I failed my CBT today

[Guest]

My fault for never being on a motorbike anywhere except my garden! Not even down the road! So i got at the training centre and there was two blokes with Yamaha's and Suzuki's and i thought to myself "in a couple of years jim" and they said how old are you kidda and i said im only 16, but apparently i look 20! Then all of a sudden i turned around and this 7ft massive beast of a man said "you ere for your cbt mate?" and i nodded and he said "alright, you look really nervous, dont worry i wont bite you mate" and me and the other two blokes laughed, and some lanky ginger kid turned up and we both gave him our paperwork.

Another constructor came to the other two and off they went, and i was gobsmacked at how loud the engines were, i thought my ears were going to fall off lmao. So they went and the instructor said we better have a cup of tea first and go over the basics.. He showed us the basics, (Safety Gear and stuff) and then we went out to the bikes, and he showed us how to put it on and off the stand, all the controls, and how to start the ignition, (yes really.)

He made us go round in a circle and he kept telling me i need to stop revving the bike and keep it under control, and i eventually got the hand of it (about 7 f**king tries later) and i was already pissed off and sweating lol. He told the ginger kid to go round in a circle and he did it a couple of times, and we were then told to go around some cones in a small circle, and i eventually got the hand of that, and then we had to do a figure of 8 and after about half an hour, and a falling off later (i turned and held the f**king front brake lol) i was told we would move on.

We then had to go right down the car park, do a turn and come back up the car park and do a stop in a little square box of cones (easy right?) well the thing is i went down perfectly, did a bit of turn and i found myself looking diagonally at the box of cones, but i managed to to line myself back up the with the cones and he said "put the throttle down" through the earpiece and not going to lie, i was shitting myself and he shouted "stop!" and i slammed my left hand on the break and then my right hand on the other brake and the bike skidded and i was lucky not to fall over again, i stabilized my self and the bike, but the cones were a bit far from me lol. He gave me a real dirty look and he said one final try, and i ended up doing the same thing but i stopped by the cones this time but he said the old "Sorry, i dont think you're ready yet".. that i been dreading over for the last month after my dad booked my test.

He said "Come with me" while looking really angry and i followed him into the classroom, and he said "From when you started, a massive improvement but you look really nervous and scared so im sorry but im going to ask you to come in next tuesday". And i said "f**king fine then mate, send me home when i need to practice some more and i will eventually get it?" and he said "look, you look a bit stressed so just come back tuesday and hopefully you'll be a bit more confident" BIT MORE CONFIDENT? YOU'VE JUST KNOCKED MY CONFIDENCE RIGHT DOWN! and then he just walked past me and said go home. I got home and my dad wasn't happy, called up the place about them failing me after 2 times doing the brake stop and not even telling me what to do.

In conclusion, i failed my cbt. My dads upset with me and keeps saying how the f**k do you fail a CBT? so thanks dad (y) and i wish i never swore at the instructor now. But really i should of had at least a training session 1 to 1, (i really needed it) and i need to get my head in my high way code book some more. Writing this has actually lifted my confident a bit, and hopefully i pass on tuesday!

[iiisecondcreep]

CBT is compulsary basic training, its not a pass or fail test its just enough training so you can meet the minimum standard to go on the road by yourself. Its aimed at complete beginners. It doesn't always take just one day. I sat my CBT having never ridden a motorbike before in my life and I did it over 2 days.

Don't beat yourself up, you'll get there. Hopefully when you go back on tuesday you'll be feeling a lot more relaxed which will help. Best of luck for tuesday.

[klingelton]

Ok, first off - you didn't fail your CBT. You just didn't reach a minimum level for them to say "yep, we're happy you're going out on the road!" Don't beat yourself up though, loads of people go back for another days training. Some more than that.

Ultimately though - your dad would be real upset if you wound up dead because someone had let you loose before you were ready!

With regards to the control - listen very closely to what the instructors are telling you. Do exactly what they tell you to do. They've taught a million people and know every pitfall a new rider makes! Mine was that i thought i knew better than them and did things my own way. Transpires that was a shit idea!

There's really no rush. Go back on Tuesday, relax and enjoy the whole experience!

[Tango]

What the others have said is spot-on.......it's not a pass/ fail thing......it's making sure that you're safe to go out on the road on your own........so, go back on Tuesday, try to relax a bit, listen to what the instructors are telling you.......and don't be afraid to ask questions........ask for advice if you need it.......

Good luck.......

