learning difficulties

[Guest]

ok so i am reaching out for someone else who struggled through their course...

I am not a stupid man, i am a professional engineer, degree educated but i am finding out how it feels to be at the bottom of a class. my instructor is excellent and v patient but no matter how many times i am told i keep repeating mistakes such as looking down and loosing balance or given a simple set of instructions which i calmly repeat to myself before starting out and try to plan on approach my mind just becomes blank and i fluff the whole thing.

i managed cbt ok and passed the theory, have done some good hours on the road on a 125 but as soon as i have to repeat some simple instructions it all goes to pot.

i dont feel hugely nervous although my instructor seems to think i am a bag of nerves because its probably the only reasonable explanation at this point...

has anyone else experienced this? what did you do to overcome the problem and get the fixed manouvres into your head?

[igingeee]

I assume by course you mean DAS?

First question I'd be asking is.. is now to soon?, not everyone's ready for a bike with more power as quick as they think or as tempting as it is, as long as your problem doesn't lye with the bike and controlling it then I'd put this aside.

The balance issue you mention is something to work on with your slow moving control.. when I first started riding my 125 I couldn't help but put my foot down every time in stop start traffic now I feel like I'm performing a balancing act, it comes with time.

Same with the looking down, I did this when first starting out.. just need to learn how the bike behaves in all different situations and then your confidence will grow, think less about the bike and more about what's going on in-front of you.

Take the course at your own pace and just listen to what the instructor has to say, think before each part what controls you'll need and then set about doing them in the required combination to pass that part of the test, on my CBT i struggled with the simulation of approaching a junction and stopping so the examiner did the following;

Accelerator

Brake

Clutch

Downshift

[Guest]

Yes DAS, the reason I am looking for the full license is that I work in Germany and there is no 125 with L plates allowance, its all or nothing. I would buy a smaller bike if I passed but I cannot practice without an instructor in Germany and my German skills are not up to the tuition there.

I really do listen and try to take on board what I am told but I invariably miss something and although I could sit and write out the process for say a u turn or a hazard avoidance when I carry it out I screw up a lot.

Its asthough the helmet drops my IQ to 50.

Part 1 again tomorrow, failed last time and deserved to fail I know I can ride the bike and when I relax it goes well on the road but the set pieces just scramble my mind.

[Stilton Jo]

I think you need to re-think what you call 'the set pieces'.

I know they are 'slalom', figure of eight etc, and you have to do them in a set order on Mod 1. But try and imagine them as just part of a slow bike ride.....eg, you have been out and about on said bike, you decide to stop for a cuppa at your fave bike haunt. You enter through the gate, very slow, there are always lots of people about....so you slowly weave in and out of the bystanders (slalom) and head for the clear area behind to park up, but someone left their helmet in the way so you have to go round it (fig 8) and come back. Now you ride dead slow (slow ride at walking pace) to a nice parking spot. cuppa.

When you leave, you have to turn around (u turn) and avoid all those nice shiny bikes in a row, and then you can go a bit faster (curve)(controlled stop etc)

They are not just set pieces. You do actually have to be able to ride around things/people/potholes/ in pub carparks, etc. I remember many years ago when I first drove a car and having to do a 3 point turn without hitting kerbs...so difficult then, but 30 years later you can turn even a big car around in a blind alley, in the dark, snow etc without a second thought. Same will come on the bike, but you need to remember WHY you have to do these pieces.

Hope that helps x

[bex]

the only advice i can give you is go to a car park and just ride about, weave, turn, go slow, go fast, get used to doing it, even on your 125 if you have too. then start to put it all together in sequence and play, have fun, it will come to you but you can not force this.

[paullofty]

are you living in the UK now?

if so get a 125cc and ride it. I did this after my CBT. first I rode up and down the street, then around the block then further journeys. I felt nervous all along but the more you ride the better you get. Gear changes/braking/controls become second nature and then you have less to think about and it all becomes a bit more natural rather then so mechanical.

As someone said the manoveres are there to test youre able to ride it slow moving traffic and weave around when you need to. If you've done these on the road loads there'll be a breeze in the paddock.

I'm still a mod 2 pass away from a full license and have had a fair bit of tuition but I've learnt more riding on my own. there's no substitute for miles on the road. if you cant get out on your own your own then you may need more tuition then others might, but you'll get to a position where you feel comfortable. first time trying to do 60mph on a 600cc I shit myself, now I love it.

I certainly wasn't a natural, being comfortable can take time for some of us.

[Edd]

Are you doing exactly what your instructor is telling you to do regarding slow riding?.. Holding revs, slipping clutch and dragging the rear brake aren't exactly the most natural/logical thing to do (especially for an engineer!)..but once you get the hang of it, all of the slow maneuvers become a lot easier!

[Guest]

Thanks to all for the advice. I passed and have my MOD1 by some miracle. Brain did blank and although the examiner was satisfied my instructor had a few choice words because I had been ok in practice I was again too binary with the clutch and far too slow round the bend it was far from smooth riding but I did manage each of the tests. Lots of practice time before MOD2 in a few weeks.

[Edd]

Well done mate!

[fullscreenaging]

Well done. You'll soon be looking back and chuckling to yourself about it all.

[Woodman]

Mod 2 is easier.

I had a 3 hour lesson before mod 2 and I was getting too close to cars in front,road positioning was so so and the instructor seemed to correct me quite often.

But on the test the only mistakes I made were getting up a cars arse once at a junction and kept out of a lane I could have gone in.

I found it less stressful than the lesson.

Try and get some more training in if possible and try and chill out on the test and remember you can always take it again.