Anyone sat the full licence test recently?

[Smokey]

Hi All,

Since I have to start work at 5:00 AM these days, its about time I got my sh** together and obtianed my full licence. Has anybody sat the test in the last few weeks/months since they brought in all those regulations?

The regulation Im interested is the stupid "keeping left at all times". Do the testers actually care about this? Looking at the LTSA website they say "That you position the motorcycle in a safe and legal position before, during and after hazards (including unlaned and laned carriageways, at Stop sign lines and at Give Way sign lines)".

Tried practising keeping left today and felt hairy to say the least!! Expected a lowered base ball capped youth or marauding SUV to try and overtake me any moment.

[Smokey]

But I am sitting the test at the WESTGATE AA so maybe I should just slip them some cash under the table...

[sAsLEX]

also states in the road code that motorcycles are to ride in the right hand wheel track of other vehicles??

[Aaron]

The regulation Im interested is the stupid "keeping left at all times". Do the testers actually care about this?

They did when I recently sat my restricted, and I think that keeping to the extreme left would have resulted in a fail.

i.e. this does not apply to motorcyles and you should continue to use the right wheel track, or conversely the safest place on the road at that time rule.

For example, we had to ride in the right wheel track, but when a vehicle was going to turn across us we needed to exhibit 'hazard awareness' and move slightly away from the vehicle (ride more to the left), i.e. to give yourself more time should they not see you and fail to give way.

[Gremlin]

Reading the road code makes it very confusing. They say that you should ride in the right hand wheel track, partly to see the oncoming vehicles and partly that when its raining car wheel tracks dry out the fastest. they also say that when a car is looking to turn out of a side road that you move to the opposite side of the lane (to give some more reaction time).

Then they say that when riding on motorways and such like that it is wise to ride in the centre of the lane so that you keep your options open if something happens. Also, you shouldn't ride on the left hand side of the lane in case it encourages lane sharing or overtaking within the lane.

Pulling up to traffic lights you shouldn't be in the middle of the lane when its raining because of oil etc.

Basically, I would guess (this is from an expert who hasn't sat any license yet ) that you exercise common sense, and show the examiner that you are identifying possible risks, avoiding them and basically trying to ride as safely as possible.

[madboy]

I suggest you might like to ask the examiner first, along the lines of "This new law confuses me" rather than "I don't know the law" - like ask if the keeping left law overrides the keep in the right wheel track law. Hopefully he/she won't be a completely anally retentive cage-driving twat and will tell you that you should use common sense, rather than just say "As your examiner I cannot provide you with any advice".

[Lilmsrocker]

Call mainland driving school.......I am signed up w/ them at the moment and just before each course...Learners....restricted....full......They give you copies of the tests that AA will give(not the answersth...just the questions)......so I will have the answers before hand after looking them up or asking my instructor.,.....But since I am to sit my FULL next.I have not recieved the test questions yet sorry........Call them and ask they WILL have the correct answer for you!

[Smokey]

They did when I recently sat my restricted, and I think that keeping to the extreme left would have resulted in a fail.

i.e. this does not apply to motorcyles and you should continue to use the right wheel track, or conversely the safest place on the road at that time rule.

For example, we had to ride in the right wheel track, but when a vehicle was going to turn across us we needed to exhibit 'hazard awareness' and move slightly away from the vehicle (ride more to the left), i.e. to give yourself more time should they not see you and fail to give way.

Sounds good to me, I mean it would be silly to expect a bike to remain in a certain part of the road all the time.. Hopefully the person who asseses me will have some biking experience and common sense..

[Smokey]

I suggest you might like to ask the examiner first, along the lines of "This new law confuses me" rather than "I don't know the law" - like ask if the keeping left law overrides the keep in the right wheel track law. Hopefully he/she won't be a completely anally retentive cage-driving twat and will tell you that you should use common sense, rather than just say "As your examiner I cannot provide you with any advice".

Good advise, though I might scope out the attitude of tester before I try that one.. :whistl

[Aitch]

if you ride in the centre of the lane you're right in the oil slick. Not great advice...Stick to the wheel tracks...ESPECIALLY in the wet.
(btw I did my full test in about 1981, so I can't help!)

[Wolf]

if you ride in the centre of the lane you're right in the oil slick. Not great advice...Stick to the wheel tracks...ESPECIALLY in the wet.
(btw I did my full test in about 1981, so I can't help!)

Yep. The middle of the lane is the "suicide track" - that's where oil from leaky sumps etc gets deposited. On some wet days when there's just enough water to lift the oil without flushing it away you can actually see the deadly rainbow down the centre of the road. Oil floats very nicely on top of water....

A really great book I've got on motorcycle safety calls both the middle and the outside wheel track (left-most here in NZ) "suicide tracks" for different reasons.