Binned and got my restricted :)

[erik]

I got my restricted licence today
Only 12 months to go before I can get a bigger bike
I also fell off the bike for the first time today, and it was on the way to my restricted licence test!
As bins go, it was about as minor as they come. I was turning right at the roundabout at bottom of Golf road, and stuffed it up and low-sided. I think I probably didn't take the corner wide enough at first, which forced me to turn fairly sharply in the last bit of the turn. I also remember deciding not to worry about the damp (maybe they were frosty?) road. Anyway, I leant over, the peg started to scrape, then it continued to scrape, and I was lying on the road. I wasn't hurt (I was going pretty slow, it's a small roundabout) but the right mirror had come off the bike. My right foot was kinda stuck under the bike, but I pulled it out, grabbed the handlebars to lift the bike (making the engine rev unintentionally) and got the bike upright. The engine had stopped and it was still in gear. Pull the clutch in, push it to the side of the road, side-stand down, go back pick up the mirror, tell the lady in the car that had stopped behind me that I was ok.
The mirrors on my bike screw into posts on the brake and clutch lever brackets. The right mirror had broken off before when the previous owner had binned, and there was only about half of the post left for it to screw into. This time when it came out, it merely stripped more of the thread out of the post. Luckily, there was just enough thread left to stop the mirror from shaking around while I did my restricted test!
Now that I've got the bike home, a bit of plumber's tape around the threads on the mirror seems to have made it tight enough, so hopefully I won't have to go looking for another bracket thing.

A tip for anyone sitting their restricted (maybe full licence too) licence:
Remember to clean your mirrors! I cleaned my visor before the test, but I didn't think to clean the mirrors. It would have been good if I had as the testing officer followed me around and indicated when he wanted me to turn left or right, and I had to keep an eye on him in my mirrors so I could see. It was a bit of a pain actually, since my 'off' had loosened the left mirror too, making it hard to set them up properly...

[sAsLEX]

need to sit that test myself, do you have a spare L plate I could borrow to do the deed??

[Indiana_Jones]

How do they "test" you ? do they give you a route or something to follow etc? Any tips?

-Indy

[SPman]

need to sit that test myself, do you have a spare L plate I could borrow to do the deed??

Bottom of an ice cream container with an L in red tape and a bit of mud thrown over it, just before you go to the test, seems to be the go around here.

[Antallica]

Hehe good on ya mate

[erik]

need to sit that test myself, do you have a spare L plate I could borrow to do the deed??

Yup, I've got a pair of AA L plates, but they're actually my sister's or parent's so you'd have to give them back. Or I've got the L plate I used that I made out of an old lunchbox lid, which is actually tougher than the AA L plates and more closely meets the requirements for L plate design set out in the Road Code (AA L plates are unnecessarily wide), making it a superior design IMHO . You could keep the lunchbox lid L-plate if you like.

PM me.

[Wenier]

How do they "test" you ? do they give you a route or something to follow etc? Any tips?

-Indy

the test is real easy so dont even worry bout it the tester will either tell u so much of the directions and then get u to stop to recieve more or he'll do the indicating thing. Either way the tests are easy as.

[Skyryder]

I got my restricted licence today
Only 12 months to go before I can get a bigger bike
I also fell off the bike for the first time today, and it was on the way to my restricted licence test!
As bins go, it was about as minor as they come. I was turning right at the roundabout at bottom of Golf road, and stuffed it up and low-sided. I think I probably didn't take the corner wide enough at first, which forced me to turn fairly sharply in the last bit of the turn. I also remember deciding not to worry about the damp (maybe they were frosty?) road. Anyway, I leant over, the peg started to scrape, then it continued to scrape, and I was lying on the road. I wasn't hurt (I was going pretty slow, it's a small roundabout) but the right mirror had come off the bike. My right foot was kinda stuck under the bike, but I pulled it out, grabbed the handlebars to lift the bike (making the engine rev unintentionally) and got the bike upright. The engine had stopped and it was still in gear. Pull the clutch in, push it to the side of the road, side-stand down, go back pick up the mirror, tell the lady in the car that had stopped behind me that I was ok.
The mirrors on my bike screw into posts on the brake and clutch lever brackets. The right mirror had broken off before when the previous owner had binned, and there was only about half of the post left for it to screw into. This time when it came out, it merely stripped more of the thread out of the post. Luckily, there was just enough thread left to stop the mirror from shaking around while I did my restricted test!
Now that I've got the bike home, a bit of plumber's tape around the threads on the mirror seems to have made it tight enough, so hopefully I won't have to go looking for another bracket thing.

