MICK TRAVIS

just seen the news, and of the 4 people taking the new test today in leeds 1 is in hospital with a compound fracture of his arm after falling off because of the speed he had to take the slalom course, another has to attend hospital because he too fell off because of the wet track and recieved cuts and bruises, and the other 2 people failed, If absolutely no allowance is made for bad weather, how can it be a better and safer test for bikers ?

Carole Nash Editor

This wet weather point was raised by the BMF and MAG reps at the DSA presentation of the new test back in 2007. In fact I took a photo of a learner rider failing to brake properly, after doing the swerve move, and nearly hitting the DSA tester! That `near miss’ was in the dry. In the wet someone might have been on their way to A & E.

Like so much else which is plain common sense the potential for accidents on wet, or cold winter test tracks, was ignored by the government agencies. Maybe when enough people have been hurt and band together to take legal action against the DSA, the procedure will be modified?

Charles McNeil

Sorry but I think they (DSA) or I have lost the plot here. My wife having failed the old test (Foot down on the U turn) + 2 minor Faults, will now have to undertake a 70 mile round trip (On public roads including a three lane dual carrageway) to take module 1 to prove that she is capable of riding on the road. I thought that was what a CBT was for!
Question, how long do we think section 6 will remain in the test after DSA start getting hit with legal action from those already injured?

New learner

I passed my module 1 this morning after my second attempt, after failing the first one for not getting up to speed (48 out of 50 km - so nothing at all) and i have found that the hardest thing is being able to actually practice the radius. I have spent the last week since failing trying to hire out tennis courts and basketball courts trying to find an area big enough to practice and nothing has compared. I know the DSA say you can hire out there site but this is only on a sunday and considering the amount of driving schools in each area this is completely unpractical. if they are going to do this and bring it in they need to think about giving people the opportunity to practice.

Good luck to your wife Charles!!

New learner

I failed Module 1 today, swerve test done at 49kph so had to do again. Was so concerned with getting speed I went too fast and messed up finish overshooting the box. Guy after me did eactly same thing but almost ended up in fence! I can see how people are falling off! It was a swerve to left too which didnt help as we had practiced swere to right (as I child ran out from pavement or car pulling out side road). Its really knocked my confidence and I am honestly scared to do that bit again.

Paul Douglas

I failed the module one test last Week (the second week that the new test was started).
I had a clean sheet except for being recorded at 45 then 46 kmh on the emergency stop test.
I had managed to reach 46 then 52 kmh on the swerve test by revving the guts out in second gear and leaving the bend at more than the recommended 30kmh.
I used my own Yamaha SR125, (in good running order, can do 65mph), but I weigh 15 stone, so it’s very difficult to get the bike up to 50kmh in the distance allowed.
I’m 58, and should have taken the damn test when I first rode at 16, but passed the car test instead, (at the first attempt).
I took the CBT last year, then the theory 3 days later (50 out of 50). I then failed two of the old practical tests, failing to look over shoulder when exiting a roundabout on one, then foot down on the u-turn, (5m wide road with kerbs).
As all four tests have to be completed within a two year time-frame, I’m throwing in the towel now, and will sell the 125 and carry on riding my moped (Honda C50LA) that my car license covers me for, and I’ve been using for 5 years !
I was looking forward to enjoying a bit of “proper” motorcycling in my retirement, but the whole thing now seems beyond reach……

russ pinder

failed tests 2 old 1 new signed up for a 6 day course last august 1500 quid spent up to now beyond reach sounds about right im gutted never wanted anything so much even bought a kwak 600 its the shiniest one in the showroom

Mary Shepherd

Hi ,I failed my test ( frist part ) again because of the weather at the lee on solent centre ,
16-20 miles ahour winds as i have to do 50km though part nine speed requirement test.
Avoidance ex …. sorry i could only do 46 as the wind would have pushed me
out of control ? Who knows what could have happen to me …Just on a test.
I do not want to die just to pass my bike test ! and when i was there ,\i was told that four instructor’s had falling off trying to do the test as asked ?
I’m now down by about £300 because i lost the money from the secound test which i could not even try ? to see if i had a chance to pass ?
thanks mary ..southampton good luck to you all

ernie stevens

hi all,failed test which i did at a local vosa lgv test centre,only fault !you guessed 44kph on swerve test,must add there was a manhole cover on the bend in middle of cones ,going to try at blackburn mptc,a nice 70 mile round tripp fingers crossed,good luck evryone.

