Test riding bikes can be a bit tricky sometimes. Dealers often want to know plenty of info in advance, the ride might be fairly short and it can seem a bit cheeky asking to ride three or four bikes in one day. It’s also good to sample a brand that you might not consider owning, without any sales pressure being involved, away from a shop. That’s where a half day Buell Experience is another option.

For £129 you get two track sessions, escorted by ex-racers, plus a sampler off-road trundle along gravel tracks, skills test and a road riding session, again with an instructor on hand to offer any tips and advice. I went to Cadwell Park to ride anything I wanted from the Buell 2008 range and came away impressed with the organisation, the 1125R in particular and embarrassed at how bad I was attempting to ride around cones in a car park.

Yep, there’s no humiliation for a bike journo like being made to undergo a simulated bike test, watched by a crowd of 12 other bikers, then fail miserably. Seven point turns, feet down dabs all over the place and I was utterly unable to negotiate a tight turning circle. Oh well, I can always blame my advancing dementia, but it was good to be given a wake-up call over my basic riding skills.

Chris Curve is the edge of heaven.

Since I saw the prototype 1125R I wanted to ride it on a decent track and Cadwell is one of my favourites. This mini Nurburgring has the famous Mountain, Woodland section and the blind entry, double right-hander, Chris Curve. It is a corner which sorts men from boys and I recall being overtaken there by Steve Plater during a race school a decade ago - Steve was riding one-handed at the time, I was trying my best Jim Whitham impression and thinking I was hot stuff…

But don’t get the idea that the Buell Experience track sessions are road races in miniature. This is no full-on trackday, packed with lunatics all hoping to elbow you onto the grass as they overtake you. Instead Buell keep it laid back, friendly and stress the importance of going home safely, with a big grin on your face.

“The day is about extending your comfort zone a little bit,” explained Matt Llewelyn, ex BSB and Supersport racer, ” so we spend the first session just getting everyone familiar with Cadwell’s tricky corners, enforce a no overtaking policy and show you the advised lines by using cones, and braking markers. If everyone looks OK, then session two features a warm up lap, before overtaking and riding at your own pace is allowed. We do have a word with, or in extreme circumstances, black flag people who mess about, but it doesn’t happen often on a Buell Day.”

The accent is very much on tuition, as well as the fun of trying the Buell bikes. I spoke to three riders who all owned Japanese or Italian machines and were keen to dip a toe into the water with the American brand. Phil from Leicestershire told me, ” I’ve been riding 25 years, used to race here in fact, but fancied seeing if the 1125R shapes up against my Aprilia Mille. Fast riding on a strange bike isn’t something you’d want to do on the road, so this is a good idea.”

Tarmac or gravel sir?

The day includes four main elements, and after a circuit briefing, then opening track session, we were ushered to the parkland edge of Cadwell’s paddock, where four Ulysses models waited us. Breaking into small grousp of three riders we headed downhill, made a right turn in the muddy access track, then rode uphill and aorund the mix of gravel tracks and grass areas at the back of Park corner and Chris Curve. It isn’t a mini Dakar of course, but it did prove enough to test riders who had zero off-road experience.

The XB12XT Ulysses can be thrummed along a smooth-ish off-road surface without any big drama and it did showcase the all-round ability of the bike. I am still convinced that no off-road bike needs more than one cylinder, plus I worry what the repair bill would be when I inevitably dropped the bike one day, but the taster session definitely gives you confidence. That’s the great thing about the day overall, you feel able to tackle new stuff as you get into it.

Next up was a road ride, escorted in a group. We headed off down the Lincolnshire lanes, with me aboard a Lightning model. This was ideal for backroads fun. The Lightning has a sit-up-straight riding position, torquey motor, excellent front brake too. The pace was slow at first, getting a bit quicker, then just as it got very twisty and fun, we arrived back at Cadwell. I wouldn’t say it’s enough to make a buying decision on any bike really, plus you spend time watching the antics of the riders in front, some of whom were getting close to cocking things up on overtaking moves - arguably the most dangerous aspect of group riding.

The only thing I’d say is that the group needed telling firmly that if an overtake looked dodgy, then do not attempt it, the group’s lead rider will wait for you. Plus more time road riding and less time doing the skills test round the cones would be a good idea in terms of selling Buell bikes.

Take the shame, boy.

So to the cones then. We watched as the Buell expert rider make it look deceptively easy, trickling the Lightning around a tight right turn, onto a small ramp, then doing a 360 degree circle, tight left turn, into a stop-box, under a limbo type bar, and finish.

But in the interests of journalistic truth, I have to report that all of us, novice and veteran riders alike, failed to accomplish anything close to a clear run. A few stalled the bike, I did a seven point turn in the circle of cone Hell, plus one guy fell off the ramp, which was only a foot high, and decked the instructor into the bargain. But no injuries, except wounded pride.

A test like this is good, because it makes you accept your limitations as a rider, something that grown men find harder to do than a week’s worth of dishes. I found it impossible to balance clutch, throttle and my body, whilst keeping the bike on full lock and I reckoned I was quite good at slow riding until tackling this assessment. Back to school obviously and I may attempt some homework on a C90 fitted with stabilisers…

Then it was on track for another session. The sun was out, the circuit had dried, except for the Woodland bit and I bagged the 1125R for a good 120mph blast along the straight. That’s something you can’t do on a public road these days without risking a jail term, so I’d say that the day was worth the entry cost for those superb moments of fun and excitement when the 1125R was hammering out of corners and impressing the heck out of me. It is a gutsy, addictive motor and that Buell chassis handles the power really well.

