Driving a Volvo B10M - RX51 EXM

[@del7538]

Got my bus license in one of these. The gearshift was absolute murder on my shoulder. Got a phantom pain from just watching this.

[@williampatrickfagan7590]

Being in the motor trade I suggest that was a fault in the bus or truck. Manufacturers listen to drivers. a A bad review of a vehicle makes Manufacturer take notice Same reason why truck drivers are treated like Gods by Ferry companies.

[@deniswatts4574]

Aye, done my test in one, a terrible gear box compared to others.

[@SPTSuperSprinter156]

That reverse gear needs its own postcode! I remember we had a few manual buses like this on our school runs. One driver couldn't get it above fourth gear, try as he might. The driver that could would double clutch it into gear. As much as I like zipping around in a manual transmission car, I'd think for a bus it'd be tiring stirring that pot all day.

[@james143611]

🤣too right! Yes you are right though, you don't think about it in a car, but you know when you've done a day in this, or a manual Bova that was also some work!

[@ariskaltd5686]

Back in the 80’s you thought you were king of the road, if you were lucky enough to have a B10M to drive.

[@Dutch3DMaster]

The trouble with the stick reminded me of a test-driving-lesson (was on the open house-day of a transportation company, just to get a taste of it) on a coach I had back in June, it had seen it fair share of hours and the gear selector stick was not the big throw-type like in this video, but one that looks a bit more like the one on a regular car, but just with much more options in all directions. I got lucky with the thing, the person who would drive me back to the transporter's main terrain had trouble getting it out of "N" (it was a semi-automatic gearbox I think) and the instructor mentioned "It can be a moody thing" and he had to slap the thing into N from D1 multiple times because it refused to engage the D1 set. After the third slap he carefully pushed the thing into D1 with one finger and the gearbox finally listened to the input :P . It provided me with a lot of new insight though, and have since taken up the idea of getting my bus-license :) . Nice sound from this bus, weird to hear it manually shifted, I only know the sound from the B10m's we had on commuter service (non-coach type of buses) which were all automatics (ZF's, 6-speed, with kickdown).

[@TransportBaz]

My first allocated coach was a W-plate B10M/Prem, ex-Wally Trolley. Last of the truly great coaches. 10l mid-mounted engine, cavernous luggage locker at the back, 6-speed manual box, and no flippin' computers telling you what to do!!!! Much as I don't miss the company, I sure do miss that coach......

[@neon6828]

Here in Greece we had B10M articulated city buses from early 90s until 2021. By far the most reliable than newer b7L and b9L.

[@badbusdriver7160]

Wow, memories flooding back, especially the screech from the belt on start up!. I drove for Stagecoach for 5.5 years (starting around 2003) and all the coaches were B10 Plaxtons for the first 2-3 years (when they were replaced by B7's which, IMO, weren't as good). As far as I remember, only two (out of maybe 20) were manual, but they were the preferred choice if the weather was wintery!. The bus I learned on was a B10 Van Hool and I remember the gearchange being vague in the extreme, like stirring a massive bowl of porridge!. But the most useful advice I was given was actually from another driver rather than the instructor. That was to use 1st gear to get the bus rolling, change into 2nd almost immediately. If you held on to first a bit longer, it was near impossible to get it into 2nd and indeed I witnessed quite a few of my fellow learners struggling with exactly that (after which, the instructor did tell them what to do). But once you got the hang of it, it wasn't too bad, and it certainly pulled strongly enough!. Speaking of which, I also remember one of our B10's on which the speed limiter didn't work, that was fun😲

[@james143611]

Ah yes I also seem to recall these ended up as driver trainer vehicles as well, certainly Stagecoach Swindon had a handful in training livery, probably up to 2015, maybe before then, can't remember though if they were B7 or B10's Love the gear change comment stirring porridge 🤣 you are absolutely right about 1st though, it spins up so fast that you will struggle for 2nd. There is a Junction on a school route that see's you start off on a downhill slope onto a main road, much easier just to pull off in 2nd Bet no speedo was fun guessing what you were doing, getting pulled over like officer "do you know how fast you were going" "No, I was hoping you could tell me that" 🤣

