Category: 
The course went perfectly well yesterday, I started the day by getting to Ridesure Motorcycle Training, in Dunsfold Park Aerodrome (The location of the Top Gear Circuit, for those who watch Clarkson, May and Hammond’s antics every Sunday night on the BBC) - I grabbed my trusty loaned learner-bike (A Kawasaki ER-500) and shot down to the end of the runway while my instructor for the day got suited and booted.
Did some controlled-stops (30-0mph Without skidding or losing control of the bike) and some U-Turns (Feet-up, slow speed turn through 180 degrees within a road’s width). Did some more slow speed bits, then my instructor, Roy, turned up. We then set off for Worthing (on the lovely southern coast) in the rain. I wasn’t too worried as all 3 of my training days were in the rain, so I figured if anything I’d be better prepared.
Got halfway, stopped, grabbed coffee, grabbed sausage roll, consumed said-items, then continued the journey south.
It was at this time that the test centre called Roy and asked if I wanted to take my test at 1:45 instead of 2:45. Very generous of them! This meant I wouldn’t have to drive back in the dark, so I agreed and we picked up the pace to get to the test centre in time…
…45-minutes early, we arrived in Worthing. So Roy and I practiced a typical test-route, and we were both happy I was able to take the test without any worry. So we parked up and walked into the test centre (through a very secure-looking metal back-door, creepy!
Not a very long wait in a waiting room (Clever, eh?) which was about as interesting as the inside of a cardboard box, with BBC Radio 2 being piped-in at such a ridiculously low volume that one could struggle to hear anything - then my examiner for the next 40 minutes walks in - so Roy (who had fallen asleep almost) and myself went ito his office/cave and filled out some info so everything was all legal. Roy had to step out and let me go at this point, nothing more he could do to help me now!
On with the radio so my examiner could give me directions - a huge great brick strapped to my side! -did my jacket up and we both went downstairs, back out through the creepy door and into the car park. He gave me my radio-check as I was doing my helmet up… all good….
Off we went. Ducking and diving into little back-roads, jumping onto a dual carriageway or two - I performed my manuvers correctly (Though there was a very steep camber on both sides of the road on my U-Turn, and I locked the front brake on my Controlled (Read:Emergency) Stop - but I let the brake go and reapplied - all was well. Hardest parts were over, examiner seemed happy… “Hmm, that was okay” - so on to a more high-speed setup. Back onto the dual-carriageway, I blipped up to 70 and held it there. Naturally you’re supposed to ‘get up to speed’ and stay there, unless traffic dictates otherwise. This meant I had to overtake a few cars and a lorry. Just as I was overtaking a lorry I received the direction that I was to take the next turnoff… it couldn’t be done, unless I braked and slipped behind the lorry and in front of the car behind it, or broke the speed limit and got in front of the lorry so I could slow down to take the exit. Both would mean the vehicle behind would need to brake sharply to avoid crashing into me. This would mean a fail on both counts, so I continued on. My examiner told me “you just missed your turn” - I had a little pang of anxiety, but I remembered you can’t be failed for going the wrong way, so long as you’re safe. So I remained calm and drove on.
Naturally the instructor wanted to get me into that road I missed, so he instructed me to come off at the next junction, go over the bridge and come back, which went just fine - then came the instruction to come off at the junction that I missed the first time around. Got that just fine, but took one exit too-early on the roundabout, meaning I went back onto the dual carriageway again! I felt like a complete idiot at this point, as I didn’t want to piss off my examiner - who at this point took me back into Worthing via the dual carriageway. We pretty much drove straight back to the test centre - the whole test felt like it took 20 minutes.
Parked the bike up, dismounted, too my helmet off, just as my examiner came to congratulate me for passing… just.
I apologised for being an idiot with directions, be he gave me the impression he enjoyed going a different route for a change! So we went inside where Roy was fast asleep - so woke him up so he could sit-in on the debrief.
I got ONE minor fault for canceling my indicator too early while exiting a roundabout, the rest was just perfect, apparently! I felt so great after that. So Roy took me back outside and shook my hand. We’d be riding back to Ridesure without radios, and all I had to do was ‘Keep up’ with him.
It was more difficult than I thought…
It felt like real advanced training! We were blipping to high speeds in no time at all, rather than the slow acceleration I’d been used to - we even broke the speed limit a few times, I’m sure! (Naughty naughty 
hehe)
Still. Got back in one piece and felt thoroughly drained. I slept well last night.
So, forget the Virago. I can’t quite remember why I wanted one, because I realised that to buy a Really Nice(tm) Virago 750, you’re looking to spend between £1500 and £3000. For the same money you can buy a perfectly serviceable Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster which will never lose money.
Simple choice really. Though I quite like Triumphs as well… argh! Decisions!
I have plenty of time to think about it.
Recently:
- Dark Phoenix Media - the Future
- We’ll always be together…
- Lack of vehicular transportation…
- All Hail 2009!
- Hogswatch is coming…
- Category A Motorcycle Test: PASS!
- World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
- Barack Obama - seems like a nice chap.
- Dark Phoenix Media - ‘Hacked’
- A Potato-Tastic Birthday
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