Daryl

Hey everyone, thanks very very much for the comments. I truly appreciate the support and am humbled by the number of responses already I passed it today on a automatic, felt very much like taking a step back from the geared bike and I guess I was able to focus much more on the road. Instructor was perfectly comfortable with how the road portion went and commented that he felt I would be okay if I got a geared bike afterwards despite the complications. That said, I am going to take everyone's advice, buy a 125 and gear, and try to get some practice in on the roads now that I have the certificate. Again, I really appreciate the response, so thanks a lot everyone *Probably just to expand on things, I should have mentioned that I don't think the school / instructor was at fault, and I think the reason he chose to "fail" me the 2nd time round was for the same reasons you guys seems to emphasize a lot: safety. I imagine the instructor felt my riding ability on the 125 was okay (in the controlled environment of the paddock), but that he chose to put me on the automatic just to build up road confidence? Regardless, I plan to try to find some quiet roads to try to build up more confidence with being on the road on a 125, and will try to stick around to let people know. Again, thanks for the replies.

(Apologies if this post is in the wrong section, but it seemed appropriate) Hi everyone, just asking for any idea on my current situation on my route into learning to ride. For a bit of background knowledge, I am 17, my father used to ride an R1 and I used to watch some MotoGP as a younger kid, so I "think" my motivation to learn to ride is not the problem. However, on writing this I am about to attempt my CBT for the 3rd time tomorrow. I am pretty demotivated, embarrassed and just looking for advice from someone who might have gone through a similar experience. On my first attempt, I had never gotten near to a bike before. I had commuted to 6th Form on a pushbike for about 2 years prior to attempting the CBT, and had read up on some Highway Code and the controls of the geared 125cc. I was with one other person, who had ridden before (maybe before regulations like this were in place?) and so he was much more comfortable. The talks about gear, road safety and the bike were fine. After some difficulty with the control Element, and being offered to move down onto an automatic 50cc, I persevered and got halfway through learning (finished at the figure-of-8 / slow riding portion) but it was obvious I wasn't going to get on the road in time. I really enjoyed being on the bike, however I felt pressured throughout the course. Round 2, one week later, and the Instructor decided my riding had improved enough on the various techniques and we were able to go on the road. After about 40m into the ride, and 2 or 3 mistakes I was aware of, I was told to head back. It was my first time on the road, and I'm pretty sure there were some circumstance I could have improved on; I was incredibly dehydrated before setting out, and probably let nerves get to me more than I thought. I was told that at times I was rushing ahead, and at other times I over-analyzed things. I made two mistakes I could thing of where I stalled on a hill start with low revs, and also where I took a junction corner slightly wide. I know how I made these mistakes and what I could have done to correct them, but at the time I couldn't entirely think straight. I've been advised to retake the test on a 50cc scooter, which is what I am doing tomorrow. While I've been told it will be easier (no clutch / gear shifting to think about), and will allow me to focus on the road, it seems very counter-productive considering I aim to get a 125 after passing. I feel crushed even taking the "test" for a 3rd time, considering the course is designed for novices to pass first time. I don't want to be put off riding, nor do I want to downgrade to buying a moped if I manage to pass. But passing on a 50cc only to buy a geared 125cc feels like I've just circumvented the point of being safe and that I could be a danger on the road. However I have no method to practice without the CBT, and I really don't want to risk failing again, even if I think I might have improved and be more confident on the road. Sorry for the novel, and thanks in advance if anyone has any thoughts on the situation.