WHat happens during Bike driving test

dewsbury

I am experienced biker and doing my driving test (bike) finally. (I got full car licence years ago).

There has been a waiting list in south Dublin of a ridiculous 18 months !

Questions:

How is my driving test conducted?
What will I fail on?
How do I prepare for it?

Thanks

jimbling

dewsbury wrote: »

I am experienced biker and doing my driving test (bike) finally. (I got full car licence years ago).

There has been a waiting list in south Dublin of a ridiculous 18 months !

Questions:

How is my driving test conducted?
What will I fail on?
How do I prepare for it?

Thanks

The instructor follows behind in a car.
It's pretty easy to be honest, if you are experienced driver you should have no problem with any of it. The only slight issue might be the slow u-turn. If you have a big long cruiser it can be difficult.
Preparation can be covered by getting one lesson from an instructor familiar with your area.

I would advise getting one lesson at least.

dewsbury

Thanks jimbling.

I will get a lesson.

Does the tester speak to me via an earphone ??
How long does the test last?

Do I need to bring proof of insurance & tax?

dewsbury

dewsbury wrote: »

Does the tester speak to me via an earphone ??
How long does the test last?

Do I need to bring proof of insurance & tax?

You will be given a one way radio with an earphone. The tester will give you directions using this.
The test usually lasts for approx. 40 to 45 minutes depending on traffic etc.
You need to bring your driving licence, thats all.

more information

jimbling

Deleted User wrote: »

You will be given a one way radio with an earphone. The tester will give you directions using this.
The test usually lasts for approx. 40 to 45 minutes depending on traffic etc.
You need to bring your driving licence, thats all.

more information

WTF?? When did they start doing this? The instructor just told me the route on the morning (the guy giving the lesson had told me a route, but they decided to change it suddenly) and then followed me in a car. At one point I forgot where to go... had to stop and ask him. Still no problems though.

Pigeon Reaper

this started a good few years ago. often the radios don't work.

Wossack

I believe you have to have a taxed machine to do the test on (displayed disk). And nowerdays, since dec 1st, you must wear the L-plate tabard

Insurance/restriction (if necessary) are covered in the 'roadworthyness declaration' that you'll sign before the practical portion of the test - no proof required, only your signature

Noelie

My test lasted about 20 minutes on the road, i was given a one way radio and the instructor just told me where to go, The test routes can change so there is no definite route but the tester may have a favoured route that he takes most people on.

I totally ****ed up my U-turn, imo he took me to a road which was too narrow, i've a cbr250 which doesn't turn to tightly, that kind of put me off but i still passed.

Do lots of observation and a life saver with every turn even if you think you know the road is clear behind you still do it, like i was told it's a safety test as much as a driving test.

delop

Noelie wrote: »

Do lots of observation and a life saver with every turn even if you think you know the road is clear behind you still do it, like i was told it's a safety test as much as a driving test.

Be carefull with this advice, Its good advice but some centers have different rules, As far as I know if you do a lifesaver on every left you will fail in Finglas, but if you dont do it in Raheny you will fail. Thats why its important to get a lession, and make sure you get it close to the date of the test if you can. The lession is not about skills, Its more about what you will need to do to pass the test...

Check you lights and indicators, I had modified indicators and he stopped the test after 2 minutes and told me to continue with Hand signals, Which was fine but rattled me for a sec as I thought I had failed.

CrazyRabbit

I did my test in Tallaght.
The tester failed me on just about everything. Now, at this point I had been driving accident free for 5 years. Naturally, I made a complaint. While there was 0% of any complaint ever being upheld, I was given another free test the following week.
I followed the same route, and drove exactly as I had done in the previous test. No changes whatsoever....same speeds, observation, road position etc. I made every effort to recreate what I had done in the first test. I passed with no faults at all. Not a single fault.

I asked the test centre to explain this, and they replied saying that I had obviously improved in the past week and wished me many years of happy safe driving blah blah blah.

So why did the first tester fail me? He didn't like me. He was a grumpy git and did not respond well to some non-offensive humor when we met.

My advice therefore is to treat the test as if you were going for a job interview....keep it professional.
-Bring your licence, tax disk and insurance details with you.
-Make sure you wear a reflective jacket. I believe the L tabard is required now as well.
-Ensure that your bike is in good working order. Brakes, indicators and indicators will be checked.
-It's also a good idea to drive with your headlights on.
-Be a confident driver. Nervousness will cause you to make mistakes or over-analyse your own driving.
-Accelerating quickly is fine, so long as it's not dangerous or excessive. Slow acceleration can actually cost you marks for 'failure to progress on straights.'
-If you are checking your mirrors or doing a life saver glance, make it a bit more noticeable than usual. Pronouced head movements make it easier for the tester to see.
-Have some idea of the traffic/lanes in the area surrounding the test centre. It helps to know the layout of the area.