I’ve said for years that the bike industry is in the dark ages compared to the car manufacturers, in offering road tests and sampler days. But things are changing. At last, companies like Buell, BMW, KTM, Kawasaki and others seem to be getting better at offering would-be buyers the chance to try bikes in a controlled environment.

Yes it costs money, but buying a bike you fall out of love with, in maybe just six weeks of ownership, could drop a grand or more from your bank account. Even if you walk way thinking the bikes aren’t what you expected, you’ll still have a great big grin on your face at the end of it. Like everything in biking should be, the Buell Experience is mainly fun and I can take a day of that anytime.

Factfile

Cost; £149 per person, per half day. Includes lunch voucher.

Locations; Mallory Park, Cadwell Park.

Requirements; Age 25 minimum, must have held a full licence for 12 months. Counterpart and photocard licence must be produced on the day.

Extras; Photographer on track, costs £20 per shot for souvenir pic. Opportunity of `hot’ pillion laps with race riders, depending on weather and demand.

More info; visit www.buell.co.uk or call 01652 688 410.

To read expert and impartial reviews of the latest Buell models, check out our Bike Reviews.

Unfortunately, that’s not the sort of statement that is going to make things any easier for the millions of motorists and hauliers for whom the car, motorcycle or truck provides vital links to work, family, friends and leisure. Motoring already takes up a significant chunk of people’s income, once tax, maintenance and motorcycle insurance is factored into the equation, so higher forecourt bills are hardy welcome in the current climate.

Supply & Demand

Depending on who you listen to, anything from the weak dollar to oil company shareholders are thought to be to blame for the high prices although in essence, supply and demand is thought to be the biggest culprit.

Aside from a growth in use in most developed countries, developing nations such as India, China and the United Arab Emirates are also using considerably more mineral products than they used to. Compared to usage levels in 2005, the world now consumes an extra 3 million barrels a day.

But whilst demand is growing, supply is doing anything but. Many of the oil producers in the Middle East, who form much the bulk of the powerful OPEC group, are reluctant to increase supply, (a problem which Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently tried to resolve on his visit to Saudi Arabia), others are already working at full capacity and political unrest in nations like Iraq, Iran and Nigeria (where attacks on oil rigs have reduced output by around 25% alone).

Added to that, market speculation is thought to be rife. The theory is that the weak dollar has left investors looking for more lucrative investment opportunities with oil being a popular option. Those investors hold onto that oil in preparation for further increases, limiting supply and forcing prices upwards. The actual affect on prices is widely disputed however by those on Wall Street.

And then of course, there’s tax.

The biggest issue behind many of the fuel protests that have been seen recently, fuel duty and other forms of taxation form a significant part of the price we pay at the pump.

Petrol in the UK attracts two forms of taxation, fuel duty and VAT. Duty is a flat-rate charge, currently standing at 52.35p per litre of unleaded. It does not alter as the price of fuel fluctuates and can only be changed by the chancellor in his annual budget speech. A further 2p increase in fuel duty was postponed until October by Chancellor Alistair Darling in the 2008 budget although political analysts are speculating that it may be postponed further still as prices continue to rise.

VAT is then added at a rate of 15%, slightly lower than the standard 17.5% rate that we pay on many other commodities. Of course, being a percentage, the amount of revenue raised by this method fluctuates as the price of fuel changes and controversially, fuel duty is included in the taxable amount.

The result is that UK motorists pay the highest amount of taxation on fuel in Europe although surprisingly, we don’t pay the highest price. Research by the AA suggests that based on European average prices, the French, Dutch, Germans, Swedes, Norwegians, Finnish, Danish and Belgians all paid more for a litre of unleaded than we did here in Britain during the month of May 2008, although we do have the second highest diesel prices behind Norway.

So what about those spectacular profits that the major oil companies reveal? Are they gaining from our increasing fuel bills?

Well, not exactly. In recent months, Shell announced record profits of £13.9bn whilst BP’s profits for 2007 were a more modest £8.76bn, both figures which drew criticism from various quarters but very little of that profit was actually made on UK forecourts.

When you actually break down a typical 116p litre, you find that as much as 70 pence (61%) of the price of that litre is made up of duty and VAT. Of what’s left, around 37p is the cost of fuel itself, leaving just 9p profit for the retailer. From that, the garage owner has to cover his overheads including delivery, staff costs, rent and tax.

Instead, the money behind these record profits comes from what is known as “exploration and production” - finding and extracting the oil. Unfortunately for motorists, competition regulations prevent large oil companies from subsidising their retail arms (i.e., the petrol stations) from these profits as it would make it almost impossible for independent garages, many of whom operate in rural areas of Britain, to compete.

It’s highly unlikely that, despite the hardship facing many motorists, taxation on fuel will fall. Fuel duty provided the public purse with almost £24bn in 2006-07 and recent protests by hauliers have not been campaigning for a drop in fuel duty across the board but instead for a duty rebate solely for the haulage industry, similar to the one enjoyed by public transport operators.

