Ten's Road to Biking (and his Triumph Sprint 1050)

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TenEightyOne
TenEightyOne
After years of wanting to get into biking I underwent a Chinese Experiment and realised that I should really have owned a bike 20-ish years ago.

There are a number of stages to go through before I get my bike licence.

EDIT: Passed both my tests (Module 1 & 2) with no rider faults! :D

I'm detailing them here to help out anybody else who's taking theirs and to collect any advice from people who've already done it.

Certificate of Basic Training (CBT)
To ride a motorbike in the UK you need the appropriate licence, in my case I passed my full car test waaay back in 1996 but never took a bike test. On my licence I'm therefore allowed to ride a 50cc (without L-plate) or 125cc (with L-plate) after taking a one day Certificate of Basic Training.



This involves a handling test on an off-road (flat tarmac) course. Slaloms, U-turns, controlled stops, emergency stops, preparation for turns and safety advice on preparing a motorcycle for the road.

Once the instructor is happy that you've mastered those aspects you're then accompanied on a 2-hour ride on a mixture of road types. If the instructor continues to be happy that you're safe and in-control then you'll be issued with the Certificate. If not then you're asked to try again another day - there's no "pass" or "fail", at least that's what they tell you :)

This certificate lasts for two years so if it expires before you've completed a full bike test you'll have to do it again. Your Theory and Module 1 certificates "attach" to your CBT... if your CBT expires then they do too!

Here's a YouTube vid of a CBT session - pretty boring, pretty inane... but something you have to do.



Theory Test
Some cynics say that this is a way for the government to farm cash. I agree. What a crock!

The test is in two parts. The first is general Highway Code knowledge, this should be easy for anybody who's been driving any length of time and I'm pleased to say I passed with nearly full marks each time.

The second part is Hazard Perception - you click when you see the hazard. Sadly I think this test is where the money farming is done, I failed the first two times... after practising a lot online I found that you can click too early. I passed very easily the third time by clicking when I saw the hazard and then clicking 5 times more in roughly the next three seconds. My instructor feels the same way about the test as he has to take one regularly to maintain his licence status. Experience is a killer on this test, if you see the hazard too soon then you don't score for the click. Crazy. Go try some free sample tests online and see what you think!

Module 1 - Off-Road Handling:
Although it sounds like grass-tracking the title of this test simply means that you do the test in a closed environment away from the public road. I did mine in Scunthorpe which is about as far away from public roads as you can get. Joke :D

The test is a combination of low-speed and medium-speed (50 km/h checked on a radar gun) manouevres. It's a beefed-up version of the CBT but with a DSA Driving Instructor observing. Every manouevre is explained to you before it begins and, with a little practice, the test shouldn't pose too many problems.

The important part is to listen when the DSADI says to you "at all times act as if you are on a public road". That translates to "observations at all times!". Any missed observation gives you a Rider Fault, five of those add up to a fail... except for a missed observation on your U-turn which is insta-fail!!!

I'm pleased to say that I passed Module 1 first time with 0 rider faults :D

The components of the Module 1 are
  • wheeling the motorcycle
  • using the stand
  • riding a slalom
  • riding a figure of 8
  • a slow ride
  • a U-turn
  • cornering and a controlled stop
  • cornering and an emergency stop
  • cornering and hazard avoidance
The Module 1 test on YouTube - not my test!



Module2 - On-road Test:
This is a simple (ha-ha) 45 minute checkride under the supervision of the DSA Driving Instructor. You're expected to observe all aspects of the Highway Code and to make progress in a sensible and appropriate manner.

What should be an easy ride will no doubt be ten times harder under the eagle eye of the DSA. I'll let you know how I get on :)

14th June - Passed my Mod 2 (Unrestricted) with no rider faults :D :D :D

The Kawasaki - now gone:

I've just replaced my HN-125 with a 2008 Ninja 650R (called an ER6-F in the UK) for £1500, 10,000 miles from new and pretty tidy. The insurance is lower than I expected and it costs around £85 a year in tax. I bloody love it.

