DeltaLima

..I do this fairly often in central London when I'm at junctions that take a minute or two to go green for me. Not a problem for me to cut this out, obviously - but out of interest, do you think this would be seen as a bad habit?

Passed Mod 1 on Friday - second attempt. Basildon Test Centre. This time I actually felt like I rode worse than the first time - the first attempt I was way more relaxed, everything was smooth and I had little or no fear of proceedings.... until I put a foot down on the u-turn. Haven't done it in practise before, but for some reason on the day I lost balance and down it went. This time was fine, although because of the previous failed attempt I was really nervous. The slalom, figure of 8, etc were very cautious and was overthinking every little movement I made, willing myself not to lose it. I liken it to carrying a massive tray of drinks. If you think about it too much, you'll spill them - if you just relax and walk, you'll be fine. However, I did manage to do everything okay - slightly unnerving was watching the guy who went before me completely stack his emergency stop - crashing in epic fashion after locking his front wheel. At least was able to tell myself that it couldn't be as bad as that! Main piece of advice is just to try and relax, just ride like you know you can and don't over-think every little move. Remember that the bike will go where you're looking and trust that you can do it. Back brake, clutch control and gentle throttle will see you through nicely. Good luck if you're about to take yours... you'll be fine!

Treat it as just a normal ride, with a sat nav in your ear... and don't give up if you think you've done something wrong, chances are the examiner might not have seen it anyway! All he's looking for is a rider that can handle his bike on the road without putting himself or any other road user in danger. And remember, he wants to pass you... unless you give him a reason to fail you. And above all, enjoy it! Cheers - I'm hoping to keep these positive thoughts in my mind whilst doing it. I do enjoy riding, I don't enjoy an eagle-eye on me around cones in a playground... so that's a good start. One thing I did wonder - is there any particular preference for stopping at junctions/lights. Sometimes I whack it in neutral and wait with both feet down, sometimes with a foot on the brake, sometimes with a hand on the brake, sometimes I stay in gear with the clutch in ready to move off... it sort of depends on the junction. Is there a rule I should be sticking to? I know this seems like a small issue, but I don't want something little and crap like this to be the thing to slip me up!!

..any tips? I guess, for this centre and just in general? My instructors have been great so far but I don't have any more training days before my Mod 2 in a couple of weeks. I'm riding 500 miles a week on a mixture of dual-carriageway and inner-city London roads, so getting a good range of experience on my 125. Ideally throw your top 5 do's and don'ts for Mod 2 my way... I need to suck this advice up like a sponge! It'll be a sad xmas for me with a 'fail' on my mind!! DL