When did you pass your test and how difficult was it?

[ogri48]

Me, 1977. It was a tenner. You answered a coupla questions, read a car number plate, rode around the block trying not to fall off, stopped when a bloke standing on the path walked out from behind a parked car holding a clipboard, then wheelied up Woodbridge road squealing with delight when you got out of ipswich test centre with your pass. The most difficult bit was the wheelie ( a bus up ahead stopped outside a bus stop like they do and in my enthusiasm I nearly ploughed my bald tyred untaxed rd250 into it..)
If the motorcycling press are to be believed, the bike test is a bit more difficult/comprehensive/ expensive now...


Ps a tenner sounds cheap but in truth it was a bloody fortune, I was only on 21 quid a week and running a stroker...

[Tibbs]

I did mine about 6 months before the 2 part test came out In, what, Jan '96? So August '95 for me.

CBT Sunday, a week riding around on a 10 year old Cg125 (much better than the newer Suzukis they had) and test on Friday.

Because the test was at rush hour, the examiner took me for a 30 minute blast around the back lanes. Quick u-turn and an emergency stop and it was back to the centre for theory. 3 questions later I passed!

A lot easier than now, that's for sure...

[Hedgetrimmer]

Did mine on the first 2 parter, Jan 85, just before going off to start Air Force basic training; I was in a hurry to get it done before then. 1st booking for the second part was cancelled due to snow and ice, so I rode to the admin offices at Ruislip to get a cancellation. Passed, but shouldn't have as I locked the back brake a little on the emergency stop, but the examiner didn't spot it! The first part I found fairly easy, as I trained with guys from the bike club I was in (Harlow 70s) so I was very relaxed about it. About a week after passing, I took my 750 Turbo around the cones. (It'd been sat in the lock-up waiting, great incentive to pass!). Couple of weeks later, of to the RAF I went. Just before I did the second part, my little CB100 seized up, so had to use the training centre's KH125.

[mickvp]

Did mine in June this year. Theory test first (two parts, hazard perception and multiple choice). Then did the CBT.

After this did 2 parts of practical test, part one is off road and involves a figure 8, u turn, slalom, swerve, emergency stop, slow control etc.

After that, part 2 is a 40 minute "ride out" with an instructor in tow. Simples! :roll in:

[dickturpin]

Me, like you Ogri, in 1977....but I hadn't remembered it was a tenner!

[red98]

another oldie.........1980 for me,a peice of pi**.....no rd for me,had the far superior suzuki gt250 x7,first production 250 to crack 100mph,bought it brand new in the days when i was single and had a few bob in my pocket 

[Chris]

I passed in September 2011. It was the 2 part test and it wasn't hard.

The off the road part is easy if you have good machine control and really noone should be allowed on the road without having good control of their machine. I did my cbt and spent just over a year on a cbr125 getting as many miles under my belt and practicing machine control a lot and I would say that's why the test was no problem, I'd also been driving for about 5 years so rules of the road and reading what other road users were going to do weren't a new thing to learn for me.

Chris

[Tmation]

September 1978, 3 days after my 17th birthday on my trusty CB250N Superdream, or wet dream as my two stroke riding friends called it. Oh how I laughed when a few months later I was riding a 1976 KH500 and they still had L plates 

[mr self destruct]

1st June this year and the hardest part was calming myself.

I wonder how relevant a question this is though, because although it seems like the test is a lot harder nowadays, every student is trained up for it.

I told a guy at work I was doing a week long direct access and he said "You'll never pass 1st time." I asked why and he said that it's a lot harder than when he took his test, when all he had to do was ride round the block and slam the brakes on when the examiner jumped out.

I tried to explain to him that whatever testing I go through, I will have the correct training for it so it shouldn't be a problem. He couldn't get his head round that so I made it clear that when I pass my test I'll immediately be a better biker than he ever was.*





*Ok, probably not true** but it shut him the fuck up. 


**It took me at least a week. 

[darrsi]

Passed mine in '97, but had already been riding for 10 years on L plates with 125's then new laws came in so i had to do a CBT? 