Dion

I have to say this is pathetic - we have a so called swerve test in Sweden (where I got my motorcycle license) which is about 5 times more difficult than this. You must be joking me! People are actually angry over this? Oh come on! Any proper biker should be able to easily do this with abit of practice. If you can’t do that you have no business riding a bike. No wonder the UK has such a high rate of motorcycle accidents. I was under the impression that the UK had a similar level of training as most of western Europe. I was obviously wrong. The UK has a long way to go yet…

ernie stevens

hi all, did a second attempt at my mod one on sunday and passed managed 54kph on the avoidance test and 59kph on emergency stop,hardest bit is getting up to speed but i just let it rip coming out of the bend and it worked,good luck everyone,ernie stevens.

stephen darlington

the test is dangerous and virtually impossible to reach speeds on a 125 without revving the guts out of your bike….. i heard of people suffering broken bones and many failures whilst doing my test.
i have passedit now by leaving it in 2nd gear, but there should be a definate leeway on the mph on smaller engine bikes ie 125 cc and also wet weather conditions(meaning rain not floods)

Paul Douglas

Hi Dion,
The problem for me wasn’t the manouver to swerve round the cones or the emergency stop, I can manage those easily on a straight run at 50kmh.
The difficulty is that in the UK the test is carried out in a fenced off-road compound that is not long enough to comfortably get up to 50kmh in a straight line. Instead you have to exit a 180 degree turn at 20kmh at one end of the compound. As many people are saying, with the power restriction of 12bhp max, you actually have to come out of the U turn faster than 20kmh and then rev the guts out of the bike in 2nd to get through the timing gate at 50kmh. It’s even harder if you’re fat bloke like me !!
It also means that just as you reach the swerve or emergency stop, you still have the power full on in a low gear. I’m glad my (failed) test was in the dry…..

Paul Douglas

oops, correction to my post above…..
Where I’ve said you have to go round the 180 bend at 20kmh, I should have said 30kmh, (which is approx “our” 20mph), and the bend is a coned off set radius…..

Dion

Hi Paul,
I’ve done a bit of research about the introduced swerve test and I have to say I stick to my original opinion that, although tricky, it is still on an easier level then the one I had to do in Sweden (which was also done in a fenced off compound). In addition to a swerve test, we also had to do a so called garage turn where you had to turn the bike around in both directions at snail speed (in an area about 3×3 metres, basically sligthly bigger than a normal parking space for a car) as well as prove you can break the bike properly at different speeds. The swerve will take sometime to master - it took me probably more than one hundred attempts during training before I got it right for my test (and the same for the garage turn).
On top of these manouvers, as part of your training you have to drive for many hours in traffic at different times (city, motorway and also dirt roads). In the end my test at the Swedish DVLA took roughly 3 hours to complete, that included about 1.5h for maneuvre tests and about 1.5h in traffic (city, motorway and dirt roads).
I can imagine certain aspects of this manouver need to be reconsidered, but such a test should be part of your training routine and test in order to learn how to handle a bike properly.

Dion

Quick question, if you’re going for a full motorcycle license (i.e. category A), are you allowed to use a 125cc for your bike test?