It's really not that fast, Mrs. Ten, it's such a pedestrian machine!!! :D

EDIT: Mrs. Ten hated the pillion seat. Bye bye, Kawasaki :(

KawasakiER6F.png


Yes, I know, I'd better get out there with some weedkiller ;)
 
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Looks very nice Ten! Congrats 👍 Does it have ABS too? This bike must invite you to use it more than for your daily commute I assume.. Soon you'll find yourself wanting new gadgets :embarrassed:

Don't be shy and post some more photos :D
 
Looks very nice Ten! Congrats 👍 Does it have ABS too?

It does indeed have ABS, so far I've been lucky enough to avoid using it :)

There's a fly in the ointment though... Mrs. Ten hates (I mean hates) sitting on the back. To make things worse she just went to a wedding with a friend on the back of a Deauville (NT700V) and found the journey really comfortable. I can see what's coming :(
 
It does indeed have ABS, so far I've been lucky enough to avoid using it :)

There's a fly in the ointment though... Mrs. Ten hates (I mean hates) sitting on the back. To make things worse she just went to a wedding with a friend on the back of a Deauville (NT700V) and found the journey really comfortable. I can see what's coming :(

Such a shame, solo bike rides it is then...
 
Mrs. Ten won, the ER6 got sold for a veeeery nice profit.

With the winnings I picked up a 2008 one of these in this colour (with full Triumph detachable luggage) for less than I sold the ER6 for. Happy Ten, happy Mrs. Ten :D :D :D

For now it's the Mod1 test tomorrow (CBT and Theory were successfully dispatched) then I take delivery of the bike at the end of the week in time to slap some L-Plates on and get out on the road practising for the Mod2 test.


sprintst0401.jpg
 
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Very nice, let us know how you get on on module 1.

Headed south of the Humber this morning, it was very rainy in Scunthorpe and the test area is almost-new tarmac, I was bricking it as I wound up for the emergency stop but it was reet... it's a pass, zero rider faults :)

Looks like my Mod2 will be in Scarborough on the 6th of June. I'm hoping that'll be dry. Plus Scarborough isn't quite as minging as Scunthorpe. By a small margin.
 
Funny how things can go :D Very nice 👍

It's lovely, it's in my garage now having returned from its MoT and Mrs. Ten is very happy so everybody is happy :D

Why do you need to do driving tests again?

I never passed a full bike test, I've done the first certificate (CBT) and now I've passed the "off-road handling" test (Mod1). I now need to do a 45-min checkride with an instructor to be cleared to ride bikes of any size.

I mistakenly thought I'd be able to use the Triumph under supervision with L-Plates on but as it's significantly more powerful than the ER6F I can't. Hopefully it won't be too long though... for now I'm riding my instructors ER6N learner machine to practice.
 
It's lovely, it's in my garage now having returned from its MoT and Mrs. Ten is very happy so everybody is happy :D



I never passed a full bike test, I've done the first certificate (CBT) and now I've passed the "off-road handling" test (Mod1). I now need to do a 45-min checkride with an instructor to be cleared to ride bikes of any size.

I mistakenly thought I'd be able to use the Triumph under supervision with L-Plates on but as it's significantly more powerful than the ER6F I can't. Hopefully it won't be too long though... for now I'm riding my instructors ER6N learner machine to practice.

Ah okay! We have (kinda) the same system but they look at your age (A1, A2 and A (no restrictions). A1 (18 & 19 years old) max 125cc & 11kw, A2 (20-24) max 35kw. We have no off-road handling test though, but I assume it isn't what it sounds like.

So in 3 weeks you'll be riding your beast? :D
 
The US is pretty lame when it comes to required rider training, and astonishingly lame when it comes to driver training. Of course it varies state to state, as the federal government is not responsible for licensing, but driver licenses here are hardly even a formality. You can renew by mail!!! No exam!! And only every 8 years (here in Florida.)

