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Doing my DAS start of next year before CBT runs out, so far I've done about 1500 miles on a 125 over 18 months, the riding school I am going with have said they are happy to put me straight on big bike and recommend 3 day course (£620) however wondering if 3 days is enough time (especially 1 day is tests so only 2 days training) and they said if I wanted to do longer they could do 4 day for £750, again straight on big bike.


Considering the costs of re-tests I'm wondering if it is wort paying the extra for 4 day to get an extra day training in or should I save it and have in back pocket as re-test money if I fail.


What did other people do in regards to length of training? and what was your experience before?

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I passed a couple of weeks ago. I'm 39 and have driven since 17. I've never been into bikes until earlier this year.


I did my CBT in July.

In September I hired a 125 for a few hours to practise.

Following week I did a 4 hour lesson on a 600cc. Instructor then booked my tests in for a few weeks later.

I did one more 4 hour session, then had some practise on the day of MOD1.

Passed MOD1 fairly easily.

Did MOD2 the following week with only an hour of practise on the day. I got no riding faults, only a minor for answering a question wrong about pillion riders.


I'd say 3 lessons is plenty of you've been riding on a 125 so much. It's all about making life easy for yourself - approach tricky stuff with caution, make the right observations early enough, set your speed, choose your gear etc.


When the road is clear, don't hang about, just get up to speed and settle into focusing on the road ahead for trouble.


Rinse and repeat.


Good luck.

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How confident are you on the road?


If you feel okay with your riding then a three-day course should be fine. The DAS then is mainly just getting used to the bigger bike and practicing the stuff you will need to do on the tests.


Most five days courses for people with no experience is just the CBT, a day of road learning on a 125, then the three-day course. So you are probably ahead of them.


Depending on the school it might be possible to book a three-day course but if you feel you need it after the first day to pay for an extra session before the tests. Or ask if they can offer an assessment ride to decide what is best if you have doubts about your own riding.

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Hi had no previous experience at all and went straight to DAS a few days after completing my CBT.

The DAS course consisted of two full days training, then half day training followed by MOD1, and another half day training followed by MOD2.

Total DAS cost was £580.

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I'd rode a year on my 125 too and came to DAS training, I did a full day getting used to the bike out on a nice ride then a day on MOD1 training. I should have had a day on MOD2 but bad weather meant we couldn't train as planned the day before my test.


Ended up with only 2 days training but still passed :thumb:, I think 3 days is probably fine. As soon as you're confident enough to do a MOD1 you should be able to do a MOD2 as you've already been on the road for 18 months and it's just about riding safely.

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I'm also about to start DAS soon. Don't have the 125 experience you do but the school I'm looking at do 3 days for £560 (for who have 6 months experience) and 4 days for £650 (little experience). That seemed good value to me as it includes bike hire, both tests fees and getting me to the test centre.

Did my cbt at another place who said they prefer to do 2/3 hour lessons instead. A few days after my CBT I did a 2 hour DAS lesson with them on a ER6 which was only a pad lesson involving balance, stopping and slow manoeuvres. Had a discount on that so was £44. After that it will be £55 for a 2 hour lesson or 3 hours £60 for mod 1 practice (getting to the test centre and includes 1 hour practice). However after the lessons its £85 for mod 1 and £160 for mod 2 (includes bike hire, test fee and lesson prior to test).

So obviously depends on what kind of pace you would prefer to do it at. I'm still unsure about which one to pick. Don't really want to drag it out with lots of lessons which will add up and then pay for the tests. But I guess the option is there for people who don't want to do the long days.

If you have the 125 experience already and have practised the slow stuff for mod 1 as well, perhaps 3 days would be enough as you'll probably adapt to the big bike pretty quickly and have good road sense.

Best of luck.

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The mod 2, should be straightforward as long as you have not learned a load of bad habits, it's just riding normally and safely and showing your planning ahead, mod 1 is the one that usually trips people up but with the length of time you have been riding you should have no issues, so go with as short as you feel comfortable with, remember though if you have your mod 1/2 stacked and you fail mod 1 mod 2 is money down the pan.

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Yeah mod1 is my biggest worry, happy with my road riding and 15yrs driving experience so know my roadcraft just feel if I can get through mod1 I'll be ok...


Unfortunately they are stacked, and every riding school near me have said they do the same so going to stick with place I did CBT with as they were top quality and do have lots of decent reviews, just would have rather done them separately.

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Yeah mod1 is my biggest worry, happy with my road riding and 15yrs driving experience so know my roadcraft just feel if I can get through mod1 I'll be ok...


Unfortunately they are stacked, and every riding school near me have said they do the same so going to stick with place I did CBT with as they were top quality and do have lots of decent reviews, just would have rather done them separately.

