BHST = Basic Handling Skills Test
Prepare for your first rider assessment so you can legally ride on the public roads. You can use any LAMs approved motorcycle or scooter (many scooters are over 50cc!).
Obtain your L plate and ride any LAMS approved motorcycle between 5am and 10pm
Before you go for your BHST assessment, you do need to control a motorcycle effectively and should practice the tasks needed to complete the BHST assessment.
Once you pass your BHST, and the road code questions, you then acquire your 6L licence for riding a motorcycle.
Learning to ride is not the same as learning a test course so to pass an assessment!
Practicing the BHST (6L)
See the support links for more information.
Best to practice the BHST course using three (3) learning layers.
You will need reasonable vehicle control / confidence before practising the BHST.
Use the video link for NZTA demonstration and the additonal demonstration videos to see what this assessment looks like. The videos show where the head checks and indicators are but you really need to partake with a training school to know specifically what the assessors are looking for.
1. Just start with learning the BHST course’s four (4) stages and this includes lane positioning, control management, corners, turn-back/parking, stopping normally and an emergency stop.
2. Once confident riding the 4 stages, now re-do the 4 stages adding head checks till confident.
3. Add indicators on and off where required, now re-do the 4 stages using head checks and indicators till confident
!! Always be looking where you need to go and not be staring at your controls or your front wheel!
New riders will find all the little steps rushed at first, but if you relax and not rush this practice you will eventually realise your only doing one thing at any point during the assessment, example: indicating, then a head check. then a corner, then indicator off, then stopping.
It’s all just a sequence of tasks you are preparing for that will occur in real life scenarios and all these actions are part of your licence obligations when sharing the road with other road users. T.U.G = Take in information, Use information, Give (communicate) information.
Supporting links
You must pass your BHST assessment before taking the road code test.
In the theory multi-choice road code test, you must pass 32 out of 35 questions, and 5 questions will be motorcycle specific questions.