A Witcher-esque Swear: My Motorcycle Test Story

As the first golden rays of morning started painting the sky, my alarm blared out, signaling 7 am. With a groggy start to my day, I made myself ready, armed with determination and some jittery nerves. The clock struck 7.30 am and I set off, plunging into the usual morning whirlwind of Kuala Lumpur's traffic. Destination: The Driving Institute.

The commute was a sluggish crawl that extended a bit longer than my usual timeline, landing me at the institute around 8.15 am. Already, a diverse group of candidates had assembled, their anxious wait mirrored in the lineup of familiar training motorcycles parked neatly outside.

I tried to quell my nervousness, reminding myself to remain poised. It was, after all, the day of my Motorcycle Test. Starting with the seemingly simple routine motorcycle checking session, the first segment of the test consisted of six parts. These included balancing the bike on a slightly elevated beam for no less than seven seconds, weaving through a 5-cone obstacle, executing an emergency brake, navigating a series of overkill bumps, creating a perfect figure 8, and lastly, executing a sharp corner turn.

Statistically speaking, the balancing act was known as the Grim Reaper, claiming around 60% of test-takers on its own. Flunking the first part automatically disqualified you from the remainder of the session. But today, luck was on my side. I triumphed over the balancing, cone weaving (which had been a source of worry), emergency braking, and even the tedious bumps.

But then, as I was reveling in my minor victories, I met my Waterloo. While preparing to execute the figure 8, my engine stalled right on the start passing the line (an overzealous clutch release on my part) and my heart sank. "Fuckkkkkk," I muttered under my breath, the famous Geralt of Rivia cast Henry Cavil on the Witcher series dialogue echoing my current sentiments. After four practice sessions dedicated to this very maneuver, not once had I stumbled like this. Yet, here I was, on the test day, facing the unexpected hiccup that cost me the session. The officer signaled for me to bypass the sharp turn and proceed to the second part of the test.

With my mood having taken a 180-degree nosedive, I begrudgingly advanced to the road test. A series of turns, abiding by traffic lights, and using the correct signals were now in order. Despite my demoralization, I somehow managed to pass this section.

At the end of the day, I found myself back in the office, scheduling a retest for two weeks later. They granted me an additional two hours of practice on the day preceding the test, a small consolation. The hope was that this would allow me to retain the "motorcycle feel" before the test day. After all, my last practice had been a week ago and the familiar had started to feel alien.

In retrospect, my motorcycle test day was a mixed bag of experiences - filled with lessons, a couple of mishaps, and a fleeting taste of victory. Here's hoping the retest paints a different picture!

Greeting HIVE friends! This is Aaron, proud member of Team Malaysia, straight from the heart of the magical Borneo Island. Now, I'm calling the vibrant concrete skyscraper cityscape of Kuala Lumpur home. I love getting along to know my community members. So, if you'd like for chat or connect, don't hesitate - pop a comment down below. Looking forward to it!

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