Make the most from your MPG

There are things however that you can do to offset the cost of filling up your bike or car. You aren’t going to find your fuel bills plummeting by any means, but there are lots of nifty tricks and tips that you can do to at least soften the blow a little.

If for instance, you’re prepared to travel around the local area for the cheapest fuel, then take a look at www.petrolprices.com. This free service checks the price of fuel at over 9,700 forecourts around the county and will point out both the cheapest and most expensive stations in your area. A quick search of garages within a 10 mile radius of Carole Nash HQ shows a difference of 10p per litre between the dearest (124.9p) and cheapest (114.9p) unleaded - that adds up to a saving of £2 per visit when filling up a 20 litre tank. Fill up once a week and that’s a possible £104 annual saving. In other areas, the savings could be even larger.

However, if you find yourself invariably using the same petrol station or chain of garages for every fill-up, check to see if that garage runs a loyalty or rewards scheme.

Shell for instance has its own ‘Drivers Club” whilst BP will add points to your Nectar card with every purchase. As these accumulate, you can use exchange them in for gift vouchers, discounts on various products and even Air Miles.

It’s also worth keeping an eye out for supermarket incentives. Most of the “big-four” occasionally offer to knock a few pence-per-litre off the cost of filling up as a thank-you buying your groceries in store. As we speak, Tesco are offering a 5p-per-litre discount for anyone spending £50 or more in their stores until July 20 2008. You’ll also come across loyalty points here as well, with Tesco and Morrison’s both having their own schemes whilst Sainsbury’s, like BP, accept Nectar cards.

There are other sneaky tips to offset your costs as well. For instance, if you usually pay for your fuel on a credit or debit card, check to see if you are using the “right” card.

Cash-back credit cards give a percentage of your spending back to you and, as fuel tends to be a regular outlay, you could significantly off-set the cost of filling up your car or bike. What’s more, pay your bill in full every month and you won’t find the interest eating into the benefits.

There are plenty of credit cards out there. Most offer cash-back on almost any purchase whilst Shell and ASDA both offer cards with specific deals for fuel purchases from their forecourts. The best advice here is just to shop around for the best deal. At the moment, American Express is offering up to 5% cash-back in the first year. Using the weekly 20 litre, 115.9p-per-litre fill-up example as before, that would return more than £55 in cash-back over the 12 months. Others, including Egg and Barclaycard, offer slightly less although the cards are more widely accepted.

One other tactic that tends to crop up when talking about getting the most from your fuel tank is to fill up on cold days or at night. Oil becomes denser at lower temperatures and so, in theory at least, you’ll get more for your money. In practice however, there isn’t really any tangible benefit.

Of course, big benefits will also come from adopting a more frugal riding or driving style.

Ditching any extra weight provides a considerable benefit to your mpg. If you’ve got lots of unnecessary luggage in your tank bag, leave it at home.

Inflating your tyres to their correct level is thought to provide a 5% saving on fuel whilst adopting a more sedate riding style can provide plenty of improvements.

Data collected by traffic analysts at Keepmoving.co.uk has suggested that motorway drivers are cutting their speed in an effort to improve fuel consumption, with average speeds parts of the motorway network seeing a 0.9% drop in the first half of June 2008 compared to the same time 12 months ago. Tests have shown that just sticking to the speed limit can considerably reduce the rate at which your fuel gauge needle moves, with the average motorist travelling at 90mph on a motorway estimated to spend £1.20 more on fuel every eight minutes compared to a motorist travelling at 70mph.

Further savings can be made around town. Instead of racing from red light to red light, take it easier, accelerate slowly and watch the savings add up and let’s not forget to cut out any unnecessary journeys. In the 2007 RAC Report of Motoring, one in ten of those questioned confessed to never walking anywhere. Those short trips to the local shop all add up, much more than you probably expect, so try cutting them out. Not only will you cut your fuel use, you’ll also cut your mileage as well, which can only be good for your motorcycle insurance premium!

All of this might sound incredibly dull and dreary. After all, we all want to enjoy our motorcycles, particularly in the summer evenings, and nobody wants to ride around thinking about which vouchers to use in certain garages and if the petrol in the pump is the right temperature. The reality however is that £5+ gallons are probably here to stay for the foreseeable future, meaning that many of us are experiencing higher commuting and transport costs. The tips above aren’t going to offer huge discounts, but they may well help to soften the blow in the middle of the current credit crunch.

Because of this, many motorcyclists may be carrying pillion passengers without taking all the necessary precautions to ensure the comfort, enjoyment and above all, the safety of both themselves and their passenger.

Whilst most motorcycles do feature a pillion seat, certain bikes, particularly tourers like the Honda Goldwing or Yamaha Virago, are designed with passenger travel very much in mind. Others however, make carrying a friend much more difficult and so it is important to prepare yourself, your bike and your passenger for the journey ahead.

There are things that you can do before you take to the road and the first and probably most important thing that you should do is look at both your licence and motorcycle insurance policy to see if they allow you to carry a pillion passenger.

Those of you with a full motorcycle licence (or moped licence for moped riders) are permitted to carry a pillion passenger whilst riders with only a CBT are not permitted to ride with a passenger on board. As a simple rule, if you’ve got L-plates, you’re riding solo.

