Quote:
Originally Posted by Stitchawl
I spent years teaching horseback riding at children's camps back in the day, both formal English and not so formal Western.
Now I'm trying to get a Japanese big bike license. With 35 years of riding motorcycles just about every day, (I don't like cars and use motorcycles as my main form of transportation) in 17 counties on three continents, (I have bike licenses for three other countries) I am now challenging this country's license. To date, I have failed my first four attempts at the Japanese license. All within 22 seconds of engaging first gear. 
The national average is 10+ attempts to pass this license. I'm determined to do it in 5. I have my fifth try on Nov. 10. After the fourth failure I decided to put away my personal experience and attend Japan's #1 riding school. (I've already been through the Swiss Alpine Racing School, the American Motorcyclist Association training, and the California Superbike School with Keith Code in my formative years.)
No racing in this school. It's all about precision riding though at higher speeds. Take a quick peek at my instructors...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lXjemfjiYI
I have 12 more hours of lessons. I've had eight hours so far and have halved my time through the slalom (For the license test I have to do it under six seconds) and doubled my time on the 35 ft x 1 ft bridge. I have to take 10+ seconds for that, and it's where I lost three of my license attempts. Combine that with the fact that for the license test they actually measure to be sure that you signal 30 meters before a turn. Not 31 meters and not 29 meters. They use a stop watch to check to see that you signal 3 seconds before you change lanes. There are automatic clocks to time you through the slalom, with pressure switches at the start and finish. Also an automatic clock to measure your time on the 1 ft wide x 35 foot long bridge. If I turn my head left first then right at an intersection I fail. I have to look right and then left. I must ride exactly one meter from the edge of the lane through out the test course. This test is a bear! 
It requires massive amounts of tea to pass!
Stitchawl |
It required a fair amount of coffee for me to WATCH that video! Very impressive. I don't know what is actually the most difficult thing that they do in the video, but the things that look most difficult are when they are doing the slalom going in opposite directions, and when they are winding through that little bitty lane in opposite directions.
I had to share that video with my nephew, who's a bit of a bike nut. He will be very impressed.