A tip for anyone sitting their restricted (maybe full licence too) licence:
Remember to clean your mirrors! I cleaned my visor before the test, but I didn't think to clean the mirrors. It would have been good if I had as the testing officer followed me around and indicated when he wanted me to turn left or right, and I had to keep an eye on him in my mirrors so I could see. It was a bit of a pain actually, since my 'off' had loosened the left mirror too, making it hard to set them up properly...

Congrats on passing your restricted.

Now what did you learn today??

Skyryder

[erik]

How do they "test" you ? do they give you a route or something to follow etc? Any tips?

-Indy

They didn't give me any route. They basically gave me instructions to keep an eye on them in my mirrors, they would indicate which way to turn, and if I missed, he'd toot or flash his lights. One time I didn't see him indicate and carried on ahead while he turned right, he waited for me in the side street and I did a U-turn and got back in front. The only other thing he got me to do was emergency braking, he got me to ride towards him and he signalled when to stop. My back wheel locked up a little bit then, as does happen if you're a bit heavy footed on damp roads, but he didn't seem to mind. It was only momentarily, mind you.
Do lots of head checks. Make sure you stop at stop signs.
One thing he said I could improve was to do more head checks of side roads when I'm turning into a side street at a + intersection.

The guy that tested me said he didn't think we'll go on the motorway. I don't know if they normally do or not, maybe it was just because it was 9am so it would've been heavy traffic.

HTH

[erik]

Congrats on passing your restricted.

Now what did you learn today??

Skyryder

To be more cautious of damp/frosty roads.
And to head-check a bit more at intersections.

[MikeL]

Well done Erik. What have you learned? Life is a mixture of good and bad...
Revel in the good, shrug your shoulders at the bad. No injury, and damage that can be put right with a bit of plumber's tape - I think the gods have smiled on you today...

[toads]

I got my restricted licence today
Only 12 months to go before I can get a bigger bike
I also fell off the bike for the first time today, and it was on the way to my restricted licence test!
As bins go, it was about as minor as they come. I was turning right at the roundabout at bottom of Golf road, and stuffed it up and low-sided. I think I probably didn't take the corner wide enough at first, which forced me to turn fairly sharply in the last bit of the turn. I also remember deciding not to worry about the damp (maybe they were frosty?) road. Anyway, I leant over, the peg started to scrape, then it continued to scrape, and I was lying on the road. I wasn't hurt (I was going pretty slow, it's a small roundabout) but the right mirror had come off the bike. My right foot was kinda stuck under the bike, but I pulled it out, grabbed the handlebars to lift the bike (making the engine rev unintentionally) and got the bike upright. The engine had stopped and it was still in gear. Pull the clutch in, push it to the side of the road, side-stand down, go back pick up the mirror, tell the lady in the car that had stopped behind me that I was ok.
The mirrors on my bike screw into posts on the brake and clutch lever brackets. The right mirror had broken off before when the previous owner had binned, and there was only about half of the post left for it to screw into. This time when it came out, it merely stripped more of the thread out of the post. Luckily, there was just enough thread left to stop the mirror from shaking around while I did my restricted test!
Now that I've got the bike home, a bit of plumber's tape around the threads on the mirror seems to have made it tight enough, so hopefully I won't have to go looking for another bracket thing.

A tip for anyone sitting their restricted (maybe full licence too) licence:
Remember to clean your mirrors! I cleaned my visor before the test, but I didn't think to clean the mirrors. It would have been good if I had as the testing officer followed me around and indicated when he wanted me to turn left or right, and I had to keep an eye on him in my mirrors so I could see. It was a bit of a pain actually, since my 'off' had loosened the left mirror too, making it hard to set them up properly...

congrats, and thanks for the tip about the mirrors, I'll tell the boys when they go to sit theirs in a few months time

[k14]

Good stuff, did my restricted just about a year ago. It sucks so much that I can't use the defensive driving course that I did for my car licence again for my bike licence, I'll have to wait an extra 6 months to get my full.

I had to watch the guy in my mirrors the whole test to see when he would indicate. I had to accelerate really really slowly aswell, he was in the crappiest car in the world. Some 1970 something datsun ute, man it was a hunk of shit. The only thing he said to me was about following too closely, forgot the damn 2 second rule, got that sorted next time.

[Milky]

The guy that tested me said he didn't think we'll go on the motorway. I don't know if they normally do or not, maybe it was just because it was 9am so it would've been heavy traffic.

HTH

AFAIK they dont do motorway riding in the restricted test. All I did was basically go around the block for mine... through a roundabout, lights, giveway, stop and uncontrolled intersections. Piece of piss. Full test was easy too. If you are at all worried about the motorway stuff, book for rush hour works a charm...

[Milky]

I forgot to say well done, and good on ya for not letting the little mishap spoil your riding for the test