A 15-year-old gets a "learning permit" where they can drive in the daytime while accompanied by a licensed driver as passenger in the front seat. Within 60 days of 16 they can drive at night. Once licensed at 16, they have a full driver license, except for some night-time restrictions: 16 cannot drive alone from 11PM to 6AM, and at 17 the restricted hours are 1 AM to 5 AM. Driving during those hours is permitted with a licensed 21-or-older passenger, or driving directly to or from work. Requirements for the first license are a certificate of completion of a drug and alcohol awareness course, a signs and rules exam, a vision check, and a riding test with an examiner in which you drive, park (angle and parallel,) back up, and don't crash in the parking lot the exam is in. That will probably be the LAST driving exam you take. (I have not had to show anybody that I still know how to drive, or indeed that I can still see, since doing that in 1973....) They don't even have signs and rules tests at renewal any more! (That may be different for folks with a poor record, tickets and accidents, but I don't know since I have none of those things.)

For a bike, anything under 50cc has no requirements for additional licensing. Over 50cc and you need a Motorcycle endorsement on your driver license. All you need for the endorsement is completion of the Basic Rider course. Florida also has a more limited endorsement for 3-wheeled cycles and sidecars but no two-wheeled riding. Finally, your plate is red letters on white if you are under 21. 21 and over has no helmet requirement in Florida, but you must have eye protection, and insurance of at least $10,000 for injury coverage. Under 21 gets no helmet exemption.

So a 16-year-old in Florida can complete the Basic Rider course and take a Hayabusa onto the road. What could possibly go wrong????
 
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@TenEightyOne Yep, I've always found the hazard perception to be utter nonsense, how does clicking on a hazard with a mouse relate to reacting to a hazard doing 70mph on the road?

@TenEightyOne did you have your mod 2?

All finished today, passed my Module 2 with no rider faults. Had the full gamut to run, horses, diesel on road, blind elderly wankers, cyclists riding off the pavement, RTA ahead, emergency vehicles filtering heavy traffic, I really thought I'd failed by the end of it... I could have kissed the fella when he told me that I'd passed!

The Big Bike is now taxed and insured. I'll report back later :D
 
@TenEightyOne Did you get any feedback from people about having such a big bike for your first? (excluding Chinese miles)

What this man says:

Just go easy on the throttle :D I was a bit anxious about having a 1000cc as first bike but it wasn't a problem at all.

It feels the same to ride (slightly heavier) than the 650 I did my Mod 2 training on, really it's up to you how far you twist the throttle. You get used to it really quickly, at least I feel like I have. The advice I got was either "don't do it" or "you'll be fine", my instructor said he was sure I'd be fine and that was good enough for me as he'd seen how I rode.

Just don't feel like you have to stick it through every gap that opens up and concentrate on doing a safe speed in town (that's the hardest part for me so far, it winds up to 50mph without taking a breath).
 
Couldn't figure out how to to fit a camera mount to the Triumph in time for a ride out today so I just took a couple of pictures.

Going to try an idea tomorrow and might finally have some film of the beast in motion. For now, the pics... you can see the front fairing damage (cosmetic only) that helped bring the price of the bike down, I'm taking it to a paint shop for a repair/respray quote at the weekend. I fancy the whole bike in white... what do you think?

Triumph2.jpg
Triumph1.jpg
Triumph3.jpg
 
Can't you mount it on the tank? I put my Gopro on the tank with 3m glue mount. If you have something different maybe you can use something like this:
758724463_884.jpg


Easy to remove too. Had one on my helmet but never use it since the wind pulls your helmet back. Used the hair dryer to remove it and the glue was still good so don't throw away the protection thingy :D

Not sure about white.. I like white on bikes with minimal fairing. Can't say I like white cars that much either. Maybe you can wrap the fairing yourself and go with a different color every now and then ;)
 

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