I went with Akiko to her rider’s course yesterday. In Japan almost everyone goes to the driving school to get their driver’s or rider’s license. Akiko plans to get herself a rider’s license that will let her ride all kinds of bikes. Let me explain how the license scheme works for bikes.
There are three categories under the rider’s license.
Category I: Below 125cc license
Category II: Below 400cc license
Category III: Above 400cc license
Cateogory II license is the prerequisite for the Category III license. Meaning if one wishes to ride a Harley, he must first go through the Category II rider’s course before he can take up the Category III course. (by the way I have the Category III license)
Let me show you the school compound. Failed to take a panaromic shot but at least you get the idea.
People learn how to ride, how to drive a car/truck on this compound. This compound contains most of the road elements in real life to prepare students for the challenge out there. Novice riders and drivers sharing the same compound… if you ask me I would say this could be more dangerous than real driving outside of school.
See this photo.
What happens if the BMW L-license ram into the student riders?
I don’t want to think about it.
Oh by the way only BMW is used for driver’s lesson in this school. See this.
Teacher will sit next to the student. There is a set of foot pedals on the passenger side as well in case of emergency.
OK, coming back to riding. Here is Akiko!!!
Only female gets to use full face helmet. J Do look at the body armor on the back, chest, elbows and knees. She even wore safety boots! The school will not let the students coming into the course without protective armour.
The instructor assigns a bike to each of the student. By the way those are all Honda CB400RR. They come with VTEC, you know.
Akiko gets Honda #72 for today’s lesson.
Do notice the scooter. Every student needs to take up an hour of scooter lesson as well. That was the Yamaha Majesty 400. I forgot to mention that there are two types of rider’s license one can apply for. MT or AT. Yes, there is a AT-only rider’s license.
Let the show begin!
Saddle up. Start up and let’s go! And……
Well, I fell down myself when I first rode a 400cc bike. 400cc packs a lot of power but it is definitely not an easy machine. Personally I prefer a V-Twin engine for street ride. By the way, there is a proper way to life a bike that easy. The instructor teaches that as well.
The instructor took Akiko on a pillion ride to explain how to work the clutch and accelerator. I would be so happy to replace him.
And Akiko is read to go solo!! Look at her, isnt she a beauty?
There she is, going solo!!!
But there are still much work to do. Look at the following photos.
Need to do line trace on an elevated platform for no less than 10(?) seconds. Balancing is everything.
Needs to do a S-curve where agility is everything.
And need to do a tight S-curve where extreme agility is everything.
On top of those Akiko will need to an emergency brake at 40+km/h, slalom (see the cones in the photo?) and super slow-speed L-curve. No easy stuff at all…. See the figure of 8 in the photo above? That is also a part of the exam, I am afraid.
Good luck my lady!