[@badbusdriver7160]

@@james143611 Oh no, it wasn't the speedo that wasn't working, but the limiter itself!. That particular coach usually only did school runs, but for whatever reason I ended up getting it for a run to Aberdeen (from Peterhead). Invariably I was running late coming home and back then I had no patience, so it was 'foot to the floor'!. I do remember glancing across as I overtook a Passat estate and catching a rather surprised expression from the driver, he was probably doing about 70..........😳. We had a couple of B10 deckers too and I also rated them very highly, great thing to drive!👍

[@james143611]

@@badbusdriver7160 Oh! 🤣🤣 brilliant! Bet he thought his speedo wasn't working 😂

[@theolderigetthewrongbitget4746]

Retired Coach driver, loved the B10M sadly my left knee didn't lol, after doing city tours going up and down the box took its toll, thought we were in heaven when the B12Bs arrived with the I-Shift.

[@james143611]

Haha! I heard alot about that! Some of our drivers were talking about how London is easier nowadays in modern vehicles and how much hell it was taking a B10M into London dipping the clutch all the time, up and down the box as you say

[@TheFlyingBusman]

A nice B10M is a most pleasant thing to drive. I used to have a 1999 B10M/Premier as a regular mount and absolutely loved driving it. Sometimes get you guys up our way and one of your Indian drivers, really nice chap, stayed in my pals yard a while back whilst out here in North Yorkshire.

[@james143611]

@TheFlyingBusman Don't know who that was? We don't have any Indian drivers never had any either sure it was Chandlers?

[@raithrover1976]

That gearbox looks like hard work. When i worked for Parcelforce back in the mid 90s, we had a Ford Cargo 7.5tonner and the gearbox on that was like trying to stir a pot of golf balls with a straw. I used to turn up to work half an hour early just to avoid being lumbered with it.

[@drummingriffin]

Never been a bus or coach driver, but I was involved as a cleaner for a few years. We had Volvo B10s but had the auto boxes as they were service buses. Some of the coaches had manual boxes and even just moving them around the yard tugged on my shoulder quite a bit so I'm glad I didn't have to drive them all day. nice video.

[@Simondrake-u5k]

The bit at the start finding reverse was very familiar, give it a good push right over and back! Nice to see a driver changing gear at the right time, the vast majority used to run up to far higher engine revs than needed and well beyond the solid green sector of the counter. I always double declutched them though it got a better change - and when they were cold was often the only way it'd let you do it!

[@notreyf]

Fantastic camera angle. Thanks for sharing.

[@AlexanderWatson-dv7kg]

Steering, an absolute joy, terrific lock as well. I drive one every day and, the gear change is as easy as my car.

[@annassyaroni]

Love the angle of the cam, such a wide view for viewers

[@Zodliness]

At 07:15 I can't believe the sheer incompetence of that idiot overtaking a coach on a blind bend, narrowly avoiding an oncoming vehicle. Has common sense become that rare?

[@james143611]

Nowadays it has, unfortunately now you are public enemy number 2 on the roads, just below bikes, overtaking on stupid places is a common sight, only a few weeks ago someone overtook me using what is an overtaking lane for the opposite direction, which had a car coming up the road already overtaking traffic, was a very near miss!

[@ulyssesvee3536]

Sadly not common anymore.

[@andrewholloway231]

Thanks for a pleasant ride. I enjoyed that.

[@KarrrRep]

I did casual driving for a guy Brian Le Blond A to B coaches of Tring Hertfordshire operating out of a former Transco gas site in London road Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire. We had an old B10M Plaxton premiere Auto. YJI7315. Loved driving it. Only problem it had was the typical noise from the drive from the engine to the fan at front. The bearings tended to wear

[@rab1780]

1st gear on these Volvo coaches was only ever used on steep hills the Volvo engineers told me this and when fully loaded that’s why clutches were changed a lot as drivers were not told about this

[@tomkearns7136]

Great bit of driving.

