CBT - Experiences of other Members

[Nell]

Well i had my cbt today. Some of you may recall i actually went for my bike test, and unfortunately didn't pass around this time last year. Due to personal circumstances i was unable to re-sit the test, so had to make do with just running the 125. Time flies and before i knew it, it was coming up to cbt renewal time!

As had moved to a new area- well over 200 miles from my old home, i had to find myself a bike school, and narrowed it down to three, had a chat with them all and eventually chose the one i went with today. Showed up at 9.30 met the instructor, very nice chap, along with another guy who was doing his cbt as well. As had arrived on my own bike, they were quite happy to let me use it, which was great!

Did the eyesight part, and then into the office to discuss the first part- the introduction to motorcycling, which was nice to refamiliarise myself with everything. Worked as a reminder for the other guy as well who was in a similar boat to myself, had done cbt a while back, but due to his own circumstances, had to abandon bikes for a while.

next up was going out to the bikes. Went through all the controls, safety checks, the show me and tell me bit they do on your test- tell me how to check your oil level, show me how the horn works for example. He then set some cones up, and had us take the bikes off their stands and push them in a slalom, turn them round and push them back up the yard. The instructor then had the other guy start up the bike and get used to riding. A few hesitant moments, and wobbles later he was finding his feet with the bike and soon was riding round quite happily. I was then told to start my bike up and do the same, and just followed him for a few laps. he then introduced the slow control element, at first just slipping the clutch, then bringing in the back brake until we got used to it. Then onto the figure of 8's and the u-turns, which for the first time ever i managed to do about ten consecutive of each manoeuvre without a single foot down. instructor very impressed.

Then onto the controlled braking, which went fine and then onto the emergency stop. I know in the past, the van van has a tendency to fishtail under strong braking. Had thought it was to do with the big tyre on the back- i quickly found out i was using a bit too much back brake, and wasn't daring enough with the front, which was where i had gone wrong before. A few goes and soon had cracked it.

brief stop for lunch, then back to the classroom to learn about roadcraft, once done, got radioed up and headed out onto the scary roads of Bathgate- and i mean scary. they take no prisoners round here. Had someone cut straight across me, didn't even bother looking before she turned. Car in front of her had spied a gap to nip across, which was fair enough, plenty of space for him to go, but she was obviously that much in a hurry she didn't see the motorcyclist about 10 metres away from her. We went onto an industrial estate to begin with, to get the hang of approaching junctions before he let us loose on the roads. Afterwards, back onto the industrial estate to do a u turn, a few emergency stops, and a turn round in a junction (in 3rd gear i might add, well done bike!)

back to the classroom and he filled in the certificate, and verbally gave me a couple of things to work on. Understandably its been over a year since i did any formal kind of training, and i've picked up a few bad habits that need to be watched- i tend to ride to the conditions and circumstances rather than to the DSA letter, but all can easily be corrected. Will see how things go and look at getting some lessons booked. he recommended going on a pay as you go basis, as doesn't reckon i need an intensive DAS Course. As yet though, i haven't decided whether to do the test on the 125 and restrict the bandit (the option i'm tending to go for) or straight for the big bike. only thing thats putting me off is i tried and failed several times to push a big bike round as per Mod 1 style and i just couldn't do it, whereas i could manage my ickle 125.

All in all a good, enjoyable day, and i'm now legal for another 2 years

[TankSlapper]

I don't really see the need to worry with the CBT. Sure it may feel rushed and some of us have never ridden before but it is the very basics. If you struggle then you should have to take another day, which they do suggest.

That said, if you do fail to meet the required standard for the CBT and still fail after a second day you need to ask yourself questions. This may sound harsh but if the CBT is a bit of a nightmare for you, being out on the roads will just scare you off. Even before this you have the Mod1 and Mod2 tests which you will struggle with again (although they are totally over egged on forums).

The most important thing during training (any training for that matter) is to ASK questions. if you are unsure, just ask. If you feel you need another go around the cones for example, just ask.

Too many people come away unsure and that plants the seeds of doubt and from there it blossoms.

Be confident, ask questions and enjoy.

[mikey69]

Completed my CBT on Saturday (5th June) - it was fantastic!!!

