When did you pass your test and how much was it?

[Geordie Oldie]

As title, I am aware it is complex now to get a full licence.

 

How many hoops did you have to jump through?

 

I bought a brand new 250 in 1980, back then you could just turn up with zero experience and ride forever on L plates and a provisional licence, but you couldn't use the motorway,

 

I had done a few hundred yards on the road on a mate's 125 as practice.

 

Took my test in 1981, examiner was on foot, I rode round the block twice, second time he did an emergency stop by jumping out from behind a hedge. A couple of questions and that was it, took less than 10 mins.

 

If I recall correctly it cost me a fiver, which according to the bank of England inflation calculator would be about 18 quid now.

[Ian Frog]

September 1979 and from memory I believe it was £7.50, Wallington near Croydon.

Car test same place about 5 years later.

Cheers

Ian

[peatear]

Did CBT 2019, redid CBT 2020.

Did some lessons/mod1+2 practice on a big bike. 

Did Mod1.

Did Mod2. 

Passed 2021. 

Cost... no idea really... £99 for each CBT. DAS(big bike lessons etc) + Tests about £400.. I think? Maybe a little less. 
So £600 all in. Happy I passed first time. 

 

Car test was another matter.

Edited January 14, 2024 by peatear

[Bianco2564]

Passed bike test in Sept 1981 and car test Oct 1981.

Cant remember how much the tests were but know a car driving lesson was a fiver, for context that was about 5 hrs pay.

[Bender]

About 5yrs ago, cost no idea, I just did PAYG style rather than set fee for das, worked out cheaper is all I can remember.

[Fiddlesticks]

Couple of years ago now:

• CBT
• Theory Test.
• Lessons.
• Booked MOD1
• Instructor got fired. (Never was refunded.)
• New school.
• Few more lessons.
• Booked and failed MOD1 stupid mistake.
• Another lesson.
• MOD1
• MOD2

.. After all that it really started to get expensive

[Simon Davey]

Mine was the same as you @Geordie Oldie

I didn't read the number plate of the car across the road correctly, so the examiner said, "take off the sunglasses and move nearer"... That would be a fail now of course. 

[Capt Sisko]

Nth hand CD175 on the road on my 17th Birthday* in October '78, passed my test Feb '79. Haven't got a clue how much it cost but I can remember it was a complete farce. Ludlow town centre is built on medieval town plan grid with the test centre right in the middle, it was p*ssing down with rain and the examiner was wearing one of those old bright orange walking kagools, (you remember the ones with a chest pouch) and hiding in shop doorways trying not to get wet. Two four hundred yard circuits left, two right, including the emergency stop, three or four questions on the Highway Code so simple a complete bozo couldn't have got them wrong and that was it. I don't think I got over 25mph. You could kind of understand why they toughened up the procedure in later years.

 

*What was really annoying was I broke my wrist about two week before my 17th birthday playing rugby for the school. The silver lining to it was breaking my arm whilst playing for the 6th form rugby team elevated me, albeit it for a short time to hero status and brought out the nurse side in several girls. Not that I took advantage of that at all!

Edited January 15, 2024 by Capt Sisko

[Bianco2564]

45 minutes ago, Capt Sisko said:

Nth hand CD175 on the road on my 17th Birthday* in October '78, passed my test Feb '79. Haven't got a clue how much it cost but I can remember it was a complete farce. Ludlow town centre is built on medieval town plan grid with the test centre right in the middle, it was p*ssing down with rain and the examiner was wearing one of those old bright orange walking kagools, (you remember the ones with a chest pouch) and hiding in shop doorways trying not to get wet. Two four hundred yard circuits left, two right, including the emergency sto, three or four questions on the Highway Code so simple a complete bozo couldn't have got them wrong and that was it. I don't think I got over 25mph. You could kind of understand why they toughened up the procedure in later years.

Similar thing in Rugby, test centre was opposite the town hall, had to ride a figure of 8 pattern around a couple of sides streets and onto a main rd, obligatory emergency stop when he jumped out on you,was probably doing no more than 20mph. After we sat on a park bench and ran through a few Highway code questions and Bob's your uncle, L plates ripped up.