Just before i took my test before the two year CBT period expired i thought i'd try a Sunday refresher course in case i had any bad habits that might fail me for whatever reason, but after being told by the instructors after a couple of hours that i really didn't need to be there i ended up giving the less experienced riders a hand to help out instead 


Had my theory test in Watford, and will never forget it 'cos i had what i can only describe as a very upset stomach.
Hit the toilet before i entered the room, then went in, sat down and all was well until the woman said "Start now" and now realise she was obviously talking to my bowels because i suddenly got the pains but i wasn't allowed to leave the room until i had finished the test. 
I think i finished it in around 15 minutes, instead of the given 40 minutes, then just ran out.
Was amazed when i got the results through and i only got 2 questions wrong, happy days 


My test day absolutely hacked it down with rain, and it hadn't rained for about 6 to 8 weeks previously, so my examiner generally had the hump already, although i sensed that he wasn't exactly the jovial type anyway, and i did kind of hint i wasn't really too pleased with the weather either!


The ride went absolutely fine apart from 2 things:
He told me to ride up a road and do a right at the end.
Now, imagine the letter ''q", when i got to the end it was actually a roundabout but the road i was on was at the right side of it, and the right turn he wanted me to take was indeed just over to my right but i'd have to go onto the roundabout before coming off it.
So firstly, i just put my feet down, looked at him, then started nervously laughing through all the rain, then decided to play it safe and i rode all the way around the roundabout then saw him still sitting where i left off and as i approached the turning he just indicated right and took the direct route instead. 


When we got back he asked me what the hell i was doing and i confessed i wasn't 100% sure if it was a 2 way roundabout so played it safe by going the normal route instead, as at least i wouldn't fail as i wasn't doing anything wrong.
But he then says to me "I wasn't trying to catch you out" and then rubbed my nose in it further by saying because there were parked cars around the outside i was theoretically riding on the wrong side of the road anyway!
Bastard!


Then, he says why was i also speeding on another road on the way back?
He told me the road and i explained i was doing 38 in a signposted 40mph road, and he said it actually went into a 30mph road.
Confused, i asked where the sign was and he said "Hidden behind that big tree"
Bastard!


But, after all that, he said my riding was generally good and he passed me anyway, so it all ended happily for me.
I can only imagine he takes that same route on every test to see what people do, although he insisted he wasn't trying to catch me out.
I think he was talking bollox actually and loved every minute of it.   

[Andy FZS]

February 1982 on a cb100 that I sold afterwards and bought a cb250n even though I could have ridden the 250 on L plates in those days.

[peejay]

Oh come on............... there has to be someone older than me on this forum.
August 1966, Triumph Tiger Cub 200cc, around the block jobbie, wearing jeans, jacket and sheepskin lined flying boots and a lid with goggles. Those were the days.

[Dead Eye]

Passed in September 2011 same as Chris

Got my CBT on August 1st 2011, did my theory 3 days later then began doing my training / lessons for DAS Part 1 and 2 - same as others described. I already had my drivers licence and had been driving for 3 years so plenty of road experience.

After passing my test I told my parents (who I'd kept in the dark), they were relatively unimpressed with the idea but at 21 figured that they realistically couldn't do anything to stop me  Then 4 days after passing my test I took delivery of my first ever motorcycle - my 1999 Red FZS 600 Fazer

[VNA - BMW Wank]

Did the two part test in 1987.

Part one, the tester had to widen the cones for the figure of 8.  We had an argument about it, I was adamant my 74 C90 didn't have the steering lock to do it.  I was gonna fail cos it was simply not possible.  Give it here the instructor said, he took my bike, attempted it and failed. 

Part two.  March gales, pouring rain, blown all over the place on the way to the test down the exposed coast road.  Bike electrics (6v) shorted out half way through the test.  Pushed it back to the test centre.  Oh well he said, I'll ask you a few questions.  The last question was - you've got a full car license haven't you?  He passed me.

