STILL A LOSER RIDER (Pointless Rant)

**Lou Girardin** · 21st July 2005, 08:17

Originally Posted by SP

Read an article a coupla years back about a UK rider that lost his license for excessive speed on the motorway. Due to whatever happens over there, he had to resit his test. This guy was a track instructor and had been riding for many years. Took him 3 attempts, to pass his test! During his test, he was riding the way he always rode, using all the life saving experience and skill he had learnt - BUT IT WASNT THE OFFICIAL, PRESCRIBED WAY OF RIDING, as per the rule book!!!!! So he was failed, until he gave in and rode like a scared nana! Scared, because the prescribed way of riding was extremely unsafe in the real world. Didn't matter - zealous officials do it by the book! Even if the book is wrong in the real world - useless cunts!

UK driver training and the strictness of their tests is why their road toll is so much lower per capita than ours. They can drive, we can't.

BTW When you stop at a stop sign during your test ALWAYS PUT A FOOT DOWN.

**vifferman** · 21st July 2005, 08:45

Originally Posted by Lou Girardin

BTW When you stop at a stop sign during your test ALWAYS PUT A FOOT DOWN.

Indeed.
I always do this too if I'm riding and there's a cop behind me at a stop sign. It's what is often used as a basis to indicate whether you stopped or almost but not quite stopped. Better safe than sorry, like the exaggerated head movements to indicate you are looking around and are aware of things - they can't be sure if you are checking for hazards if you are doing it by moving only your eyes.

I wonder if any of us experienced riders/drivers would fail if we sat our tests again, due to learned bad habits?

I still believe that regardless of the checklists they use, there are still too many subjective things. Didn't someone post something a while back that said they carefully ensured they obeyed the speed limit, yet were failed for going too slow?
It might be like the passport system now - they fail your application seemingly just to generate more revenue. It took us three attempts to get passports for our kids - they failed the photos twice. When they accepted the final photos three weeks after we sent in the applications, they could have given the passports to us almost immediately, if we paid them another $150 each. We opted not to, and cancelled our trip to Melbourne. We finally received the passports this Tuesday, four and half weeks after we submitted them. So much for a 10-day turnaround. However (BUT!!) if you pay the express fee (more than double the normal rate), you can get them quicker. My wife's boss got his processed in less than 6 hours.

**Lias** · 21st July 2005, 09:23

For what its worth, I did mine a few months back at 5 Crossroads , Hamilton and it was a piece of weasels.

**Smorg** · 21st July 2005, 09:26

Originally Posted by Ixion

Y'can borrow Li'l ratty if y'want. he's a 250. Gotta warrant n stuff. Real easy to ride too. Full lock circles in 5 metres

That'd be sweet man cheers

**FEINT** · 21st July 2005, 09:45

Originally Posted by justsomeguy

Traffic had stopped at a red light passed by and tapped it with the corner of my mirror at 10kmph.....This is the plastic surrounding the mirror not the glass.... I don't know if it broke or what I didn't stop......but it sent my mirror out of alignment...

Yes I agree I was seeing a bit of the red monster.... couldn't believe I failed.... I know I may not be good enough to pass a full license test, but I'm bloody sure that I'm good enough to pass a restricted....anyway...... yadayadayada

If I was the van, I would be seeing the same red monster you were seeing!

Good luck for your test on Sat...

**ManDownUnder** · 21st July 2005, 10:21

Originally Posted by Lou Girardin

UK driver training and the strictness of their tests is why their road toll is so much lower per capita than ours. They can drive, we can't.

BTW When you stop at a stop sign during your test ALWAYS PUT A FOOT DOWN.

Isn't that funny - on the riding course I did (way back when) one of the things they taught us to do was always (try to) bring the bike to a complete stop BEFORE taking your foot off the peg.

So now I'm quite capable of stopping and starting off again without going near the ground... and yet here it is being used as an indication of coming to a complete stop...!

**inlinefour** · 21st July 2005, 10:45

Originally Posted by ManDownUnder

Isn't that funny - on the riding course I did (way back when) one of the things they taught us to do was always (try to) bring the bike to a complete stop BEFORE taking your foot off the peg.

So now I'm quite capable of stopping and starting off again without going near the ground... and yet here it is being used as an indication of coming to a complete stop...!