[Tiggie]

I passed mine first time when I was 18. fast forward 10 years later when I had to retake it and I failed miserably was my first time on a geared bike ( had a moped before) and I bunny hopped all over the place!!! couple of years later I took it again and passed without breaking a sweat. My point being if a muppet like me can do it so can you

keep relaxed and try and enjoy yourself. the more comfortable you feel the better you'll do

[CGD217]

It took me two days too. Don't beat yourself up about it. I had never ridden/ been on a bike before.

[fq-craigus]

Dont look at it that you couldnt dona stop a couple of time so he sent you home, he obviously observed the whole time you were there and deemed you not in a clear state of mind because of nerves ect, and when your like that very little goes in so there isnt any point in carrying on that day.

You will dind when you go back because you know what to expect you should feel calmer, but dont stress that you may have to start from the basics again, just crack on with it.

Nver lose your temper with the instructors, remember they are doing you the favour not the other way round, they have a world of knowlege available so soak it up.

Good luck when you go back

[runningman]

.....just think how nervous you'll be when you have passed your CBT, get a bike and go out on your own for the very first time!

Take all the advice you are given on board, you will need it.

[Woodman]

Try and chill out more.

I remember when I was learning on a dirt track and kept missing gears and stalling when I set off.

Not everyone picks it up in a few hours but eventually you'll get it.

[mealexme]

Firstly, the bit you don't want to hear

Unfortunately, the instructors have a few people to teach at the time. Part of the CBT is out on the road in real world conditions, so he was more than likely doing that part of the CBT next. Obviously he has to be 100% confident that you can control the bike before he takes you out onto the road, otherwise you can't carry on.

Don't worry too much about having to do it again. It's not about doing it quickly, its about doing it safely and learning as much as you can. The more you do it, the more you pick up

Now for the helpful bit, the government run a scheme called "get on" - its a free hour session on a bike. I think they do it in a group of up to 3 people, but you are likely to be with people who have never been on a bike in their life, and the instructor should go over the basics a bit more clearly. Its worth a look if nothing elsehttp://www.geton.co.uk/free-motorbi ... xperience/

[NearOn]

Yeah shame you didn't try the "get on" scheme to start with as is a good introduction to biking. Just take as long as you need, like everyone is saying, it isn't a test.

[Glorian]

You need to chill out. Stressing will make you tense up and make sudden jerky movements, riding a bike needs to be controlled and smooth, I did my CBT over a year and a half ago and i had never ridden a bike (except as a passenger) it took me about 3 hours of riding around the carpark before i felt happy to go out on the roads. Relax if you need to take a break before your next manouver take it. Once you're on the road i found it easier as there is more space, but more obstacles.

[Guest]

I think he made the best decision for you, regardless whether you agree. If you've got all hot and flustered it's good to stop and go home. Chill out and then go back when you're in the right frame of mind else mistakes happen.

With your braking, don't try to do it instantly. (unless the bike has ABS) if it doesn't have ABS then you have to go for the brakes progressively. You'll maintain control and still come to a timely stop.

Anyway don't sweat it. Take it easy and compose yourself between each task and you'll be fine.

[Psychybikey]

If you want to know just how badly somebody can mess up their CBT, you should read my story, if you can find it. It will give you a laugh if nothing else - you won't believe how bad I was. And I had been driving for 40 years when I did mine.

Instructors hate it when we refer to 'failing' or 'passing' the CBT. But it certainly feels like that. They have to assess whether or not we're safe, and being assessed as unsafe feels like a fail. You should be able to keep on repeating the training until you succeed, at no extra cost. It's up to the instructors to work out what suits each individual and how to teach them. Some instructors are better than others. Some are content to just get you through the CBT, some want to teach you how to ride a bike.

It frightens me to think that somebody with no experience can jump on a bike at lunchtime and be adjudged to be safe to do the town circuit without a minder by the same evening.

I can't add to what the expert riders on here have said. But I can say, persevere, you'll do it, I did in the end (after crashing one of the bikes on the road section and being on the point of giving up I went to a different school and had some lessons with an instructor who encouraged and supported me). Tomorrow I'm going for my first lesson on a bigger bike as I live in a hilly area and need something with a bit more power to get me up the hills more easily.

You will look back at this in a few months and wonder what all the fuss was about. Naughty dad for saying what he said. it comes more naturally to some than others, especially if they've had the opportunity for a bit of practice before they even get to the CBT. Better luck next time.

[Steve D]

When I took my cbt I was told by the instructor that there is only one thing you can 'fail' a cbt on and that was if you could not read a number plate from a certain distance. Some just take longer than others to reach a standard where you won't get squashed by a lorry first time out. Don't worry - you'll get there eventually. (A cbt that is, not squashed by a lorry)!