Motorbike Module 1 Training

After completing the CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) over a year ago, I have decided to finally progress a little further and try to get the A License, as I am plenty over the age of 24 years. Jumping from a Honda CBF 125 to a 650cc Kawasaki ER-6N is a bit of a shock to the system (and that's quite an understatement). I have ridden bicycles around the neighbourhood when I was a child, but I've never really been out riding on busy or even public roads, and to add to the difficulty - I have never even been on a motorbike before my CBT, not even on the back of someone else's bike.

The day of the training was a 9 o'clock start and I met my instructor for the day. I also met another learner who is about to do his A2 License. We were briefed on what the day will entail and off we went for a little ride around the area nearby. We stopped to do some u-turns and a couple of attempts of the emergency stop before heading out to the big scary roads.

Due to the availability of the training area, our day was delivered the other way round to the actual Mod 1 Test schedule, so we started off with the faster manoeuvres (points 6. to 8. below). The test consists of eight tasks, which some are harder than others and some definitely still haunt me right now.

1. MANUAL HANDLING

First manoeuvre is to show that you can manually handle the bike. You are asked to ride forward into a space of your choice (two allocated/coned spaces to choose from) and you are asked to switch the bike off, put on the side stand and get off the bike. Then you need to move the bike from the space you have chosen to the other space provided to you. The quickest and probably the more popular way to move the bike is to push it back turning at the same time creating a u-shape. Whichever way you choose, the front of the bike has to be parked facing out of the space after you complete the task. I have found the u-shape technique to be too hard for me because I can barely hold the bike up due to its weight. So I was shown a different method.

After I get off the bike, I check forward and backward (never forget your observations), and I start pushing the bike back in a straight line. If you find the bike too heavy, you are allowed to put the side stand down to catch your breath if you feel the need to. Then after doing my checks, I turn the handlebar and start pushing the bike forward creating a u-shape followed by straightening the bike, stopping and putting the side stand down again should you wish to. Then the last part of this test is to push the bike back in a straight line into the designated space after checking forward and backward again.

The important part of this exercise is obviously to not drop the bike, but also to make sure you check forward and backward before every move you make. You are allowed to take your time and move the bike more than the three times explained above, you technically don't have a time limit as long as it is within reason. It is better to take a bit longer than rushing and messing things up.

2. SLALOM

Once the manual handling is out of the way, you will be asked to perform the slalom. This consists of five yellow cones which you have to be able to ride through between two cones at a time without touching them. This really tests your ability to ride at a slow and controlled speed without hitting the cones.

3. FIGURE OF EIGHT

After you have successfully weaved through the cones for the slalom test you go straight into the figure of eight without stopping, which contains two blue cones placed after the yellow ones for slalom. From there you do the figure of eight twice. One tip my instructor gave me was that rather than counting the times you have gone around doing the figure of eight, just wait to be waved over by the person conducting the test - this way you can focus on the task at hand rather than worrying about how many times you have gone around the blue cones or worse, get distracted and fail.

4. SLOW SPEED

This is something I am not very good at and you are meant to ride at walking pace in a straight line, but I always end up a little faster than that. Reason being is because I haven't mastered how to pull away slowly yet, so I start off a bit quicker then I am able to slow the bike down once I have my feet off the ground and found my balance. This task may sound easy and probably is to most riders, but I am not very good personally. If you ride a little faster than walking pace it may be a minor on your test. The task finishes within four blue cones ready to perform the next one.

5. U-TURN

From the four blue cones after the slow speed manoeuvre, you move on to doing a u-turn. Make sure you do you observations before pulling away and do a lifesaver check before you commit to doing the u-turn. You will finish on the other side of the road facing the opposite direction to when you started before the u-turn. This has been the task I struggled the most with and can only successfully complete once in about five times I try. I've stopped counting the amount of times I have fallen over or dropped the bike, and the number of bruises I have on my legs trying to do the u-turn. I am personally bad at this and after the first fall trying to perform this exercise - I am somewhat scarred for life.

6. CONTROLLED STOP (not speed-checked)

We practised this from standstill, but on the actual test you will be asked to ride through a corner and once straightened up you then speed up to perform the controlled stop, where your wheel axle has to be stopped inside the box (four blue cones). This task is not speed-checked, so as long as you have stopped within the box then you have passed this manoeuvre. The advice my instructor gave me was to ask how fast you were going after you have stopped, so you have an idea and can prepare for the last two tests.

7. EMERGENCY STOP (speed-checked)

Going around the same corner as above, you will now need to do an emergency stop after going through the speed trap at a minimum of 50 km/h (or 31 mph). The test conductor will put his/her hand up signalling you to stop and you have to apply the front brake enough to stop the bike quickly without skidding. Ideally you shouldn't stall the bike, but I was told that if you are clearly seen to have pulled the clutch in and tried to avoid stalling then it won't be a fail. If your speed is 48 or 49 km/h then that would be a minor. 47 km/h may warrant another go, but if you fail to meet the minimum speed going through the speed trap the second time then it's a fail.

8. HAZARD AVOIDANCE (speed-checked)

Last but not least - Hazard Avoidance. Same speeds as the Emergency Stop apply to this task as well. You need to ride around the corner and through the speed trap at 50 km/h and swerve to (generally) the right side avoiding the hazard presented to you, which are four more blue cones. Then you need to move the bike back in line with where you went through the speed trap and before you swerved. You do not have a designated stopping sport, but must be able to stop before the end of the obstacle (which could be anything, but generally a fence). You fail if you don't meet the minimum speed or hit any cones in the process.

CONCLUSION

I have learnt a lot during the day of training and most of the tasks are not as scary as I thought it would be. I was worried about every single manoeuvre I had to perform before today, but in all honesty, I was overthinking everything too much. I'm not, by all means, saying this is easy (certainly not for me), but definitely do-able with practice and confidence. I still feel like I struggle a lot due to the weight of the bike, but hopefully I can get through this.

Wish me luck on my test!