Good luck to you. Hope you get a decent tester.

dewsbury

Wossack wrote: »

since dec 1st, you must wear the L-plate tabard

Yes, I believe that this is the case.

After 25 years on bikes (yes 25!) I will, for the first time, wear an L-plate!

(Please don't use the above comment as an opportunity to slag me off for waiting 25 years..... there was about 10 years in the middle without a bike..)

tk123

dewsbury wrote: »

Yes, I believe that this is the case.

After 25 years on bikes (yes 25!) I will, for the first time, wear an L-plate!

(Please don't use the above comment as an opportunity to slag me off for waiting 25 years..... there was about 10 years in the middle without a bike..)

You weren't driving around east wall road the other day where you? I saw an 'older' driver with his Ls on! :D

rameire

i did my test in portlaoise, i have only ever driven mopeds and non geared bikes, ( bigger mopeds) i curently drive a 250cc moped, i have never driven a geared bike, and wanted to do my test on a geared bike as i didnt want to be stuck on automatic bikes for ever, so i got a great instructor in portlaoise, he seems to be high up in the biker world in ireland and knows alot of people and info.
well i went for my first lesson and he said his bike which i would be driving was a 1 down 5 up model, and i asked what does that mean, well, he back stepped and muttered to himself oh god what have i got here, but he still went ahead with me and after 4 lessons and alot of driving, i think well over 300km of driving, i did my test on his bike and passed, i believe if you have the confidence on the bike and keep on doing the life saver and moving your head to look around every few seconds, you should have no problem, thats hoping you can actually drive though.
regarding the radio's they are great and sometimes dont work, so just slow down and put your hand on your head to signal the radio dont work, and the tester will try to comunicate to you again. also dont be afraid to excelerate away from the car, as the tester will expect you to. and if a vehicle gets in between you and the tester dont panic just keep on driving, and good luck, dont forget to learn your signs, the one people always get wrong is the white circle with the red surround.

smoc

Practice your U turn! if you put your foot down its game over

Noelie

smoc wrote: »

Practice your U turn! if you put your foot down its game over

No it's not, I put my foot down and still passed

tk123

Noelie wrote: »

No it's not, I put my foot down and still passed

foot down = 1 blue fault..

Run_to_da_hills

I did my test in the 1980ies on a 1962 Triumph Cub, no indicators, the tester was more interested in the bike than the test itself and gave me a pass even though I lost him in traffic when he was following me , Those days you drove around the block in Churchtown with him following you in a car!

Dorsanty

Had my turn about down to a T well 'U' was the one thing I never got wrong, and of course in the actual test I had to put a foot down.

On it's own it's no where near a failure. But is counted as a minor fault. Now dropping the bike would get you in trouble.

Still I was kicking myself. I did training with 'Aaron Rider Training' and the guy had his perfect score test laminated. Pulled it out of his top box to show the area's the test covers. So felt **** when he called me after the test to ask how I did and I had to say I had 3 minor faults against me.

murphaph

While putting your foot down isn't, touching the kerb with your wheel could be disqualification fault as it's considered loss of control of the vehicle.

lord lucan

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

I did my test in Tallaght.
The tester failed me on just about everything. Now, at this point I had been driving accident free for 5 years. Naturally, I made a complaint. While there was 0% of any complaint ever being upheld, I was given another free test the following week.
I followed the same route, and drove exactly as I had done in the previous test. No changes whatsoever....same speeds, observation, road position etc. I made every effort to recreate what I had done in the first test. I passed with no faults at all. Not a single fault.

I asked the test centre to explain this, and they replied saying that I had obviously improved in the past week and wished me many years of happy safe driving blah blah blah.

So why did the first tester fail me? He didn't like me. He was a grumpy git and did not respond well to some non-offensive humor when we met.

