Hi everybody.
After months of preparation, today I had my first motorbike test ride today to get my A drivers licence. I did everything fine from the slaloms, to emergency brake etc. than we went out for a ride over Uetliberg and back where I failed due to following reasons.

1. During turns, although I checked my mirrors, I did not look over my shoulders one last time before turning. The instructor warned me to do so in the begining and although I looked over my shoulders in the remaining part of the ride, he said "i should have done it from the begining".

2. We rode through a small town on a 30 road. He said that I was using too low gears!! Well, I kept my bike on 1st gear on a 30Road! Whats the problem with this?? I have a 135PS bike that goes 120km/h in first gear!! He said that in general i should use higher gears to avoid pollution and to remain at relatively noise level through the villages!!

God!! I totally find all this ridiculous!!
Anyway, for those of you to get a motorbike test ride soon, review these points above before you get there!

Actually, think like a "Swiss"!. Ride under extreme caution, never smile, always watch out for lane lines, metal surfaces, trams, bloody town CYCLISTS curising around with their business suits and an umbrella on their right hand! If you have a bike that runs 14k RPM, never go above 2k RPM! Remember! Never wake sleeping swiss and pollute their environment!!

Basicaly, if you are biker, you dont belong the road!!
So it is time for me to go sell my beautiful Triumph Speed Triple
and get a stupid KICKBOARD and push my self around the city, with my business suit, a stupid kindergarden look backpack, an oversized helmet and wearing a "Too homo for a real motorbike" Tshirt!

Is this a question or a rant?

I am sorry but as an experienced motorcyclist (19 yrs) I have to agree with the examiner that you failed. The first point alone, not looking over your shoulders, skipping this will get you killed at least once a year. Second, doing 30 at 4000 rpm in 1st gear shows poor control/familiarity with the motorcycle. People who drive like that (a.k.a. twats ! who spoil it for the rest of us) should not drive a motorcycle.

Thanks for the groan.

If you were riding in 1st gear at 30kph over a considerable distance, then I have to agree that it was poor gear choice and would definitely deserve a fail.

As for you not performing your "life savers" again this is a fail and rightly so, as observation is vitally important.

Apart from the smiling bit, I for one would be pretty grateful if all motorcyclists did that.

oh god!
Totally wrong forum to discuss!
you guys got no idea!
have a nice day.

Actually, it's totally the right forum to discuss it, but it doesn't seem like that's what you want to do. There's another section of the forum for complaints or rants, which might suit your purposes better.

I can't comment on the test result but to put your mind at ease, you'll always get another examinator the second time. I too had the pleasure of going to a practical examn twice and while I had to spend more time and money than others, I now drive more safely and confident than some of my acquaintances who passed the first time.

If you take more lessons, it's important that you let the teacher know exactly what went wrong at the test. If you think you can't improve your chances with the current teacher, go to another one.

There's a reason these are called "Life Savers", and until you are doing them as a matter of second-nature, you won't pass you test.

On the other hand, we need riders like you to provide a steady supply of organs for those in need of transplants.

Sorry to hear you've failed the test Baris. Must be very frustrating for you and do you some good to get it off your chest here.

Have you had a drink yet?

Hey Barish,

I can sympathise with you as I am a big motorcycle fan and riding is a fantistic way to spend travel time. Try to calm down and take a chill time to think over what the instructor failed you on. I can understand that failing you for riding in 1st gear seems harsh but it does make sense in the end that you should be in a more controlled and enviormentally friendly gear like 2nd.

Anyway, that's just my opinion. What I would like say is that you will thank him for failing you on the 'life saver' that you missed. trust me, it's one of the most valuable riding tools you have to protect yourself and without it, you will certainly end up in an accident or worse.

I bet if you do the test again you won't forget it? And I promiss you, it will save your life. So, have a beer and think about when you can do the next test as if you only failed on these 2 points then it sounds like you are ready to pass to me.

Ciao,
Neil

nice rant. It's not your fault that you failed, right? Someone else's?