For a start I was really looking forward to it and I had already said to myself, "If I don't get it done today, I'll go back... No problem" - totally took the pressure off getting it right first time and set me up for the rest of the day.

Turned up and the lead instructor was jolly, set everyone at their ease but still managed to get the importance of riding correctly across.

As a car driver, he really did get the point across about the difference between arguing the point about right of way with a car, does really matter if you were technically right and had right of way if you're still the one on your back.

The training was excellent, we (I mean me) were allowed to make silly mistakes and then questioned until we got the answer, then sent off to do it right (this is in the playground).

Once they were happy with your skills (a couple of people didn't get past this point) and they complated the basic Highway Code/Riding theory bit, we were on the road.

Started on some nice quiet roads and ended up going through the busy shopping area, initially I was thinking -S**t I'll never get through there, but it was a piece of cake once I relaxed. I struggled on the u-turn in the road (I may have had more chances to get it right than a cat has lives), but I got there and it highlighted a weakness that I have to work on.

But, all-in-all, a very enjoyable (and hot) day that ended in a certificate and new range of swear words for idiot car drivers.

YBR125 is being delivered Friday -

[birchy]

Took my CBT today and for some reason didn't really have any nerves (not too sure why but think its because I knew what to expect having read other experiences) There we 3 of us, one 17 year old going for his 1st CBT, an Indian gentleman who had failed his 1st CBT and myself-Booked in for Direct access all week

Day started with the usual brief and docs check, and then the customary eye sight check and then highway code questions.

From their we had an in depth walk around the bikes, with an explanation on what to look out for.

We then went on to the basic maneuvers and a good ride around the training area.After about an hour or so we stopped and had another talk about what we would look out for and how we would have to react to different scenarios. The Indian guy then went for an hours drive, only to return unsuccessful, so he went back out again and this time passed.

It was then the turn of the young lad and myself to go for our 2 hour ride. At 1st it was very daunting-Very different to driving a car as you have very little road presence. After getting over the initial 20 mins we pulled up and had another quick talk, after being a little cautious with the throttle the instructor told me to be a bit more brisk in accelerating...and off we went for another 30mins, all went pretty well bar one stall when coming to a late changing traffic light....doh!!

Then we had a little break and a drink at a nearby petrol station, 10 mins later we were off for another ride, and to do our U turn and emergency stops....little lock of the rear tire on the 1st attempt but fine on the second. Then it was a ride back via the A40-up to 60mph on a 125 was quiet a 1st experience and I can honestly say I am well and truly buzzing.

Got back and the instructor said no problems whatsoever....good observations as well apparently...So in all week for my direct access, mod 1 booked for sunday and mod 2 next thurs.

[TankSlapper]

Well done Birchy. I think what people miss here is that it is Compulsory Basic Training, so its a training session not a test. So in theory you can't fail, you just need more training to reach the required standard. Thats not to say some people dont get asked back, and dont go back and then say, "I failed".

My brother had to go back for going too quick, he can ride a bike very well but clearly got to cocky and shot off not watching the clock. His fault, so he had to pay for that and go back. I still take the wee wee for him going too fast on a CG.

The CBT is a very basic assessment and training session and it would be nice to have a more indepth session for some but in reality if you struggle with the CBT to the point you go back and still struggle I would re-think your plans of riding bikes and this isn't me being harsh etc but if you're struggling with the CBT then add that to a bigger bike, being on roads and dangerous cars and it's down to safety at the end of the day.

I know the whole forum is geared towards "not giving up" and "Keep with it" and thats brilliant, but I feel too many new starters put a price tag on training rather than keep learning until they reach a, safe, required standard.

On the other hand there is alot to be said for the length of the CBT so for some it ould be worthwhile paying fo private tuition.

Eitherway good luck all and enjoy.

[Guest]

Hello all. I'm very much a newbie at 17, but I just thought I'd share my experiences of my CBT- which, at the moment, I haven't completed. Hopefully I'll be getting it done next week though- third time lucky!

Anyway, I turned up with absolutely no previous bike experience, no knowledge of controls ect, and being the only girl I'd seen in the place other than the receptionist I felt kind of intimidated. My instructors were good though, but I did feel kind of pressured to try and get everything done in that day- luckily for me, at the place I'm doing it at, they have 'unlimited' training and bike hire so it seems that you can carry on going for as long as it takes you to pass.

