Full M or A1 licence

JuncoPartner

Hey,

I've been driving my Vespa ET2 for a year now but my 3rd provisional licence is about to expire... I'm trying to decide what to do. I know I cant get another provisional for anything until I sit a driving test now. I live in Glasnevin and work in Blackrock - a 30 minute ride on the bike which is perfect. This is as much as I need the bike for so I really dont want to do a full driving licence for a car because I dont want or need one. Next I wouldnt mind getting a higher powered bike, 50cc is pathetic and Im the first to admit it, but again I dont really have that much need for it and the insurance would rocket for that - Im 23. So I need to sit a test for something...
So M, A1, A. I dont see the point in doing the B test.
Also what is involved in a scooter/motorcycle test? What do you have to do? Is it on the roads or what?
I havent driven anything other than my 50cc Vespa so far so Im guessing Id need a lesson or two if I wanted the A1 or A licence... But surely theres not all that much more to it??
Thanks for your Advice/Opinions in advance!

Oryx

If you do the test on an M or A1 type bike, then thats the full licence you will have, and youll have to do another test on a bigger bike to get an A.

Others here will be able to advise you on the test, Ive only sat the car one myself, but people do fail it all the time, so its not a total doddle. The best thing to do, even if you are going to take the test on a scooter, is get even one lesson with an instructor, and get him/her to go thru what you could expect in the test. G'luck!

Pigeon Reaper

Get lessons. It will stand to you and they'll probably point out some bad habits that you have developed. You'll also find you'll ride smoother and faster after some training. I'd say go for the A licence, you can rent bikes from some instructors to sit the test with. The test isn't difficult after a few lessons and you'll be able to get something bigger if you wish in the future.

JuncoPartner

can anyone recommend a good instructor? and an idea of how much they cost?
how does the test work? do you go out on the roads and they ride behind you or alongside you or something?

Oryx

JuncoPartner wrote:

can anyone recommend a good instructor? and an idea of how much they cost?
how does the test work? do you go out on the roads and they ride behind you or alongside you or something?

I think mostly they observe you from points on the route or drive behind you. I dont think there are many motorcycle riding testers in the country, they are all car testers doing mc tests.

As for an instructor, Im not from Dub so hopefully someone else might help. The only thing I can think of is the star rider programme run by Fingal CC, I dont know the name of the person doing the training there tho.

Pigeon Reaper

IRTA are good. Go to the Mag Ireland website and they list instructors. The test is a joke as you're expected to drive like a car would. You get a radio and the tester follows in a car telling yuo instructions on what route to take. You're expected to be able to U-turn without putting feet onto the ground. To walk with the bike and to know basic parts. Nothing difficult. If you fail it's normally because you've done something dangerous or lack of observation. Most trainers will teach you how to drive for the test and how to survive in the real world. normally it costs around €80 for two hours instruction but it's worth it. The instructors are all bikers some use radios.
ISM have some good instructors but some are dreadful (I've come across one ISM instructor driving along the Nass duel carriageway with indicators left on and driving erractically)

JuncoPartner

Pigeon Reaper wrote:

IRTA are good. Go to the Mag Ireland website and they list instructors. The test is a joke as you're expected to drive like a car would. You get a radio and the tester follows in a car telling yuo instructions on what route to take. You're expected to be able to U-turn without putting feet onto the ground. To walk with the bike and to know basic parts. Nothing difficult. If you fail it's normally because you've done something dangerous or lack of observation. Most trainers will teach you how to drive for the test and how to survive in the real world. normally it costs around €80 for two hours instruction but it's worth it. The instructors are all bikers some use radios.
ISM have some good instructors but some are dreadful (I've come across one ISM instructor driving along the Nass duel carriageway with indicators left on and driving erractically)

When you say the test is a joke... you mean in a good or bad way? I'm sure I've picked up all manner of bad habits anyway so I think I should definately get a lesson or two. I take it bus lanes/cycle lanes etc are out of the question!?
Im leaning towards at least doing the A1 test, especially if Im gonna take a couple of lessons anyway, is there much of a learning curve coming from the automatic to using a clutch and pedal breaks?
When you say basic parts... you mean like where my oil is etc?
A nice taxi driver drove into the back of me there recently and smashed by indicator lights... I never bothered getting them fixed, can you be failed for that? Tho I guess it wont matter if I do the A1 licence as it wont be on my bike

Oryx

JuncoPartner wrote:

A nice taxi driver drove into the back of me there recently and smashed by indicator lights... I never bothered getting them fixed, can you be failed for that? Tho I guess it wont matter if I do the A1 licence as it wont be on my bike

If the indos are there, they need to be working. Afaik if you have none at all you can use hand signals and be legal... but dont quote me.:)

JuncoPartner

actually they are there and work... its just the lenses that are broken, but i wanted to sound more dramatic!

murphaph

No, under the old system (-> feb 2004) you could get away with hand signals. These days the bike MUST have indicators, front and rear lights and a brakelight and they must all work. This is checked before you set of on the test.

To the OP.....
I learned to ride a bik coming from a car so the clutch thing wasn't too much of a problem but I have read (here as well as elsewhere) that it actually takes a bit of getting used to moving from a scooter to a bike as the tendency is there to grab the left lever to brake when this will now be your clutch!

I would also recommend getting lessons and just doing the A test. It's not a toss-up between the A or B for me because the B will only allow you to rideyour 50cc scooter anyway, you'd need an A1 or A to ride a 'proper' bike with gears so seeing as you aren't really into cars but might be into getting a bigger bike than a 50cc scooter it's a no-brainer to sit the A test (it's identical to the A1 test except you sit it on a 250 instead of a 125!!).The A1 is only there for 16 year old kids. At your age you wouldn't consider it.

Can I recommend David Lyons for your bike hire and lessons. He gave me my pretest and I flew the real test in Raheny (shortest wait time in Dubln by far). Best of luck. The test is straightforward, especially compared to the car test.

JuncoPartner

Cool, have you got contact details for him? Around what sort of price are we talking for the lessons and rental?

murphaph

David Lyons. Prices are on his site. I didn't need to rent a bike but he charged me €125 for 3 hours tuition for my pretest. Money well spent so it was.

tk123

murphaph wrote:

but I have read (here as well as elsewhere) that it actually takes a bit of getting used to moving from a scooter to a bike as the tendency is there to grab the left lever to brake when this will now be your clutch!

tee-hee-hee my big guy biker bro did this when I got my first bike(an ET2 too) and nearly fell off - very funny!! Anyhoos OP just do A test so you won't have to do another test if you decided to move up in ccs. It does take a bit of getting used to but with some lessons and practice you'll get used to the gears. I did lessons with ISM - Joe and Steven we're brilliant they thought me loads even thou i'd be driving a bike for years- I live in Glasnevin too and ISM are handy to get to - they're in Fitzgibbon st by Mountjoy sq..they have cb250s and you practice in their yard before going out on the open road etc..

Hotblack Desiato

There's nothing stopping you from doing the test on an automatic, the only problem is that you will not be licensed to ride a manual bike if you do.

JuncoPartner

So it turns out I'm a bit of a plonker, and I have 1 more year on my licence... ooops!
But having been thinking about it and convincing myself I need to do the A licence Im definately now gonna do some lessons and get myself up to speed and do the test in a few months anyway.
Thanks for all the advice and help