Lucy

Ive got my second module 1 test tomorrow, failed the first on the second attempt at the swerve manouver (first time I did it I wasnt going fast enough so the examiner asked me to do it again) second time round I was gunning it so hard to get up to speed that I lost it & Knocked a cone over. Yes it is a very hard manouver, yes its making me feel a little bit sick thinking about the test tomorrow, yes I admit I didnt have enough confidence the first time round & yes I wish I had passed first time on the old test & not put my foot down on the U turn (no other faults!) but I think Dion is right in a way, enough training & we can all do it, PAUL DONT GIVE UP!!!! Im going to give it my third attempt tomorrow, & if I fail, its back to the drawing board to have more lessons (My instructor must be getting sick of the sight of me!!) But Ill bloody well keep going till I pass! My Dad has just passed his test, hes in his 50s, he failed first time & nearly gave up but now he’s riding roung on his K100 BMW & he loves it!! GOOD LUCK!!

Phil Sharratt

well ive failed this stupid swerve test 3 times now, but i still wont give up, the one thing that is annoying me is that each time i go the sewrve gap is slightly less, as the cone are laid out on dots in the carpark, sometimes meaning the gap for the swerve is only 1m to get through, i know people who having been biking for years who wouldnt want to do this test, i just think the dsa should think about safety first, for wet conditions,
i think like most people here this is a dream, that sadly is being made harder and harder to enjoy

Carolyn

I passed module 1 on Sunday 31 May in Livingston, West Lothian and I sat the test on my Harley Sportster 883XL, I managed the swerve test fine with a speed of 50km and the emergency stop with a speed of 57km. the weather was in my favour - very hot and sunny. Girl Power!!!

russ pinder

im bored of waiting to pass my test now im not going to bother ive never wanted anything more chalk it down to a very bad experience thanx dsa

Paul Douglas

Hi Dion,
Well I stand corrected there then, I admit I had’nt realised that the non-UK swerve tests were also carried out in an off-road compund. The reason we were told for the need to be off road here was that our town speed limits of 30mph are just under the required 50kmh.
I can’t argue with the logic that would-be motorcyclists should be able to handle their bikes “properly”, it’s just that the degree of proficiency required to pass the test seems to have increased greatly, whereas the car test (for example) seams much easier (eg 15 “minor” faults allowed, versus the 10 allowed for the bike test.
High standards would seem quite reasonable of anyone with aspirations for a 70mph+ superbike, but I can’t help thinking that there must be quite a few people like me who would just like to switch to two wheeled transport to ease their parking and city traffic problems. I’m sure many of these people are middle-aged non-biker enthusiasts who would just like to ride round at 40-50mph max with less impact on the environment and road congestion.
Now in the UK, we have only 2 levels of two-wheeled test proficiency, “mopeds” for up to 30mph max, and “motorbikes” for everything faster. I know there is a so-called “A1 light bike” test category, but the two practical tests are identical to the “full” bike test, it’s just that it is taken on a smaller capacity bike.

Paul Douglas (again)

Hi Lucy,
Sorry, I forgot to reply to your kind comments encouraging me to not give up. I haven’t actually gone to the point of no return yet, I still have the Yamaha 125, but I now have 10 months in which to complete, or retake the CBT and theory tests again, (which definitely would end my interest).
I have to admit, I’ve really enjoyed riding the 125 with the manual clutch and five gears, the ability to “keep up” with the traffic and the sense of freedom is great. I enjoy practising the swerves and cornering (on a disused car park), but the whole test process is becoming bl***y expensive.
I think my point is that if you’re a heavy (fat) bloke like me, the new UK module one test is quite a test of the 12bhp bike itself, let alone the rider !

Ben Price

Urk! I booked my module 1 the other day as I had no idea they’d split the test up and £10 sounded too good to be true. I was vaguely confident about it up until reading the above and now Im not so sure.
I too am a larger than average bloke with a 125 so am worried about getting up to speed.
Can anyone tell me 2 things: are you allowed to put a foot down in the U turn / Slow ride? and are you allowed to brake into the avoidance test? (yes I realise you need speed for the trap but looking at the diagram (and I admit that might be wrong) theres enough space beyond that to brake and swerve).

