Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Lainie -> That course looks like it would actually be *good*. Not that i'm going to go nuts criticising the curriculum of the RiderSafe program here in South Australia

Basically, we had to do a figure of eight in a set square - which is easy on a trail bike, but not possible on something like a ZZR. Then we had to do a 'S' curve - which tests the bike in the same way the figure of eight does, it's very tight (no more than walking pace) and you have to hold full lock both ways. A ZZR also won't be able to do this test.

Then you do a low-speed weave - it's possible - but really tricky on the ZZR, and i ballsed it at the last second (with no points left to spare to pass, so that's where i finished up). Then you do a 'straight line' crawl kinda thing where you have to go very very slowly and maintain your balance. Sounds easy, I didn't get a chance to try it, and i saw a guy bin his scooter doing the straight line test so that made me feel a bit better.

Then finally you do a very very very very very simple brake on command test (from about 25km/h).

So the things you get assessed on a pretty weak, but it does ensure you have a very basic level of control over the bike. Had i been on their fleet bikes, i might not have aced the test, but i would've passed quite easily

So now the only problem is that i may not get another chance to do the test before my L's run out (got 2 months left, and they are always booked solid) so I dunno what's going to happen. Certainly throws a spanner in the works for me.

Well what ever happens and Good Luck

dude thats not so good...

funny that ur quite a decent rider thru the hills, and thru town u have no dramas....yet osama in his cab cant drive to save his life, cleans up bikers (re; shaman) and gets a licence no worries..


i didnt think ppl COULD fail the test..maybe its harder here than in nsw??

Well, i hope i don't have to crawl to Halls Gap at 80km/h !

Yeah i just *(censored)*ed up ey Shoulda jumped on the CB250 for the test, but stuck to 'what i knew' *sigh*

stevew_zzr wrote: So now the only problem is that i may not get another chance to do the test before my L's run out (got 2 months left, and they are always booked solid) so I dunno what's going to happen. Certainly throws a spanner in the works for me.

You may be able to go to your licensing authority and request an extension on your current licence/permit due to the provider not being able to get you booked in. Here in Victoria you can go to Vic Roads and get a 3 month extension on a learner permit if you are unable to get tested. I think you can only get the extension once, but it is there if needed. The main provision they have is that the permit is current when you apply. That might be able to buy you some more time. The CB's have an upright seating position and wide bars so are an easy bike to perform low speed manoeuvres. The fact that the seating position is more upright helps enourmously as well as eye and head direction is the key. A good instructor should have been able to pick up on any difficulties your were having. At the very least they should have been aware of difficulties on various types of bikes. Different styles of bikes have various strenths and weaknesses. In a testing environment these sort of differences really stand out. Cruisers for example always have problems with emergency braking due to the way weight transferes in heavy braking. About the easiest bike to pass most tests on is road trail as it has big wide bars, upright seating position and lots of suspension travel so they stop really well without locking up as easily as bike with stiff suspension and grippy brakes. Most testing works on the notion that if you cant do it at low speed, what hope is there at high speed.

Hope the info helps

Cheers

stevew_zzr wrote:Well, i hope i don't have to crawl to Halls Gap at 80km/h !

yea..i hope that too!!

no good.

better luck next time

aardvark wrote:

chameleon wrote:what practical value do these slow speed skills have?

You would be suprised how much slow speed skill translates into high speed skill. You can learn a lot about throttle control from doing tight u-turns.

Greeny!!! you listening!!!!????

Not good to hear Steve, after I lost my license many years ago, the courts made me do the second part of the rider safe again. Sounds like its barely changed. Ummmm I did it on a borrowed RGV 250......passed and no points lost but I'd had some riding time in before being put through it again. After I passed I went and got my license back on my GPz 750
Always thought it was funny they never put me back on a restricted license....not that I'm complaining.

What I would say is with in a week of doing it, ya throw the skills out the window. No one there with a clip board and red pen watching.....who cares if i put my foot down u-turning

Out here in the real world we all put our feet down when crawling along, or doing u-ies.

I will admit that I failed my P's twice. But I never did have to do those stupid cones to get my blacks.

The guy from the RTA told me its not so much a "test", its more about letting them see you can actually control a bike "out there". NSW recently changed the size of the U turn box and the distance between the cones to allow for bikes like ZZr's etc, but its still easier if you get one of their p.o.s Hondas.

stevew_zzr wrote:..... It'll be a waste of money if you try and do it on your bike (if it's unsuitable), so hop on one of their bikes, get used to it during the morning, then pass the test flying colours!

Funny you should mention that - a mate of mine did the Stay Upright licence test here a few years ago.......they provide DT125's for the test........but he insisted on using the bike he rode to the test-facility........it was a 1971 650 Ural pretty unsuitable bike you would reckon ??

He passed the test.........to the instructor's bewilderment......

aardvark wrote:

chameleon wrote:what practical value do these slow speed skills have?

You would be suprised how much slow speed skill translates into high speed skill. You can learn a lot about throttle control from doing tight u-turns.

Absolutely spot on. Teaching the slow speed stuff did more for my riding than any other course I've done.


I've always advocated doing the course and test in NSW on the bike you are going to ride. I don't know how the scheme works in Adelaide but in NSW if you practise all of the stuff you learn in your L's course you'll get through your P's fairly easily no matter what you're riding. Getting to understand how to make your bike turn and how it stops/swerves will be much more rewarding than doing it on a loaner hack.

Stick with it mate and just practise.

mohawk miss wrote:Out here in the real world we all put our feet down when crawling along, or doing u-ies.

I will admit that I failed my P's twice. But I never did have to do those stupid cones to get my blacks.

The guy from the RTA told me its not so much a "test", its more about letting them see you can actually control a bike "out there". NSW recently changed the size of the U turn box and the distance between the cones to allow for bikes like ZZr's etc, but its still easier if you get one of their p.o.s Hondas.

Hey watch it their Mohawk, your instructor wasn't from the RTA, he was from the rider training provider, the two are totally different species

And remember noone fails their P's it just takes a coupe of go's sometimes.

Make a point of practising the stuff you learnt though as it will help your riding and get used to moving your bike around without putting your feet down. Enjoy your riding

mohawk miss wrote:Out here in the real world we all put our feet down when crawling along, or doing u-ies..

Not me sister I like to do the crawl with both feet on the pegs, easier to squeeze between the cars and trucks that way. I also U-turn with both feet up, unless it's on a slope. Years ago... (In a galaxy far far away) I developed this technique on my old Z1R where I would roll to a stop, flick the sidestand down, and then deftly lower the bike onto it by tipping the bike left while I shifted my weight right. "I think?" Anyway it was way cool and always got a laugh from the coppers when I was pulled over I havent tried it on this new bike yet. Probably cause I'm still fussing over it a little.

Thats right, my instructors werent from the RTA, they were from Stay Upright, but the guy who supervised my test was from the RTA. Thats because I'm special and had to do a modified test. Hence no weaving cones. And no getting on & off the bike all day either.

And I did do the rest on my beautiful silver ZZR.