The first day, it took me a long time to get the hang of the controls and I was stalling all over the place. The two other people doing the CBT with me had previous experience so another instructor took me aside to explain clutch/throttle control and I began to really understand and improve at that point. By the end of the day I was riding up and down quite confidently although I was only using first and second gear. It was too late to take me out on the road apparantly though, so I was informed I'd have to come back the next week at no extra charge to complete the road assessment part of the course.

Next week (yesterday) road out onto the training pad to get back into the swing of things a little. One of the problems I was having is that my turns were too tight- instead of using all the space I'd make very narrow turns, panic and then stop or put my foot down to try and right myself. Got to grips with that quite quickly, and then we went out onto the road.

I won't lie, I was cacking myself, and I think without the instructor there my ride probably wouldn't have been without incident. Apparantly my actual bike control (clutch and throttle) is great, but I felt really nervous about doing any sort of speed and there was quite a long line of traffic behind us. I also made quite alot of mistakes with turnings and positioning- I dunno what it is, to be honest, because I was fine on the pad until I was having to indicate and it just seemed to throw me off completely. All in all I did okay though- forgot to switch my indicators off quite a few times but from what I've read, alot of people did that.

I did have a few stalls; probably the worst was approaching a junction up a hill, I completely forgot to shift down the gears which resulting in my stalling and rolling backwards quite a few times in panic before I managed to keep my foot on the brake and start up at the same time. I think my problem was is that I was waiting for instruction as opposed to actually paying attention to my surroundings- I also slowed down out of instinct whenever I saw people waiting to turn out of minor roads. Apparantly my hi-vis vest was mistaken for a give-way sign, I might not have been there as soon as I showed any sort of weakness- towards the end I tried to be more aggressive, keeping an eye on people to make sure they didn't flatten me but exercising my right of way.

I think all in all I enjoyed it, my nerves were shot by the end though! We rode back to the training centre and the instructor told me I was alright but would need some more time on the road so I'm going back next week and I really hope I'll clinch it this time; I don't feel at all ashamed for needing more time than other people, but I can see it getting tedious if it takes anything more than three weeks! Infact when I got home all I could talk about was how quiet the roads are in my estate and that they'd be good for practising my positioning on

[Steve1988]

Passed my CBT today! All began at 7:45 this morning, me and another lad on his own bike. We ended up waited around a bit for a lad who was running late. Suspecting a no-show so the instructor started and went through the importance of quality helmets and gear (which me and the other lad were both wearing) and the bike controls. Next thing we know this horrible looking Peugeot 106 came screaming past and parks up. Out comes Mr Late in all his tracksuit bottoms, t-shirt and trainers. Prat. Does his CBT wearing that and a scruffy looking helmet. The instructor was not impressed to say the least.

We started with some manual handling, then basic clutch control. Moved swiftly on to doin laps of the training area where Mr Late got a bit too keen with the throttle when the instructors back was turned. Needless to say he heard it and went bananas threatening to fail him if he does it again! Everything off-road was fine, no real issues. Found the junction work a bit tricky to visualise but after a couple goes quickly got the hang of it. I ended up waiting while the instructor took the other 2 out on the road (didn't particularly mind, sat out in the sun, rang a couple of people to tell them how it was going). Got back and Mr Late got a telling off for lane disipline at roundabouts. Anyways he "dubiously" passed after going back out for half and hour (personally I'm amazed he passed him). While the instructor filled out his certificate he asked if i wanted to have a ride around on the ER-5 they use for DAS since that's what I'll be on next. Loved it! I was surprised to find it just as, if not easier to control than the 125!

My turn on the road, followed first which was nice, then I led and got a couple indicator reminders but I'd realise when I heard his radio kick in, stalled it twice but it was fine, didn't panic, followed the correct procedure and kept a cool head when setting off again. I was told I needed to exaggerate moving my head more when I check my mirrors, other than that no quibbles.

Best thing you can do is go in with a serious and sensible attitude and wear some protective clothing. You will get a lot more respect from the instructors and they'll have a lot more time for you.

