36 Years Ago Yesterday

Anything you like about motorbikes
Dickyboy
Posts: 612
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2020 4:48 pm
Has thanked: 485 times
Been thanked: 343 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by Dickyboy »

you just rode round the block and at some point the examiner would step out and hold up his board and you did an emergency stop and that was it!
Rumour has it an examiner stepped out in front of the wrong bike once and got flattened, I failed my first test and the examiner spent more time chatting to someone on the roadside than he did watching me ride round the block.
User avatar
Druid
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:45 pm
Has thanked: 276 times
Been thanked: 900 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by Druid »

Taipan wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:53 pm Never bothered taking a bike test until i started riding again around 1990? Seems mad to say it now, but not many of us bothered with it back in 70s & 80s? Stupid thing was it was so easy to pass back then, you just rode round the block and at some point the examiner would step out and hold up his board and you did an emergency stop and that was it!
It wasn't that easy, you had to read a numberplate and answer a couple of questions on the Highway Code as well!

😋
User avatar
ogri
Posts: 464
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:11 pm
Location: Wymering
Has thanked: 1038 times
Been thanked: 225 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by ogri »

Druid wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 3:02 pm
Taipan wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:53 pm Never bothered taking a bike test until i started riding again around 1990? Seems mad to say it now, but not many of us bothered with it back in 70s & 80s? Stupid thing was it was so easy to pass back then, you just rode round the block and at some point the examiner would step out and hold up his board and you did an emergency stop and that was it!
It wasn't that easy, you had to read a numberplate and answer a couple of questions on the Highway Code as well!

😋
And ride next to the walking examiner without wobbling ;)
Ignorance is bliss
Le_Fromage_Grande
Posts: 11236
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
Has thanked: 607 times
Been thanked: 4125 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Druid wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 3:02 pm
Taipan wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:53 pm Never bothered taking a bike test until i started riding again around 1990? Seems mad to say it now, but not many of us bothered with it back in 70s & 80s? Stupid thing was it was so easy to pass back then, you just rode round the block and at some point the examiner would step out and hold up his board and you did an emergency stop and that was it!
It wasn't that easy, you had to read a numberplate and answer a couple of questions on the Highway Code as well!

😋
But it didn't matter if you couldn't answer some of those, I didn't know a couple but still passed 1st time
Honda Owner
asmethurst99
Posts: 1006
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2020 2:01 pm
Location: The Gate of the Forest
Has thanked: 1043 times
Been thanked: 362 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by asmethurst99 »

Nov 96 in the rain in Romford on a SR125 ......the Glamour
User avatar
Skub
Posts: 12182
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:32 pm
Location: Norn Iron
Has thanked: 9844 times
Been thanked: 10156 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by Skub »

Druid wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 3:02 pm
Taipan wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:53 pm Never bothered taking a bike test until i started riding again around 1990? Seems mad to say it now, but not many of us bothered with it back in 70s & 80s? Stupid thing was it was so easy to pass back then, you just rode round the block and at some point the examiner would step out and hold up his board and you did an emergency stop and that was it!
It wasn't that easy, you had to read a numberplate and answer a couple of questions on the Highway Code as well!

😋
AND perform an emergency stop down a steep incline in the rain and on crap 70s tyres. :shock:
"Be kind to past versions of yourself that didn't know what you know now."
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
User avatar
Bigyin
Posts: 3179
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 7:39 pm
Has thanked: 1412 times
Been thanked: 2680 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by Bigyin »

Skub wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 6:13 pm
Druid wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 3:02 pm
Taipan wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 1:53 pm Never bothered taking a bike test until i started riding again around 1990? Seems mad to say it now, but not many of us bothered with it back in 70s & 80s? Stupid thing was it was so easy to pass back then, you just rode round the block and at some point the examiner would step out and hold up his board and you did an emergency stop and that was it!
It wasn't that easy, you had to read a numberplate and answer a couple of questions on the Highway Code as well!

😋
AND perform an emergency stop down a steep incline in the rain and on crap 70s tyres. :shock:
AND for you boghoppers not be pissed when you turned up :obscene-drinkingcheers:
User avatar
Skub
Posts: 12182
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:32 pm
Location: Norn Iron
Has thanked: 9844 times
Been thanked: 10156 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by Skub »

Bigyin wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 7:29 pm
Skub wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 6:13 pm
Druid wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 3:02 pm

It wasn't that easy, you had to read a numberplate and answer a couple of questions on the Highway Code as well!

😋
AND perform an emergency stop down a steep incline in the rain and on crap 70s tyres. :shock:
AND for you boghoppers not be pissed when you turned up :obscene-drinkingcheers:
Back then that didn't even apply to racing. :lol:
"Be kind to past versions of yourself that didn't know what you know now."
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
User avatar
Scotsrich
Posts: 794
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2020 10:46 am
Location: East Lothian
Has thanked: 70 times
Been thanked: 549 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by Scotsrich »

I had a car before I had a bike.

My old man had a bad accident on a bike when he was young and was left with one leg shorter than the other. So you can imagine bikes weren't too popular in my household.

I passed the car test when I was 17, got a KH250 when I was 19, decided that wasn't quick enough so bought and passed my test about a year later on an R̶D̶4̶0̶0̶ RD250
User avatar
Yorick
Posts: 16754
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:20 pm
Location: Paradise
Has thanked: 10279 times
Been thanked: 6891 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by Yorick »

Scotsrich wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 7:44 pm I had a car before I had a bike.

My old man had a bad accident on a bike when he was young and was left with one leg shorter than the other. So you can imagine bikes weren't too popular in my household.

I passed the car test when I was 17, got a KH250 when I was 19, decided that wasn't quick enough so bought and passed my test about a year later on an R̶D̶4̶0̶0̶ RD250
I think @Bigyin did something similar.

Bloody Sweaties.
User avatar
Skub
Posts: 12182
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:32 pm
Location: Norn Iron
Has thanked: 9844 times
Been thanked: 10156 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by Skub »

Scotsrich wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 7:44 pm I had a car before I had a bike.

My old man had a bad accident on a bike when he was young and was left with one leg shorter than the other. So you can imagine bikes weren't too popular in my household.

I passed the car test when I was 17, got a KH250 when I was 19, decided that wasn't quick enough so bought and passed my test about a year later on an R̶D̶4̶0̶0̶ RD250
That was a big thing during my early years. Because learners were restricted to 250cc,lots of us cheated. I ran a Yamaha YR5 350 (pre RD) with L plates,but a mate really took the biscuit with 250 badges on a Kawasaki 750H2 triple. It was the fastest 250 around for miles. :lol:
"Be kind to past versions of yourself that didn't know what you know now."
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
User avatar
Horse
Posts: 11565
Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 11:30 am
Location: Always sunny southern England
Has thanked: 6201 times
Been thanked: 5090 times

Re: 36 Years Ago Yesterday

Post by Horse »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 3:18 pm
Druid wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 3:02 pm
It wasn't that easy, you had to read a numberplate and answer a couple of questions on the Highway Code as well!

😋
But it didn't matter if you couldn't answer some of those, I didn't know a couple but still passed 1st time
Had an argument with my car examiner on the fourth and - potentially very - final of those questions. Passed 'tho.
Even bland can be a type of character :wave: