Beat the common fails on your Module Two

Pulling away

You’ll be asked to pull over and pull away again several times during the test. Remember that you are in control so only pull away when you are happy that is safe to do so. Many nervous candidates hear the examiner ask them to pull away and set off without looking properly – which is dangerous and a fail. Likewise, pulling over. When the examiner asks you to do this, look ahead for a safe place to do it. Stopping on double yellow lines is a fail.

Speed

Breaking a speed limit is an immediate fail unless you are overtaking a vehicle which speeds up as you are alongside. But plenty of riders fail for riding too slowly, especially on a dual carriageway. You should always know what the speed limit is and ideally be riding a few mph below it, but the key phrase is ‘appropriate speed’. If the traffic is moving very slowly, then you must too. But if all the other traffic is breaking the speed limit, you have to stick to the limit.

Filtering

Filtering past stationary traffic is OK and failure to do so may result in a fail if the examiner is sure that there’s a big enough gap. What they don’t like is when you filter right to the front of a queue, which creates what the law calls ‘a third lane’ The correct thing to do is filter until you are a couple of cars from the front of the queue and then, slow down, indicate left, make eye contact with the driver you are about to pull in in front of and pull in.

Roundabouts

The approach is crucial. If there’s a vehicle in front of you, watch that, not the traffic on the roundabout. There might be a gap that you’re happy to go for but if the driver in front doesn’t go, he’ll be wearing your motorcycle as a boot mascot.

Always keep the bike in gear with the clutch in. Stay in the middle of your lane as you go round the roundabout. Control it. Always stay in the left-hand lane on a three lane roundabout if you’re going straight on. This prevents someone in the left lane who is actually turning right cutting across you.