Well how wrong you are; you admit on the lifesaver issue that you knew but failed to do it - this is the fundamental thing you must do..... exaggerate the head movement for your checks over the shoulders.

The use of first in a 30 zone is plain daft. Your Speed Triple will make a racket and, with a slip of the wrist, hoist a minging wheelie into kittens crossing the road.

You failed on both the key aspects of what they will test you on around Albisguetli; the lifesavers and the gazillion 30 zones around there (they expect you to not notice them and speed, usually).

Do remember that you have to learn how to drive to pass the test and then get on with the hooning

I do remember my A test - the other chap with me scraped a pass even though he accelerated to go through a light on amber. I, as the following innocent party, simply stopped and waited for the lights to change and joined the chap and the tester as he was getting chewed out for gunning it through the amber light. He still passed as he got his lifesavers and 30s right

A comment from a lady rider with a sportsbike... (done my license 5 years ago):

Even if you have a speed bike (so what!?!) going 30km/h constantly in 1st gear is not just stupid but also annoying for anyone living in the area.

And another thing.. I'm a cyclist as well as a motorcyclist, and I'm just sick and tired of those rants. There are stupid people everywhere, so if everyone would just try and behave themselves and try and be friendly and live happily ever after together, then the world would be much nicer.

Now, stop ranting, listen to the instructor and do your test again. Good Luck!

Sounds like the Fail was correct.

1st Gear should ONLY be used to initially pull away. Normally I change up to 2nd within a few seconds of starting to move. Well except for on Friday when my Clutch cable broke, luckily within 2K of my house so I managed to restart the bike in 1st and limped home slowly.

You can NEVER look to often when on a Bike (or a car for that matter). You should always make a final check before executing the manouver.

Sounds like you are close to passing, so you should give it another go.

if your oh-so-super bike does the legal speed limit in first, pray why bother with the other gears at all? right ??

Not sure if they still do it.

But when I bought my Bike, the limiter was set to 7K

This apparently is/was a Swiss thing. By limiting to 7K the intention was to minimise noise pollution.

But as soon as the bike was run in (where you are meant to keep below 7K), I had the chip changed so it revved to the normal 14Kish :-)

In the end the bike doesn't come alive till around 6K

There is no rpm restriction in Switzerland. To the OP. Just pass the test and then ride how you want to.

"If the mountain does not come to Mahomet, Mahomet comes to the mountain".


Also, on some bikes there is no power under 4000rpm so 1st gear for 30klicks can be alright depending on the situation.

Lots of people fail their first test. It doesn't mean your a loser. You've just got to do better next time.

Live and learn.

Perhaps this kind of statement shows the wrong attitude you have.
Bit of advise: I wouldn't go and post your posting on a Motor Bike Forum you might feel offended when they tell you that you were a t*sser.

The idea is to pass.
Ranting doesn't get you a Pass.
Complying and satisfying the examiner gets you the Pass.

Looking behind is important -life saving not just for passing the test.

Not changing out of 1st gear shows total lack of understanding and control of the bike.
What on earth do you want to be in 1st gear for in a built up restricted area?

Now you know what not to do, the test should be easier to pass.

Can't really agree with that. Almost any bike from a scooter to Superbike will happily run 2nd gear from 20Kms/h upwards unless the gearing has been tinkered with. My R1 can still go to warp factor without any problems in 2nd gear from 20kms/hour!

1st Gear at 30Kms/h is fine but simply unecessary, especially under test conditions as it harder to control a torquey beast like the Speed Tripple when it's already comming into the band. (When you leave the 30 zone and accellerate from 1st gear, I doubt the instructer could keep up with you!) . Also, if you are riding the bike at a flat 30Mks/h, what the hell do you need any power for? Not accellerating or decelerating? Makes no sense.

Back to the OP's rant; I think he was just letting off some steam so everyone give him a break! Everyone blows off now and then but no need scare him off! (Not seen any activity from him for a few days? Hope he's booking the next test!)