Your motorcycle insurance policy will also dictate whether you can be accompanied on your bike. Many bike insurance policies consider pillion passenger cover as an optional extra, so consult your insurance documents or contact your insurer before you start the engine to check that you are covered. Remember, it is illegal to take to the road without sufficient insurance cover.

But if you can get on the road, how can you ensure that your journey, whether you are the one in control or the one holding on, is both comfortable and safe?

Here are a few tips to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

Maintain the bike.

Whilst bike maintenance is something which we should all take seriously as a matter of course, remember that any problem could become even worse when carrying another rider.

Dress properly.

This may sound strange, but when picking out your clothing for the ride, dress in what you would most like to be wearing should you be unfortunate enough to crash. Helmet, leathers, gloves, boots - everything you’ll need to protect you from injury. Remember that as a pillion, statistics say that you are much more likely to suffer injury that the rider.

Mount the bike, hold on and stay on board.

If you are the passenger, let the driver position the bike before you attempt to climb aboard. Getting the bike out of a parking spot is easier with one person on the bike. Once the rider is ready, step over the bike without touching the foot pegs, sit on the seat and bring your feet onto the pegs.

You can hold on to either the rider or the hand rails, but make sure that you hold on at all times. In-experienced passengers are recommended to hold around the waist of the rider as it allows them to follow the natural lean of the bike. Many motorcycle accessory retailers also stock belts which wrap around the rider and provide the passenger with handles to hold on to. Others advise having one hand around the rider’s waist and another on his back or shoulder. This prevents you falling off the bike when during acceleration and keeps you from banging helmets together when braking. Use whichever system you are comfortable with.

Once you are on the bike, make sure that you stay on it. When the rider puts his foot on the ground at a junction or traffic lights, don’t put your foot down as well. If you decide to plant your foot on the floor and the rider sets off, you could suffer serious injury.

Ride sensibly.

A bit of a no-brainer really. Despite what you may see on the television, the aim isn’t to give your passenger the fright of their life. Make sure that both of you reach your destination safely.

Don’t sit up straight.

If you are a passenger, don’t sit up straight as the bike leans as this can seriously affect the handling and makes it more difficult for the rider to right the bike back up after completing the turn. At the same time, don’t lean excessively as this can lead to sudden shifts in the bikes’ centre of gravity.

Pay attention to the road.

You might not be the one in control of the bike but that doesn’t mean that you can take your eyes off the road. Any sudden, unexpected steering movement or change in speed and you could end up being thrown from the bike. Keep your eyes on the road so you are aware of things that could cause the rider to change course.

Dismount carefully

As with mounting the bike, make sure that the rider is ready for the pillion passenger to dismount the bike before you take your feet off the foot pegs. The passenger should dismount first.

Enjoy the journey.

Whilst carrying a pillion passenger brings risks, riding together can be extremely enjoyable if done properly. Accessories such as intercom systems are very popular for bikers looking to communicate throughout the journey, so climb aboard and enjoy the ride.

The Insidebikes quick check-list for carrying a pillion passenger:

1. Check your licence.

2. Check your motorcycle insurance documents.

3. Dress for safety.

4. Mount correctly.

5. Ride sensibly.

6. Hold on and stay on.

7. Follow the bike.

8. Keep your eyes on the road.

9. Dismount when the rider is ready.

10. Have fun!

Alastair Walker reports.

Like most bikers, I’ve been riding motorcycles for over 30 years and always worn a helmet, mainly because it’s the law but also because it’s a sensible thing to do. A low speed head injury can kill you - simple as that.

But for most of that time I’ve never really known how bike helmets were designed, manufactured and tested.

The only way to figure out if a helmet was good was to ask other bikers, or use your own judgement when trying them on in a shop. I was also surprised to learn recently that the ECE 22.05 standard is set by a United Nations funded testing body - not the EU. But alongside the existing ECE regs, the UK government’s new SHARP (Safety Helmet Assessment Ratings Programme) came onstream in Spring 2008, offering ratings from one to five stars for most popular biking lids. It’s intended to offer buyers a useful guide as regards the helmet’s likely impact resistance in a crash. SHARP are buying the most popular lids, then lab testing them.

The initial results are surprising, as some helmets from top brands like Arai, Shoei and AGV only made three stars, whilst budget brand products from Nitro or Lazer were rated five out of five in the SHARP tests. All of which begs the question; what testing methods are SHARP using and is a cheaper helmet just as good as a more expensive one?

The SHARP Test Regime

SHARP tests are designed to log the effects of a specific impact of between 6.5 to 8.5 metres per second on specially selected points of the helmet’s outer shell - both head-on, and a simulated glancing blow. The impact speed is slightly higher in terms of speed than the existing ECE 22.05 standard but SHARP don’t do any testing on the chinbar section of the lid, or do a repeated impact on one area - like Arai do in their own factory tests for example. Arai also drop a 3kg heavy, piercing metal spike on their helmets, which SHARP - and many other manufacturers - don’t feel is needed.

Ferry Brouwer, who has 27 years experience at Arai told insidebikes; ” The ECE and SHARP tests are on specific areas of the shell, identified to manufacturers in advance of testing, which means a manufacturer is able to add some extra material at those points to make sure the product will pass the test. In the USA the test points are chose by Snell at random - a far better system in my opinion.”

