Even before I started motorcycle lessons, I knew this was what I would be most nervous about: the vehicle control exercises, perhaps even more than the exams themselves.

The idea of manoeuvring a motorcycle at walking pace between cones, making a turn in a space that feels far too small, or performing an emergency stop at exactly the right moment honestly felt quite intimidating.

I’m not 21 anymore, and I do notice that difference during lessons. While my child picks up new things as if it’s nothing, I simply need more repetition for certain exercises. And that’s okay.

What stands out to me most is how extreme the differences are between the exercises. The slow exercises sometimes feel almost unnaturally slow, while the faster ones go quicker than my mind is really comfortable with.

My instructor kept saying: look through the corner. Don’t look at your screen (a bit of duct tape did wonders). If you look ahead when setting off, everything becomes smoother.

I now understand why. The moment I look at a cone, my speed, or my gear indicator, the motorcycle becomes unsettled. As soon as I look where I want to go, everything suddenly becomes easier.

What also helps me is always thinking one step ahead. During an emergency stop, I don’t want to still be changing gear just before the gate. During the deceleration exercise, I want to be finished braking before the slalom begins. The calmer I am beforehand, the better the exercise usually goes.

And perhaps most importantly: I’ve learned that everyone has their own pace. Some people pass their AVB in a few months, others take much longer. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. You don’t have to be the fastest learner in the group; you just have to improve a little each lesson.

Of course, there are lessons where everything goes wrong. Rain, headwinds, exercises that suddenly feel like nothing makes sense anymore. But there are also lessons where you get on the bike and everything just clicks. The corners flow, the exercises work, and you ride back to the riding school with a big smile on your face.

I’ve also been quite lucky with my riding school. Not only because of two great instructors, but also because the practice area is around fifteen minutes away.

Every lesson therefore starts and ends with a short ride on public roads. And those rides are sometimes my favourite part of the lesson.

During the exercises, you’re focused on cones, observation technique, clutch control, braking points and exams. But on the way to the practice area, all of that fades away for a moment. Then you’re just riding a motorcycle.

Especially when you have to take a detour through the countryside – a road closure, a thunderstorm – you realise it properly:

This is why I wanted to get my motorcycle licence.