Firstly my experience. I decided to get a bike in my fourth and final year at university. No, I wasn’t a slow learner but it was a four year course reading Biochemistry. The motorcycling has stayed in my blood ever since, the biochemistry much less so. The strange thing is I honestly can’t remember why I wanted to learn to ride a bike. I just remember I did.
Mine had much more snazzy L plates. Hard plastic at the rear under the number plate. Flexible plastic at the front tied with string between the forks
My first bike was a Honda CD125 Benly. Not the popular CB125 which looked vaguely sporty but a cruiser style with loads of chrome. Hardly the cool bike of my dreams but it was a step forward. Electric start and a speedo that went up to 100mph. There was no chance of getting there. Chin on tank and 75 was possible. At least that was the maximum the speedo said as it violently gyrated.
I don’t think I ever dropped it. Actually having written that I remember I did. Back then the test was a two part affair. Off road, mine was in a school playground, was the Part 1 manoeuvring test. I took the pre-test course, practiced in the evenings and was fine. Then, on the day of the test, alongside all the other candidates I did a quick run round the cones that made the test course. And promptly rode onto a cone when turning. The cone slide away. The bike fell away and I found myself lying down. On the test course. Next to my bike.
I had some time to recover my dignity before the candidates were given a quick briefing and then allocated to groups to undertake the tasks.
When it was my turn to take the test I rode round nonchalantly. I must have been seen by the examiner and felt I must fail. There was no way a crash like that could mean I reached the required standard. But amazingly I passed and received the certificate that allowed me to book my Part 2 on road test.
Andrew’s Bike Blog 