How to purchase and own a motorcycle in Singapore

You’ve passed your first motorcycle license, class 2b, and you can’t wait to get yourself a new bike. The only issue is that you have no idea how to go about doing so. Here’s what I know about making a purchase on a motorcycle and how to go about owning it.

Remember that a 2B license only allows you to be able to own a motorcycle with an engine capacity of up to 200cc. You can either a motorbike new or used. For new motorbikes you have no choice but to get them from a dealership. Used motorbikes can be bought from either a dealership/motorcycle workshop or directly from owners. 

For this post, I'll just cover how to purchase a used 2B motorcycle.

If you are planning on getting a used bike from a dealership these are the steps involved.

1) Decide on a bike

2) Either choose between paying installment or full cash

Note: Some dealerships will charge you extra if you choose to pay full cash because of a new law that has been passed, it is colloquially known as lemon law AKA Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act. You can read about this here https://singaporelegaladvice.com/law-articles/what-is-the-lemon-law/ . My friend was told he had to pay 200 SGD extra because of this and he decided to just pay via installment. 

3) If you decide to pay via installment, you will have to tell them what your down payment is and they will work out your monthly installment plan. 

4) Next either the shop will get an insurer for you or you can source your own insurance. The price of the insurance will depend on the bike you're getting, how long you've held your license, your age and whether you've had any accidents before. These are the ones I know of. 

5) Lastly will be the transfer of ownership at LTA if you're paying full cash. This is 11 dollars by right but shops will charge you extra.Doing this will transfer the ownership of bike to you.

Another side note: Dealerships also tend to add a lot extra hidden costs like administration fees ,new IU unit, etc so be sure to clear this up before you sign anything. 

For getting a used bike directly off an owner, these are the steps.

1) Contact the owner of the bike you want.

2) Go for a viewing, if it is to your liking then decide on the final price of the bike with owner. 

3) Settle full cash or source for your own loan with a financing company

4) Find your own insurance, same thing as before; price of insurance depends on the bike you're getting, how long you've held your license, your age and whether you've had any accidents before.

5) Go to LTA to transfer ownership to your name, again it will be 11 SGD. 

Personally I won't get a used bike from a motorcycle workshop unless it is recommended to me by a friend. This is because there have been too many cases where people get ripped off by these motorcycle workshops. The common misconception is that they will fix up the bike for you meaning the bike won't have any major problems but this is not true. They only fix what is necessary for the bike to be able to start. Of course, not all motorcycle workshops are bad but that is why I will only buy a used bike off a workshop that my friends recommend. 

When buying a used bike off the owner directly, bring someone who is mechanically inclined. If you cannot do this then ask the owner to bring the bike to a workshop that you know is reliable, to do a full check on the bike to see if there are any problems with it. Of course you will have to pay for it. Only do this if you are really serious about buying the bike. This will save you a lot of problems down the road if you purchase the bike. It is generally better to buy a bike directly off the owner.

If you want to purchase and continue to own the bike, there are a few things to keep in mind. You will need to put aside cash for a few extra things other than the price of the bike. Here is a list of it.

1) Insurance - Every year you will have to put aside money for insurance, it will keep going down year after year if you don't get into any accidents.

2) Road tax - This has to be renewed every 6 months - 1 year. The price will depend on the engine size of the bike you have and your bike's carbon emmision. If I'm not wrong.

3) Season parking - It is less than 20 SGD for HDB

4) Cash Card- You need to have money for cash card when entering car parks with gantry and also for paying ERP

5) Fuel - Depends on your bike's tank size and it's fuel consumption

6) Regular motorcycle maintenance

7) Motorcycling gear - Raincoat/helmet/gloves

8) Parts replacement- Tyres/brake pads/clutchplates/ or if anything goes wrong

For now this is all I can think of, so owning a motorcycle is not so cheap, although it is WAY cheaper than owning a car. Be sure you have enough funds for all of these so that your bike doesn't take a toll on your wallet. Don't regret making a purchase on a bike just because you couldn't wait to get your hands on a motorcycle. 

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Learning about motorcycles.

To me, it is important that you do enough research on motorcycles before you make a purchase on a motorbike. Know the different types of bikes that there are. Between sport bikes, street bikes, cubs/underbone, dirt bikes, scooters, cruisers, etc. 

Also understand that there are 2 types of engines for bikes in this 200 cc category. There are 2 stroke engines and 4 stroke engines. There is a lot more to understand between these 2 engines but the major difference to know for me is that 2 stroke engines are more powerful but require more maintenance (you have to keep adding 2t oil to the bike every time you top up ­your fuel) and 4 stroke engines don’t have as much power but they are easier to maintain and generally have better fuel economy. Most of the old smaller cc sport bikes are 2 strokes, to name a few 125z,NSR 150SP, KR 150, RXZ,etc. These 2 strokes are known for being less eco-friendly due to the excessive smoke it emits and it's also louder compared to 4 strokes.

Next to understand for me is between a carburetted bike and a fuel injection bike. You can find out by yourself what these 2 do. What makes some people favour a fuel injection bike is that it is easier to start the bike when it is cold (eg. If you haven’t started your bike for a few days or if it was raining during the night). However a carburetted bike is cheaper, reliable and easier to fix if it breaks down. Fuel injection bikes have a lot of electronics involved in the bike making them more expensive to fix should a problem arise.

