UK Motorcycle Test - Module 1

Recently, the UK has changed their rules on how to obtain a full motorcycle license.  Its a bit convoluted when you consider every site I've ever looked at regarding the rules muddies the waters by adding the element of age.  There are restrictions to the type of license you can get depending on your age or how long you have been riding etc, and it took me ages to find and confirm information that was completely relevant and clear to me.
So, if you're reading this and you're old like me, here are the hoops you must jump through:
1. Take a CBT course.
2. Do your theory test.
3. Do your module 1 test.
4. Do your module 2 test.
If you do the last two things on your own bike (a max 125cc on a CBT certificate), then you will be limited to a maximum of 125cc.
Which is fine - if all you plan on doing is a bit of commuting or a bit of pleasure riding, no problem.  If you want to ride a bigger bike, you have to do module 1 and module 2 on a bigger bike.  The end.

The obvious hole in this scenario is that this: if you do mod 1 and 2 on a 125, you aren't legally allowed to ride anything bigger, so you cannot take a bigger bike to do the mod 1 and 2 test.  I suppose you could trailer a bike there, or borrow a friend's bike, but good luck getting insured.  The only way to get to ride a bigger bike is via the Direct Access Scheme (DAS).   Which is fine; it would probably be good to have a bit of training before jumping on a 650 to do your testing.  The problem is that the course costs £700+.

It would be great if there were a low-cost way of getting people to ride.  I looked into a bit of training for the Mod 1 test, and I was quoted £99 plus the test fee (currently £15.50 I think).  Not a lot of money, however I thought what the hell, I may as well just spend the £15.50 on the test and get my training that way - if I fail, at least I'll know what to expect next try.  If I pass, then awesome.
So last week I went and did my Mod 1 test and I passed!  Hooray!  That's £99 saved!

A bit about the test.  Mod 1 is off-road - basically you're in a big car park with a bunch of cones and someone gives you instructions.  There are plenty of videos and websites showing you what to do, and provide tips on passing.  I watched lots of them and I felt reasonably confident I could do what they wanted.  So off I go, and I arrive at the test centre about 2 hours early. :/
I wander around the nearby town centre, and then come back.  My name was called and a chap named  Malcolm came over and gave me some briefing on what will happen.  I asked if I was allowed to record the event; he said no as it was government property.  I acquiesced, leaving my camera behind.
We went outside, he opened the gate for me, and gave me clear instructions on what to do.  I won't give a blow-by-blow as its a bit boring and YouTube will give a far more realistic portrayal.
Before I knew it, I was done, and he directed me back into the office.
I figured I had passed; I think I did everything okay.  There were two speed-timed manoeuvres I had to do.  The rule is it has to be done at 50kph minimum.  If you do it at 49, it counts as a minor error, and you don't get a second chance.  If you do it at 48, it counts as a minor error, and you don't get a second chance.  If you do it at less than 48, its a major error, but you get to try again.  If on the second try you are still under 48kph, you fail the test.  The first manoeuvre I did at 49kph - that's a minor.  The second one is a bit more complicated as you have to do an emergency avoidance (swerving) at speed.  I did that one at 49 as well.  So that's two minors.
When we got back into the office, I said to him 'I know exactly what I did wrong.'  He said 'Go on, then....'
I said 'When I completed my emergency avoidance, I forgot to do a shoulder check - I only looked in my mirrors.'
He looked at me, and then his notes. 'Well you got away with that one....'
I thought to myself 'I am an idiot!'
Anyway, he said I passed with only the two minors of going through the speed traps 1kph too slow each time.
I didn't want to say it, but I think it may have been because the bike just wasn't fast enough!

Anyway, I now have a dilemma.  I could now go do my Mod 2 test - which is on-road, with a test guy following me as I go on public roads - on my own bike, and if I pass, I will have an 'A1' class license.  It means I cannot ride a bigger bike.
Or, I could pay for DAS, do Mod 1 again (on a 650 or something), and then do Mod 2 (on a 650 as well).
If I did my A1, I can right away take the 'L' plates off, and the missus and I can ride down to the pub... at a lazy pace considering the sheer power of the 125.  Or, I pay £700 and do the two tests on big-boys bikes.  This would be in a few months as I don't have £700 lying around just yet.
I guess if that's the biggest scariest decision I have to make, I'll be okay in life....

Seat Cover Replacement on my Honda CG 125 - added Windscreen Bonus!

So when I bought my bike, almost a year ago, it came complete with a rip in the seat fabric.  It never really bothered me that much, as I couldn’t see it when I was riding.  It was mostly hidden by a piece of black gaffer tape, which would fray - adding to the look of disrepair.

I like to keep my eyes open, however, for little tidbits.  Sometimes I find things that catch my eye and I cannot resist.  I saw an advert for a seat cover for the CG 125, and the price was very reasonable – less than £20.  So I thought Id give it a whirl.

First off, the side panels are removed for access.  Next, amazingly, the seat has to come off.  This is fairly easy – there are only two bolts holding the seat on.  The only difficulty I encountered doing this was that on one of the bolts the head was obscured by plastic molding, which made it difficult to get a socket on it.

Once the two bolts were free (surprisingly, they weren’t rusted in place!), the seat came off by lifting at the back and pulling it towards the rear of the bike.  This exposed the frame in all its dirty glory.

I put the cover on the seat, as a loose fit, to see what it would look like.  It came with stitching at the front to form it, so it would wrap around the fuel tank easily.

The next step, crucially, I didn’t take any photos of!  Basically, starting with the fuel tank end, I sprayed the surface of the existing seat cover with spray adhesive.  I would press the new cover in place, holding it for a minute to let the adhesive settle, then spray the next section. 

When I got about half way, I started stapling the cover into position, securing it.  I used lots of staples, sometimes overlapping; I didn’t want it to break loose with the pressures of my bottom on it shifting around.  Yes, I said shifting.

This took about twenty five minutes to complete.  As the cover is essentially flat, it was a bit of a chore to get the fabric to sit smoothly on the edges.  In the end, it didn’t sit perfectly, but its pretty close.

Putting the seat on was easy enough, however I think because of the added thickness of the seat, it doesn’t quite sit properly in its spot – the gap between the edge of the seat and the rear trim seems greater.  I didn’t measure it before, so I’m not sure if its true; it just looks that way to me.

In the end, it looks a lot better than it did before.  It won’t be easily mistaken for an OEM seat cover; however it does properly cover up that rip.

As an added bonus, I also spotted a windscreen for the Honda!  I wanted to see if a screen would make much difference to the way the bike handled at speed - my commute does include a brief stint at 50mph.  
I ordered it and it was delivered to my work.  Instead of carting it home, I decided I'd try and fit it before I headed home.  
It was easy to do - it was a matter of undoing the two bolts holding the headlamp assembly in place and lining the screen up with the existing holes.  All told, about ten minutes.  I think it looks pretty good; it alters the look of the bike a fair bit.

As for affecting the aerodynamics at speed?  I didn't really notice that much of a difference.  Maybe I'm too slow....