 

Very similar boat to me then, I’d go for the shorter option :thumb:

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I agree with Westbeef, you should be okay with the three day course.


A large part of the extra practice for Mod 1 is being able to control a bike, so if you are comfortable on the road you already have that. As it sounds like test nerves, which are pretty common, I do not think the extra day would make the difference between passing and failing Mod 1.


Plus, if you can find somewhere quiet you can practice most everything needed for Mod 1 beforehand anyway. That way the paid training will mostly just be about getting used to the bigger bike. The skills are the same, and the only thing you cannot practice on a 125 is wheeling the bike between two boxes because the weight is so much lighter.

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I absolutely hate tests, not saying I am a brilliant rider know for a fact I'm not but know come test day I'll be even worse lol


Tbh biggest worry is the swerve as never had to swerve yet I tend to try and give enough space to see things happening so I don't need to swerve round things lol but not going to go try that until had a proper lesson on it, quite like my bike looking shiny still.

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I absolutely hate tests, not saying I am a brilliant rider know for a fact I'm not but know come test day I'll be even worse lol


Tbh biggest worry is the swerve as never had to swerve yet I tend to try and give enough space to see things happening so I don't need to swerve round things lol but not going to go try that until had a proper lesson on it, quite like my bike looking shiny still.

 

That's understandable. Don't look at it as a test, is my advice. Of course, it IS a test, but I use psychology to get over that. Why are they asking you to do a swerve? Imagine a real life scenario. Put your head into that frame of mind, then gradually increase the severity of that situation until you are easily competent above the standard required. The standard isn't even very high - the swerve is only a tiny shimmy to one side.


I used that same mentality for the whole MOD1 test. For MOD2, it's similar. You only have to demonstrate that you're a safe rider. The best tactic for this is to always arrive at a piece of road at the correct speed, gear and position, to be able to move onto the next piece. So, you plan ahead continuously. As a driving instructor I tried to get my students to assume they were always going to have to stop at any hazard situation. That way you will have to make the correct rearward observations, start slowing down, assume the correct position, then watch the situation develop. It's a very conscious process but it will keep you alive, and that will manifest as a very good demonstration of your skills on test day.


The other thing is that the examiners aren't trying to catch you out. They're also motorcyclists themselves so there's a different vibe to a car test where there isn't the same community feeling. They want to see you enjoying your riding, being positive and looking after yourself.

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Via, are you sure you have never swerved around anything? What about a wet manhole cover or a speed pillow?


As Radders says it is not too drastic a manoeuvre, and more like the sort of thing you probably deal with all the time without realizing it. Not all swerving is about an unexpected obstacle but can be the result of your planning so you can ride a smooth line rather than needing to brake and accelerate.


If you are on a road with speed pillows and can see that it is clear and safe, one way to practice is to try to keep to the middle of the lane by just moving into the centre of the road to go between pillows then returning. The aim being to do it without needing to slow down, obviously as the speed limit and conditions will allow.

 

Why are they asking you to do a swerve? Imagine a real life scenario. Put your head into that frame of mind, then gradually increase the severity of that situation until you are easily competent above the standard required.

 

You come around a bend, see a hazard in front of you, but instead of taking appropriate action you have to accelerate towards it then swerve off the road (as at my centre the swerve was to the left). I hated it because it was so unnatural, that you have to ignore your instincts.


But I did it when it mattered, so by my reckoning that means anyone can do it.

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Via, are you sure you have never swerved around anything? What about a wet manhole cover or a speed pillow?

 

Consciously I've never swerved, I've weaved, where I've seen manhole covers in plenty of time dotted in the road and weaved inbetween them, the odd wet manhole cover I've not seen to last minute I've gone for the don't do anything approach, keep straight, don't brake/accelerate and just go across, not sure how that would work on a nice patch of oil but is ok with manhole covers lol.


Maybe I am overthinking it but a swerve to me is a last minute panic maneuver and definitely see why it is taught as I am not going to take the "just go over it approach" if it is a baby in the road (even though I would be questioning why there is a baby in the road) but you know what I mean... think it is simply as I've not done it before I don't know how to do it (properly) so its a fear of the unknown.

 

You come around a bend, see a hazard in front of you, but instead of taking appropriate action you have to accelerate towards it then swerve off the road (as at my centre the swerve was to the left). I hated it because it was so unnatural, that you have to ignore your instincts.

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: my thoughts exactly!

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Just decided to look it up on youtube... don't know why I didn't do that first :roll:... well it was certainly not what I expected, I thought it was a swerve while emergency braking etc... but yeah gentle shimmy does seem a much better name for it and think it should be renamed to that!

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Aye. We give the same things different names for different circumstances, like weave.


So now you have seen all it is you need to have you decided the three day course will be enough?

 

Yeah that and other replies here think 3 day is the sensible choice...

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