I want to thank my instructor Mark at BikeWise in Stafford for doing the CBT today, he was brilliant. Really appreciate it considering it's a Sunday, it's Fathers Day and the weather was fantastic!

[dieliekdawg]

Sorry, been a bit slack posting this but better late than never eh?

I turned up at the training centre in beautiful sunshine around 8:45, one of the instructors was already there pushing bikes around in the yard. Another trainee turned up just after me on what appeared to be a full-size hardtail chop fitted with a tiny 125cc motor and another kid arrived a few minutes later on the back of his mate's mountain bike. He was recertifying on a 50cc twist-and-go scooter. The instructor who was going to be training us got there a few minutes later and we went into the office to sort out paperwork and have the obligatory safety chat.

We got kitted out in helmets, hi-viz and gloves, went out into the yard and had a quick look over the bikes. We checked out the controls and chatted about maintenance but we'd all ridden before so this didn't take long. Pushed the bikes round in a circle then we got on and started the engines. I'll be honest, I got a little nervous at this point - I'd not been near a bike in two decades and I was about to attempt to ride a 500! The two other guys shot off and started circling like vultures. Deep breath. Clutch in, first gear, feel the biting point, bit more gas, bike starts moving, feet up, RIDING! I was a bit wobbly at first but after I'd spent a few minutes going round in circles, getting used to the gears and brakes it all started coming back to me. We did pretend junctions, U turns, figure-of-eights, emergency stops and all the time I was getting smoother and more controlled.

After lunch it was time for the road ride. The guys on the small bikes went off with one instructor and I got to go on my own with another. We spent a few minutes tootling around the local housing estate (I was a bit nervous about riding on public roads but this quickly passed) and then stopped in a quiet cul-de-sac for the U-turn and emergency stop. My instructor then suggested that as my riding was already more than good enough to complete my CBT there was little point in plodding around housing estates for the rest of the afternoon and we should treat the remainder of the road ride as a DAS day! Awesome

We rode out into the countryside and had a quick run along a fast A road and then down some nice twisty B roads before stopping for coffee in the next town. We went through all the MOD1 exercises and then rode over to the local testing centre to look at the course itself (there's loads more room than I was expecting) followed by another cross-country blast back to the training centre. It was fantastic, a proper little ride out, my first in 20 years!

As you can probably tell, I really enjoyed the whole experience, particularly the road ride. It felt SO good to be riding a bike again - not just trundling around housing estates like I was expecting but properly charging around the countryside! I'm still amazed at how easily everything came back to me and how quickly I got up to speed again.

[Remy]

I went back to take a CBT after having got one about 19 years ago - I never did go any further as I fell off on a roundabout and it knocked my confidence totally. I part exchanged the bike for an automatic scooter which I used for a while, but ended up selling that as I needed to lug stuff around with me that I couldn't fit on it and subsequently I didn't use it enough.

So as I hadn't done a lot of geared bike riding I was to all intents and purposes a complete newbie (although am an experienced car driver). I bought a YBR and rode it around at home before the CBT to try and get used to gear changes and slow riding. On the day of the CBT there was another guy who had a Vespa, he had ridden for 2 years and was just renewing his CBT before he went in for his test, so he had way more experience than me, but the instructor said that as we'd both ridden before he wouldn't need to cover a lot of stuff and we should be out on the roads pretty quickly! We were both car drivers so a lot of the road awareness stuff we didn't need. We basically went straight out, had a brief go over the bike controls etc then onto the slow manouevres (u-turns, weaving in and out of cones, figures of eight) and emergency stops.

The rain then started coming down with a vengeance and practising the emergency stop was a bit hairy!! I did manage to cope with that and the slow manouevres off road before we set out on the public roads, but I was not feeling very confident (even though I signed a disclaimer to say I was!). We had to go all over the place including the town centre and country lanes, and some dual carriageway, and I coped with it all better than I thought - probably because it gave me confidence to have the instructor behind giving me encouragement even though he made me lead for most of the way! I made a few some silly mistakes as wrong positioning at a junction but nothing very serious. The instructor was very good and supportive, although I do think he thought I had more experience than I actually had! I'd recommend them (Shrewsbury Motorcycle School).

Got back to base absolutely soaked and even got a very wet CBT to remind me (the water was dripping off the instructor's helmet as he wrote it out ).

