Basic motorcycle riding tests: all tasks fully explained

The basic driving tasks check whether you Machine itself mastered – away from flowing traffic, usually in a quiet area, before the actual test drive begins. The general rules according to the test guidelines: At direct entry and when extending an existing licence are you driving six tasks, in which promotion exam (A1→A2, A2→A) four. Which ones you get, does the examiner choose made up of compulsory and alternative manoeuvres. And the most important reassurance right at the start: One mistake doesn’t automatically mean it’s all over. You may retake up to three tasks that you failed, once each – it is only repeated or frequent mistakes that will result in you failing the exam. A ‘foot down’ is therefore a provisional result, not a final judgement.

You are driving slowly through a slalom of pylons – the task tests Balance and machine control at low speed, the ultimate challenge on two wheels. The skills your riding instructor will help you develop: clutch biting point, the pace via the Rear brake apply the brakes (never use the front brake while leaned over at low speeds!), grip the tank with your knees – and the crucial point: the view. Don’t look at the next cone, but always look two cones ahead – the motorbike goes where you look. The most common mistakes: slowing down too much (which causes the bike to wobble), staring at the cones, and steering with the handlebars rather than with your gaze and body weight. The exact dimensions of the course are specified in the examination guidelines – your riding instructor will set it up exactly as required during practice.

From travelling at a brisk pace (the guideline requires sufficient speed – typically around 50 km/h), you brake as powerfully as possible in a controlled manner to a standing position. The test checks whether you can apply the full braking force in an emergency: both brakes, apply firm pressure to the front brake, gradually increasing it (when braking, the load shifts to the front wheel – that’s where most of the braking force is), apply the rear brake in moderation to complement this, and disengage the clutch just before coming to a standstill, Look straight ahead and not at the front wheel. The classic mistake is not that you brake too hard, but that you braking too hesitantly – Hesitant „comfort braking“ counts as a fail, because it is precisely this decisiveness that will save you later on the road. Modern training bikes are fitted with ABS – so you can apply the brakes firmly without worrying about the front wheel locking up.

The two evasive manoeuvres simulate a sudden obstacle: In the Swerving without braking You ride towards a marked obstacle at a steady pace and, just before reaching it, make a clean turn around it – this tests the quick steering technique: a short, deliberate push on the handlebars, look into the gap (never at the obstacle!), steer past it steadily and back onto the line. When Swerving after braking comes the combination: first braking hard, releasing the brake, then swerving – the most realistic situation in city traffic when the braking distance alone is no longer enough. The key in both cases is the gaze guidance: If you look at the obstacle, you’ll hit it; if you look at the clear path, you’ll ride through it. It sounds obvious, but it’s half the task – and that’s exactly why it’s practised so often.

In addition to the classics, the examiner can choose from further tasks – all of which test the same core skill from different perspectives:

• Long slalom: wider cone spacing, slightly more speed and rhythmic changes of lean instead of walking-pace balance.
• Driving at walking pace: straight ahead, as slowly as possible, without a foot on the ground – pure balance and clutch control.
• Stop-and-Go: frequently starting and stopping in quick succession – the everyday situation in heavy traffic.
• Circular drive: One to two laps in the marked circle with a constant lean angle – look through the bend following the curve.

You won't find out which combination you get until exam day – that's why a good training program practises all Tasks, not just the mandatory classics.

Four patterns cause most of the points deductions: 1. The offset foot – almost always a result of too little speed or losing concentration; antidote: hold the biting point and look further ahead. 2. Staring at the cones – whoever stares at the pylons hits them; antidote: look consistently two steps ahead. 3. Pace too hesitant in emergency braking and swerving – these tasks require determination, not caution; driven half-heartedly, they are considered not demonstrated. 4. Cramp – stiff arms make any balancing task harder; staying loose is technique, not a matter of character, and comes with repetition. All four have the same therapy: practise until the task is boring. Boredom is the hallmark of quality for basic driving manoeuvres – what happens automatically during practice will also withstand exam nerves.

Basic exercises aren't something you learn from texts – not even this one. What the text can achieve: you now know, was Come, how many It is the examiner's task to choose and that Retries allowed are – that takes the fear out of it. Practical training takes care of the rest: your driving instructor sets up the exercises according to the specifications of the test guidelines, shows you the technique step by step and only increases the pace once the basics are down. A good benchmark for test readiness: you can pull off every exercise several times in a row, without you having to concentrate, whether it succeeds – only now how clean. Then exam day is no longer a test of nerve, but a demonstration of things you can already do.