Didn't have any formal training prior to the test, just 12 mths riding on my SS50, then 6 mths on my GT250. Was learning to drive at the same time so no doubt that helped.

[curlylegend]

Passed mine, or rather was given a full licence, in November 1976 in Glasgow.  My appointment was in the Shawlands Test Centre at 13.30 . It had been snowing that morning and beginning to lie. When I slithered along to the test centre the roads were pretty diabolical. I went inside expecting the test to be cancelled. The examiner who was crouched over an electric fire and really looked like he didn't want to be there gave me the choice. Did I want to cancel and rebook or just have a go at it, despite the weather.  I was keen to get it over with so nothing ventured nothing gained.  He asked me a few Highway code questions and then told me to just ride round the block a few times and he would step out at some point to test my braking skills. Well after six or seven circuits of the block with my heart in my bloody mouth I eventually parked up and went back inside.  The examiner told me he'd looked outside and decided an emergency stop wouldn't be fair under the circumstances. He asked me if I'd fallen off.  When I told him I hadn't, he reckoned that I'd demonstrated that I was capable of riding a motorcycle and handed me a Pass Certificate. 

Certificate stashed in an inner pocket, in high spirits I set off for home. And immediately slid of on the next bend.... and the next !

[Simon Davey]

16 minutes ago, curlylegend said:

. He asked me if I'd fallen off.  When I told him I hadn't, he reckoned that I'd demonstrated that I was capable of riding a motorcycle and handed me a Pass Certificate. 

Certificate stashed in an inner pocket, in high spirits I set off for home. And immediately slid of on the next bend.... and the next !

 

Absolutely brilliant! 

[Gerontious]

1982 a couple of months before the test changed. On my KH250, which I thought was the bees knees. A 2 stroke triple. I was a tad more flexible then with an uncanny ability to fold myself in 3 to get aboard. Took the test in my home town Walsall. I remember the man doing the test looked like Harry Worth. Armed to the teeth with a clipboard and stopwatch. And wore a trilby. I kid you not. Emergency stop took two attempts as the first time I was overtaking a stopped bus and the genius thought stepping out to stop me in front of a bus that was preparing to pull out - was a great idea. The bus driver sounded his horn which caused me to wobble and swear profusely, like I wasn’t nervous enough. He made me go round the block again, The test involved me just riding round a block in town. I only indicated left. I only turned left. (Aside from when I overtook the bus) I don’t think I ever went faster than 20 as it was a very busy street. thinking back now, it was completely insane. I never had any lessons. The only prep I did was reading the Highway Code.

 

nobody died.

 

Obviously (or maybe not) when the test changed. So did everything. 250s became mostly worthless as there were so many of them and nobody wanted them, really. They were mainly learner bikes and that was over and done with. Of course there were exceptions - a few.

 

 

Edited January 15, 2024 by Gerontious

[Blackholesun]

Did my cbt in 2019

mod 1 aug 2021

mod 2 Aug 2021

mod 2 sep 2021 *take two

mod 2 Nov 2021 *take 3

 

must have cost nearly a grand, failing is expensive 

Edited January 15, 2024 by Blackholesun

[Nick the wanderer]

9/12/80 according to my license. Just before my 18th birthday so l must have been happy enough on the 250's.

Around the block and an ' emergency ' stop for me too, though l can remember having to ride alongside the tester, walking pace, to show clutch control in traffic. That and identify 3 signs from the highway code picture book.

Absolutely no idea how much it cost. 

[fullscreenaging]

2006 at the age of 35. 
 

CBT

Theory

1 hour on a 125. 
6 hours on a 500

Test

 

500 lessons was a couple a week. 

 

I had ridden my mate’s bikes illegally for a bit when I was 14 and then 18. 
 

I was a Driving Instructor at the time I passed my bike test. 
 

Can’t remember how much it was but the CBT was £100 and lessons were about £20. Don’t know how much the theory and test were. 