The SHARP tests don’t include a test of the chinstrap fastening on motorcycle helmets, which many bikers think is a crucial thing to test. So many bikers suffer serious injury because the helmet strap breaks, then the lid flies off during a crash.

Experience Matters - A Personal View

For my money, the SHARP tests are a step forwards in terms of lab-based testing - they exceed the existing standards, which is a good thing. But they don’t go far enough.

What we need is random impact testing, like Snell do in the USA, plus some stern action by UK Trading Standards against dodgy helmet makers who flout the existing rules. Having done some research, I couldn’t find one importer or helmet factory who has ever been prosecuted in the UK, for selling unsafe, or dangerous goods.

That cannot be right, as most experienced bikers have seen outdated, damaged, or poorly made lids on sale at various bike shows. Surely the time has come to stop the unregulated sale of helmets which are so ridiculously cheap, that questions must be asked regarding their protective value?

After 30 years riding motorcycles, I would offer the following tips and advice when buying any helmet;
1. Make sure it fits right - get your head accurately measured. The helmet should fit snugly, with very little side-to-side, or up and down movement, when being worn.

2. Never place gloves, keys, wallets or anything else inside your helmet - the inner EPS lining is vulnerable to damage by sharp objects, dirt, or human sweat, which accelerates the wear and tear on the inner lining.

3. Look for a `D ring’ type chinstrap fastening, rather than the mini `seatbelt’ type clip. The adjustment via the D ring tends to be more precise in daily use.

4. A flip-up helmet, where the chin section can be raised, may be more convenient to wear, but they are not as strong as a full face type lid - do you see anyone race in GP or Superbikes wearing a `flip-front’ type helmet?

5. An ACU Gold sticker means very little - the ACU do not actually test helmets, they merely approve them for race use based on a visual inspection.

6. The old Bell helmets slogan remains true in my book; If you have a ten dollar head, buy a ten dollar helmet. Always buy the best lid you can afford, and replace it after 5-6 years, unless it suffers a serious blow to the shell, some solvent or other damage etc. in which case it will probably need replacing immediately after discovering the damage.

The short answer is the best you can afford. A good helmet is crucial as the head is the most vulnerable part of your body; brands like Arai, Shoei, Schuberth, HJC, AGV are all good choices, but there are many more. 

How do I test a helmet’s fit?

When you try on a helmet, test to see if it moves side-to-side excessively, or up and down on your head. The fit should be snug, but not so tight that it feels uncomfortable. Brands like Arai have three or more different helmet outer shell sizes, plus variable inner padding sizes, so you have a better chance at achieving a perfect fit. 

I’m just riding a few miles to work – do I need loads of kit?

If you’re commuting then some ankle length boots, waterproof trousers (with CE approved armour inserts) and a well made leather or textile jacket should be the minimum to aim for. You should choose some good gloves too, which feature visibly strong stitching on the seams and reinforced palm sections if possible. 

Good clothing brands we would recommend include; Frank Thomas, BKS Leathers, AGV Sport, Weise, Hein Gericke,  Bering, Held, Furygan and Dainese – but there are many more in the shops.

Choose clothing carefully, make sure it fits comfortably, yet is snug and warm – the wind/rain can chill your body’s core temperature and make you less able to concentrate on your riding.  

How do I know if gloves are the right fit?

When testing gloves, try doing up the chin strap on a helmet, or simulating using motorbike controls, to make sure all your fingers – and thumbs – have free movement and can achieve fine control.  

You fingers should reach almost to the end of the glove’s fingertip area, and the strap around your wrist should fit snug, yet comfortably. Remember leather `gives’ with some wear, so a slightly tighter fit is better than a loose fit in the longer term.

Most importantly, you need to be sure that gloves won’t pinch in any way, reducing the circulation of blood in your hands. 

Good glove brands include; AGV, Dainese, Held, RST, Rev It, Weise, Hein Gericke and so on.

What are the best boot brands? 

If you’re shopping for boots then look for something with a GoreTex waterproof membrane built-in, strong, Kevlar re-inforced support in the ankle area, plus an anti-bacterial lining to keep them smelling sweeter.

All leather boots will leak eventually on a wet ride, but products like G-wax help keep them resistant to showers. If your boots get soaked, dry them slowly, as placing them on hot radiators can crack the leather slightly, or allow layers inside to unpeel, or distort a little bit.

Good boot brands include; Daytona, Altberg, Sidi, Puma, Alpinestars, Weise, Frank Thomas and many more.

I own a car and want a scooter for commuting, do I need a motorcycle licence?

If you have an Irish category B car licence then you can ride a 50cc moped scooter without taking any test, or applying for another licence – you just add the M category to your licence. You must insure the moped too.If you want to ride a 51cc-125cc or larger engine size scooter, and are aged 16 or older, then you need to apply for a provisional motorcycle, Category A1 licence. If you’re 18 years old you can apply for a category A provisional motorcycle/scooter licence. You are restricted to a 33bhp machine for the first two years and you then have two years to pass your motorcycle test.From December 1st 2007 all provisional or learner motorcycle/scooter riders in the ROI must wear a hi-vis tabard with the letter `L’ on it. The L must be at least 15cm tall.

