250, and supposedly had to have a special registration sticker on the number plate, but...

When I did my bike practical, the cop said, "Is that your bike in the carpark there? Meet me around the corner and we'll go for a blat!"
There was a bit more to it than that, but it certainly wasn't hard. Automatic full - no waiting 12 months or whatever. That must've come in later.

[placidfemme]

Onya Tam...time for some 2 up now huh? :innocent:

lol yeah thats what Sam keeps saying too...

Just need to get the ZXR serviced or something. When in 3rd & 4th, once I get up to 6000rpm the bike just chugs like its running out of gas, and starts to slow down even if the throttle is full on, so I have to slam it down a gear and accelerate hard then change up again to ride in that gear. I think thats called a "flat spot" right?

Don't know whats caused it, or if a service will fix it but the ZXR has no grunt at the moment...

[dawnrazor]

This is when he started asking me to point out Hazards. To me Hazard is something that endangers myself... so pretty much pointed out every car I saw from every direction (including him behind me in his HUGE hilux) followed by "TSSSSSKKKKK good job Tammy TSSSSKKKKKKK".

very matter of fact, very funny, very true...bling to you, that made me smile:yes:

[vifferman]

Apparantly, if your turning, you should pull onto the median lane (painted lines) as soon as you are even with them, instead of pulling in where the arrow is.
No! That can't be true!
I've seen SO many cars carefully avoid driving on the median strip, so it's obvious that if you do, your bike/car will explode into flames! And you'll die!:rolleyes:

This is one of the things I think they should have on the GoggleBox, instead of all those bullshit ads about speeding etc. People really do not understand median strips, flush medians, roundabouts, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

Sorry for hijacking your thread, Tammy. It's just a pet peeve of mine.
[/rant]

[Devil]

Apparantly, if your turning, you should pull onto the median lane (painted lines) as soon as you are even with them, instead of pulling in where the arrow is.

Correct. All part of safe defensive driving/riding. Let people see what you're doing well in advance.

Congrats on the licence. Big relief eh?

[Macktheknife]

Good for you Tam, great stuff!

[Deviant Esq]

Awesome PF!! Knew you'd fly right through it, but it's still a great feeling when you pop out the other side! :2thumbsup

You must spread some reputation around before... you get the picture!

No rush when it comes to buying the next machine - but also don't spend too much on the ol' ZXR250, it could go towards the new one! Personally I'm eying up the ZX-6R as well... it's a tasty machine. Good luck for the future! :rockon:

[placidfemme]

Yeah... I never realised that, must have read it in the road code but I guess it just didn't stick in my head (not that much does lol). But I know now :)

It was a big relief passing :) On the way there on the motorway I got a present from a seagull... on my screen, visor, helmet and jacket... nice white bird shit... didn't think of it at the time just "ewwww" and then after the test got to Darren's and pointed out the bird crap and he said "thats meant to be good luck", guess it was lol

[Juud]

congratulations!:wari: Have you burned your L-plate yet?

[placidfemme]

congratulations!:wari: Have you burned your L-plate yet?

lol I threw that away after my restricted! :yes:

Now just need to get Sam to ride the bike a bit more to practise and book her in for her full... if she ends up doing the exact route I did, I'm fairly confident she'll pass :)

[Lissa]

Well done!!!! Congrats.

[Juud]

lol I threw that away after my restricted! :yes:

Lol, forget I said that, I can be such a foreign idiot (we didn't have L-plates where I come from):wacko:

[nudemetalz]

Awesome stuff, well done !!

[MSTRS]

Re the median/turning bay....my belief is that if you are turning (right) you can feed into the bay at any point. The lines are there to warn straight-through traffic to bear left.

[placidfemme]

Re the median/turning bay....my belief is that if you are turning (right) you can feed into the bay at any point. The lines are there to warn straight-through traffic to bear left.

Yeah I believe so now... didn't realise that before... was just talking to my boss who did some sort of test yesterday too (just a written, cause he has an aussie license or something for his HArley Davidson) and the median strip was one of the questions, and he got that one wrong...

[tide]

Awesome... congrats... :Punk:

[phantom]

Good on ya PF:rockon: When i did my licence back when Adam was a cowboy the copper stood on the steps of the copshop told me to drive down to the corner and come back. And I bloody failed !! The next time I tried I had to borrow another bike as mine wouldn't start and the borrowed bike was a BSA Bantam ( so that gives you an idea how long ago it was ) with the gears the other way round. Cop followed me all over town and I passed. The first guy must of had a bad day

[Jimmy B]

never any doubt...well done bling for you

[u4ea]

awesome !!I dont enjoy driving around Auckland at the best of times so the prospect of riding there is just dammed scary !!!!Just shows youre a very capable rider!!well done!!!!:rockon:

[placidfemme]

Thanks again everyone :) I'm just glad its over and done with.