Also how on earth do you safely practice a swerve in the first place!? :)

To be honest tho passing the full test isn’t the end of the world for me. I’ve done 1400 miles in 5 months on A roads and am doing Lands End to John o Groats in August. It would be nice to have a bit more power but Im ok. Just dont want to have to retake my CBT in 18 months time.
Cheers all.

g

dion, the problem isnt the swerve; I belive in the need for a swerve, but I also belive in the need for widly avaliable places to train in! We cant train for the test, and that’s simply not right! Imagine taking your school exams if you were only allowed to do your revision at the weekend (if you were lucky!). its crazy.

I want to see easy accses to training centres where this mod 1 tests can be trained for!

Rich Hedley

Hi,I failed the mod 1 this week because the guy before me failed to get up to speed by 1mph so i glanced too long at the speedo through the speed gate and killed a cone in the swerve. I went through at 56 kmh and it was just a blur after that. Keep your head up guys!

Paul Douglas

Hi Ben,
I certainly don’t want to spoil anyone’s confidence or put them off trying. As others have kindly said to me, “don’t give up !”
I’m sure someone else will put us straight on this if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure a foot down during the u-turn, slalom, figure of eight, or slow ride would be a fail, as it was before, on the u-turn.
As regards the braking before the avoidance test, the swerve gate cones are pretty close to the speed sensor gate, by intention I guess, so that you are showing you can steer the bike through it at 50kmh. I think if you tried applying the brakes just as you’re giving a quick flick of counter steer to get the bike over for the swerve, you’d lose either the front or the back wheel.
“How do you safely practice the swerve”, good question ! Commercial bike training schools have the advantage (I believe), that they can use/rent the official module 1 compounds out of hours, for their trainees to practice. Whereas private individual learners do not have the option. I have to settle for deserted tarmac areas (out of hours car parks etc), where at least I won’t get run over by someone if I lose it….

Ben Price

Cheers for your comments. I took the test the other day and failed but that was largely due to the lovely 3 meter skid I did on my emergency stop :)

Ah well.

As it turned out the avoidance test is very simple indeed and should be no problem to anyone thats done any length of riding.

However I too suffered from the problem of getting up to speed. Of the 3 runs I did only 1 was above 52KPH and that was with me reving the engine in 2nd til it screamed. For us larger people its just very difficult to make the corner AND speed up (something I wouldn’t do on the road at least)
I entirely agree that it needs more practice areas (hiring out the place at £1 per min on a sunday (if you can get a slot) is not an option).

Interestingly on the test ground I was on, the tarmac was so smooth I didn’t even realise I was skiding until I stopped.

Paul Ledsham

I have not completed the “actual” module 1 test as yet (booked in this Thursday) but have been on the actual test site to practice. All of the manouveres are simple enough to complete with enough practise, including the so called swerve (you can almost keep going straight when riding if your line is right) so they are nothing really you should worry about. BUT, and it is a very big but, I am 5′11, weigh 15.5 stone and am riding a 12hp suzuki gs125 (the usual riding school bike of choice). The only way i can get to 50kph for the swerve and emergency stop is to start excellerating half way round the 180 turn (danger), rev the bike in 2nd till it screams (3rd won’t give you the required pickup), put my visor down and put my head as low as I possibly can (almost on the tank). Then, there is a small chance i may just hit 50kph. This is absolutely insane, the DSA are asking people to complete something that is almost beyond the capacity of the bike. Out of 10 practise attempts, all using the above technique, i managed 50kph 4 times, all the others were 48-49kph (which is a fail). My instructer who has been riding and teaching 20 years managed 51kph as his fastest attempt. He also thinks its stupid. All of this was in the sunshine. I would not like to use this technique in heavy rain as the 180 turn is very tight when you are having to boot your little 125 within an inch of its life. Please God, give me sun on Thursday. I’ll give an update then

Paul Ledsham

Big fat fail!!!!!