[@MrDexcars]

Nice to someone who knows how to drive a b10m starting in first gear I drove these b10m for fifteen year’s and bloody loved them best coaches ever various body’s which som good some bad but the Volvo always brilliant tried mercs manns scania but always enjoyed the Volvo more the best I had was on a joncherre body loved working those body’s

[@that_youtube_channel7343]

Love me a B10, my allocated was P24 FTA at berry’s coaches, a van hool t8c the best combination by far I think

[@james143611]

Lovely! Would love to drive an Alizee! There is someone that has preserved a Berry's Van Hool T8 P reg, think it's someone who works there, been about at rallies

[@that_youtube_channel7343]

@@james143611 M825 HNS mate 🤙🏼 me and a few friends have another we’re putting back on the road. Ex Wallace Arnold K810 HUM. If you look for crusaders carnival club 2022 you’ll find under all that woodwork is ex berrys N758 CYA. Unfortunately a lot of the old girls are dying off and P24 was the last alizee in the fleet

[@that_youtube_channel7343]

@@james143611an update my friend, we now own M825 HNS !

[@MrTinmansr22]

I had one of these at Tellings Golden Miller, Portsmouth KP51 SYF, 6 speed manual. Drove it on NatEx 310/324 service for a good 4 years, far better than the B12s

[@CJ-zt5mr]

omg i passed my psv in 1 of them brings back very good memory's my left shoulder still has pain from changing the gears lol

[@underwaterbubbles]

Thank you for an interesting ride.

[@fargeeks]

I had no idea that buses with manual transmissions are still made

[@IUseYouTube13711]

I think it's an older bus that's why

[@AndreiTupolev]

This one's 20 years old

[@philipscott1128]

Car mechanic here. How is the motion of changing gear transmitted to the gearbox? Is it via cables or metal linkages? I imagine the gearbox is near the rear of the bus? Just curious tbh

[@nicholasbyrne6485]

Even without any badging or identification whatsoever, i could tell you that's a B10M from the dash alone.

[@patrickrichmond9896]

This is nostalgia. We don't' see many buses left with a manual transmission anymore.

[@mathewwilliams5470]

Drive one every day we have 3 on the fleet all merc 33 seaters

[@Kiwi_NZ610]

Hello there do you have to wait for it to warm up and start it

[@ebxo269]

awsome drive ..

[@chromebrowser5189]

I love how in europe they still drive manual cars!

[@raithrover1976]

The look of terror on American tourists' faces when they get to the rental desk at the airport and discover that they only have manual cars is a common sight here in the UK😂

[@stephencrossley5417]

Love where the camera is it's a better view

[@james143611]

Thank you! Thinking of using this view for manual coach driving ones

[@stephencrossley5417]

@@james143611 hello you are welcome. Good who drives the yellow mini bus because I love that vehicle if I could buy one I have

[@Notoryczny]

Why air suspension seat are not active like in other's vehicles? Whell when i Was in England i Saw many vechicles dont have suspension seat driver like public buses, coaches, why? Suspension seat are the best thing in whole trucking

[@james143611]

This one might have just tightened up, not sure actually, but coaches certainly do have them. My modern Tourismo does, very bouncy seat you soon know if you hit a dip in the road as the seat goes flying upwards! Can't speak for buses if they have them or not

[@timeisup6844]

Hiya mate, this UK or Australia??

[@james143611]

Hello, this is in the UK

[@timeisup6844]

@@james143611 ok mate!😊👍

[@AndyNguyen-sl5gg]

I’d love to drive that bus if I could, except I’m based in Australia!

[@charagdeenvelog]

May i buy bus from your yard how much and how can please tell me

[@martinchandler71]

lovely coach that......

[@gabrielsavarge1301]

Is that beeping sound the air pressure warning?

[@james143611]

Correct that's the ding sound that seems to be in most volvo's, is was parked up for sometime so lost a bit of air not much

[@number2664]

The B10M could be a very long vehicle. We had a school bus that had a lazy axle, it was huge for a rigid body.

