MOD 1 PASSED - FIRST GO - DESPITE A FATALITY.

[Guest]

So I passed MOD 1 today and I am pretty pleased to say the least. Though I thought I would

Just kidding, but I was confident in my maneuvers. Great weather and good ride up to the test center.

I'd like to briefly share my experience (few major things I learned today).

First of all, prevention is cheaper than the cure. Start your day off properly with a good nights sleep and no alcohol prior to 2 nights, you need the concentration. As well a good hearty breakfast with slow release carbs (energy and focus) with an early start will set you off nicely.

Dress for the occasion, read up on the weather forecast, they are pretty good these days. it's all about layers and being able to adjust your clothing to the weather right there and then. Sweaty and hot you are flustered, cold and wet you are not concentrating. Wear the correct clothing (base thermal layers are a good shout here).

I was advised to not watch any YOUTUBE videos of mod 1 as most of them are out of date. Just simply be attentive on training and keep thinking about training leading up to the test.

I arrived intentionally at my instructors house (yes not a center) 25 minutes early, little to his amusement and his breakfast cut short, this was a good time to get all the faffing about done (radio, clothing, bike) and out of the way so we are ready to set off at dot on the time I'm paying for (thus arriving at the test center early).

Your drive up is most likely also training for MOD 2, so keep your mind focused on just that, not MOD 1, you already have it deeply embedded in you, plus it's easy, so don't complicate and clutter up your mind with it, focus on MOD 2 at this stage (you could end up crashing day dreaming about maneuvers whilst not paying attention to the road).

During my ride over to the test center, I learned to VERY IMPORTANT lessons.

1. Always have your eyes/face protected when riding. A bee decided to commit suicide on my visor. This was no ordinary suicide, This thing was like a rocket, had the death occurred inside the helmet, i.e in my eyes or in my mouth I most certainly would have been joining the bee in Honey Heaven.

2. If the cat or the dog is no taller than your wheel axel/center, you can just run over it. Thankfully not a black cat, but a fiery ginger feline was feeling as depressed as the bee, and was wanting to take it's own life, being an inexperienced rider, I kind of just froze and decided to go straight on The moggy was about 2 feet from my front wheel before he escaped a certain death. My heart certainly went. Later on the instructor advised me after sharing the experience to simply drive over it if it isn't as big as your wheel axle, he knew a guy who sadly died after swerving a small dog and he ended up going into oncoming traffic, tragic! So it just isn't worth it. Life is life, animals choose their path as we do.

So test center: There was about 3 instructors and similar amount of students and one tester who was quite pally with the instructors. Made me relax even more and felt like one of the lads almost. These are not demonic souls, they are just like you and me, guys who enjoy getting out on the bikes and sharing experiences. I got the feeling that they wanted us to pass as much as we. Unlike cars, I don't think there are quotas to hit - from what I have read anyway.

Your instructor should take you around the course, and run through all the maneuvers once again, this is the time to sharpen up and LISTEN (no more MOD 2 or football scores).

All the time while listening, just picture your training, and envision yourself doing these maneuvers on the course within the next 15 minutes.

I asked my instructor what the MAIN things I should be focused on and making sure not to slip up on:

. ALWAYS make sure to look back / shoulder checks left then right before EVERY maneuver (I think you are allowed 3 misses before the tester makes a note for fail)

. On your U TURN, Make sure to do your second right shoulder check half way between setting off and making the turn (as well as your left and right shoulder checks)

Don't look at your speedometer during the emergency stop and swerve, you will end up hitting a cone (50% of the time), just make sure you are going fast enough, 32mph or 50kmh, no max speed, there's loads of room, so really let rip on the throttle.

Just some of the maneuvers:

Now, I think the biggest one most people dread is the emergency stop, during training I couldn't get it, kept skidding, was horrible, but then I was told to make sure the majority of the breaking is on the FRONT BREAK. I kept doing this and got it in the end. As a percentage, what works for me is 90% front break, 10% back break. Also remember, it's called an emergency stop, that doesn't mean you have to come to a HALT right on the spot, the laws of physics won't allow this. Haha, all about your front break as this is where all the weight gets shifted too, I went with the bike, and shifted my weight onto the front wheel as well, this also took weight off the back wheel. If you press that back break any more than 10%, like the bee you are going to skid to a dramatic fail. I think I stopped, from seeing the hand to clicking into neutral, I think I traveled about 10 to 15 meters (not 3 meters as I used to believe, he was happy by the looks of it)

Last thing is the speed, there's no max speed, and you only get TWO ATTEMPTS at your emergency stop and swerve, so that's pretty good of em, so use your first attempt as a reference, that saying less is more, well not in this case, open up!

My instructor gave me some sound advice, he said make sure you get up to speed, full throttle all the way to the speed trap, then, as soon as you pass through the speed trap, snap your throttle off (not literally) and then just swerve, something about that 'snap', like swing it back up in a snap and then focus on your move. I don't want to contradict what your instructors are advising you, so don't take my advise, just consider it

He asked me to then go park up near some orange cones, thinking this was the end of the test, i thought it was a bit strange as I knew this was the last maneuver, and I was facing the course again, he come over and said something about not making it, heart sank, and then he went to to day about my speed was not satisfactory, OK I said, think like the bee, be the bee, and lo and behold I got through, later I found out that I reached 49kph!

He asked me to go park up in the car park after his instruction, I know your maneuvers have finished here, but still make sure to do all your safety checks (left and right). I was unsure about using signals to get out of the training course but figured I'd go for some golden browny points so usd them anyway (no harm is there).

I had a feeling I had passed but as is with the theory, there's always that moment you could have slipped up on. It was a slow walk into the examiners office with my instructor, I was just waiting for the 'passed' word and then finally got it.

I made sure to keep pally with my new pals, as he might just be my MOD 2 examiner.

Anyway there is my experience, apologies if it was a little long, a sense of humor was intended. Relax on this one, it's a piece of cake really is. Just do what you have been told to do.

It's like a stage play, learn your lines and you'll be fine.

Now for MOD 2 in one week!

Let's be avin ya!

[runningman]

Well done, BTW I think that there is a maximum safe speed for the emergency stop and swerve but its something like 70 kph, above that and curtains. I stand to be correct though!

[Throttled]

That was a really good right up Best of for the Mod 2.