If you are new to the bike scene, you’d probably have no/very little idea of what different type of bikes there are and also the different model names. I’d suggest that you go to the different platforms (carousell, gumtree, singaporebikes.com, sgbikemart.com,etc) where people sell their bikes. This is for you to go and see what different bikes there are on the market and also the price of the bikes. Usually doing this will get you to set a budget, decide what type of bike you want and also decide whether you want a bike new or used. Well at least that was the thought process that I went through when I first went through them. 

Considering you've decided what bike you want, do ample research on the bike and browse through forums/fb pages or watch youtube video reviews on the bike to understand what it is good at and also where it lacks. Don't get a bike just because it looks really nice or just because it is cheap and you are itching to get a bike. Do thorough research on the bike so that you do not make a hasty decision and end up regretting getting the bike. Buying a bike is not cheap so be sure you don't waste your money because of an impulse buy. 

• It is important to equip yourself with knowledge on basic bike stuff like checking the chain slack, replacing engine oil and filter, plugging your tyres, checking your tyres to make sure they're still good to go, and a lot of other things. Of course you will learn as you ride but to me it's just better to know. 

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Expressway Familiarisation Course (EFR)

The Expressway Familiarisation Riding will be done after you pass your TP. It is compulsory to complete it if you want to be able to make your license. If you book it on the day itself, it will be free but if you choose to do it on another day then you will have to pay for it. Essentially it is just getting a feel of riding a bike on the Expressway.

I don't remember exactly where we went but I know we went to SAFTI, Discovery centre and some other places before heading back to BBDC. Before the EFR I was excited for it but I got bored pretty quick as the bikes we used, CB 125F, had no power. It was a struggle to reach 90 km/h on the bike for me and the bike also swayed at higher speeds due to its lightweight-ness. It was however, very easy to ride the bike. Just enjoy the riding in a group during the EFR. It was an experience for me. We had to be in a staggered formation and remember how to ride in a group.

Upon completion of this course, we were given a EFR paper to certify that we completed the course. This paper is important when applying for your license. If it is your first time making a license, you will need a passport size photo, your IC , the EFR paper and $50. It will take them about a month to mail your new license to you but they will issue you with a temporary license which will allow you to ride on the roads, just be sure to have it on you when riding. Since I already have a license, they will just paste on a sticker to show that I am licensed to operate class 3 and class 2b vehicles. It is free if you already have a license.

I managed to complete my 2B license on 10/08/16. It took me about 3 months to complete my license from Prac 1 to TP. It is really fast considering I took a year to complete my Class 3. I recommend everyone to take their license at BBDC as they have slots all the time. Even the TP slots are available every 3-5 days. I spent around $900 on my 2b license.

It doesn't matter if you keep failing your pracs and even your TP tests. What matters is that you don't give up halfway even if you feel that no matter how many times you take you will still fail. I learnt this from taking my car license as I had to retake my TP 4 times. Just keep trying again, eventually you will pass your 2b license and it will feel like a great accomplishment when you do. 

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Traffic Police Practical Test (TP)

Finally I reached the stage where I was at my TP. I've had experience with taking TP before this as I took my car license before my motorcycle license. I had to take the TP test for my car license a total of 4 times before passing and I was really really hoping to take this test once. I was really nervous when I reached the driving centre.
I believe that for motorcycle the TP only has 1 timing which is at 0750 am. Your warm up will be roughly around 0930 am.

The first thing to do when you report to the motorcycle office is to give your PDL and IC along with the booking slip to the instructor at the desk. They will hand you a small plastic folder that your PDL and IC will be kept in. Afterwards you will sit where your tag number is placed. The instructors will give you a briefing about the warm up. You will pass the plastic folder to the instructor in the order that is being called out. Then you will go out to warm up the bikes and do all the necessary checks for the bike you will be using. Make sure that it has no problems at all. Once this is done you will start to do the warm up inside the circuit. Note that there will be no warm up outside the circuit.

If you want to use the same bike for your test, place your helmet on the bike when you park it. You will go back inside and the instructors will assign leaders for a group. If I'm not wrong you will be in a group of 5 as that will be the amount of learners that can go for the TP at a single time. The first number of each group will be the leader. The leader has to do nothing other than tell the instructor your name and IC number when everyone is lined up outside.

Once this is done, everyone will go back in except for the first 2 groups. They will standby outside to start their test. Group after group will be called outside to start their test after that. It is important to stay calm during the test. If you want to freak out and panic before the test, it doesn't matter. Just be sure to calm your nerves during the test. Remember all the waiting points that the instructor have briefed you about. This is essential as there are points where you do not have to wait and will be given points if you wait.

I went through the circuit generally with ease except for the slope as I waited for the instructor when I was already supposed to go. The instructor was quite rude as well as he looked at me with a really shitty face for a while before asking me what I was doing. At first I thought there was something wrong with me or the bike. Be mindful that some of these instructors are rude so don't lose your cool and always be polite.

After I was done with my last course ( E-Brake) , I proceeded to go out of the circuit. Be reminded that you don't have to wait after completing your circuit, just proceed out as per normal. When I was riding outside, during the U-turn area I accidentally put my right leg down as I wasn't too stable. Once I did that, I was really nervous as I really did not want to go for my TP again. I hoped and prayed that the instructor didn't see it as there were 2 other riders behind me. I just proceeded as per normal from there and completed my test. I could say that putting my right leg down was the only major screw up for me, the rest of the test was quite okay.