My advice therefore is to treat the test as if you were going for a job interview....keep it professional.
-Bring your licence, tax disk and insurance details with you.
-Make sure you wear a reflective jacket. I believe the L tabard is required now as well.
-Ensure that your bike is in good working order. Brakes, indicators and indicators will be checked.
-It's also a good idea to drive with your headlights on.
-Be a confident driver. Nervousness will cause you to make mistakes or over-analyse your own driving.
-Accelerating quickly is fine, so long as it's not dangerous or excessive. Slow acceleration can actually cost you marks for 'failure to progress on straights.'
-If you are checking your mirrors or doing a life saver glance, make it a bit more noticeable than usual. Pronouced head movements make it easier for the tester to see.
-Have some idea of the traffic/lanes in the area surrounding the test centre. It helps to know the layout of the area.

Good luck to you. Hope you get a decent tester.

excellent advice there.:cool:

tbh,i didn't do a lesson before mine,just read all the excellent tips on here from many who had done and passed it(thanks again!).

the best advice i could give is be as relaxed as possible. i spent the night before the test in a car park practicing the u-turn and slow ride. i couldn't get it right,not even once. i turned up for the test with a "feck it,we'll see what happens" attitude and when it came to the u-turn and slow ride i got it nailed no problems. i will add,exaggerate the head movement when looking in your mirrors,i had a sore neck after but i've no doubt it helped me in passing.

dewsbury

I am the OP and ......

I passed!

It must have been the experience I gained with 25 years of biking.

CrazyRabbit

dewsbury wrote: »

I am the OP and ......

I passed!

It must have been the experience I gained with 25 years of biking.

Congrats! I don't the 25 years experience had anything to do with it. That's just guesswork

/Sarcasm off

simonrooneyzaga

what do the u-turn and slow ride comprise of exactly?

What are the skills you need to focus on to get these right?

Dorsanty

simonrooneyzaga wrote: »

what do the u-turn and slow ride comprise of exactly?

What are the skills you need to focus on to get these right?

Slow ride: is travel in a straight line at the speed of someone fast walking. If you have a mate with free time get them to walk beside you.
U-turn: is what it says on the tin. Do a full turn about, show good observation, signaling and control. You can use the full width of the road but aim to have at least a foot or two spare on the far side.

What they are looking for is, Throttle control (e.g. Clutching),braking and balance.

Do a pre-test as the instructor will go over all of this. It's money you'll feel well spent, which is hard to find in this day and age.

CrazyRabbit

simonrooneyzaga wrote: »

what do the u-turn and slow ride comprise of exactly?

What are the skills you need to focus on to get these right?

U-Turn is usually done on a quiet side road with little/no traffic. The tester will be checking to ensure that you indicate at the correct time, use mirrors and that you take a good look down the road behind you and ahead of you before begginning your turn. You will be expected to perform the turn without placing your foot on the ground, and you must not finish too close to the other edge of the road. Observation and slow-but-sharp turning are key skills here.

For the slow ride, you need to demonstrate that you have full control of the bike at slow speeds (as if you were in slow moving traffic). You need to be travelling no more than 5-6 mph (brisk walking speed). The tester will walk along the path beside you as you drive. Try to stick at his/her speed. Putting feet on the ground, or being 'shakey' on the bike will result in a fail. Total distance will be about 20 feet. Maintaining slow speed and good balance are key skills here.

simonrooneyzaga

thanks for that dorsanty - i have to get myself set up with a clutch bike first which I will be doing in the next two weeks hopefully.

I certainly will get a few lessons before attempting the test!

Ive been driving a moped for around a year and a half and have finally decided to graduate (too many dodgy looks at traffic lights ) - I'd be well able to do the u-turn and the slow ride at the moment on the ped, but im sure clutch controls are far more difficult!

Dorsanty

simonrooneyzaga wrote: »

I'd be well able to do the u-turn and the slow ride at the moment on the ped, but im sure clutch controls are far more difficult!

There's more there to learn alright but the combination of clutch and throttle control make it easier in the end. You can do some super slow stuff.

I can go as slow as M50 traffic at 8:30am without having to put a foot down. And we all know that's damn slow.

simonrooneyzaga

ahh the joys of biking... i've always said to any mates who slag my moped that i would happily race them or any car across dublin city at any time of the day! Theres only ever one winner

dewsbury

The key to the driving test is safe driving which is not necessarily the same as skillful driving.

E..g You will not fail if driving at 4 mph and put your foot down (unless this is dangerous???).

A major issue if the "lifesaver". I.e. looking over your left & right shoulders before moving out/in. You should not rely on you mirror as these have blind spots.

MargeS

Can anyone tell me what type of techie questions they ask, for example, coolant level, oil level, break fluid, etc?

honeybadger

MargeS wrote: »

Can anyone tell me what type of techie questions they ask, for example, coolant level, oil level, break fluid, etc?

visual observation