This year I’ve been taking lessons to pass my motorbike test. If anyone is thinking of taking lessons in the Liverpool/Maghull area I can highly recommend AlMaxx Hen & Chicken Motorcycles, just give them a ring on 0151 520 0026 and explain you want lessons! My instructor was Boyd and he was great.
After four two hour lessons I booked my test. The test comes in two parts, part one is the maneuvers which is off road on a big slab of tarmac like a kids playground and part two is on the road.
You can book them for the same day, however I was recommended to book them a week apart, that way if you fail part one you have enough time to cancel part two and get your money back. (Your money would be lost if you failed part one when booking on the same day, as you can’t do part two without passing part one).
Part One – Maneuvers
You arrive on your own bike to the test center, my instructor told me to reverse my bike into the bay so it was easier to start off on the test, good tip!
After being in the test center and handing over your driving licence, cbt and theory test certificates. You wait for the call!
The examiner takes you outside and gets you onto your bike, you don’t use a radio or anything as its just around a fenced area. He explains what he is going to do today and shows you a map on an A4 that matches the cones that are laid out infront of you.
Firstly he got me to drive forwards and park into four cones like it was a garage and turn off your engine. He then comes and walks next to you and says well done, he then asks you to dismount and walking next to the motorcycle reverse it backwards doing a reverse U turn so the bike is facing forwards in some more cones to the left.
Explaining these maneuvers in plain text isn’t very informative so I’m just going to give an outline.
He then got me to do a ‘turn in the round’ whilst riding the motorbike.
Then it is a figure of eight at slow speed around some cones.
After that you have to ride a wide corner, go through a speed trap and come to a stop when he puts his hand up. You have to do this speed trap at 32mph I think it was, it seems hard but just have faith in yourself!
I had to do that a few times then suddenly after that he said it was all over! I had passed!
It seemed to fly by, I have probably missed some detail here but I was so nervous I don’t remember. From my experience I would just say, be confident, you can do everything they say, you’ve done it all already on the road which is twice as hard. If you don’t understand just ask him again an he’ll show you on his little map. Then breathe and you’ll pass!
Part Two – On the road
Part two was a standard road test, firstly he asks you questions on your vehicle:
Where do you check the oil?
What changes when carrying a passenger? (breaking distance, acceleration, corners)
Then you go out on the road, my examiner followed me in a car because the motorbike was broken!
You have to do independent riding, he said “Follow the signs for Bolton until I speak again”.
After he said that was over (10 mins, so I didn’t make it to Bolton) I was then taken through some housing estates with speed bumps that I avoided to the left or right, then on a dual carriageway where the speed limit was 60mph so I had to overtake everyone doing 55mph (two lanes).
At one point I lost him and he radio’d for me to pull over and wait, i carried on till it was safe (and to use up more test time!) then pulled over and waited.
We got back to the center and I had passed!
One Motorbike License for me!
I loved learning to ride a motorbike and now I’ve got my licence, I’ve got it for life! Soon I’ll buy a bike. Although I can’t decide if I want to get a road bike or a track bike and do track days, only time will tell!
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