Over the years that I have been involved in the assessment of advanced riding I have noticed a great deal of consistency in the things that people get wrong. Nobody gets it all wrong, all the time (or at least I haven’t met them yet) but a good selection from the below areas commonly feature in a poor ride. I have discussed these faults with other examiners and tutors and find we share generally similar experiences.

Shoulder Checks

· Doing shoulder checks but seeing nothing, and doing too many.

· Doing them too late to be able to react if anything is seen.

· Failing to do shoulder checks when leaving roundabouts in traffic.

Observation

· Not looking far enough ahead. This is one of the main differences between a novice and the truly ‘advanced’ rider.

· Not using enough head movement for lateral views (and don’t forget – if the examiner cannot see you do it, you don’t get any credit for it). Don’t move your eyes – move your head and neck.

· Failing to spot speed limit signs.

Use of Speed

· Failure to use speed and acceleration smoothly.

· An inability to keep your bike at the legal speed limit. Practice riding at 30 mph and get used to how your bike sounds and feels so that you do not have to constantly look at the speedo. It is probably better to use a low gear and have the benefit of engine breaking to moderate your speed.

· Allowing speed in built up areas to build up because of the prevailing speed of surrounding traffic.

· Speed limit – what speed limit?

Position

· Over extending positions for left hand bends. Somebody told you that’s what the Police do? They are wrong – we don’t. Don’t forget that the next vehicle to come around that bend might be another motorcycle travelling at a very high speed. If you are both on the same side of the road the chances of a collision are frightening.

· Exaggerating ‘the position’ in built up areas where there is no real need. On roads with 30 and 40 mph limits there is little to be gained by weaving around on the road and probably means you are putting yourself too close to roadside and oncoming hazards.

· Insistence on following the ‘correct line’ in the wet --- and disregarding a dry line on the road surface a foot or two from the ideal position.

· Failing to maintain a ‘safety zone’ between your motorcycle and other vehicles (travelling in all directions, and parked) or hazards.

Overtaking

· Failing to seize overtaking opportunities.

· A rigid insistence on not overtaking at or near junctions.

· Returning to the nearside of the road too soon after an overtake. Failing to take opportunities for multiple overtakes.

· ‘Panicking’ part way through an overtake when the speed limit is being exceeded, throttling back (or braking) and ‘closing the door’ on the examiner (grrrrr …..I hate that one!).

· Placing your safety in the hands of another by filtering past a line of traffic and blindly trusting some kind stranger to make a space for you if you need it, or to pull over if coming the other way. Guess what – sometimes they don’t!

· Taking real liberties with the speed limit – especially when on dual carriageways or the motorway – just because you are overtaking.

Others

· Inability to criticise your own or others riding objectively.

· Tackling only one hazard at a time.

· An inability to plan progress through a series of bends so that as you leave one bend you are in the correct position for entering the next.

· Tap dancing at traffic lights. Make up your mind which foot to put down (or both feet if conditions demand) and get on with it! There is no correct foot.