Phase 3 - Module 1 Take 2 and Phase 4 - Module 2.

A few days later Baggy headed off back to the Test Centre with her preferred Instructor. No practising for Baggy beforehand, "You don't need it". She had practised her 30mph engine noise all the way to the test though. Baggy checked in. It was the same Examiner. Good. We went out onto the Test pad. "Do  you have a preferred direction around the circuit?", "Yes, clockwise". "Okay, ride your bike into that parking slot". This meant that this time, Baggy's U-turn test was in the section that was in an open area and that her Instructor had given her a specific focus point for (not in the one next to a thick hedge, that Baggy thought she was going to go straight in to, so stared at it during her first Test! The Examiner's comment at the time, you will end up where you are looking"). The Owner of the School had also given Baggy some advice that morning before she headed off, which was, "Don't use the whole section, make it as small as you like". Now Clever Bird had assumed that you had to use all of it, so Baggy had been riding pretty much the full length of the left-hand side before doing a U-turn and then riding back down the whole right-hand side. In fact, she thought (wrongly) that she had failed the U-turn test when she put her foot down as she was heading up the left side on her first test, which is why she then didn't try too hard on the U-turn itself and mucked it up. Much harder work than it needs to be. The Owner said to ride in and immediately do the U-turn. SO this time Baggy did. It was perfect.

In fact all went perfectly until we got to the swerve. Baggy hadn't gone quickly enough. The Examiner said, "Right, you weren't quite quick enough, so have another go". "Okay". "Remember that I said 'quite'", "Okay". You are allowed only two attempts, so get it wrong a second time and it's an instant fail. Repeat performance. Baggy rode back out and parked her bike. She went in to see the Examiner. "Well done you passed". Phew.

Facebook Status (2/10/13): "So Phase 3 of 'Become a hairy' proved to be a little pesky! BUT it is now complete. I passed the Module 1 Test this morning. Oh yay and beep beep".

 



Calum and I were off on a holiday to Wales the next day, so I was very happy to be going away with a few more beard hairs wafting in the Welsh breeze. When we got back it was time for Baggy to do her Module 2 Test. The one out on the roads. It was a very early start for Baggy. She had to leave home at 6.00am. It was a really foggy day. Usually students have an hour long lesson on the way to the test. Baggy had said that she didn't want one, as she would rather just ride there and save her energy for the Test. She had a completely different Instructor to escort her this time. He was an Advanced Instructor who instructed the police bikers. Baggy didn't even want to lead, but she did at his insistence. The traffic was rush hour heavy traffic and by the time they were half-way there it was even thicker fog (it's a good thirty-minute plus ride) and Baggy couldn't see much through her misted visor, but she was scared to wipe it in case she made it worse.

Then the Instructor told her to pull over in the next lay-by near a pub. "Oh dear", thought Freda Fretter "what's wrong?" It turned out that as we had time to spare (because Baggy didn't want a lesson), he was stopping to buy Baggy a coffee. Lovely. And breathe. "I just wanted to say, that if you ride like you have been doing you will sail through", "Awww, thank you", "No, seriously, it's like being out on a ride with my mates. If I didn't know differently I'd think that you were an off-duty police officer". Wow! Well that shut Freda Fretter up and gave Baggy a boost. "Thank you. Urm, how do I clear my visor of fog?".

When Baggy checked in at the Test Centre there were three Examiners on duty. Baggy crossed her fingers. She was rewarded. Amazingly, Baggy got the same chap once again. She was so nervous, but by the time she went outside for her test, the fog had cleared. She set off. So nervous. Shaking like a little (well, no) a big leaf. Hearing her Instructor in her head. Shoulder check. Indicate. Move off etc. The Examiner told Baggy which way to go. She was concentrating so hard on what she was doing that she thought she'd gone the wrong way at the very first junction. She hadn't. Baggy headed off straight on to country roads, so was immediately whizzing off at 60mph. The test went by in a blur. She went completely the wrong way at one roundabout; one of the worse ones in Ipswich! She should have avoided it altogether if she'd been paying attention. But fortunately you don't fail for going the wrong way. Phew! Baggy got back to the Centre around fifty minutes later and followed the Examiner back in. He sat Baggy down. Breath held. "I'm delighted to tell you that you've passed. You only had two minors". Baggy kissed the Examiner! Not sure how horrified he was!

Facebook Status (18/10/13): "I can feel the beard sprouting as I type. I passed my Module 2 Test this morning. So it's official, I am now a HAIRY BIKER. With huge thanks to Ipswich Rider Training. I am seriously chuffed".



Baggy is a Hairy Biker Hen........