motorbike test Galway

Lockstep

Have my a2 test coming up next month. I have a pretest booked in 2 weeks but I'd love to practice the route beforehand. Anyone know where it is?

Any additional tips appreciated.

lostboy75

Lockstep wrote: »

Have my a2 test coming up next month. I have a pretest booked in 2 weeks but I'd love to practice the route beforehand. Anyone know where it is?

Any additional tips appreciated.

Can tell you what happened on my test alright, but not certain its the same route every time?
all the office stuff, questions etc. Down to bike point out this and that.
the route, leaving the hotel turn left, take first right down ballyloughan road. Then the first right, ( the road by the playing pitch) first left here. Got me to pull in, do the u-turn, then slow control. This is a good wide road, u turn is handy here but I was told the u turn is normally done in lurgan park? After that, your facing back the way you came. Turn right, then right back into ballyloughan. Down a hundread yards or so it a left (rat run road over to lurgan park) turn left at tee junction, brings you to the roundabout at gmit. Third exit, (toward dougiska) past Galway cristal, it's second left, coast road to oranmore. In towards the village, turn left by the town center (supervalu) up to roundabout, first exit to dual carriage way, on to next round about, first exit (back towards town) first right at lights (dougiska) follow road to end. At tee turn left, (towards Ballybane) this road ends in tee junction as well. Turn left, (here can't be certain either first or second left, it's the road that brings you past the church, and back onto ballyban road) turn left, past gmit to roundabout, third exit, back towards town, turn in to flanerys again.
that takes some time to type on a phone! Just ask if nothing is clear

Search back thru the posts here there are at least two with very good advice for you on the day if the test

Pugzilla

Just make sure whatever bike you use is A2 compliant.

Has to be atleast 395cc, 20-35kw, at least 175kg etc.

Lockstep

Thanks for the advice lads.

RE the motorbike test, how badly are you penalised for driving too slow? I've driven on the Coast Road before and it's got a lot of potholes/curves so I've never gone at 80km/h on it.

lostboy75

you drive to suit the conditions, what speed that is i cant say. the day that i did the test was quite windy. so i took it fairly handy. road conditions would of course come into that we well. time of day could be in your favour or not as well. that road can be quite busy.
actually now that i am typing this i realizes that i forgot to mention the pass a hazard, and the emergency brake. i really cant be sure, but think it was on the coast road that took place.
this is the link http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=87834401 to one of the posts i was on about.
Dwelby (created the linked post) and i were supposed to do the test on the same day and the same bike (school bike, neither of us had a bike that was in the A class). my test was before his, but the instructor could not make that day. he dropped the bike into the car park with his van on the first day of the tests. had his mate with him showed him how to lock up the bike etc. mate knew nothing really about bikes. so his mate locked up, went off home, came back the next day unlocked the bike for me. i though i have 10-15 mins would get the bike warmed up etc/. tried start it, and not a dickie out of it. dead as a doornail. his mate left the lights on!. i eventually got it to bump start. reved it for a bit, but did not have time for a spin to charge it. left it running with his mate. went up to office. came back down for the road part was praying it would start. it came close but no.
so i had to resit the test as the bike was a non starter. thankfully another bike instructor saw what was happening, but couldn't really help us at the time as he had a student with him. Dwelby hadn't arrived at that stage though. we jumpstarted the bike and the other instructor took it for a lively spin out the coast road. got back just as dwelby arrived. his turn, bike started, and he passed.
i had to take it the next sitting. you woulnt mind but first time was a november i think. so knowing the date i was a little worried about the weather etc. on the day man it was am amazing day. unlike my resit day, raining windy etc.
but that may have been why the u-turn was on the slightly wider road. think that i heard the testers do take the weather conditions into account? dont know this for use though,

Pugzilla

You'll instantly fail your test if you show up on a ghey cruiser

Lockstep

Quick question lads: when driving on the dual carriageway from Oranmore back towards Galway, is the speed limit 80 or 100 km/h?

It's the R446 so I'd have thought as a regional road it'd be 80 but I heard it's a 100 road.

Fairly nervous so any additional tips on the Galway route greatly appreciated!

lostboy75

Lockstep wrote: »

Quick question lads: when driving on the dual carriageway from Oranmore back towards Galway, is the speed limit 80 or 100 km/h?

It's the R446 so I'd have thought as a regional road it'd be 80 but I heard it's a 100 road.

Fairly nervous so any additional tips on the Galway route greatly appreciated!

99.99999% certain its 100, but you have me doubting myself. No has to be 100.
Don't worry stay calm. Know your rules of the road, know the bike. You need to ace these, gives you confidence Going down to the bike section. Don't know expect any chat from. The tester, it nothing personal he is doing a job.
drive to suit the conditions. Not necessarily the limit. Know what to do if you lose the tester, that round about by the gmit can be busy and he is in a car. Turning point into dougiska do not enter the hatched section to get to the correct lane even though everyone else does. If you make a mistake forget about it and move on, do not fixate on it, it's one mistake. Finially the most important piece of advice, breath and stay calm. It's only someone looking at the way your disposed to be driving anyway. F you have the basics you will be fine.
Oh and don't go nuts on the lifesavers, do them when you need or have to. Otherwise eyes on road, look into junctions etc.

Lockstep

Thanks for the advice lads, had the test today but failed by 2 points, mostly due to doing too many lifesavers (doh)

Rebooked another test but apparently there won't be any held until the new year. Damn.
Did a couple of pre-tests which really helped my driving generally though.

BTW, what's the story with my IBT cert. It says on it that it's valid for 2 years and cannot be extended but can it be renewed like a learner permit?

Pugzilla

Lockstep wrote: »

Thanks for the advice lads, had the test today but failed by 2 points, mostly due to doing too many lifesavers (doh)

Rebooked another test but apparently there won't be any held until the new year. Damn.
Did a couple of pre-tests which really helped my driving generally though.

BTW, what's the story with my IBT cert. It says on it that it's valid for 2 years and cannot be extended but can it be renewed like a learner permit?

According to page 7 on the document below you can't renew the IBT cert. You would have to do IBT again if the cert expired, which is a joke.

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Learner%20Drivers/IBT/IBT_Information_Booklet_Nov_2010.pdf

lostboy75

Hardluck mate, hate to say it, so I won't .
best of luck in the new year!

lostboy75

see they are doing test today as well in Galway, walking down to the supervalu in Oranmore about 1:10, saw a bike coming towards me, bib on, doing the lifesaver well in advance of the rounds about, manoeuvred, and though bet thats somingone doing the test. car after him was a volvo which i remembered the tester uses, car driver wearing the hi-viz as well.
whoever you are, hope it went well.