I've made myself get out and about on my own after the CBT to gain confidence, I'm fortunate in that I have a lot of country lanes to practise in without having to worry about much other traffic and have now done nearly 1000 miles since Mid July.

[ENGBen]

Finally managed to get a CBT booking, I was expecting to get booked in this week but all the local riding schools were jam packed, but lucky for me there was a cancellation at the place I tried to do my CBT last summer but failed.

I will post next tuesday night with my experience, right after i get my insurance and arrange to pick up my bike on wednesday!

[ENGBen]

CBT is today guys! Wish me luck!

I am very nervous for some reason, I think its because going out on the roads was such a disaster last time, and the weather is pretty naff today. Could be worse!

Will update this post tonight to let you know how it went.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Ok I did my CBT today and it went really well actually.

There was 3 of us to 1 instructor which was a pain when it came to going on the roads but it has been good.

I did it on a moped and had it confirmed that i can still go home now and ride a geared bike, will take a bit of getting used to, but i learnt a lot today.

All the slow moving stuff / starting the bike, no problem with that.

On the roads the only mistake i made (that was pointed out to me) was going through a few amber lights, and 1 red light (last second change). The only reason i did that was because i was at the back of the group on busy roads and i did not want to get cut off from them.

Its been a great day, really lifted my confidence, i finally beat what beat me last summer. Very excited about getting my bike now. Just need to sort out insurance.

[Guest]

Hi There,

passed my CBT on 6th october 2010, and must say i was quite nervous at first,i have driven on roads as provisional car driver for some 10yrs (i know should have passed my test years ago).

well on the day like i say i was nervous i had never rode a motorcycle before,and had no idea about gears,clutch control on a bike etc.After an hour learning about protective gear and helmets,we were taken to the school where the training took place.

Once there 5 of us were taken through the controls of the bike,care and maintenance of the bike,i was trained on a sinnis 125cc motorcycle.

Training was done as ,moving of from start position,clutch control at slow speed,riding in a large oval shaped course in first gear,then changing up and down through the gears.

By this time my nerves started to settle,after a while we moved on to simulated turning from a junction right and left which to be fair was quite easy to get the hang of after a couple of times.

Then after this we practice the emergency stop at 20 mph,this was done about 5 times till instructor felt confident,with the control over the bike.

Last but not least was u-turns in the road simulated with cones,i found this easy using clutch and rear brake to control speed in the turn.

Had a break half way through day which was welcome,after a short break we all sat down for a on road debrief,before taken out on the road for a 2 hour ride,1 instructor to 2 learners.

Very nervous first 10 mins,but after that really got to grips with it and just enjoyed every minute.

Stopped at some quiet area to do the emergency stop at around 30mph,and the u-turns,then back onto the road ride.

after the ride went back to the training centre and was told i passed and issued CBT certificate,and a welcomed handshake.

Things to remember guys,check your mirrors every 10 seconds,check your blind spots,and remember to cancel your indicators after your turn.

All in all it was a fantastic day,and really gives you more road sense.

good luck guys and girls with you CBT training.

ps... now riding a new giantco 125cc sport and loving every minute of it.

[Guest]

I passed my CBT back in June. Here are my experiences:

I insisted on buying a bike/moped before I actually did my test so that I wouldn't look like a complete loser! So I bought a little CPI Aragon 50cc moped and lets just say it took about an hour for me to be comfortable on it. Shot it up and down my drive (I live in the country) and it was great fun, so I immanently booked my CBT for the following week.

It was me and some guy on a 125, I don't remember the make, but he was doing it because his had expired. The only gear I owned was a helmet so I took that with me, but I was provided with a jacket, high-vis vest and a walkie-talky thannng. We began by doing an eye test and just talking about the bike, which I nailed. Then just some short cone exercises, throttle control and such. The instructor was impressed with us both so we quickly moved onto the road. Unfortunately my walkie-talky thing didn't work so I just had to follow and copy what the instructor was doing. We just rode in and around Launceston, which was good fun. We also did some emergency stops, and I remember crapping myself the first time I went around a roundabout! We stopped for lunch and the instructor didn't know what else to show us and thought we were both experienced enough, so we finished two hours early! The only point he mentioned to me was me getting a bit close to vehicles in front (which admittedly I still have issues with (A)).