Upon completing the test, return the bike to the end point and you can rest. We were just required to report back to the Classroom at level 3 by 1145 am. I went to the classroom slightly earlier and talked to some of the other test takers there. We were all nervous as we discussed all the mistakes we did.

At around 12pm one of the instructors came in and started calling tag numbers. Those who were called had to go to another room. If your number was being called it would mean that you failed the TP test.

Thankfully, my name was not called. I was so relieved at this point and so happy that I passed my test. I incurred 18 demerit points so it was just nice for me. Those who passed were required to watch a safety video in the classroom. Afterwhich we were required to book our Expressway Familiarisation Riding (EFR) course. We will need to complete the EFR to be able to apply for our license. 

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Immediate Failures and Demerit Points

I will go through all the Immediate Failures and Demerit Points when taking your TP test for a 2B license. To be able to pass your license you will need 18 points or below.

There are a total of 22 Immediate Failures for 2B license TP. These are things you should NOT do if you want to pass your license.

1) Run off course/ Strike kerb/ Foot touches ground/ Fall off motorcycle at S course
2) Run off course/ Strike kerb/ Foot touches ground/ Fall off motorcycle at Crank course
3) Run off course/ Strike kerb/ Foot touches ground/ Fall off motorcycle at Slalom (Pylon course)
4) Run off course/ Strike kerb/ Foot touches ground/ Fall off motorcycle at Plank

5) Strike / Skip Pylon

6) Taking more than 13 sec at S course
7) Taking more than 8 sec at Crank course
8) Taking more than 8 sec at Slalom (Pylon course)
9) Taking less than 3 sec at Plank

10) Roll backwards more than 0.5m at Slope

11) Unable to stop within stipulated distance at Emergency braking course
12) Lose control of motorcycle at Emergency braking course

13) Change lane without due care

14) Fail to give way to pedestrian at Pedestrian Crossing
15) Fail to give way to vehicle with right-of-way

16) Fail to form up correctly at junction
17) Remain in junction and cause obstruction
18) Proceed on Red light
19) Fail to obey Mandatory / Prohibitory Sign
20) Fail to stop at stop line

21) Improper action causing accident / near accident
22) Proceed on wrong course

The next to avoid doing are these as they incur 10 Demerit points.
1) Stopping on Pedestrian Crossing
2) Slow reaction in avoiding danger caused by others.

These actions incur 8 Demerit points.
1) Not enough side clearance given to other road users
2) Fail to take precaution against pedestrian/cyclist
3) Cause other vehicle to slow down or take evasive action
4) Proceed on Amber light / Flickering Green Arrow

These incur 6 Demerit Points.
1) Taking more than 12 sec at S course
2) Taking more than 7 sec at Crank course
3) Taking more than 7 sec at Slalom (Pylon course)
4) Taking less than 4 sec at Plank

5) Fail to attain the required speed at Emergency braking course

6) Fail to keep left (road hogging)
7) Fail to keep a safe following distance
8) Fail to keep within lane at bend
9) Change lane at bend

10) Fail to slow down when approaching road hazard

11) Cause inconvenience to cross traffic at junction

These actions incur 4 Demerit Points.  
1) Taking more than 11 sec at S course
2) Taking more than 6 sec at Crank course
3) Taking more than 6 sec at Slalom (Pylon course)
4) Taking less than 6 sec at Plank

5) Incorrect posture during Emergency braking course

6) Change lane abruptly
7) Wobble when changing lane / negotiating bend / turning

8) Fail to change to appropriate gear before turning / stopping

9) Improper turning (Incorrect lane)

10) Fail to check blind spot
11) Fail to look out for traffic at Junction

12) Fail to signal / Give wrong signal
13) Fail to cancel signal twice

These actions incur 2 Demerit Points.
1) Excessive revving of engine at slope

2) Incorrect technique at Emergency braking course

3) Incorrect posture when moving off / stopping
4) Delay in moving off
5) Poor acceleration
6) Wobble when moving off / stopping
7) Stall engine repeatedly
8) Slow in restarting stalled engine

9) Speed too slow

10) Fail to overtake when necessary
11) Brake whilst negotiating bend / turning
12) Unnecessary stopping

13) Incorrect positioning at Junction
14) Improper turning (Wide turn / Sharp turn)

15) Improper checking of blind spot
16) Fail to look out for traffic from side road

17) Fail to signal in good time

It is impossible to not get a single demerit point during your test but try your best to minimise the demerit points and don't get a single immediate failure.

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Practical Stage 8.01 (Assessment)

This will be the final assessment before you can go for your TP. If you are able to pass this lesson you should be confident that you can pass your TP on the first try. This is because you were able to demonstrate that you understand how to ride a motorcycle safely on the road and that you are capable of handling the bike well in the circuit.

At the start of the lesson you will be assigned to an instructor, he will either bring you outside to practice your test route or get you to complete a few rounds of the courses in the circuit. I had to go outside to practice my test route on the road. It is fine if you mess up during this warm up as I messed up quite a bit (i turned right at the traffic light when I wasn't supposed to). I went through 2 rounds of the test route before heading back in. 

