M1 Exit Test - Tips (Humber MSC) | GTAMotorcycle.com

M1 Exit Test - Tips (Humber MSC)

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Rex905

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Hey Folks - I didn't see a similar thread on here so I thought I would share a little of my new knowledge.

I recently look (and failed) the MSC course by Humber. 11 seconds into the test I bombed on the first section. As a result, I took the time to practice, paid for extra time to practice (with Humber) and while the initial failure was a confidence killer at first .. I want to let others know what I learned from the experience. Now, I am re-taking the test on Sunday so I can't say it worked (yet) but hopefully this helps and doesn't hurt.

During the of explanation of PHASE 1 of the test they specifically say (more than once) they expect you to ride the clutch through the first part and click into second gear after the turn and as you enter the double-white line box. After multiple failed attempts myself and the bike locking into Neutral vs 2nd gear multiple times I finally decided to just ride the damn section from start to finish in 1st gear with a lot of throttle.

SUCCESS. Myself and at least 4 of my classmates found this to be the best method given the circumstances.

This also applies to PHASE 2 coming back along the turn in the opposite direction. Forget 2nd gear and keep it on a lot of throttle in 1st gear.

Your test is measured specifically on 2 elements, staying inside the lines and the time required to get from point A to point B. There is no grading in relation to what gear your in.

That being said, I don't wish to mislead anyone. There are parts of the test, such as stopping in a turn where a much longer stretch is provided to get up to speed. Yes, it does make sense to switch gears in the longer straight parts of the test. You also have the benefit of down-shifting to help stop / slow down.

Last but not least, your EYES and all other instructions provided during your course are critical to success. This is 1 simple area that helped me and I felt mislead during the explanation of test on 2 different occasions (must be in 2nd gear / PHASE 1/2 of test)

It does mean you need to ride the top-end of 1st gear, so don't baby the bike either.

Hope this helps some.
 
There is nothing in the test that specifies you shift into 2nd on the first 2 exercises and I don't know why some programs tell students to do it. It is up to the student to decide whether to shift or not. When I am asked before the test I just say what gear has the best acceleration, you decide!
 
They time you between two points. If you're in second gear it is easier to maintain the speed/time requirement for the sections. If you're in first you will most likely lose a point or two on time. That being said if you mess up the shift you are worse off. Another option might be to start the bike in second gear and not bother shifting. i remember when I first did the course, the first person was slow doing the first test and didn't fail right away. The rest of us in the same group were slow as well, and we all lost points. Some eventually accumulated too many and failed the test. It helps the passing rate if someone speedy is up first. Now that would not be a problem.
 
Although I did it with Sheridan, I have the feeling the test is similar, first part we were given 7.5 seconds, along with the sharp right turn and the braking at the end. The cbr125 I tried on the first day, wouldn't catch a lot of speed in first before it started shaking a lot, however the honda 150 titan on the second day easily made it past 30km/h in first gear so for the entire test leaving first gear wasn't necessary..
 
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Great to hear that it worked out for you.

Thanks for the tips, I'll definitely keep them in mind for when I take my M1X in a few weeks.
 
With the smaller bikes that Humber used to use leaving it in first would not have been an option.Keep the size of the bike in mind if you are going to try this.
 
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