If anyone is worrying about doing their CBT there is honestly no need. I know some really dumb people who have nailed it

[iiisecondcreep]

I did my CBT way back in Febuary, and it was FREEZING!

I had absolutely zero experience of riding a bike (closest was riding pillion once or twice), I was nervous but I was even more excited!

When I had originally looked into learning to go a bike I had asked in the only bike place I knew of and here are some things they told me:

They strongly advised against doing the CBT with no prior experience and said you should first do a trial on the bike which cost £70.

I wouldn't be able to go on to do DAS because I was too small (I'm 5'4) and I'd find the bike too heavy and not be able to do the manouevres.

They offered a £50 insurance waiver (optional but they strongy advised against not taking it).

However, as I didn't know any other places (and the shop always seemed to be busy) i decided to book with them but I told a porky pie and said I'd had a little pootle around on a friends bike so I didn't have to pay the extra £70 for the 2hr trial.

So i called them, booked a date and was told they don't take payments over the phone so i jumped in the car and went in, I was there in around 6 minutes and when I went in I was told (by the same woman I'd spoke to on the phone 6 minutes previous, and who had told me the other info above) that the day i had booked was now fully booked. I said, 'its become fully booked since I called less than ten minutes ago?' 'yes' she replied, as scornfully as she had been every other time I'd spoke to her. No 'I'm sorry' or even any attempt to see if there was another time I could do. I just walked out. (and of course, not even a cheerio or bye!)

I was fuming!

Anyway, I got the old yellow pages out and found a few places to call. I ended up going with the first place I called because the woman was so friendly and helpful on the phone- and I am so glad I did go with them they were brilliant (I've since passed my DAS with them and will hopefully doing some advanced training with them over the summer, no insurance excess to pay only pay for any bits you damage, ability to do DAS was judged on personal ability not height lol! and I could do CBT with no previous experience without a problem). I also discussed my experience with the other place with them, and it would seem I am very far from the only one who has had such an experience!

I did it over 2 days, the first day it was just me and she told me all about bikes and then we went to the car park they hired for off road stuff so I could have a wee shot (with them the CBT can be done over several days, its not a 'fail' if you don't get it on the first day). The second day there were two other people, one was re-doing her CBT after doing it previously and then not doing her test and the other already had a scooter that he'd had a sneaky shot in.

We started with all the manual handling of the bikes, then manouevres. After that we did some practice road riding, how and when to do observations checks, how to ride through junctions etc. And then- the road! I was so nervous, luckily I got one instructor to myself and the other 2 CBT people went with the other instructor. It was such hard work! That coupled with the cold, towards the end of the day I was ready to say 'I'll just come back and finish it next weekend', but she pointed out that I only had to do another half an hour road riding to have done my 2hours, so i went for it!

Apart from being FREEZING it was a really good day and I managed to get my CBT certificate by the end of the second day

[Martyc]

no insurance excess to pay only pay for any bits you damage

 

Surely they're insured for this? If you crashed a car on a driving lesson you wouldn't be asked to stump up for it. I chucked an er5 down the road on a lesson and didn't pay a penny towards repairs, insurance waivers etc.... It just seems another way to scam money from people who have their heart set on something.

[iiisecondcreep]

no insurance excess to pay only pay for any bits you damage

 

Surely they're insured for this? If you crashed a car on a driving lesson you wouldn't be asked to stump up for it. I chucked an er5 down the road on a lesson and didn't pay a penny towards repairs, insurance waivers etc.... It just seems another way to scam money from people who have their heart set on something.

 

Thats a rather negative outlook.

the first place, I have absolutely no doubt that they were just trying to scam money out of people.

The people I went with I don't believe this at all, its a small family run place and I believe its simply that they do their own small repairs rather than go through the insurance.

As they were £10 cheaper per hour than the 2 other places i knew of (I had at least 20 x 2hr lessons with them so saved a fair few ££) I wasn't complaining about having to fork out if something was badly enough damaged to require repair.

[Martyc]

Damage to learner bikes is inevitable it's part of learning! I dont mean to sound negative but I just feel sorry for those who do have spills on lessons who have to pay out a lot of money, which could potentially put a stop to someones learning til their finances have recovered. Or even worse put them off biking before they've even got on the road properly.