[mud boy]

well done :rockon:

[chanceyy]

congrats girl ... yeah its right about the white lines before the turning lane .. they are there to give you room to get into that lane without the need to dive in... I do belive this is in the roadcode ;)

[Maha]

Thanks again everyone :) I'm just glad its over and done with.

Coolies Tammy, now you can have Sammy on the back....so to speak....:corn:

[Leong]

Congrats Tammy, Well done...

[stevedee]

Well done dudess. Way cool.

[Paul in NZ]

TTTTSSSSKKKKK Congratulations Tammy TTTTSSSSKKKKK...... can you hear me? TTTTSSSKKKK....

[Paul in NZ]

Coolies Tammy, now you can have Sammy on the back....so to speak....:corn:

Um... Must resist...... must.......

[madmal64]

Congrads! It can be a right nerve racking time.
I remember being told I had taken a corner too fast on my test and thought I had failed.
Glad to hear its all done!

[Clivoris]

Churr!:niceone:

[Nasty]

Awesome awesome awesome .. and a huge well done .... I know its terrible when you get the lectures and then have to wait for the ÿou passed!!!!" ... was there not so long ago!!!!!

:rockon:

[placidfemme]

Coolies Tammy, now you can have Sammy on the back....so to speak....:corn:

lol yeah... thats a whole other story all together.

Before I did my test I was really nervous about taking Sam pillion and used the excuse "when I get my full", now I have my full and this weekend past I took her twice on the ZXR and she HATES it.

She keeps comparing me taking her pillion to others, she doesn't get the whole ZXR & little me, compared to 600cc+ bikes with guys 80kg's+, plus differenr styled bikes (sports vs upright etc).

On the way to Albany on Sunday morning she was semi ok, on the motorway, going slightly faster then the speed limit... no problem... got onto The Ave/Paremoremo Rd and its an 80k zone and I'm doing 60kph and shes squeezing me to slow down... I found that VERY annoying.

Leaving Albany on Sunday night, it was dark and the roads where wet (but it had stopped raining by the time we left), and the whole way home she was squeezing me to slow down, at one point I was doing 60kph on the motorway and got really pissed off, so I ignored her and rode to how I felt comfortable...

We had to stop at 3 sets of lights on the way home and all 3 lights I brakes so slowly and gradually (and very gently... I am getting much better) and all 3 times Sam ended up leaning her full weight into my back, by the time we got home I struggled to stand upright once I got off the bike...

lol so I hate taking her pillion, she pisses me off too much. But we'll see...

[WickedOne]

lol yeah... thats a whole other story all together.

Before I did my test I was really nervous about taking Sam pillion and used the excuse "when I get my full", now I have my full and this weekend past I took her twice on the ZXR and she HATES it.

She keeps comparing me taking her pillion to others, she doesn't get the whole ZXR & little me, compared to 600cc+ bikes with guys 80kg's+, plus differenr styled bikes (sports vs upright etc).

On the way to Albany on Sunday morning she was semi ok, on the motorway, going slightly faster then the speed limit... no problem... got onto The Ave/Paremoremo Rd and its an 80k zone and I'm doing 60kph and shes squeezing me to slow down... I found that VERY annoying.

Leaving Albany on Sunday night, it was dark and the roads where wet (but it had stopped raining by the time we left), and the whole way home she was squeezing me to slow down, at one point I was doing 60kph on the motorway and got really pissed off, so I ignored her and rode to how I felt comfortable...

We had to stop at 3 sets of lights on the way home and all 3 lights I brakes so slowly and gradually (and very gently... I am getting much better) and all 3 times Sam ended up leaning her full weight into my back, by the time we got home I struggled to stand upright once I got off the bike...

lol so I hate taking her pillion, she pisses me off too much. But we'll see...

Didn't she have her hands on the tank? She shouldn't be pushing on you at all, that is why her hands are on the tank in the first place.... :nono:

[crashe]

Maybe you need to have someone who is a experienced rider who is used to taking pillions to ride beside you to watch and see what the heck is going on...
Maybe she aint sitting right.... or is it your riding style......
Maybe Sam needs to start sitting up more and holding onto the pack rack rails instead of you.

Or maybe take a experienced pillion on the back to see if there is a difference.
and that pillion gives you some feedback.

Or maybe Sam buys her own blardy bike and stops the bitching....... :rofl: :whistle:

[placidfemme]

Didn't she have her hands on the tank? She shouldn't be pushing on you at all, that is why her hands are on the tank in the first place.... :nono:

I know, it completely caught me off guard the first time, the second and third time it took all my remaining energy to stop myself elbowing her in the ribs, it really hurt my back.

I don't know what she was doing differently, but she was banging her helmet against mine even when I wasn't changing gears/braking, she was just freaking out....

