john67

Probably more correct not to start then stop. Normal start with lifesaver, take some of your 7.5metres, another quick lifesaver distinct from your look back. Feather the clutch so's the bike is only moving slowly. Keep looking back to where you're going to stop on the other side of the road, the bike will go to where you're looking and you'll end up with a nice u-turn under control which is what you're after. It is important to separate the lifesavers from the look back though they're nominally in the same direction. Needs a little bit of practice but it is possible to do these nicely. Good Luck John

I passed in July and straightaway moved from a YBR125 to a Yamaha XJ6 600. I've got a lot of driving experience (age 66) passed the car test in '68 but motorbikes are very different. The school bikes are a nightmare . Your own bike would be much better but they do take a bit of getting used to. I can hack the high speed side , I'm confident on the road but it's the slow speed stuff which gets me particularly in busy or slow situations. I've spent the last couple of months getting used to the bigger bike. I've done about 1200 miles in that time and I'm getting better. I feel generally much more capable now but I'm also conscious that I've still got a lot of learning to do. They say a couple of years to get the idea and at the moment I think that's probably not too far off the mark. Good Luck John67

I passed my MOD2 in July (aged 66). After being a bit tentative I decided (before my test) that I should attempt to get to the speed limit whatever it was. My route (in Glasgow) was all in the city, max 40 so no luck if your route has a 70 section. Thinking about it though if it's busy and you're in the inside lane the traffic will probably only be doing 60 anyway and if your speedo's like mine you're probably only doing 65 even though it's reading 70 . Anyway mainly you have to demonstrate that you can ride safely and be in control of the bike at all times. I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck with the test. john67