[iiisecondcreep]

Damage to learner bikes is inevitable it's part of learning! I dont mean to sound negative but I just feel sorry for those who do have spills on lessons who have to pay out a lot of money, which could potentially put a stop to someones learning til their finances have recovered. Or even worse put them off biking before they've even got on the road properly.

 

I do see your point, but like I said even if (which I am 100% certain it is not in this instance) it was just a money making scam, it was still the cheapest option!

I did ask out of interest and apparently, the most anyone has ever had to pay out was £40 in the 15 or so years they've been there.

[JamesF]

I had my CBT today and passed. I really enjoyed it.

The instructor was fantastic...Simon Williams from 1st Motorcycle Training. (highly reccomend if your from Birmingham)

There were 3 of us and all 3 of us where newbies. well, 2 complete newbies and one guy who hadnt ridden in over 20 years.

at first the instructor just talked us through the bike and showed us whats what. Then got on the bike and done some clutch control and straight line acceleration and stoping. took me a while to get the hang of it but got there in the end.

Then went round in circles which I found difficult to start off with but again you get used to that very quickly. Also done figure of 8 and emergancy stop and signal mirror maneuver etc etc. The off road training was good but I was verrry nervous about going onto the road....

But as soon as I did the fears just went an I started to enjoy every minute of it. I wish it didnt end to be honest.

The hardest thing for me was probably the u turn... I completed it fine a few times but felt abit uneasy on each occasion. But I guess thats just normal for a starter.

All in all I really enjoyed the day and now im ready for the next step! Theory!

[Guest]

Hi Guys,

I did my second CBT last weekend, with Brian from Phoenix in Fareham. I would highly recommend him!

I did my first CBT about 4 years ago, spent about a year on a scooter, and then a further year on a Varadero (I'm a 5' 3" wussy girl... go figure!) but probably rode a max of 1000 miles in total before writing the whole thing off as a waste of money as I had no-one to ride with, nowhere to go and a completely unsupportive boyfriend.

My day:

Arrived at 9am, slightly nervous because I hate the sort of scenario where I am tested in any way! I took the day with a 16 year old scrote on a 50cc moped who clearly got his motivation from 'fast stuff'! Brian knew that I had ridden before and after the initial talks about the bike and its parts, told me to just get on and ride it, if I was confident to do so. I'd always turned my nose up at CG125's for being no bigger than my mountain bike, but man.... they are perfect for beginner riding.. easy, forgiving, light. Within 15 minutes I had already bashed out a whole load of figure 8's, slaloms and was singing my head off in the helmet! I was back on 2 wheels and a VERY happy girl!

We went through the controlled stop, junctions, and U turns and it was very evident that even basic control of a moped was a challenge for the kid with me, and his fundamental knowledge of how roads work was completely beyond him despite apparently reading the Highway Code before hand. I did feel sorry for the kid, it must have been difficult to deal with learning a whole load of new skills while somebody else is riding around quite happily. There is definitely something in the process of 'matching' of skills for CBT students when booking, it would make the whole day a happier one for most people I think!

After lunch, and a chat about riding on the roads etc. we hit the mean streets of Fareham. To begin with, Scrote in front, followed by instructor, with me bringing up the rear, just happy to be riding and not even slightly bored of the prospect of 45 minutes of riding around the same loop in the same housing estate while Scrote is being told time and time aagain to not pull out of junctions without looking, to cancel his indicators, bla bla...... Eventually we hit the more major roads, in Saturday afternoon traffic. I was in front by then, the instructor hoping that Scrote would follow my lead in terms of lane discipline. Once he started to get the hang of it, we headed to Lee on Solent, where the local test centre is..... Instructor told me to hit the NSL road as fast as I was comfortable.....so I did...... 60mph on a CG is interesting, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face, nodding to other bikers as they passed me, and really happy that I wasn't holding up the cars behind me!

Back towards town on the way back to the school, I took a changing traffic light as an opportunity to demonstrate my controlled braking.... I didn't need to do it again. Finally back to base and I walked away with my CBT certificate and the only bit of advice from Brian being to apply my front brake with all 4 fingers, instead of the I seem to be habitually using.