That is because the momentum is holding you on the bike. Many of us can also do this, however don't on stop signs as we try to avoid potential tickets. However at give way signs, not a prob. Try to sit on your bike without starting it, no momentum and then you'll see how difficult it really is to balance. Hence the need for at least one foot on the ground. Oh and both wheels need to have completely stopped rotating ahe. But I'd be guessing that this is something that will not be repeated as sometimes the hardest lession is also the best lession learnt. I'd not bother complaining myself, won't change a damn thing. But I do agree that the Police, specifically motorcycle Police, should be doing the actual tests. No some dyslexic maggot that has never sat on a bike, let alone ridden one...

**Ixion** · 21st July 2005, 11:00

Originally Posted by ManDownUnder

Isn't that funny - on the riding course I did (way back when) one of the things they taught us to do was always (try to) bring the bike to a complete stop BEFORE taking your foot off the peg.

So now I'm quite capable of stopping and starting off again without going near the ground... and yet here it is being used as an indication of coming to a complete stop...!

Different things. Keeping feet up as long as possible is best for control - as every dirt bike rider knows. So long as your feet are on the pegs, you have control. Once one is down you're unbalanced.

Depending on teh bike one can often stay feet up and stationery for quite a while , several minutes in some cases. (probably less on a sprot bike, but a cruiser should be easy)

But the advice to put a foot down wasn't to improve bike control - hardly a biggy under driving test conditions. 'Twas just to PROVE to the twit following that "see I HAVE stopped ".

For same reason I have heard driving instructors tell cagers going for their test to put the handbrake on and car in neutral at a stop sign. Bad practice , but it PROVES they've stopped and not just rolled through.

**Lou Girardin** · 21st July 2005, 11:13

I was testing before and after the change to the new testing regime. I still believe that the best test was the old 'advanced test'. This was a 40 minute drive where the tester just gave directions and observed your driving. There were no interruptions for "hazard detection", and it's amazing how hard it is to concentrate for that length of time. It really showed the faults and bad habits that people develop.
It's purely subjective and requires testers who know what driving is all about, but it worked. Now, for testers, they rely on anyone off the street who passes a very basic training course.

**justsomeguy** · 21st July 2005, 11:16

Originally Posted by Lou Girardin

BTW When you stop at a stop sign during your test ALWAYS PUT A FOOT DOWN.

That is not enough, you have to come to a complete stop.

My right leg was down on the ground, she said that I didn't come to a complete stop.

What I did was slow to about 1 kmph - I needed my leg down or the bike would fall I was turning left, looked over to the right (oncoming traffic) for a good two seconds..WHERE I'M PRETTY SURE I WAS STOPPED.. and proceeded..... she said she could still see a little movement in my tyre...so that means I didn't stop......

Anyway what is a bit controversial with this system is that as soon as you make one mistake you are failed and the test stopped......so you don't know how your skills are compared in the other areas.... so you pay for a 20 min test get failed in the first 10 mins and never get a chance to experience the other 10 mins and get any feedback on that part of the test......bit of a rip off I think....

**Lou Girardin** · 21st July 2005, 12:24

If the failure is such that an offence is committed, the tester is obliged to stop the test. In some cases they are supposed to drive the vehicle back to base. This is to protect themselves from repercussions if an accident then occurred.
I had one little old lady who failed for not giving way at a roundabout. I directed her back to base and she failed to give way again at the next roundabout. I learned that lesson pretty quick.
Then there was the LOL who pulled out in front of a B train doing 80 k's.

I grabbed the wheel and steered over the kerb to get out of it's path. After that, biking holds no fear for me.

**MSTRS:Me** · 21st July 2005, 12:42

Originally Posted by Lou Girardin

After that, biking holds no fear for me.

You've not pillioned with WT yet?

**justsomeguy** · 21st July 2005, 12:44

Originally Posted by Lou Girardin

If the failure is such that an offence is committed, the tester is obliged to stop the test. In some cases they are supposed to drive the vehicle back to base. This is to protect themselves from repercussions if an accident then occurred.
I had one little old lady who failed for not giving way at a roundabout. I directed her back to base and she failed to give way again at the next roundabout. I learned that lesson pretty quick.
Then there was the LOL who pulled out in front of a B train doing 80 k's.

I grabbed the wheel and steered over the kerb to get out of it's path. After that, biking holds no fear for me.

Hmm.. I've been dealing with stop signs for the past 5 years, never even had a moment at them....Always make sure the way is absolutely clear before I proceed.

Failure to stop at stop signs is a very common trap used by these people, I was warned about it and told to put the car in neutral and engage the hand brake as a sign of being pedantic by my driving instructor years ago, pity I forgot that and didn't apply the same yesterday.

Anyway I'm rather confident that I will get my license on Sat... unless I really cock-up something I'm not aware I'm doing habitually......