xxsteve-zorbaxx

Finally passed Mod 2 after my shoulder injury had healed (torn cuff rotator!!). I was absolutely gagging to get back on the bike and get my test under my belt. Although the test ride didn't feel as though it went brilliantly. I was fairly relaxed during the ride and was so happy when the examiner told me I had passed with 3 minors. All I can say is that my training instructor Darren was a much harder task master than the examiner (not a bad thing). Although initially looking to get a FZ6 fazer. i came across a VFR800 and took it for a spin. Fell in love with it immediately and negotiated a deal. 2003 40000miles full Honda service history. Very pleased with it and I am off to my first rally (as a rider) at the end of the month. I will look to add some luggage to it over the coming months. Thanks to all members who wished me a quick recovery and good luck for my test. The grin on my face over the last week on the VFR says it all and it has been so worth all the hoops/injuries I have had to go through. I'm only at the very beginning of a great adventure.

I was due to take my MOD2 today. However, I had an off on my training yesterday lunchtime. I was the 2nd rider behind another trainee with the instructor following me. As I approached a r/h bend i was carrying a little bit too much speed for my experience and then did everything thereafter text book WRONG. Instead of counter steering and looking through the bend, I focused on the crappy tarmac at the edge of the road and guess what i Hit? You've got it, the crappy tarmac at the side of the road!!!! bike went left into ditch and i hit the tarmac on my right shoulder. Wearing the full armoured gear, so nothing broken!!! I might have a bit of soft tissue damage to my shoulder or a muscle tear due to the impact and it hurts like hell. So test was postponed until I get my shoulder right. It was going so well.... up to that point, with the instructor more than pleased with the progress I was making. I am furious with myself for trying to keep up with the rider in front instead of riding for myself! Because I know exactly what I did wrong (won't make that mistake again) it hasn't knocked my confidence and I am eager to get back on the bike and continue my training and MOD2. The lessons from this are: 1. Do NOT skimp on protective gear. 2. Ride for yourself, and within your capabilities. 3. Learn counter steering, and use it. 4. Do NOT target fixate, always look where you want the bike to go. My mistake was when I realised I had carried too much speed into the bend, I had a moment of "Brain freeze" and completely forgot my training!!!! If I had been going slower, I would have had plenty of time to correct my error. I will let you all know how I get on with my MOD2 once I've got my shoulder sorted out. Safe riding and Cheers Steve PS No damage to the bike. Just lots of vegetation in all the nooks and crannies!

Hi all, Just passed my MOD1 last Thursday first attempt with no minors. I thought I would share my experience with you. I'm a 55yr old from Lincoln with no previous bike experience. I did the statutory CBT and passed the Theory test just before Christmas. I then booked a DAS course with The Bike Academy in Lincoln, and started my MOD1 training on a Suzuki 650 Gladius last Tuesday. Luckily, my training school could book the test centre facility in Lincoln to practice which must be a big advantage over those that don't have this luxury. However, it didn't start well at all!! The slow man-oeuvres weren't too bad, though a bit wobbly (It was windy honest guv!) but when we got to the slightly faster stuff I nearly gave the instructor a couple of heart attacks! In the controlled stop exercise my instructor asked me to get up to 50kph at the speed trap (even though you can go slower for this on test) to use it as a gauge speed wise for the other 2 exercises. I did the top corner fine and when I came out of the corner I started to accelerate and guessed my speed as I was concentrating on my direction and felt I didn't have time to look at my speedo/rev counter. I rolled of the throttle at the speed trap and as I started to brake I wound the throttle back at the same time managing to sail through the stop cones and only just managing to stop before hitting the fence at the end of the test track!!!! Phew. I won't repeat what my instructor was shouting in my ear at this point (mostly expletives) but along the lines "What the hell was that? You were better on your CBT etc" What he did identify though was that as i was rolling off my throttle, instead of just gently using my wrist I was using my arm and rolling off far too aggressively so that when I came to squeeze on the brake my arm would drop lower and roll the throttle back on at the same time as braking! I switched the bike off and jumped off and said "I don't mind you giving me a rollicking, but I do need a smoke break and let things calm down" (Smoke breaks are my way of getting rid of the nerves, although a disgusting habit I know). 10 minutes later, back on the bike and gradually things started to improve slightly and before you knew it we had run out of time. My instructor asked me if I felt I needed more training before the MOD1. I immediately said yes, so he booked us in again for a few hours at the test centre for the following day. That evening with my confidence at a very low ebb I found this web site and started to read about other posters trials and tribulations of getting through their MOD1. It was an inspiration and made me feel like one of the crowd and not an isolated muppet who was the only one struggling to do this. The next morning after a few warm up exercises in the training school yard we headed off to the test centre for more practice. When we got in the instructor said "where do you want to start?" and I said "Let's just run through a mock test or two" Few deep breaths and I was off. Result was that after doing 6 mock test I had passed 5 of them with a few minors dotted about and only failed 1 mock by not stopping with the front wheel in the blue cone area (rode through by 6"). I was now beginning to enjoy my new found confidence. the instruction has been great (I just need a bit longer than most for it to sink in) and I told him I was now ready for the test tomorrow (last Thurs). Thursday........Few spins round the training track at the academy and off to the test centre. The examiner was a friendly enough guy and put me at my ease. I hardly had any nerves and was determined to enjoy it! Passed with no minors and have my MOD2 training and test next week. I must tell you though that as we left the test centre, I stalled at a junction (not done that before) and generally rode like a muppet for the next 5 minutes!! Ha ha (deffo a work in progress). Good luck to all that are doing their MOD1's and honestly trust in your ability, training etc and you WILL be fine. Thanks again to all on this site that relaxed me so much by reading their experiences and I'll let you know how my MOD2 goes next week Cheers. Steve