[@aliasdeputydog]

Seems to me that the gearbox could do with a major refurbishment, I wonder how many times it`s been around the clock in 12 years of service.

[@RWL2012]

this vehicle is over 20 years old.

[@ronmccullock1407]

Nice gear changes

[@james143611]

Thank you

[@cmeonthemove]

One thing I've never understood with the Premieres is the blind spot mirror on the offside but not the nearside. What are blindspots like that side? Nice view though. I'm starting my driver training with First Eastern Counties next week after working in an office for 25 years. Looking forward to a new challenge.

[@james143611]

Yes a handy mirror the offside one for cars etc, and also when your eyes are dizzy looking through the heated screen lines, I use the blindspot mirror! Really could do with a nearside one though, but then the entrance door window is low so that sort of covers it, somehow I get by but after driving vehicles with 'corner mirrors' as I call them (blindspot mirrors covering the front and corner) I do miss not having them

[@laciihasz4734]

I haven't driven a coach yet, only local buses, wright streetlite and streetdecks mostly. They are all automatic, i am really not a fan of it as most of our routes are in rural area and the auto gearbox is just not working out. But watching u ,,fighting" with that stick made feel grateful for my auto buses 😂 Nice driving tho, safe travels.

[@uktubedude]

Don't you just want that wheel a little closer to you?

[@rizwanali649]

It's a good thing that most of them are finally automatic now isn't it

[@michaelsteinberger6638]

Great Video

[@qaza007qaza]

Is that just a 6 speed box?the throw on the stick is huge No one does bus and coach reviews I'm a hgv driver and they review everything would like to see reviews and comparisons

[@james143611]

Is indeed 6 speed, and quite a throw, though I personally don't think it's as much as an old Bova had with the linkage system, that was almost like put it into reverse and at the same time crack your knuckles on the dashboard! You are right though there are a lot of HGV videos, I have not long recorded a sort of how I'm driving video so you get an idea on what it's like to drive, however I have also thought on doing coach reviews, it's a possibility so watch this space. What sort of truck do you drive?

[@qaza007qaza]

@@james143611 I used to drive rigid and artics that had manual gearboxes last artic I drove with a stick was in 2010 everything since then is auto Volvo always had the best manual box I've not driven an ishift gearbox but hear good things on them I currently drive a merc which has a cr#p gearbox Always wanted to do coach work close to me is a company called Richmonds they have a beautiful fleet would love a go in a few coaches I do have a provisional but I chose artics over coaches but maybe one day If you can do some driving reviews I would be very interested Thanks James

[@iankp5901]

Gear box a lot further away than on a lorry

[@solomonjohn9358]

❤❤❤.... India

[@WolfgangPeitsc]

Tolle. Frau, tolles Aussehen. Respekt

[@SuperSoundwork]

amazing!!

[@frothe42]

Goodness, we haven't had a manual transmission bus in the US in over twenty five years!

[@stevenakiens3156]

Well this one is 22 years old. They're all automatic now.

[@CreRay]

Plus... this is a synchromesh box, big difference with the boxes in the US.

[@DaveJMcGarry]

Someone needs to sort out that tracking and get that wheel centered!

[@smada36]

This brings back memories. The amount of B10M's I've driven, all sorts of bodies and from the Mk1 to the Mk4. It was such a popular chassis, and bullet proof. However, I spent the first ten years of my career wishing that the fleet would be fully automatic so I didn't have to change gear anymore. Now the entire fleet is AMT and every time it changes gear, the half shafts rattle, I kiss the windscreen and I wish that I was back in my manual. 🙄

[@james143611]

So true! Over lockdown our vehicles were laid up for 8 months, once they were back on the road it was hard getting them going again, with the exception of this and the B12M which started up first time and no delay!

