this afternoon a friend and I braved the cold to do laps of a bitumon at a motorbike licence training facility to get our full motorbike/scooter licences. I get extremely nervous on physical tests. Written tests are no problem because I usually do well, but the physical tests, like car driving and bike riding, I freak and loose all memory and ability. I hoped this time would be different. We spent two afternoons of practicing the skills and I became so good at it that the instructor used me as an example for another scooter rider on how to corner. The glory did not last long. By the time the test came around it was pouring and we were riding through a lake of water that sprayed as we went. I felt a little afraid of braking and corning but told myself that if I could do this test in the wet, I would be ok on the road in bad conditions.
So the time came to do the test. The instructor, who was the same guy that trained me for my L’s, asked me to go first and I refused lightheartedly. He decided to put us in the same order we were lined up. As each person went through the 3 minutes of exercises I felt the nerves working there way into my torso and arms making me completely stiff and empty brained. When it was my turn I was so stiff that I couldn’t turn the handlebars so completely stuffed the turns and then became completely terrified of the turn and stop light exercise but for some reason I redeemed myself a little then. When I had finished I sat next to the tester shaking my head while he calculated my score. He looked up and I said “Nerves can really make a difference, hey?” He nodded and held out his hand to shake mine. I had passed.
No more need for L’s on the beast.
Now to dry off and celebrate (and relax).