Do I need to take the Theory test?

Yes, this applies to all moped, scooter, car or motorcycle licences. It’s a multiple choice quiz on the rules of the road, available at over 20 local centres across Ireland. Phone 1890 606 106 for details on costs and availability.

How old do I have to be to ride?

Aged 16 for a scooter or motorcycle up to 125cc, and 18 years old for 51cc and above size motorcycles and scooters.

Do I have to ride a restricted motorcycle on a provisional licence?

Yes, the rules are a bit complicated on this issue. The machine does NOT have to have a capacity limit on its engine size, but a power-to-weight ratio limit of 0.16kw/kg, or make no more than 33bhp. These are EU rules and difficult to understand without the aid of a calculator and the technical spec on a particular motorcycle. In short, a typical large sportsbike, like say an R1, Fireblade or Ducati 749 will NOT be available for learner riders, but bikes with relatively modest power – yet still carrying a fair bit of weight – like say a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide – may well be OK.

Your safest bet is to start on something reasonably small, light in weight and easy to handle in all conditions as a novice rider. Bikes like the Honda CBF500, Yamaha Fazer 600, Kawasaki Versys etc are all ideal and a motorcycle dealer will be able to restrict your machine to 33bhp if needed.Note; once you pass your motorcycle category A licence test you STILL have to ride a restricted 33bhp machine for two years after passing the test.

Do I need to take any training?

At present you do not. But insidebikes recommends training for all riders because you are especially vulnerable as a novice. The ROI training situation may well change soon, as the Irish government has indicated that new rules will come into effect. The laws will make novice riders complete a set number of hours compulsory basic training before going onto the public roads. You may find that taking training helps lower your insurance costs, which is always good. If you have completed a training course, then call Carole Nash on 1800 298 550 to find out if you can save money on your motorbike insurance premium.

I own a basic trailbike from the 80s, can I take my motorcycle test on that?

Yes, you can take the motorcycle test on any roadworthy machine. So it doesn’t need to have indicators or even a brake light fitted. If they are fitted, they have to work however and the bike must have a headlamp. You may use hand signals and the `lifesaver’ glance over the shoulder instead of mirrors during the test.

What kind of skills do I need to practise to pass the Irish motorcycle test?

The test is similar to old UK motorcycle test from the 70s and 80s, basically a few questions on the rules of the road, and then an examiner will either follow you in a car, or observe on foot, whilst you do some basic riding. A feet-up U turn is usually required, plus some slow riding at `walking pace.’You will be asked to demonstrate that you understand how controls like the horn or the machine’s kill switch work, or how the drive chain is adjusted too.

You wouldn’t skimp on bike insurance protection, so why should you take an unnecessary risk when searching for the perfect lid! Invest a bit of time, and you can find the perfect marriage between style and safety features.

Despite the best intentions of many a bike accessory salesmen, experts believe that there are many people on the road who don’t realise their motorcycle helmet wouldn’t give them the level of protection they might expect in the event of an accident.

It’s easy to see why many people might not be wearing a correctly sized helmet. When walking into a store on the local high street, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the level of choice available on the shelf in terms of size, colour, shape and style.

It is a common mistake for riders, particularly novice riders, to opt for a helmet that is too large as they find the ‘close’ feeling of a motorcycle helmet unusual and uncomfortable at first. Quite often, the ‘right’ helmet will feel too small initially.

So how do you make sure that you leave that store with the right helmet?

In a similar way to motorcycle insurance policies, every rider will be looking for different things from their helmet, whether it’s a different size, style or colour so make sure that you shop around to find the helmet you want at the best possible price.

It is important to make sure that you get your head measured before trying on any helmet. Most reputable motorcycle accessory stores will be able to do this for you or provide you with a measurement tape which will give you an accurate indication of the size that you are looking for.

Once you know the size of helmet that you are after, then try on several helmets in store, but don’t just try them for a few seconds. If possible, wear them for a few minutes to check how comfortable they are. If you find a helmet uncomfortable after five minutes in the shop, imagine wearing it on an hour long motorway cruise! Remember that it is common for the ‘right’ helmet to feel small at first.

When you are wearing the helmet, try turning your head to expose any potential gaps. If, when turning your head from left to right you can put your fingers between your cheek and the helmet’s cheek pad, it is too big.

If you follow these simple steps as well as the advice of in-store experts, then you can make sure that your head has the very best protection should the unexpected happen.

The new test, introduced by the EU and rolled out by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) in the UK, isn’t without controversy. Riders will be expected to complete a new ‘swerve and braking manoeuvre’ which some instructors have labelled ‘dangerous’. In a bid to curb reckless riding, the new, tougher exam tests your bike skills for eight minutes. If you fail, you’re unlikely to be put forward for the ‘on-the-road’ test. How this will affect your motorbike insurance policy is unclear as yet.

The new addition to the test that has caused such controversy is explained below:

If you’re a new rider on a 125cc bike or above, you’ll have to accelerate to 50kph (approx 31mph), swerve around a cone, then brake hard in an ‘emergency stop’ manoeuvre. This is currently being reviewed by the DSA however, with test runs showing that a re-think on the minimum speed for the swerve may need to take place as it may prove too difficult for novices to pull off. The new move is intended to replicate a rider’s response to a car emerging from a side road – the most common type of car/bike collision according to motorbike insurance companies and official figures.

