Motorcycle license test - looking for advice
Hello everyone,
I am currently training for a Category A (unrestricted) motorcycle licence, and this is my first experience riding a motorcycle. My only previous experience on two wheels is riding a bicycle, although I have been driving cars for about 10 years.
Overall, I am doing fairly well in most parts of the practical test. My instructor says that I have good body position, good balance, and that I handle the slow-speed exercises and the slalom without major issues.
However, I am struggling almost exclusively with the two higher-speed exercises:
- Emergency Braking
- Obstacle Avoidance (swerve)
For both exercises, we must accelerate and cover a 40-meter distance in less than 5 seconds before performing the required maneuver.
My main problem is that I don't have a good sense of how fast I actually need to be going in order to pass the test. As a result, I usually end up in one of two situations.
Scenario 1:
I start too gently, take too long to shift gears, and by the time I realize I won't make the required time, I end up opening the throttle much more aggressively near the end of the run.
In this case, I usually finish in around 6 seconds. My instructor also gets worried because I sometimes keep accelerating even after passing the small cone that marks the point where you should stop accelerating, making it look like I won't stop in time.
Scenario 2:
I start more aggressively, but then I rush everything.
My shift into second gear becomes sloppy. Sometimes I leave a little throttle on while shifting, sometimes I don't press the gear lever firmly enough and accidentally hit neutral instead of second gear, and other times I continue holding the clutch slightly after shifting into second.
When these things happen, I see my instructor reacting strongly, I get even more confused, and sometimes I roll off the throttle or even touch the brakes when I shouldn't.
I have even tried doing the entire run in first gear only, just to remove the gear change from the equation, but even then my time is around 5.5 seconds, so clearly I am still doing something wrong.
What I usually do is:
- Apply a little throttle
- Gradually release the clutch
- Pull the clutch back in
- Shift into second gear
- Continue accelerating
Because the slow-speed exercises involve a lot of clutch control, I think I have become conditioned to reach for the clutch whenever the bike accelerates harder than I am comfortable with.
My instructor insists that the problem is not really technical, but that I am getting overwhelmed and trying to perform too many actions at once. He also says that during these exercises I tend to grip the handlebars too tightly, which causes accidental throttle inputs. Then I pull in the clutch because I feel like the bike is taking off faster than expected.
Personally, I don't feel particularly scared, but my instructor clearly sees something that I may not be noticing myself.
I still have two lessons before my test, so I would really appreciate advice from experienced riders or someone who has been in a similar situation and managed to overcome it. If anyone has dealt with a similar issue, I would love to hear how you handled it.
Is there a particular technique, mindset, or training approach that helped you consistently pass this type of acceleration test?
Thank you for your time and any advice you can offer.