Bogof

Grats on your pass!

For the 2nd exit on any RBT I would always use the left lane. Using the right lane on a bike introduces additional risk as you have another lane of traffic to cross as you exit. For that reason I avoid using the right lane wherever possible.

1. Indicate IF you have time, and IF it is safe to do so while negotiating the RBT. You shouldn't get marked down for not doing so as there's very little time to do so. 2. Avoid if safe to do so, and if it's possible to avoid without causing another road user to change speed or direction.

Shoulder checks are easy to get right once you start thinking "Do I need to?" rather than "Should I?" In any situation, is there a possible threat to your safety coming through your blind spot, and if so, where is that likely to be coming from. So turning left, look left. Turning right, look right. Any time you change lanes, look into the lane you're moving into. Going away from lights, look both sides if the road is wide, or avoid having to do that by positioning so that you close off one side before you stop. Roundabouts are tricky, until you start thinking about where the Corsa will try to nip through with it's deafening exhaust... look there! Remember the shoulder checks other name, lifesaver! And if in doubt, you should probably look anyway!

So basically it's a cop-out? Sorry, had to really In terms of accident reduction, the Police Service really do seem to have off-loaded their responsibility quite nicely. The Fire and Rescue Service is now charged with responsibility for accident reduction, hence the Fire bikes at shows etc. Couple that with the Safety Camera Partnerships and the Police are all but off the hook as far as accident prevention/reduction is concerned.

A lot of people, myself incuded, think that a big bike is easier to ride than a 125. If you don't trust your self-restraint to the extent that you feel a restriction would help, you should probably be asking yourself if you really should be considering riding at all. Have you thought about catching buses? Your best bet is to go do CBT which is needed before you start riding anything, and then consider options for training and test. You will learn a lot about biking generally at your CBT.

Apologies. Got my threads mixed up

Those prices look to be fairly normal. Forget the Direct Access, you're not old enough. Do standard then after 2 years the restriction is automatically lifted.

Looks to be a plug which sits on top of the radiator and allows you to release air when you're refilling after draining the system. Check that it's tight and not leaking/cracked, and that the rubber sealing ring under it is not perished.

up to 125cc - CBT Any bike restricted to <33bhp - Full test on a 125 Any bike - Full test on a 500cc or wait 2 years on restricted Look here http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/LearnerAndNewDrivers/RidingMotorcyclesAndMopeds/DG_4022568 400s are great fun. I've been riding a VTR1000F-2 Firestorm for the last 2 years and recently got a CBR400RR. The CBR is just so much fun I've not touched the Firestorm for weeks

If you topped it up BEFORE the "leak" showed itself, it's possible that it's just overflow from the expansion bottle... especially if it's as warm there today as it was here

Are you in the UK? If so, has it been restricted to 33bhp?

Some very useful tips... http://survivalskills.wordpress.com/2011/06/20/advanced-riding-in-500-words/

Finally, something useful from a government agency.... Some very useful tips on these clips! http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/27507.aspx

I just got one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290586963331&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 for £1.95 delivered, and quite honestly I don't care if it's waterproof or not. I will display a valid tax disc, if the ink runs when it's wet, not my fault

I'd check the cheap things first, like chain tension, cush rubbers, oil change.

Since when? All they're interested in is whether you do it under full control at all times. Speed is largely irrelevant other than if it becomes a safety issue.

No you won't get marked down for that, wobbles are expected and not a problem so long as you don't drop a foot during the exercise. The key is good control. Do the exercise at the speed you feel comfortable with. I wouldn't ask him personally, since you should know the answer to these questions if you have prepared properly (sufficient training etc) for the test. If you have to ask, he might just decide that you're not ready for a pass until your instructor spends more time with you

Yes, since other traffic may not see the filter arrow... particularly if you or another vehicle is waiting on top of it

They look the same as the Lidl disk lock I have used for the past 2 years on my Storm. It's not been stolen yet so they work really well Just ordered 2, as I need one for my CBR. That does of course mean that I now have to buy another bike....

Generally you should only need to signal if it would benefit another road user. So on a completely empty road, no signal necessary. On a test you won't get marked down either way to be honest, but it's probably best to err on the side of caution and use a signal... after all, the examiner IS another road user

No. In fact, whenever you do a u turn you shouldn't be using an indicator, as you shouldn't carry out the manouevre if there are other vehicles around, particularly any that would benefit from your signal (which is the only time you should use one)

I disagree on that. You can do 70mph going to Dumbarton on a dual carriageway with direct access to people's driveways and a pavement running the length of it and 50mph going to Sirling on the M80 with no pedestrians, sliproad access only and a hard shoulder. Some villages in Argyll have 30mph speed limits, others 40 and others 60. There is no rhyme or reason to which village gets which. These huge inconsistences do cause problems. I meant "applied universally to all traffic using that particular road, unless a lower limit is applicable to a particular vehicle type". The different limits applying to similar stretches of road will be due to traffic engineering differences on those roads and/or the accident record on a particular road. Limits will often be applied where local opinion is brought to bear on the Highways Agency (or it's equivalent in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). If anyone feels that a low limit is wrongly imposed on a particular road they are free to lobby to get it changed. Contact your local authorities highway authority in the first instance, they will often be able to save you wasting time as they can explain why a limit is in force on a particular stretch of road. I've helped to successfully increase the limit a couple of times, and had lower limits imposed a few times, although as a councillor it was a little easier than as a member of public.

Was he in a helicopter? It's a bit idealistic again though. Your idea of "safe" is quite likely to be different to his idea of "safe". So how do you reconcile the difference in opinion? How do you legislate for an ever changing speed limit that relies on an individual's opinion? You can't, which is why we have speed limits determined by traffic engineers that are applied universally. That way we all know where we are, and there's no room for confusion to catch us out.

I often wish they didn't too, but I can substantiate the claim. It's taken originally from the DfT Annual Accident Statistics document (I think) but the 10% figure is used extensively by the DSA, emergency services and others in literature aimed at the training and accident prevention markets primarily. If you can't find it let me know and I'll track back to the original source document.