Miracle I passed my car test too.  1986.  Adjusted seat just before test. Emergency stop.  Drivers seat flies forward, crushes me against the steering wheel, car stops, seat flies full back and locks into the furthest back position.  I'm just a wee fella.  Technically I've failed, that's a fail pure and simple.  But if I acknowledge the fail, it's beyond a shadow of a doubt that the fail will be a fail.  I decided to pretend the obvious and hilarious (not to me it wasn't) had not happened.  I discreetly shuffle right to the edge of the seat and continue to drive half of the test with my arms and legs full extended only just able to operate the controls.  I do my parking, hill start, reverse round a junction (he picked one on a steep slope) all practically sitting on the back seat.

He passed me!  I could not believe it.  So the bike was the second lucky pass (or 3rd).

[Loz]

1975, borrowed rd 250, one of them where you rode round the block if you reappeared in one piece you passed 

[esetest]

I did the  2 part test in 1983 at 17 on a Z200 , can't remember much about the off road bit apart from a figure of 8 , I had to redo the road part when I nearly ran over the examiner on the emergency stop .

[YamFazMan]

peejay said Oh come on............... there has to be someone older than me on this forum.
 
I962 197cc James Captain, round the block clock and anti-clockwise, 100 yds. at walking pace feet on the rests & an emergency stop. Passed OK
 
ATB YFM

[AdieR]

Did my CBT in '06, passed test in '09 a few weeks before the Mod1 / Mod2 test came in; wasn't difficult particularly, apart from a slightly late lane change on a potholed A64 into town. Girl up doing her test before me failed (foot down on the U-turn) didn't exactly help my nerves though. (I were gutted for her, because she'd picked up no other minor points either).

[Mick-H]

Past my moped test early in 1978, only did it so I could take the girlfriend on the back, passed the big bike test 2 years later on my mates GSX250, I'd failed twice on a KH250 and a RD250 but passed my car test and bought a Ford Escort.
I put in for my bike test again and passed on said 250, I hadn't ridden a bike for ages and had no insurance, just went on it for an hour before the test and the test itself, good days.

[acid drop]

1970 and it was a piece off piss

[taylor]

did mine last year. mod 1, mod 2, theory,  I have been driving cars vans etc for twenty years, so failed my first mod 2 for speeding lol, I was singing to myself , then heard slow down slow down, cost 900.   the re test with bike hire is 150.

[slappy]

1973, on my yamaha rd250,as others say round the block and that was it!
Don`t think i could pass the new test.

[rustyrider]

1971, about a month after my 16th birthday.  Standard couple of theory questions and a ride round the block job.  Although easy I thought I was going to fail.  I burnt the ignition coil out on my Ducati 250 Monza the day before the test so had to try to borrow something and the only mate that was prepared to lend me his bike had a 1950's Lambretta 150.  It was the first time I'd ever ridden a scooter with twist grip gears and the electric start didn't work so it had to be bump started.  Despite that, as I didn't fall off it, I still passed.

[Skippernick]

I did mine about 6 months before the 2 part test came out In, what, Jan '96? So August '95 for me.

CBT Sunday, a week riding around on a 10 year old Cg125 (much better than the newer Suzukis they had) and test on Friday.

Because the test was at rush hour, the examiner took me for a 30 minute blast around the back lanes. Quick u-turn and an emergency stop and it was back to the centre for theory. 3 questions later I passed!

A lot easier than now, that's for sure...

A local IAM member who is also a blood runner did a mock test on a  IAM skills day and couldn't believe what you have to do now to pass, he wasn't totally convinced he would.


I was one of the first to take the 2 module tests, passed module 1 first time, took 3 goes for the on road part.
I am convinced though it was a better test then, but they have since watered it down again because of MCN complaining.
My instructor said if students couldn't pass they weren't being thought properly.

[lew600fazer]

peejay said Oh come on............... there has to be someone older than me on this forum.
 
I962 197cc James Captain, round the block clock and anti-clockwise, 100 yds. at walking pace feet on the rests & an emergency stop. Passed OK
 
ATB YFM

Another young buck, 1964, think it was on my Dads James Cadet 150cc just as above Passed OK, next bike was a Tiger 90 350cc.