What’s caused even more concern amongst UK instructors is the fact that other EU nations have separated the ‘swerve’ and ‘brake’ manoeuvres into two separate parts of the test, whereas they are combined into one for the UK test – making it harder for beginner riders to complete.

Concerns have also been raised over the DSA’s plans to build 70 new motorcycle test centres and make sure all 250 bike instructors are well versed in the new test requirements before the changes to the law take place.

The New Test at a Glance

- Novice riders take CBT Part 1 & receive a certificate if they pass.

- New eight minute bike control test – takes place off the public highway at a designated test centre.

- Rider must accelerate to 50kmp and undertake ‘swerve and brake’ manoeuvre. This simulates a rider’s response to a car emerging from a side road.

- Feet-up slow riding section – taking at least 10 seconds to cover ten metres.

- Safely park your bike after pushing it backwards around a corner.

- Figure of eight and zig-zag manoeuvres through a cone section.

- Emergency stop simulation.

- A dangerous piece of riding during this eight minute run or serious failure off-road means the on-road test will be cancelled.

Rookie riders may want to swat up for the new test and if you’re a young male rider, you may want to check out the latest online motorbike insurance prices, so you’re fully prepared and raring to go!

Insidebikes Hot Tips

1. Bought yourself a modern, hi-tech bike? Don’t kid yourself into thinking you can tinker if anything goes wrong – a tool roll isn’t going to be much use unless you’re a bike mechanic comfortable with fixing fuel injections or CAN line electoral systems. If you’ve got space on your new Honda or Suzuki motorbike for example, it’s worth carrying a small can of tyre sealant on your bike; it might just see you home one day!

2. One of the reasons you bought a bike is to avoid the traffic right? Making your way through a jam isn’t illegal, but don’t start weaving your way through the smallest gaps as fast as you can, you don’t want to hurt yourself or increase your bike insurance premium. Make sure you only filter a few miles an hour faster than the traffic is moving and always give yourself time to react and brake – you’ll invariably come across other motorists changing lanes suddenly. Patience is the key here; keep calm if a driver blocks you, bide your time, then slowly ride around the obstacle. If you’ve come a cropper with filtering before, make sure you take out a good bike insurance policy!

3. Fancy getting out and about in the countryside. You won’t regret it – riding through some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe is always fun, but always be aware of tractors, combine harvesters and other slow-moving vehicles. Look out for blind corners too – a good tip is to keep looking above hedges, fences etc… so you can see what’s ahead of you.

4. Just bought a new motorbike? Nice one! It’s always important when you’ve bought a new bike to give yourself time to adapt to its braking, handling and speed – especially if you’ve ridden something very different in the past. Motorbike insurance companies claim that many bikers have an accident within the first month of buying a new machine, so it pays to ‘break it in’ sensibly. That means avoiding the temptation to show off your new purchase to your mates. Take your time to learn how the bike feels and get comfortable with it on the road before you use the performance.

5. Come in from the cold! Winter and colder whether can damage your bike, even if you think it’s safe and sound in the garage. After you’ve been for a ride in the colder months (just about all of them these days!), spend a few minutes checking that your battery is still holding its charge and inspecting your brake callipers to make sure they haven’t seized up. Don’t forget to put fresh fuel in the tank and check your tyres too. You don’t want to be stuck in the cold without a working motorbike, especially if you don’t have breakdown cover on your bike insurance.

6. Using your motorbike in the urban jungle? You’ll need to keep your wits about you! Make sure you keep looking three or four vehicles ahead so that you can spot potential hazards and react accordingly and safely. Make sure you keep an eye out for any motorists using their mobile phones, changing CDs etc…Look for ways to avoid collisions if another motorist suddenly decides to turn without indication or brake.

7. Diesel on the road is a hazard, but if you hit any don’t panic. You may come across patches from lorries or buses on roundabouts or sharp corners near to petrol stations. The key is to keep calm and try to keep your bike as upright as possible. Don’t brake, instead shift your bodyweight and counter steer if you feel the bike sliding. Again, it’s another hazard that you can avoid by keeping your eyes peeled!

8. Steer clear of jetwashers, you don’t want any old chemicals stripping the paint off your brand new sports bike do you! It won’t affect your bike insurance premium, but certainly the value of your bike. Washing your bike should be a labour of love, so take your time, use a soft cloth and warm soapy water. Keep that paintwork and your alloys in top shape for longer. Washing your motorbike regularly will also let you become familiar with the body work, so you’re more likely to notice dents, scratches or any other blemishes on your pride and joy.

9. Your bike will handle differently when you have pillion passengers, so get used to riding with them, especially if it’s going to be a regular occurrence on a commute to work for example. At the end of the day, you and your passenger need to be singing from the same hymn sheet because your machine will handle differently when there are two of you on board. Depending on your bike, you may need up to 50% more road when braking, and this is magnified in wet weather. Make your partner feel relaxed.

10. Biking needs your full attention, so switch off all your gadgets and just enjoy the ride. Stick your mobile in your pocket, the iPod in a luggage pack and spend your time enjoying the exhilarating experience. There’s nothing quite like biking, so you don’t want anything to spoil it!