When we got in the circuit, the instructor told me to go and practice 2 rounds of the courses inside the circuit. I don't know why, but i forgot the order of the courses at this point. I accidentally went for the plank course first so I just continued to do the pylon and e-brake. After E-brake i was really confused as to what to do so I just went back to the starting point to listen to the briefing done by the instructor.

The briefing was about how they will assess us during the courses as they only had 2 instructors to test 5 of us. After the briefing, we lined up in order of the tag numbers so the instructors had an easier time to assess us and the assessment started. 

Just to recap this is the order of the courses with a picture of the test route inside the circuit.

1) Lane changing2) Slope Course3) S and Crank course4) Plank and Pylon Course5) Emergency Braking Course

After completing the courses inside the circuit, we went out to complete the 2nd part of the assessment on the road. You will only get one shot at this so be sure that it is your best try even if your warm ups were bad. Upon completing the assessment you will be given a Riding Assessment Checklist.

 

I managed to pass the assessment on my first try on 31/07/16.

I received 8 demerit points with no immediate failures. 

Change lane abruptly - 4 points

Poor acceleration - 2 points

Brake whilst turning - 2 points

I booked my TP test right after I passed my Assessment. I didn't book it earlier as the dates were too near so even if I wanted to, I couldn't. 

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Practical Stage 7.01

This lesson will be the last lesson before your final assessment. In this lesson you will be going to familiarise yourself with the test route and also you will be doing a U-turn.

For BBDC the test route is pretty simple. At the exit of BBDC, you will turn left. Lane change to the left into the filter lane at the junction. Make sure you do all the necessary checks. After exiting the filter lane, you will lane change all the way to the extreme right lane.
Ensure you are at the extreme right lane before you reach the traffic light. After the traffic light will be where you make your U-turn. During the lesson the instructor will explain where to wait if there is someone making the U-turn.
When it is your turn to make the U-turn, position your bike perpendicular to the road divider and push your body forward while engaging the front brakes to check for oncoming vehicles. If it is clear, check your blind spot and move off slowly into the extreme right lane. Keep the bike stable. At the traffic light, turn right. Be sure that you understand how the traffic light works as there will be a right arrow that will appear after the red light. You can turn right when you see this green light arrow. Also understand that you can turn right at the green light if there are no oncoming vehicles you don't have to wait for the green light arrow. When turning right be sure to check for oncoming cars that may appear from the filter lane on your left. From this road you will just go all the way straight until you reach the T-junction. There are a few side roads so be mindful of them. At the T-junction you will make a left turn and turn in to BBDC.
During this lesson however, you will keep going through the test route until the lesson ends so only at the last round will you be entering BBDC. It is important to show the instructors you are able to complete the U-turn without any problems by the end of the lesson as I was pretty bad at the U-turn during my first 2 rounds. I managed to get the hang of it and complete it smoothly by the end of the lesson.
I managed to pass this lesson on my first try, 28/07/16.

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Practical Stage 6.01

This lesson is very interesting to me. It is the first time that I get to ride a motorcycle on the road. One important thing to note is that this prac is also called independent riding. You must be aware of what you have to do on the road and cannot be indecisive. You will need to make a few decisions and this will exhibit your understanding of riding a motorcycle on the road.

This lesson can only be done at night, this is to ensure that you have experience riding a motorbike on the road at night before you get your license. Before the lesson starts, there is a briefing done by the instructors on how to ride outside and what to do before you start the lesson.

You will have to get a strap, rain jacket and pants and a raincoat bag. Fold the raincoat into the bag and use the strap to fasten it to the motorbike that you will be using. It is important that you check your horn, brakes, brake lights and also the fuel in the bike you will be using. Don't just check the fuel by looking at the fuel indicator but physically check it by looking inside the fuel tank.

There are different types of formations that you will have to get into when riding. The general formation you will be in will be the staggered formation. This can be seen from the picture below.



When going straight you will have to be in this formation. If you are going to make a turn or lane change, you will have to form up in a single file before making the turn/lane change.



For example if you are going to turn/lane change to the right and your position is on the left, you will have to move behind the rider who is in front of you so as to form up this single file. If your position is already on the left, just keep riding as per normal until everyone is in a single file then you can turn/lane change.

When stopping at a junction and you are going straight, form up side by side in 2 rows. If you are going to make a turn from the junction, be sure to form up in a straight line.

Once this briefing is done, you will practice the riding formations inside the circuit so that you can understand it better.

Getting on the road, be sure to check your blind spots properly by turning your head. When approaching a side road it is also important to turn your head to look at the side road and don't forget the junction checking also.

You will have to ride up to fifth gear during the test so practice getting to fifth gear on the road lessons but don't go above 70 km/h. When going over humps, you have to be in 2nd gear. This lesson, you will just be making left and right turns so it is pretty simple. Just show the instructor that you are capable of making decisions on the road as there might be certain road hazards such as cars being parked at the side of the road.

I managed to pass this lesson on my first try, 25/07/16.

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Provisional Driving License (PDL)

Once you have passed your Practical Stage 5.02 (Assessment) and your Defensive riding theory lessons, you are able to apply for your PDL. You will have to bring your Theoretical Circuit Training Program paper and fill up a form found at the Traffic Police office. The payment for the PDL is $25. An eye test will be done at the TP office when you are applying for the PDL. TP office opens on Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and on Saturdays until 12pm.