When we got to the lights at the Albany onramp she was telling me to get off at Takapuna cause she didn't think I could handle the Onewa Rd offramp, which pissed me off... so I took Onewa anyway (hahaha) and it was fine... until we got to the set of lights and I had her full weight on my back, stopping and trying to hold the bike up while waiting for the lights and also trying to hold her up was just crazy.

Needless to say we had a huge fight when we got home... (feel the loveeeeee :love: ) I don't know if she was really jittery because of the wet roads, or because of the things she had consumed before we left, but either way it pissed me off.

[placidfemme]

Maybe you need to have someone who is a experienced rider who is used to taking pillions to ride beside you to watch and see what the heck is going on...
Maybe she aint sitting right.... or is it your riding style......
Maybe Sam needs to start sitting up more and holding onto the pack rack rails instead of you.

Or maybe take a experienced pillion on the back to see if there is a difference.
and that pillion gives you some feedback.

Or maybe Sam buys her own blardy bike and stops the bitching....... :rofl: :whistle:

Thats not a bad idea... But I'd need an experienced pillion rider who weighs about the same as Sam... otherwise I'd be even more screwed lol

[crashe]

I don't know if she was really jittery because of the wet roads, or because of the things she had consumed before we left, but either way it pissed me off.

And there is the answer...........
You have never pillioned her before when this has happened....

She got rather paranoid I would be thinking..... reacting differently to how she has sat before...... the whole thing was different.

Try pillioning her again but not with other consumables....... and see what happens.

Otherwise try the other things I suggested.


Another thing to do, if you are not happy with the pillion (being Sam) and what she was doing..
Stop and both get off and say to her, unless you stop the BS you are going to walk home. You (PF) are the person in charge of the bike.... she is putting you and her at risk. If you felt is was the other stuff.... then wait on the side of the road until you feel she is ok again.

Do not allow you and your pillion to be at risk.

[placidfemme]

And there is the answer...........
You have never pillioned her before when this has happened....

She got rather paranoid I would be thinking..... reacting differently to how she has sat before...... the whole thing was different.

Try pillioning her again but not with other consumables....... and see what happens.

Otherwise try the other things I suggested.


Another thing to do, if you are not happy with the pillion (being Sam) and what she was doing..
Stop and both get off and say to her, unless you stop the BS you are going to walk home. You (PF) are the person in charge of the bike.... she is putting you and her at risk. If you felt is was the other stuff.... then wait on the side of the road until you feel she is ok again.

Do not allow you and your pillion to be at risk.

Well thats what part of the fight was about, I told her that she needs to trust me, if shes going to consume alcohol and stuff knowing she is going to be pillion with me then she needs to make a choice before getting on the bike. When she is constantly squeezing me to slow down and stuff then it adds a lot more stress to myself, taking her pillion stresses me anyway just because I have her life in my hands, but when she starts to freak out and keeps letting me know about it, it makes me start to feel insecure with her on the back...

She seems to think its all me, afterall she's never felt like that when pillion with anyone else. At Puhoi Wendy (aka experienced pillion) gave her heaps of advice, so has Jaq's (or Jax... or whatever lol), but it seems to go in one ear and out the other as soon as she gets on the back. I told her when we are on straights (motorways etc) she can sit up and hold my sides or the pack rack, and then when it comes to the corners and stuff, to lean on the tank, but she reckons it hurts her arms too much, and she's just scared on the back of the ZXR...

*doesn't know what to do now*

[crashe]

The only bike that I know she has been on the back of, was Bugjuice's bike....
other than your bike.


So make a rule...... no booze etc etc etc... and must be totally 'straight' when on the back of the bike... since it impedes her reality of what is happening around her.

If she dont feel comfortable....... then she buys her her own bike and then she will be happy....
Please note I said that SHE BUYS HER OWN BIKE.

You also must feel comfortable having a pillion on the back.... if not dont take a pillion.



I dont take pillions, unless it is to help out in a emergancy..... cos Im not that comfy having a pillion on the back of my bike. But will do it as i said only in a emergancy.

[Wolf]

Hearty congratulations, Tammy. Keep it rubber side down.

[placidfemme]

The only bike that I know she has been on the back of, was Bugjuice's bike....
other than your bike.

she's been on Bugjuices 636, WickedOnes & his dad (same bike, different colours), TIE's old bike (can't remember the made/model) and I think thats about it. So as I mentioned, all the previous bikes she has been on are bigger and more powerful than mine, plus the riders have all been bigger than me too... so totally different bike set up, style and everything.

I've told her that more we do it the better it will get... she'll learn to read my body language and trust my decisions. She will also learn to adapt to the riding style for pillion on the ZXR.

[Guitana]

Yeeee Fucken Haaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!

[Skunk Control]

Congratulations well done, time for a new bike :2thumbsup