[@ronnie4737]

Superb driving chief except I would have given a pass at 9:28

[@Svc138boe]

Which one nsw or other

[@neilburns8869]

From a professional driver's perspective, what would you say is the best things about driving Volvo coaches/buses in general? I know that they are the most popular bus/coach make in the world and from a mechanic's point of view they are quite easy to repair and maintain and usually last quite well and are basically quite reliable and offer great value for money. I have a a guy who is a semi-retired Stagecoach bus driver and he reckons that as far as his local depot is concerned most drivers enjoy driving a good Volvo automatic more than most others.

[@peejgardner]

They change through the gears a lot better if your double clutch

[@madanto2394]

Also known as crash shifting.highly complex

[@miguelmsilva4112]

@@madanto2394 sounds like skill issue.

[@madanto2394]

@@miguelmsilva4112 truck gearbox

[@iankp5901]

Not required with a syncro box and actually confuses the mechanism. Only necessary with a crash box with straight cut teeth. The main cause of poor non double de-clutching changes is rushing.

[@GamingRoom595]

rare rh driving which country?

[@timpulmanAustralia]

Uk

[@xrayperforator]

I used this beeper sound on startup, today to wake my wife, because she has a terrible hangover.

[@nitrorory]

When I’ve been on these the drivers always pulled away in second 😂 not the best for the clutch but quick

[@iankp5901]

That's because 1st is a crawler gear designed for hill starts. If done properly 2nd gear starts on the level or downhill didn't adversely affect the clutch. Volvo's own staff recommended this method.

[@Lemingtona-x5g]

would be good to see exterior of the vehicle before you start the video

[@martinchandler71]

and no...i dont own the chandlers coaches

[@SPPhotography89]

B10M is museum vehile

[@iankp5901]

Plenty still in service in the uk

[@jackmchammocklashing224]

What a waste of money (NOT THE VIDEO) THE waste is cash, fuel, and drivers time, 20 minute round trip, ten miles of fuel used and 30 minutes drivers wages

[@james143611]

Well depends how you look at it to be honest, I know what you mean but it is 2 miles each way, so 4 mile round trip but to be honest not that much fuel used and being on a yard day in between schools is something we are paid for anyway if that makes sense, and sometimes we'd fuel up there on the way back from schools instead. It's cheaper as well as we use a fuel card so we don't pay the pump price it's about 10p per litre cheaper

[@ColinHamilton-ed8du]

It could be that the vehicle is out on a job later that day or early on the following day! Therefore filling the vehicle now is a good idea and avoids any potential delays collecting the customer.

[@1ns4ne1d10t]

I'd be glad if he'd come work for us and be doing that in our firm. At least he's filling the motors up for the next driver to take on after he's finished his shift and being aware of the existence of other staff needing to use the vehicles. And not running them down into the reserve light and not the "Someone else can do it" attitude for some other poor ******** to come in and panic first thing in the morning. It sounds like you'd rather come in to no fuel, no oil, no adblue, no coolant, and half a coach not working because some other pratt was too lazy to put 150 litres in and took it out half defective and didn't bother to defect it when they got back. Plenty of that goes on where I work coughcoughPARTTIMERETIREDDRIVERScoughcough

[@douglasbatista9184]

Estranho a sensação, parece que vai capotar o tempo todo kkkkk

[@らんちゅう-n4e]

2:22もっと左に寄れ

[@davidpabon135]

Bonito pais, quisiera trabajar y prosperar alla. Como hago para emigrar, estoy comiendo arroz con granos todos los dias y hacinado en una vivienda con un poco e pela bolas.

[@nikolaj550]

he looks like he hate his job he looks so maaaaaaaaaad

[@ブルー-w2r]

外車ばっかりですね

[@arthurwhitelam6591]

Right so you filled in your card prior to driving, then you closed the tachograph door Then, continue to drive. You haven't done your vehicle checks on cross hammer's meaning other work, at least 10/15 min vehicle checks on your vehicle, If vosa pulled, you try to explain how you done your vehicle checks, tut tut so not really a professional driver are you !!!!

[@james143611]

You know that's why there's a video swipe transition because there was no need to have the camera running for 20 minutes whilst I'm out the cab, just easier to cut it to later on...

[@weishen5938]

So JDM bus it look like.