The PDL is valid for 6 months. Be sure that your PDL is active when booking your TP as this is very important. It takes 1 day to process this so you will have to wait for 1 working day to be able to book your Practical 6. If you cannot book your prac 6, it means that they have not updated in their system so email them a front and back photo of your PDL and tell them that you cannot book your prac cos they have not updated it in their system.

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Defensive Riding Theory Lesson

It is compulsory to attend the Defensive riding theory lessons to be able to apply for your PDL so that you can start on your road lessons i.e. practical stage 6.0.


I didn't get to complete all 3 lessons at one go as I had other things to do on the day but I highly recommend that you complete all the lessons at one go. It's boring and really long so might as well just go through the whole thing in a single day. However I did learn a few important things from the lessons. The lessons are mostly just going through slides and watching videos. The most interesting part of the lesson was in the 2nd lesson where some of us got the chance to ride the bike simulator. It was a rare chance for me to be able to play a simulator game with an actual motorbike with the gear shifter, foot brake, horn and everything. The instructor told me that the simulator was like 400 thousand dollars. I raised my hands when he asked who wanted to try and since many of them were embarrassed they didn't get a try on the bike. It was pretty fun.

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Revision Circuit (RC)

Revision circuit

 

This is not a compulsory lesson to attend. It is only to practice all the courses inside the circuit if you feel that you are still not yet proficient in any of the courses in the circuit. In this lesson we went through the test route in the circuit. This will be the order of the courses for the test route. The courses being revised are:

1) Slope course.
2) S Course and Crank course.
3) Changing lanes.
4) Plank and Pylon Course.
5) Emergency Braking Course

6) U-turn

The instructors will give you some advice and tips if you are struggling on certain courses. I only went for this lesson once as I felt that I could complete the courses without any problems.

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Practical Stage 5.01 - 5.02

Practical Stage 5.01


In this lesson we went through the test route in the circuit. This will be the order of the courses for the test route.


1) Slope course.
2) S Course and Crank course.
3) Changing lanes.

4) Plank and Pylon Course.

5) Emergency Braking Course

This can be done at your own pace as no timing is taken for any of the courses. The second part of the lesson was exciting as you get to experience pillion riding. The instructor will pair you up with someone and get you to complete all the courses while riding with a pillion. You will go one full round and then switch turns. Try to at least complete the courses as this will mean that you are able to handle the bike well even when you have a pillion on the bike. The scariest part of the pillion ride to me was the emergency braking course, you really have to push your body to keep it upright as your pillion will push you forward when braking.

The last part of the lesson was learning how to make a U-turn. This was quite important as we will have to be able to do this well when we start our lesson on the road. We went into a mini circuit where the instructors placed some cones for us to do a U-turn. We had to be able to complete a U-turn smoothly. The method which we were taught was to engage the foot brake while moving to maintain stability at low speed, move a little to the left before turning right so that we can position the bike better, then stop at the middle and move off while turning the bike to the right.

Tip: When turning the bike at low speeds, it might feel a little unstable this is why you have to position your body upright and not lean into where you are turning as you might fall.

I managed to pass on my first try, 12/07/16.

Practical Stage 5.02(Assessment)

This practical stage will be your circuit test route assessment. It is like a mock test for the courses inside the circuit. It is good if you can pass it on your first try, it would mean that you understand how to go about the courses properly. The first part of the lesson would be to do the courses to warm up and towards the end of the lesson the assessment will start. You will have to line up in order of the number tags. So the lowest number will be the first.

You will wait at the starting point until the instructor says you can go and everyone will go together.

The order of the courses will be
1) Slope course.

2) S Course and Crank course.
3) Plank and Pylon Course.
4) Emergency Braking Course

I managed to pass on my first try with 16 points on 17/7/16.
My mistakes were:

1) Incorrect Posture(2 times) - 2 points x 2 (My foot was below gear shifter when riding)

2) Improper turning(wide turn) - 2 points
3) Brake whilst negotiating bend / turning - 2 points
4) Fail to change to appropriate gear when stopping(2 times) - 4 points x 2 (I stopped in 2nd gear while waiting to go into slope)


Upon passing you will be given the Assessment checklist (shown below) and a Theoretical Circuit Training Program(TCTP). The TCTP is required to be able to apply for your PDL as it is proof that you have completed the practical stages 1-5.

Once you've passed the assessment you can book your Defensive Theory Lessons(DTL) 1.01-1.03. Be sure to book the first lesson quickly and if possible take all of them at one go. After completing the first lesson, you can go and book the next lesson straight away. Be sure to keep the whole day free so you don't have to waste time going back to the driving centre for your DTL. This is because you cannot start your Practical stage 6.01 without completing your Defensive Theory Lessons and if you do not have a valid PDL.

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Practical Stage 4.01-4.02

Practical Stage 4.01


In this lesson we learnt how to go about the S course and also the Crank course. This course will be done after you've completed your Slope course. The requirement for the S and Crank course is that you will have to exit each course in less than 11 and 6 seconds respectively. You have to be in 2nd gear the whole time you are inside the course and not hit or mount the kerb (Immediate failure). I will post all the immediate failures in a separate post.

Before going in the S course you will have to signal left and check your left blind spot. Then move off and change into 2nd gear before entering the course. Use your foot brake to control the speed of the bike and if you feel that the bike is slowing down too much, ease off the foot brake. Once you are inside the course it is important to look at where you are heading and not look down. Upon reaching the exit, turn your head to the right to check for traffic at the exit area of the course. If there is a vehicle approaching be ready to put the bike into 1st gear and stop outside of the course. If there isn't any vehicle approaching exit the S course then check your left blind spot before entering the waiting area for the Crank course.

