xsmotorcycleschool.co.uk blog

Following on from the review on Module 1 of the Practical Test the DSA are now re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic with some minor changes to Module 1, which are to come into use on 16th May 2011.

First off they are changing the order in which the exercises, “Elements” in DSA speak, are to be done, the intention is that all of the “slow speed” exercises will now be done together, followed by the high speed ones, presumably if the examiner is not happy with your slow riding he will not carry on with the high speed part of the test and so reduce the accident toll.

This will mean that the “Slow Ride” and the “U-Turn” exercises will now be done following the “Slalom” and “Figure 8″ exercises.

The published intention is that on the completion of the “Figure 8″ you will be asked ride across the yard to the “U-Turn” area at a walking pace and this will be observed by the examiner rather than you having to keep pace with him as at present.

Next will be the “Controlled Stop”, for this you will need to ride round the “circuit bend” at the end of the yard, but this first time round it there will be no speed requirement so it’s a chance for you to get the feel of things, and then go straight through down to stop with your wheel in the “stop box” of 4 blue cones.

The entrance to and exit from the “circuit bend” have been “altered to allow the rider to choose their preferred riding line”

Now you need to get up to speed!, it’s time for the “Emergency Stop”.

So it’s round the “circuit bend” again, but this time you need to get round it at 30kph, accelerate up to 50kph and through the speed trap and stop when the examiner raises his hand.

The official release says that they are now going to allow a 5% tolerance on that speed so it will no longer be a fail if you only do 49kph but it is a “Minor Fault”.

All that’s left to do is the swerve,   Oops!, Sorry, that’s the “Avoidance” exercise.

Round the “circuit bend” for the third time, again at 30kph, through the speed trap at 50kph (5% tolerance) and swerve through the marker cones same as always.

You have already done the “Controlled Stop” exercise so you now just need to stop safely near the cones marking the back of the box (the 2 front cones are to be removed before you start the exercise) .

Diagrams of the “New” layout can be downloaded from the “info/Practical Test/Module 1″ section of the XS main site HERE where there are both the “Old Test Layout” and the “Current Layouts” available for download.

The Transport Committee of the House of Commons has today (March 23rd) published a report castigating the DSA and the DfT for the way in which they brought in the new motorcycle test which is based on European legislation, the “Second EU Driving Licence Directive”.

The full report may be accessed at this link.

In the full report it reveals that up to the end of January there had been 212 reportable accidents since the start of Module 1 tests, 194 of which had been in the high speed swerve and emergency stop “exercises”. This causes the committee to comment that “The rate of incidents and accidents occurring in Module 1 tests need to be monitored carefully, and the DSA needs to react without delay if incident levels do not decline”

There’s a lot to read so if you want to just jump to the final “Conclusions and Recommendations” page then try this link where you find comments such as “There is little doubt that the Government has exceeded what was necessary to comply with the EU Directive”, “bizarre”, “confusing for candidates”, “The off-road motorcycle test effectively bars candidates from adapting their riding to reflect the prevailing weather, road and other circumstances” among others.

You may gather that the report does not exactly sing the praises of the DSA!

On You Tube I found a series of clips taking you through the new test.

Looks as though it may be from an official DSA source, but it has been made before they decided to split the test into two parts, what they are calling “Modules”.

Anyway there are 13 of these clips  so here are the links to them, once each clip has finished running, just click on the “Back” button on your browser to return to this blog posting:-

(Added 15-5-09)

This has definitely been taken from the DSA  video and so is “Crown Copyright” material.

(1) Introduction
(2) New DSA Bike Test Part 1
(3) New DSA Bike Test Part 2
(4) New DSA Bike Test Part 3
(5) New DSA Bike Test Part 4
(6) New DSA Bike Test Part 5
(7) New DSA Bike Test Part 6
(8) New DSA Bike Test Part 7
(9) New DSA Bike Test Part 8
(10) New DSA Bike Test Part 9
(11) New DSA Bike Test Part 10
(12) New DSA Bike Test Part 11
(13) New DSA Bike Test Part 12
(14) New DSA Bike Test Part 13

(These files are DSA copyright)

Further to their “Consultation Document” the DSA are going ahead with their changes to the motorcycle test.

Their new “new test” is now to commence on 27^th April, with bookings available from 30^th March, after which it will be necessary to first take and pass the initial “off road” test at one of their official “Off Road Manoeuvring Areas”

(Click on maps for an enlarged view)

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Having succeeded with this you can then book your “On Road Test”, not necessarily at the same “Driving  Test Centre” because with splitting the test it has been decided to offer the “On Road” part at a number of the older Driving Test Centres as well as at the new MPTC’s.

As can be seen from the maps, if you live to the North of the Hull to Liverpool line, cover for the first part of the test is “sparse” and  you are still faced with a l-o-n-g ride to a Test Centre but things are a little better for the second part.

So the procedure to a Full motorcycle licence after taking a CBT will be to :-

1. Book and pass a “Written Theory Test”

2. Book and pass an “Off Road Manoeuvring Test”

3. Book and pass a “Practical On-Road Riding Test”

In spite of a majority of the Consultation’s replies being to the contrary the DSA still intend to raise the test fee, so that the fee will have increased for a motorcycle test by 52% while in the same period the car test fee will only have increased by 12.5%.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get a pay increase of 12.5% this year, never mind one of 52%! it’s better than working for a Bank!

The British Motorcyclists Federation has issued this news release today on the new Practical Motorcycle Riding Test and the proposed changes to it:- BMF News Release

These changes are intended to come in before the commencement of the new test on Monday 27th April this year