Hey, I am about to start taking my UK motorcycle test. I have been riding in the US for about 30 years and fairly confident I have picked up a few bad habits along the way. A few weeks ago, I was riding through town and was sitting at a stop light on a flat bit of road. I had both feet down and had my feet back balancing on my toes. I was kind of lightly rocking the bike back and forth but probably not noticeable to anyone watching. If I needed to take off for safety reasons...all good, I would have plenty of time to go then lift feet to pegs. Anyways, this guy on some random bike filtered up to me and demanded for me to "get that foot up on the brake." I said OK and probably rolled my eyes. Is having your right foot on the brake while you're stopped a law? Will the test guy fail me if I don't? On hills, I always do but on the flats sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. It's kind of back brain thinking. I'm pretty sure I'm going to fail the second part of this test mostly because of test anxiety! Thanks for any thoughts!
IIRC it’s more of a common sense thing but I don’t do it all the time. I prefer to put my right foot t down. Not 100% sure for the test but you’ll need it for the Mod1 slow stuff and Mod2 Hill start. All of that said, I’d have told the random fella to mind his own business. Nosey prick. Imagine driving a car and stopping at lights for someone to come along and tell you to apply the handbrake? Yeah, fuck off
Certainly for the test if you sit stationary at a junction without using the rear brake you will fail. It's also necessary for the hill start.
Can’t help you the finer points of the current UK motorcycle test, I took mine 56 years ago I can help you with the riding by twat, probably an advanced rider with ROSPA or IAM Road Smart who thinks everyone needs to benefit from his exalted position When stationary at a junction with or without traffic lights, it is good practice to apply a brake just in case you get shunted from behind. In theory, it should keep you from being punted into the traffic stream. For the same reason, it is good practice (and shows machine sympathy) to select neutral if you are going to be stationary for longer than 15 or 20 seconds. Good luck with your test. Andy
I have been motorcycling for over 40years. These days I ‘normally’ only hold the front brake when I stop. ‘My’ preference is to have better balance on the bike by having two feet down. I dont ride a sportbike anymore though. With rearstets and a compact, lighweight bike, I might use the footbrake more. No doubt there will be some reason for using the footbrake. Now, if I come to lights with a timer and I then decide to select neutral AFTER stopping…how do I do that with my right foot up? Right foot down…left up. Imo some rules are for guidance. Your brain is the thing that should always be used.
“Imo some rules are for guidance.” Exactly Unfortunately on your test, right or wrong, the examiner has an expectation. Andy
OK, thanks!! I think the general idea I’m getting from this is that it is not a law, do what you feel is right for the moment and right foot on brake for the examiner. I’m glad it’s relaxed. As far as the drive by twat guy… my wife made a comment over the intercom at how mellow I’ve become over the years…I’ll leave it at that
I have been lucky to ride with a decent number of ‘highly trained’ riders over the years. You see some ‘varying’ technique, , some were iam, some Police, some racers.. Only one of them was complete t1t. He had iam advanced and had taken everything he was told as being literal. He was the only one that was not safe. Knowledge needs to be used with common sense. Comment above is correct, do as the examiner expects.
There seems to be a lot of that around. I started with a google search and that went down in flames. The folks on this forum seem to have their heads on straight...
Was he wearing a "Polite" (I'm a tit) hi-viz, not everyone in the UK is an arse. Good luck with your test, you'll be fine Then get a bike with hill hold, it's great, then when he gives you advice again you can tell him to F' off.
To the OP - this is NOT the law! I assume that this sort of test-requirements stuff is written down somewhere in the pre-test gubbins?? I'm sure I'd fail any sort of riding/driving test if this sort of common-sense thing has become something to be tested, instead of merely commented on by an examiner! I'd love it if I was out on my RH-change bike and someone commented
Thanks! Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between ideas and law. I can only imagine the patience I would have to have and a lack of remaining tongue from biting it off if I had a RH change bike Riders in Los Angeles were great, a really good brotherhood across all bikes. When I moved to Colorado, there was tons of biker anger and everyone knows better. So far, the UK is much more laid back and very inviting except for the rare outlier.
Unfortunately many people take what they've been taught/advised/whatever by someone as the only way to do things - without understanding why. Then think it's a rule...
You can have a ton of weight on the rear if a Ducati and it still won’t stop you being shunted forward by a rear end shunt by a slug…
If he was on your right, you should have pushed the twat off his bike, then explain that wouldn’t have happened if he didn’t have his foot on the brake.
Covering the rear isnt to stop you being shunted, its to allow you to maintain steering if it happens. It you sit holding on the front, the front will tuck and you will be off if pushed from behind. This is now we always explain it when instructing for CBT and DAS. It is also an expectation at test.