The Crank course is very easy. Signal right, check your right blind spot, move off and kick the gear into 2nd. When moving off move slightly to the left so you can easily turn into the Crank course as it is a 90 degree turn. In the straight part of the Crank course, cancel your signal and check for traffic at the exit area of the Crank course. If there is a vehicle approaching be ready to stop the bike. The rear wheel of the bike can be inside of the crank course but the front wheel has to be outside. If not, just move out of the course.

It took me 3 tries to pass this lesson. I managed to pass it on 8/07/16


Practical Stage 4.02


This lesson is a review of all the courses that we went through from Practical stage 2.01 until 4.01



1) Slope course.
2) S Course and Crank course.
3) Changing lanes.

4) Plank and Pylon Course.

5) Emergency Braking Course



I will recap the requirements for each part again.

Slope course:



1) Before going into the course, check blind spot.
2) Know where to position yourself, there can only be 4 bikes on the slope at 1 time. Of course during TP only one at a time
3) Go into the course in 2nd gear.
4) Stop at the line, apply foot brake and signal right.
5) Check right blind spot, move off.
6) At the top of the slope course, signal left.
7) When going down the slope, use engine braking. Only apply brakes when stopping the bike.
Check traffic before moving off to the next course.



S course and Crank course:



1) Signal left and check left blind spot before entering S course.
2) Move off and change to 2nd gear.
3) Aim to the middle of the lane when entering.
4) Apply foot brake when inside the course. Ease off brake when bike is too slow, don't keep adjusting the throttle.
5) Look ahead to where you are going and don't look down as you will usually fall.
6) Before exiting, turn your head to check traffic. Stop if you need to.
7) Check your left blind spot before the waiting area at Crank course.
8) Check that there is nobody waiting at the exit of Crank course.
9) Signal right, check right blind spot and move off.
10) Change into 2nd gear before entering the course.
11) Cancel the signal when almost exiting the Crank course.
12) Check traffic before exiting. Stop if you need to.



Lane changing:



Ensure that your bike is already position slightly diagonal to where you are lane changing.
1) Signal to where you are lane changing.
2) Check mirrors.
3) Check blind spot.
4) Increase your speed first. This will ensure you are getting closer to the lane you are changing to and you will not swerve the bike.
5) Change lanes.


Do not swerve the bike into the lane you are changing to, if you are turning your handlebar when lane changing you will definitely swerve the bike so it is very important to position the bike properly before changing lanes.



Emergency Brake:



1) Check right blind spot before moving off.
2) Rev up the RPMs higher than usual before changing gears. Make sure you reach the 3rd gear.
3) Get to a speed of 33-35 km/h and tune it down to 30 when reaching the Emergency braking area.
4) Automatically close throttle and engage front and rear brakes upon crossing the line. Don't jam on the brakes. Gradually apply stronger force on the front brakes.
5) Make sure your body is upright the whole time when braking, don't lunge forward when coming to a stop.
6) Clutch in right before the bike stalls, don't clutch in too early and don't kick down the gears as well.
7) Check right blind spot, right leg down and left leg up, kick the gear down to 1st gear, check left blind spot, left leg down and right leg up.
8) Signal right , check right blind spot, move off.
9) Check right blind spot again before moving into main circuit.



I managed to pass this lesson on my first try on 11/07/16.

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Practical Stage 3.01 - 3.02

Practical Stage 3.01


In this lesson you will learn how to complete the Plank and Pylon course. The Plank course will test your balance and the Pylon course just tests your maneuverability on a bike. The requirement for the plank course would be that you have to stay on the plank for more than 6 seconds while the requirement for pylon course is that you have to exit the course in less than 6 seconds.


Plank course


We started the lesson by warming up around the circuit and then the instructor told us to get into gear 1 and press on the foot brake while maintaining half clutch position. We were required to try to balance the bike and keep on the white line on the floor. Once everyone has got a rough idea of how we have to ride the bike on the plank we proceeded to the actual course. Keep your body slightly relaxed and grip the tank tightly. Look forward and use your arms to move the handlebar when it moves off course.


Pylon course


The pylon course is right after the plank course. For this course you will have to gear up to gear 2 right before you enter the course. You will have to maneuver the bike in between the cones as smoothly and as quickly as possible. It is better to go about this course smoothly and not try to do it too fast as you will usually hit the cones if you move too fast. Your legs should grip the tank while moving through this course and keep you foot above the gear shifter and not below it as I keep making that mistake.




I took this lesson twice and managed to pass it on the 29/06/16.


Practical Stage 3.02


In this lesson we had to go through the Emergency braking course. The objective of this course is to allow us to come to a stop during an emergency without skidding or falling off the bike. The method to complete this emergency braking course is that we have to bring the bike up to the third gear and maintain a speed of 30km/h. This can be done by bringing the RPMs very high in the 1st and 2nd gear before changing gears.