I had a fantastic day, and whilst I'm confident that I could have done it in about 3 hours max, I eally appreciated the fact that I had a good 6 hours with the bike. And yes....... the instructor in my ear, continually reminding Scrote to cancel his indicators did prompt me to do the same sometimes!

So I'm having the boyfriend's Honda Rebel when he passes his DAS (hopefully Monday). Originally planned to ride on CBT for a year and do DAS (or RAS) myself next spring and get another hand me down bike from the other half then (ER-5 - sat outside waiting now!) but I suspect I will be calling Phoenix well before the end of the summer and maybe looking for a retro 80's 400cc bike with hideous colours and white wheels!

My advice to people doing CBT anytime soon.....

1. Be very clear when booking what your experience levels are - they might be able to pair you up with someone of similar level to make the day a bit more fun for everyone

2. If you've not been on a bike before, do some research and have a fair theoretical knowledge of how to control a bike

3. If you don't already drive (or even if you do) read the highway code and make sure you understand how roads work..... trying to remember OSM-PSL as well and not being really sure whats happening in front of you must be a nightmare!!

Happy riding people!!!

N

[Yoshi]

Well have just gotten in from mine, and am pleased to say i passed with ease!

The day started with the usual, licence checks and eyesight test.

Then we moved onto the talk about gear, for which i was used as an example as i was the only one will the full kit! lol

Then the checks over the bike, and move into the playground with the bikes.

I was called on to demonstrate everything as i seemed to pick everything up first time and was the only person he didnt have to give attention to!

Then the road ride, got seperated from the instructor whilst in town, but was fine and just carried on and caught up with the instructor!

He offered me the ride on his 500cc, but i refused as i wanted to learn on the 125 before doing anything bigger!

All in all it was a fantastic day and the tuition was brilliant, would highly recommend Top Gear in Ulverston!

[Guest]

nice one, good to hear it!

[haz_pro]

Well, i "passed" mine last saturday(12/02/11), so will post about my experience with it!

Turned up in the morning to find a old guy who i tried to say hi to but he wasnt interested(boring sod). Shortly after a younger guy turned up (16) who seemed nice enough, which meant passing the 20 or so minutes wait was a bit better, and then finally one guy turned up who was a little older then me, maybe 24 or so.

At first there were 2 geared cg125s waiting, a 50cc moped, and a 125 ped which the older guy brought. I thought great, atleast i wont be the only one on a geared bike.

How ever i soon found out it was a mistake and i was the only person on a geared bike, especially worrying since i had never ridden a motorbike before.

Except for the older guy we were all beginners, so that put my mind at ease a bit. (Didnt want to appear terrible due to everyone else being great).

Any way moving on.... The talk information was a bit boring, but still helpful! We soon however got to ride the actual bikes and from there on it was alot more fun. How ever getting to grips with pulling off was getting with me due to gloves which were a little big hindering my clutch control.

We then had another talk about road positioning etc, boring, but useful!

Finally we got onto the road, a bit daunting, but fun never the less! I was having issues turning the indicator off, but except from that i was fine!

As said above i "passed", and i did have a good day.

Advice to everyone else would just to relax, listen, and you will be fine!

I done this with "Surrey Motorcycle School", and thoroughly reccomend them, payman is a great guy (who managed to get me through the cbt, mod1, and mod2, within a week of my first ever ride on a motorbike!)

[Throttled]

Glad to say you can 'pass' whilst still sticking your foot out to help get round corners, twice anyway.

Considering how bad I was on the test, I dread to think what the standard of new bikers was when the actual bike test was even less comprehensive than the CBT.

[Lynn]

My first CBT went well, there were only 2 pupils me who had never been on a bike before and another girl in her 20s who was renewing hers for her mod 2. After the classroom talk We were introduced to the little CG's (i called mine fred!) we started out going from one end of the course to the other practicing gears and stopping and starting then doing figure eights and U turns the other girl was happy to go at a slower pace as shed not ridden in a while (her bike was nicked).

By the time it was time to go out id cracked it!. whizzing around the roads doing maneuvers emergency stops and things was great happy to say passed with flying colours .

Would highly recommend Brighouse Motorcycle Training in Huddersfield (next to D C Motorcycles)