Here's a link to a Downing Street petition to remove the swerve bit of the new test: http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=127837330504&...amp;ref=nf                                                                                                                                                                             

To be honest , even tho I failed on that part for mortally wounding a blue cone, having done it I think it should stay as part of the test.   It should however be changed so that it takes into account the road conditions & also that the speed limit is set to 30mph , not as it is at the moment 50kph, whis is actually speeding in the UK !!                                                                                                                                                                              

saw this on FB: here is some info that needs to be shared....The USA have whats called the MSF bike test. They have been running the MSF for 20-30+ years. They have the swerve in their test too at 15mph.. BUT.. they deemed it too dangerous to perform this manoeuvre MORE THAN 15Mph. Thay have full evidence to prove this and they changed their tests to suit.                                                                                                                                                                              

Thanks SV - I had just asked in a separate thread if anybody had experience of it as I thought it was not too bad....   Mind you, must be pretty scary if you want it reduced by 1.07mph...                                                                                                                                                                              

hmm.. but is 15mph a realistic speed?                                                                                                                                                                              

the way I see it (& nope, I haven't tried it) but to do this swerve test as a comparatively inexperienced rider seems really daunting to me - to actually 'plan' to have to do one seems more scary than having to do it for real when adrenalin & instinct would take over. I may be absolutely & completely wrong, but that's how I'm viewing it at the moment...specially when I hear that 2 instructors wrote their bikes off testing the manouver & then the first guy that tries it as part of his test comes off & breaks his arm & then the 2nd guy come off his bike aswell!!                                                                                                                                                                              

Just going to see if I can find what the swerve test is actually meant to achieve.... (and to have another look at it on YouTube)                                                                                                                                                                             

no i think it should stay.  30mph/50kmph is fine as thats what you'll be doing when a dog (or damn sheep) run out in front of you.   I've lost count of how many times ive had to swerve away from idiots in cars, animals in the countryside, etc.   This test is excellent.  Those who fall off clearly aren't ready to ride on the roads.   I DO however think the speeds should be different for the conditions.  It's ridiculous that 2 people can take the test on 2 different days with different weather conditions and have to pass at the same standard.  Nobody rides the same in the wet as they do in dry conditions.                                                                                                                                                                             

Yep, Matt - agreeing with you, I think.   You have to show a certain amount of competence and looking at videos of the swerve test I can hardly see it is a 'killer'.   Have read in some places that many of the accidents could be down to the surface that has been laid at some of the test centres. Apparently it needs a good while to 'bed in' and is particularly slippery in the wet until it has done so.   Also, it appears some people are just going into the test completely unprepared on bikes they haven't ridden before and without adequate training (some haven't even ridden the course before).   I would like to have a go on the course myself before I finally decide if it is dangerous or not. Have any experienced riders ridden it?   (Could we get a course set up for the Ure Welcome Rally?)                                                                                                                                                                             

Like TC has said in another post, it looks a good skill to have and in all DAS cases and probably a lot more A2 cases, taught by an instructor in controlled surroundings.   I haven't done the test and being honest, I'm glad I don't have to - it looks hard but I think it's worth remembering that all the tests have got harder as the years go by and people still keep passing them (it's just that it usually ends up getting more and more expensive!). I'm sure we have some members on here that can tell us that back in their day you just had to ride up the road without falling off and hey presto, full licence thank you very much. I exggerate but you get my point.   I fully agree that there should be different speeds set for differing conditions though.   Shell, going back to the *useful skill to have* point, has your instructor taught you to counter-steer to complete the swerve?                                                                                                                                                                              

The only experinced rider I know that's done it is my intructor (and all the other instructors from the school) and he thinks it's easy but he would! He's an instructor and can do a u-turn on his Blackbird in a standard road whilst looking in the other direction!!! (so much for *the bike will go where you are looking!* LOL!   With his serious head on, he still thinks it's easy but says it needs a lot of teaching. All their DAS trainees now start on a 125, then a 250, then the 600s and it helps the trainee's confidence plus it's a min of 2 days now spent on module one. This has racked up the cost of the courses a lot but his trainee's pass rate is 98%.   I've spoken to a few of the guys that have done the test (DAS) and they've said it was ok but when it comes to DAS, most men have such an physical advantage over most women so in my opinion, on average, the men have it easier.                                                                                                                                                                              

Yeah I did it all fine just came in too fast & clipped the cone , the rest was fine.   The speed issue is just a personal thing , I dont think you should be doing a test to get your licence & have to do a speed that is breaking the law or that if was very wet you would not be doing.   I dont agree tho with 15mph ... unless your doing it in a thunder storm, ice or snow                                                                                                                                                                              

By the way - I am not trying to discourage people from signing the petition in HFG's original post if they think it is dangerous in their experience, I am just curious what people thought.                                                                                                                                                                             

Its up to the person  IMO , having done it personally I dont think it is dangerous, providing you have been trained correctly.   As stated the issue is that the speed is faster than the law allows & in very wet weather you would not be going that fast & the test does not allow for this                                                                                                                                                                              

Will have to think about this one (after I have seen a course for real) and consider if rain would cause me to drop my speed to sub-30mph. Of course you would if you knew that you were going to have to steer that course but I am guessing that the object is to simulate a sudden swerve to miss an object in your path.   I have found a diagram of the course online but does anybody have the actual dimensions that I could position the cones to?                                                                                                                                                                             

I have the dimentions , I am in work at the moment but can PM them to you later or tomorrow                                                                                                                                                                              

Excellent! Cheers sv!!!   I can feel a few hours of fun coming up....                                                                                                                                                                             

http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Documents/MPTC/2009/dsa_mc_diagra...layout.pdf   This has the measurements you will need a fair size space lol   http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Documents/MPTC/2009/dsa_motorcycl...m_mptc.pdf   This has the cones .. remember harm a blue cone you fail   others you move them its a serious fault                                                                                                                                                                              

Ah, perfect!! Thanks sv!!   There is a car park near me which is nearly always deserted in the evenings plus I can borrow some cones from rugby training... (might have to 'Weeble' some of them though!)                                                                                                                                                                             

i am so glad i passed my test all those years ago...good luck to everyone who has to do it though .