It is also better to keep the speed higher than 30km/h at around 33 to 35km/h as it is easier to tune it down the speed to 30km/h. A few moments before you reach the line, straighten your body and your arms. Once you cross the line, automatically close the throttle and start to engage the rear brakes and front brakes. Don't jam on the brakes too hard as it will cause the wheels to lock up and you will skid with the bike. It is important to gradually increase your force on the front brakes.
You also have to stop inside the area they have allocated for this course.
It doesn't matter if the bike stalls in this course, in fact some of the instructors will make sure that you stall the bike on your first few tries so that you get a feel of how the bike starts to knock right before it stalls. This will allow you to better gauge when to engage the clutch so that you do not clutch in too early.
Also don't kick down the gear to the first gear. Focus on stopping the bike properly. Once you are at a complete stop:
1) Check your right blindspot and put down your right leg down and bring your left leg up.
2) Clutch in and out while kicking the gears down to the first gear.
3) Check your left blind spot and bring your left leg down and right leg up.
4) Signal right ,check right blindspot and move off.
5) Before exiting the course check right blindspot again and enter the main circuit




I managed to pass this lesson on my first try, 01/07/16.

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Practical Stage 2.01 - 2.02

Practical Stage 2.01
For this practical stage we learnt how to make a left or right turn smoothly. When turning the bike cannot wobble and we have to turn into the centre of the lane that we are turning into. We will also be learning how to complete the slope course.


At the start it was really difficult for me to get it right, either I put in too little throttle or too much so I will always be turning too near to the kerb or too near to the line. Also, I keep losing balance when moving off from the slope.


I believe that the correct way to make a left or a right turn would be to hold the bike at half clutch until the bike is stable and then increase the throttle and gear up to 2nd gear once the bike is almost straight. For the slope, you have to go up the slope at 2nd gear and stop at the line. When stopping you have to engage both the front and rear brakes. It is important that you don't take your feet off the rear brake when you want to move off. You will have to be at half clutch while opening up the throttle slowly when you feel as if the bike can move off smoothly, let your foot off the rear brake and it will creep up the slope smoothly.


Be sure to let out the clutch slowly so that the bike doesn't jerk forward and stall when going up. Once you reach the top and start to go down the slope be sure to use engine braking for the most part. Only when you are almost reaching the bottom start to use the brakes to bring it to a stop. Note that you have to signal right when you move off and halfway through the course you have to change your signal to the left as you will be turning left after the course.


It took me 3 tries to pass this lesson. I managed to pass practical stage 2.01 on 18/6/16.


Practical Stage 2.02



This lesson was on lane changing smoothly. I was pretty bad at it as I kept swerving the bike into the lane I was changing to. The correct method is to position the bike at an angle that is somewhat diagonal. This is so that you don't have to turn the handlebar to change into the lane. The procedures before changing lane are ; Signal , check your mirror , check your blind spot, if it is clear speed up into the lane you are changing to. Be sure that the instructor can see all of these actions so that you can pass at one go.

It took me 2 tries to pass this lesson. I managed to complete practical stage 2.02 on 24/6/16.

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Practical Stage 1.01-1.03 (Introduction)

I started my Practical Stage 1.01 at the end of May 2016.

You have to be properly dressed to be able to attend the lesson :
1) Long pants
2) Long sleeve shirt or arm socks with a normal shirt
3) Gloves (tip: get the cheap durian gloves )
4) Helmet(tip: either get a really cheap one that's psb approved or just use the driving centre's helmet)
5) Covered shoes
6) Socks that cover your ankles well
7) Knee pads and elbow pads from the driving centre.

This was my first time riding a motorcycle. The closest thing I had to riding a motorcycle was riding an E-bike(it is nothing like riding a motorcycle though).

The first lesson was very simple they will teach you how to do the bike checks which is the checking of the horn, brake lights, signal lights, etc. Then they will teach you how to push the bike off the main stand, how to put it back on the main stand and how to get on and off the bike. After that is done they will teach you how to turn the motorcycle on.

It is pretty simple; just turn the key to ON and just press the ignition button. Make sure that the bike is in Neutral gear when you turn the key, it will not start if it is in gear unless you pull the clutch in. The instructors will just teach you all the basics of a motorcycle in this lesson and nearing the end of the lesson you will also learn how to move off on the bike.

We have to pull the clutch in with our left hand, kick down the gear lever to gear 1 with our left foot and open the throttle gradually while releasing the clutch slowly. Once the bike starts to move a little we will have to hold the clutch at that point. And this is called the half-clutch.

The objective of this lesson will be that we can do the checks, move off and stop smoothly.

It was pretty simple for me as I understood how the clutch work since I have a car license so the idea is the same just that I am controlling the clutch with my hand instead of my feet. They made us face the wall where there were tires on the wall and then we had to "touch" the wall with the front tires of the bike. It was pretty fun even though it doesn't sound like much.

It really doesn't matter if you keep stalling the engine just keep trying again, after awhile you will understand how it works and automatically you will pull in the clutch once the engine starts to make knocking sounds.

The instructor will allow you to ride inside a mini circuit once everyone gets the hang of the clutch and he will demonstrate how to stop smoothly. This will be done by using both the rear brakes(foot brake) and front brakes. The rear brake will be positioned below the ball of your right foot and the front brake is a brake lever that will be controlled by your right hand.

The right method to stop would be to engage both brakes at the same time gradually and not suddenly as this will cause you to jerk forward. Also it is important to straighten your body when stopping as this is a good habit for the future practical stages. Once you fulfill all the requirements of this lesson you will be able to proceed to the next practical stage.