The first thing which surprised me about meeting Bob Pinder from GoByBike - based near Andover in Hampshire - was that he was riding a Honda Fireblade.

Yep, I know most of you reading this would have expected the instructor to be riding a Pan-European - me too - but not everyone who teaches advanced biking likes big heavy touring machines.

“I like all kinds of bikes.” says Bob, who has raced bikes, ridden street machines and even competed in events like the Roof of Africa off-road rally, as well as offering tuition to many different riders, some leisure bikers, others professional motorcycle users on two wheels for work reasons.

Firstly, we met up with Jeanette, who was also joining us on her Suzuki GSX600. Over a coffee Bob asked us both about our riding history, our strengths and weaknesses and told us to ask about anything in particular we didn’t understand from the pre-ride paperwork he had posted out to us both. Then we got plenty of warm kit on and checked over the bikes, as it was February outside and about 3 degrees Celsius…ooh, shiver me shock absorbers matey.

“One of the things I stress is the pre-ride check,” explained Bob, “because unlike a car, a motorcycle can be vulnerable to having an accident due to a relatively minor fault - like a slow puncture for example. Also, if something like your brake light bulb has blown that could cause a serious collision, so it’s always good to know that you - and your bike - are 100% ready for the ride.”

For the first 40 miles or so, Bob followed Jeanette and talked to her over his walkie-talkie type radio. Jeanette couldn’t answer back, but was getting a steady stream of tips and advice on the ride as it unfolded and later commented that she soon got used to Bob chatting away in her lughole.

We took a circular route around Hampshire and Dorset, which covered some 120 miles in total, which I reckon is about the right distance for one day, with stops for drinks, fuel and of course lunch. After a very decent sausage and onion baguette in the pub, Bob wired up my helmet with the radio kit and I set off to get us back from Dorchester to Southampton.

What was immediately obvious from the radio comments was how much Bob was seeing ahead - in terms of potential hazards - compared to what I was noticing, whilst bumbling through traffic. Also, Bob also uses the `track one, track two’ method of riding, which basically means you choose one wheel track to ride along, on the left side of the carriageway.

” I always advise that approach,” says Bob, ” mainly for the simple reason that there’s less chance of hitting debris, or picking up a nail in your tyre, by using the same patch of tarmac that the four wheeled vehicles are `clearing’ for you.”

Good point and I’d never really thought about it before.

The other benefit is that you take a constant radius around bends of course, making sure you maintain the maximum visibility. Now that was something I struggled with all afternoon, as a few trackdays and some road racing have made me all too willing to use as much of the carriageway as I can.

I also found that at low speeds - especially in town - I tended to ride on autopilot, checking my speedo half the time, neglecting my mirrors and not thinking about where the bike is on the road. Bob recommends `sweeping’ your mirrors about once every 7-10 seconds, especially in town.

All those things are precisely the kind of points which Bob picks up on, via the radio commentary, then he suggests better riding habits. Things like treating petrol stations, or car driveways as junctions for example - you never know what might pop out from them, or whether a vehicle may suddenly makes a turn in. Another good one is being wary of delivery vans from outside the area - the driver’s may well be looking at street signs, or shop names, rather than the reading the road ahead.

At the end of the ride-out, which incidentally took us along some beautiful roads near the South Coast, back over the Hythe ferry, we were tired, freezing and still in one piece with no `near-misses’ to report. All good stuff, but also time to de-brief over another hot drink.

Jeanette reckoned the day was `great fun’ and she had learned many new things;

” I didn’t know that traffic joining on a motorway slip road was obliged to give way to traffic on the motorway - I thought both lanes had to sort of filter each other.” She commented, which was something I assumed happened too - should probably re-read my 1977 copy of the Highway Code eh?

But as Bob noted from our return through Southampton’s ring road; ” Being in the right, according to the Highway Code is good, being assertive with your road positioning, your attitude is also good, but never get confrontational on the bike - stay calm - as you will always come off worst, regardless of whose fault the incident was.”

Indeed that was one thing I noticed on the day - many local drivers etc tended to be more aggressive, keener to crack on to their destination, than oop North where I live. In particular, there are too many `white van man’ characters on the roads, shoving and bullying traffic along whenever they can.

But I was pleased to receive my assessment a few days later, as Bob noted in my own assessment, ” Your basic skills are good, your attitude to other road users is very good. But your positioning of the bike needs watching, as does your tendency to creep over the speed limit.

Otherwise, learn to plan your riding a bit more and especially avoid traveling three vehicles abreast on motorways - if anything goes wrong and one vehicle changes lanes, it leaves very little time, or room, for you to evade trouble.”

In the end, I was happy to have had someone else look at my biking skills, even after 30 years on two wheels, because I think that when you `switch off’ learning you do put yourself that bit closer to having a crash.

I would say to anyone who has come back to biking after a few years off them, or just bought their first really big bike, have a serious think about getting tuition, because there’s lots to learn beyond the basics needed to pass CBT or the Direct Access licence course.

There’s so much traffic on the roads now, plus many illegal drivers, uninsured drivers, not to mention endless roadworks, that you need to stay on the ball to ride reasonably fast, smooth and safe. Good day out, cheers Bob.