Edited January 15, 2024 by fullscreenaging

[husoi]

Straight to A1 and A2 back in 1998

Can't remember but it wasn't expensive.

Mandatory 20 riding lessons (Portuguese law) then test.

 

Over 1omth because the school.didn't had a 500cc bike when I started

[iangaryprice]

Passed my bike test in 1981 think cost was about 12. Car test in 1983 cost about £15, lessons were about £10 hour.

[rob m]

October 1996 in Crawley. I did a 5 day course with a company called Ride Rite and it cost £350. 
 

Passed the Part 2 test at about 12.30pm and picked up my GSXR 750 at about 4pm. Years of reckless tomfoolery followed 

[Shepherd]

My so called 'Intensive' car lessons in 1985 equated to 1hour each day Monday to Thursday,  with a 2 hour lesson on the Friday which gave time for the test in Grays, Essex. 

It was 3.35pm, school chuck out time. I sat in queuing traffic on the original A13 for most of it.

The examiner was new, more nervous than I was. When the emergency stop came, he kept looking over his shoulder for a space behind me to avoid a collision. Just kept an eye in the rear view mirror, anticipating the tap on the dashboard. I was stopped by the time he turned around to face the front 

Total cost was less than £100 including the £17.50 test fee.

 

Not been on bike for long.

Cbt was £99 in 2018

Rode on cbt until lockdown restrictions eased for Mod 1 & 2 same day.

Had to ride from Southend to Ipswich for tests, as local centres were fully booked. A great ride home from there with a smile bigger than my visor

 

Edited January 15, 2024 by Shepherd
Fat fingers

[curlylegend]

A pal of mine turned up for his test on a BSA C15, heavily modified as we'd say nowadays.  A hint of alloy mudguards, clip-ons a miniature hand painted rear numberplate and a silencer that was obviously missing it's baffles. He was decked out in a Lewis Leathers Highway Patrol leather jacket covered in studs and badges a pair of winklepicker shoes and of course no helmet.

I was there for moral support and remember well the look of disgust on the examiners face when he looked at my pal and his motorcycle.  There were a few questions, the eyesight test and then the examiner asked him to start his machine.  To some of my friends at the time, the epitome of cool was to be able to do a stylish bump start. Hence no kick start.  My pal lit a cigarette, clamped it in his teeth and grabbing the clip-ons launched himself up the road to leapt side saddle onto the bike and drop the clutch. He cracked open the throttle and shot up the road to do a perfect foot peg scraping u-turn.  He roared back to the examiner pulled up and said " Right pal, whit's next ?"

The examiner replied " The next thing you can do son, is go home and re-apply !   You've failed on at least four counts within the last two minutes and I can't be bothered filling in any more. There's your fail ticket. "

He did eventually become a highly qualified IAM instructor...  but that's another story.

[bonio]

Did my car test in Wallington, near Croydon in June '79.

Must have been about 1984, I had decide to get a 250 to commute on (hadn't realised the law had changed the year before) but my cousin talked me out of it. 

In 2010, took CBT + lessons + 2 x Mod 1 + 2 x Mod 2 = a bit over a grand. Small beer compared to what it's cost me since.

[Capt Sisko]

9 hours ago, bonio said:

.....Small beer compared to what it's cost me since.

Ah yes, that is a subject for an entirely different topic.

[RideWithStyles]

Waiting for someone to say shillings the thumpence.

[Fozzie]

Did my CBT in August 2006 to get on a 50cc to college, 2 years later when the CBT ran out and I wanted something bigger than a 125cc 2-stoke. I did my restricted 33bhp test in 2008 after a 3 day intensive course for about £400. 

But my license today says I have held a license since 2010, because when the format changed it didn't know how to interpret my 33bhp restriction. That really stung as it effectively deleted 2 years off my license holding history, and insurers interpreted me as a new rider... Even though I had the same bike insured with them for over a year already.

[Throttled]

I started the DAS process at the end of 2010 and passed the Mod 2 in 2011. The whole process of CBT, theory, hazard awareness, Mod 1, Mod 2, all the lessons and the kit I bought brought the total cost to just shy of £1000.