I passed this lesson on my first try.





Practical stage 1.02


For this practical stage, the requirements were moving up to gear 3 and stopping smoothly. We started the lesson by going a few rounds in the mini circuit. After the warm up we will go into the actual circuit and we will have to bring the gear up to gear 3.


This is done by increasing the throttle to bring up the RPM on the tachometer, clutching in and closing the throttle while kicking the gear up. This should be done in a swift motion. Also important in this lesson is to be able to stop smoothly. This can be achieved by gradually pressing on the brakes until the bike comes to a stop and not jamming on the brakes which will cause the bike to skid and lose balance.


I was quite bad at this lesson it took me 3 tries to pass the lesson. I finally passed this lesson on 26/05/2016.



Practical stage 1.03



The requirement for this practical stage was to be able to bring the bike up to the 5th gear and bring it down to 3rd gear when turning at the bends. Also important is to check for our blind spots which the instructor will demonstrate. Please make sure that you know how to check your blind spot as this is very important. If you are confused, clarify with the instructor on which side you should check. The general rule is whichever direction you are turning towards check your blind spot on that side. Also important is to be able to demonstrate to the instructors that you can stop smoothly.

It took me 2 tries to pass this lesson. I managed to pass this practical stage on 3/06/2016



PS: Don't worry if you keep failing your practical stages. It took me a total of 6 lessons just to get to practical stage 2.01. Just take it as a learning point and keep going.

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Training Structure

For BBDC this was the training structure we had to adhere to.
The first thing to do is to attend all 4 theory lessons.




Once that is done we can start with our practical lessons 1 to 5 while waiting for the Basic theory evaluation. Then we can go on to complete our Basic theory test.


Upon passing the BTT we can book our RTE after which comes RTT.




For practical lessons in BBDC there are a total of 14 lessons before going for Traffic Police Practical Test(TP)even though it states that it is only from Practical stage 1-8. This is the list of the practical stages in sequence: Practical stage 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 2.01, 2.02, 3.01, 3.02, 4.01, 4.02, 5.01, 5.02, 6.01, 7.01, 8.01.




It is also important to pass each practical stage so as to proceed on to the next one. You can only pass a practical stage if you have fulfilled the requirements of the lesson. For example if the lesson was on changing lanes, you must be able to properly change lanes to be able to pass the practical stage to move on to the next one.




After completing Practical stage 5.02 we will be able to attend 3 defensive riding lessons(PPL 1.01,1.02,1.03) which is a requirement to apply for our Provisional Driving License(PDL). This will allow us to learn riding a motorcycle on the road as during practical stages 1-5 you are only riding the bike inside the driving centre.




Please understand that this is not the equivalent of a driving license you will be banned from taking any license for 2 years if you are caught riding a bike on the road when it is not a lesson.




So once you have gotten the PDL you can proceed to move on to practical stage 6.01 until 8.01. Once you have your PDL you will be able to book your TP test but ensure that you can pass your practical stage 8.01 at least 14 days before the date of your TP test if not it will be cancelled and you will not be refunded of the money you paid for the booking of TP test. Please check that your PDL is still valid at the time of your TP as well if not you will not be able to take the test.




Once you have passed your TP you will have to attend an Expressway Familiarisation Riding(EFR) to be able to apply for your Qualified Driving License(QDL).

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BTT & RTT

This would be the first thing that will get you started on the road to getting your license. The Basic Theory Test(BTT).




Once you enroll yourself into any of the 3 driving centres for your 2B license. I enrolled in Bukit Batok Driving Centre(BBDC). There will be an admin fee which will cover 4 lessons as well as a membership fee which lasts for a whole year. If you do not pass within a year you will have to renew your membership every month.






I passed my BTT before I enrolled in BBDC as I am already holding a class 3(driving license) so I didn't have to book my BTT. However, It was still compulsory for me to attend the four lessons which were 2 Basic theory lessons and 2 Riding theory lessons. All that was left for me for the theory part was to complete my Riding Theory Evaluation(RTE) and my Riding Theory Test(RTT).




To pass your BTT on your first try is very easy. If you are scared that you will fail, just take a lot of Basic Theory Practice(BTP) which are just mock tests. The questions that come out in the BTP will be the same as the BTT.






I had to take my RTE twice as I made a mistake of booking the evaluation instead of the practice. I passed my RTT on my first try and I only took 1 session of RTP right before my RTT. It doesn't matter if you keep failing the practices as long as you know the right answer after you get it wrong, so keep checking the answers for the all the questions you are unsure of.

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Introduction

This blog is mostly for me as I made a record of the process I went through to pass my 2B motorcycle license but maybe it can help any of you browsing through for a guide or a step by step process in getting your first motorcycle license in Singapore.

Basically in Singapore there's 3 different classes of motorcycle license.

The first one you can apply for is 2B at the age of 18, this license will only allow you to be able to ride a motorcycle with an engine capacity of 200cc or below.

After a year of acquiring this 2B license, your probation period is over and you can then apply for the next class of license which is class 2A. This will allow you to ride motorcycles which have engine capacities of up to 400cc.

The last one being class 2 and you can only apply for this license a year after passing your class 2A. This license will allow you to ride any bike above 400cc.

Those are just the basics of what each class of license means in Singapore.

I just passed my 2B license and this blog provides an account of my experience going through the process of getting a 2B license.

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