Hitchcocks Forum

When I was younger, The motorcycle test was a guy following you around on another bike, but by the time I actually took it, it was a part one and part two test.

I remember it well, winter , damn cold , and for one lesson it had snowed! This was my initial experience of a bike on snow, a Suzuki A100 two stroke.

I got to the school that the BMF used for training and ran into a snowdrift. I got off the bike, pulled it through/over the drift and continued on to the car park. The instructors had come in a car, and only a few other guys had turned up, either in more cars or one frozen guy that had walked! I was the only guy to turn up on my bike, needless to say, practical lessons were out!

We did a little theory, but things got much more interesting a one of the instructors told us about biking around the Paris ring road.


There had been no speed limits then and he was doing about 120 MPH down the fast lane, when he saw a Mercedes in his mirror quite some distance behind him. He checked again a few seconds later and it was right behind him, giving him a bit of a shock as he flung his bike into the next lane. He guessed the Mercedes must have been doing about 180! It had been his first experience of being followed at that speed!


So I got my part one and two, and ripped up the 'L'plates!


What was then the 'new' two part test seemed a little complicated, but I have just looked on gov web site. No wonder there seem to be fewer bike riders nowadays, they even have to issue a flow chart to show how to pass!

I took the test in 1966. Nobody followed you, you were just told to ride round the block until flagged down. The tester walked around observing you and jumping out in front for the emergency stop. It was quite a farce really and difficult to fail. The whole thing took about twenty minutes.
By contrast, my missus took her test two years ago. compulsory basic training was followed by a computer based theory test then an off-road test before the final on-road test. She passed everything but had the problem that everyone thought she was a candidate's mother (or granny) There can't be many 59 year old ladies taking a motorcycle test! After all this she was limited to 30hp (I think) for two years with the option to take another test to go unlimited.
She was one of the first to do the infamous off-road "swerve" test which was damn dangerous and has now been dropped.

Must admit i don't think i would like to go through the modern test from scratch, having said that it does seem to have reduced the carnage amongst the young.. Expect most of us over 55 years old have lost a school pal or know of someone killed before the age of nineteen in motor cycle crashes.. 1950-60 machines with pizz poor brakes, lack of maintenance, poor road craft skills, topped with best bitter and excess testosterone… As Pete says 20 minutes riding around the block and you where signed off as fit to ride a 650 bsa or even a triton if money was plentiful… Thankfully it wasn't in my case as an apprentice i had a year on an old 56 c12 before i could afford a Norton 600…

An extra year of experience which could well have kept me alive..

Thinking about the test, the most difficult manoeuvre examined was the right turn, going uphill and having to put out your right arm to signal..

Around 1968 (ish) a mate of mine put in for his test on a BSA Bantam. Upon meeting the tester my mate was told to start his bike and ride it around the block for observation. Well try as he might he could not get the little bike to fire up. He tried every trick he could think of but still no joy, until eventually after 20 minutes the tester said that his time was up and the test would has to be declared as void. My mate had to sign a bit of paper in the office and was then free to leave. Upon returning to his Bantam he switched it on, kicked the stater pedal, and it fired first time! I could imagine my Bullet playing this trick on me given half a chance! Cheers all. Tony.

Took my test in the Winter of 1967. It was so cold that the examiner was more concerned with keeping warm than watching me and I am sure he passed me because it took less time than writing out a failure slip! I was on a 250 AJS and the clutch cable broke on the way home.

A work collegue failed his test in the late 70's. I couldn't imagine how until he said he thought it was a test of how fast he could ride around the circuit. Completely stupid, even more so for admitting it.

Clearly a young pup in this august gathering I took my test in 1976 on a 150 Sportique Vespa with a cracked clutch basket. It would wheel stand with the slightest provocation and did so at least twice on hill starts during my test ride where I was followed by a traffic cop on a Honda 750/4. I got back to the office fully expecting to be sent home to practice but instead I was handed my license. He said if I got back alive I passed!

I took my test on a 175 NVT Rambler that I had bought as a Passing Out pressie to myself when I was in the Army. There was a catch though. I had been Posted to Germany and the 125cc Law had been announced. I was still paying the HP on the bike! I had to come home on Leave to take the test before the 125cc Law came into force. I passed on the second attempt. If I remember correctly, the 125cc Law came into effect in 1981.

I passed in 1974, then you could ride anything up to 250 I think, on L plates with a provisional licence and no training. The week after I passed I moved from my Honda CD175 to a Norton Commando 750, quite a steep learning curve! but I am still here.

passed mine late '70's,on my BSA A10 combo,with apehangers and box sidecar.funniest bit was where the tester walked alongside to make sure i could keep my balance..hardly going to fall off it was i!