Today I took my bike test again. I failed. Again.
James and I rode out to Paraparaumu in order for me to do it there. I wanted to take it in a different place to the last time in the hopes that it might make a difference. It didn’t.
Motorbike licensing here in New Zealand and the UK work slightly differently:
- In the UK you get a provisional license and then complete compulsory basic training. Then you sit your theory and then you must pass both two of a practical test within 2 years of taking the theory test. If you do not, you’ll have to start the process again.
- In New Zealand you have three levels: Learner, Restricted and Full.
- You start by doing a basic skills test in order to get your Learners license.
- After a year (but within five years of getting the Learners license) you take your Restricted test.
- After another year (but within five years of getting the Restricted license) you take your Full – and final – test.
If at any point you let your license run out before you get through to the next stage, you have to start the process again.
I’ve got a Learner license, but I really want the Restricted license. It doesn’t actually give you much benefit, as you can only ride certain bikes, at certain times, and with ‘L’ plates until you get the full license. however, I really want to get the next license. Least of all because my current license will run out of the 5th January next year.
Anyway, I started the day really stressed. I know I can pass, but I just get so nervous that I mess things up. It’s incredibly frustrating.
James and I rode from our house, over Haywards Hill and through Pauatahanui to get to Plimmerton, where we stopped for breakfast. It was a really good idea to do this, as I was so nervous I didn’t have any appetite, but once I started eating I realised that I was in fact starving!
Once we’d eaten, we rode up through Paekakariki and on towards the Southward Car Museum, where the meeting point for the test was.
The test itself was fine, I just made one stupid mistake and failed, This was largely due to me failing to stop at a stop sign: Instead of going up the junction, putting my foot down, stopping and looking and then moving off, I rode up to the line, hovered, didn’t put my foot down as I looked, and then went. Therefore it was unclear to the assessor as to whether I had actually stopped. It was a silly mistake made because I was so nervous.
Next time I will remember to check if it’s a ‘Give Way’ or ‘Stop’ sign at the junction.
I do feel like for me, passing this test has less to do with physically being able to do it, and more to do with getting rid of this huge mental wall in my head that makes me mess it up. I can ride a motorbike, I ride my bike quite successfully most of the time. I hate the wind – but who doesn’t really!? Other than that I feel like it shouldn’t be this hard! I look where I’m going, I signal properly. I really hate that it’s my mind that is stopping me from achieving this.
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