Reason - Swerve - Really gave it some on the 180 bend and lost my balance a bit at the end of the turn as the turn is very tight when you boot it, hard acceleration through the straight whilst wobbling is not good so did not have the correct line for the swerve and hit a cone. I accelerated to the point that is was dangerous and i was not in control of the bike and still only hit 51kph through the gate!!!!!!! I could complete the swerve at 60kph without problem if i had the actual time needed to accelerate as the actual swerve is not that difficult. The real problem for us 125 riders is hitting speed. I could have gone round the bend at a controlled speed, and then accelerated whilst straightening up but it is highly likely i wouldn’t have hit the 50kph. Think its pretty ridiculous to be honest. On a 500cc you can safely do that as you have the power when needed in the short distance of the straight section. For a 125, Its like asking a fiesta 1.1 to accelerate to the same speed in the same distance as a porsche. The DSA won’t change this as they think the test is all singing and all dancing. Its a real shame that the test to an extent is not about your riding ability but more about the technical capacity of the machine you are riding.

When you try and ride at the limit of a bikes capacity, accidents are likely to happen. On a hairpin bend on the road there is absolutely no way I would accelerate until safe to do so. Unfortunately, with this test you have little choice but to do it, even though you know it is risky. My choice now is to borrow a 125 sport bike or do DA so i can use a 500cc (another £300 odd pounds) .

Thank you very much DSA, ignorant fools when it comes to rider saftey.

Garry MacDougall

I crashed out of my Module 1 Test today on the swerve avoidance section of the test. Crashed being the operative word. I have an extremely sore right shoulder and painful left leg where the bike fell on top of me. If I had not been wearing suitable protective clothing matters would have been more serious. I passed through the radar at 52kph and attempted to brake, the wheels locked and down I went. This is an extremely dangerous addition to the test. The angle through the biker swerves is far too acute. It needs to be rethought by the DSA before a serious injury takes place!

Charlie

I just did my module one this morning and passed! Waheey, thankfully it was sunny and all good. I changed the front sprocket on my little 125 to one with two less teeth to give me enough easy acceleration on the 50kmph exercise. I’d recommend a few others having difficulty getting up to speed to do this - it just means quicker gear changes but it works I managed 54kmph in third gear for my swerve. Just the second part now!
Good luck to all and keep it up

Angela

I’ve just failed my module one for the second time this morning. First time I failed (last week) was because I couldn’t quite make it to 50kmh on my Vespa PX125. Then managed to clip a cone on my second swerve attempt so it was an instant fail. Spent the last week practicing hard at going round a quiet roundabout on an industrial estate the wrong way (cos our test centre uses the left hand circuit) to get the confidence to go round bends faster so that I could get the accelleration needed to make it to 50kmh and today I managed dead on 50 for the swerve and emergency stop but, again, clipped a cone on the swerve. I was perfect on every other part of the test, not even a minor fault. Its ridiculous to expect us to ride at such speed out of a bend then put a swerve in too. It doesn’t reflect real situations at all - who would rev the guts out of their bike in second when coming out of a bend? Its nuts. I’m now trying to book for my third attempt and can’t get a test date until August! It seems our test centre (Poole) only does bike tests at weekends. Sooooo frustrated.

Paul Douglas

Well it’s a relief that it wasn’t just me that thought the new 50kmh swerve and stop tests coupled with the essential flat out acceleration out of the 180 bend was daft.
I have now sold the 125 and given up. I’ll carry on riding my trusty Honda C50LA Auto that is covered by my UK car license. It would have been nice to have had just little more power, (maybe a 90), and maybe safer too, but as the test requirement for those is exactly the same as for a the full unlimited bike license, I now concede defeat. Pity, I did actually manage the swerve test at 52kmh, but failed on the emergency stop at 47kmh. To cap it all, my CBT and Theory tests will also “expire” next April……
Good luck to every one else still trying (sincerely)….