CBT - Experiences of other Members

[dogfood09]

Ok...so I had my CBT today...and it did not go well...here's what happened...I turn up...there are 3 others there with me...myself and someone else doing 125cc geared..and the other two doing 50cc mopeds...there is only one instructed...and he made it clear he needs to be done by 3pm to attend a Halloween party...so we start...it gets to 1pm and he says to us on the manuals that we are not ready for the road yet and he needs to take the mopeds out on the road...so he ended our course and told us to make another appointment at a cost of £50...this course was meant to be 9-5!!! If I was not good enough should I have had the time to practice..I felt I should have as I have had no driving or riding experience before ...what should I do?? If there was two instructors..we could of carried on practising till 3 then hit the road if we were ok too...as I was....we only had 3 hours on the bike...totally disappointed with this expierance ...I was really hoping to be on the road next week...what should I do? Is that normal practice? Keen to hear your views

[PiersR]

Ok...so I had my CBT today...and it did not go well...here's what happened...I turn up...there are 3 others there with me...myself and someone else doing 125cc geared..and the other two doing 50cc mopeds...there is only one instructed...and he made it clear he needs to be done by 3pm to attend a Halloween party...so we start...it gets to 1pm and he says to us on the manuals that we are not ready for the road yet and he needs to take the mopeds out on the road...so he ended our course and told us to make another appointment at a cost of £50...this course was meant to be 9-5!!! If I was not good enough should I have had the time to practice..I felt I should have as I have had no driving or riding experience before ...what should I do?? If there was two instructors..we could of carried on practising till 3 then hit the road if we were ok too...as I was....we only had 3 hours on the bike...totally disappointed with this expierance ...I was really hoping to be on the road next week...what should I do? Is that normal practice? Keen to hear your views

 

Definitely not cool, downright unprofessional. I'd make a complaint, or at the very least encourage people to look elsewhere.

[Thinkbiker]

They can run the theory and off road parts with a 4to1 ratio but on road only 2to1.

The CBT is delivered in modules and you cant move onto the next module until you have completed the previous module to a satisfactory standard.

If you completed all the off road modules then you are ready to go on the road.

You need to complain first to the training company then to the DSA.

[Thinkbiker]

If there wasnt another instructor he clearly had no intention of taking you all out on the road.

What area was this in?

[spacemonkey]

Done mine today and got my ticket.

Went with a place in Dunston, Gateshead and can't give them enough praise tbh.

Turned up to the place to find I was the only person doing my CBT so I had 1to1 tuition from the off, went through all the "boring stuff" in the classroom but it was all informative and I did pick up on a few things.

Out in the yard I was shown the bike and was told what was expected from me during our time in the yard. All went well and after dinner I was taken on the roads doing many left and right turns and having the safety checks drummed into me as we went.

We returned to the centre for a debrief and was told I rode very well for a first timer on a bike and should seriously consider doing my direct access next year.

Very happy I done it and will be doing my direct access next year.

[Dan]

Here’s how my CBT went.

I never really intended to get any type of motorcycle but when a friend of mine offered me his old Suzuki UX125 (scooter) for free, I obviously accepted.

This meant me for the first time in 12 years slapping on some L-plates and attending a CBT course.

Even though it was a slightly wearing looking scooter, I was incredibly eager to get going and had to endure the torture of having it sit on my drive for a week but not being able to touch it.

I turned up for the CBT on a unseasonably hot day, it was boiling. It was me and three others on the course, two of which had been riding years and were just there to renew their certificate. And then me and one other who were total amateurs. The first hour or so was spent lounging on the grass soaking up the sun and talking about basic theory, safety and what gear to wear etc. I was fine with all of this stuff already and I’m sure most people are. If your sensible it’s fairly obvious you have to look after yourself on a bike clothing wise and have the right attitude on the road. I was a bit bored during this section and wanted to get on a bike.

Finally we were taken for a walk around a Yamaha YBR which we would all be riding. We covered the positions and functions of all the levers, pedals, dials, switches, stands etc. Then how to check tyres, oil and all that stuff. The instructor was very thorough, and happily fielded questions from me and the other noob whilst the two experienced guys on the course looked bored and smoked cigarettes.

The next part involved us all pushing around then sitting on the bike. Then we were shown how to start it and how to put it in and out of neutral, then first, then we slowly started pulling forward and backward including shoulder checks etc. This was when I first realised I might not be a natural as I was seriously clumsy on the clutch and changing gears and stalled a few times. Then I started to get a bit nervous that I might fail or not be able to complete the day as I was seriously rubbish.

Finally I more or less got the hang of it and we started to ride around in circles, stopping and cone ‘junctions’ and pulling away, all the while correctly selecting and changing gear and stopping in good time. The instructor stood at the side yelling advice and instruction but personally there was way too much info to be taking in all at once. I was trying to listen to him, implement what he was saying and control all these alien levers and pedals all at the same time. My gear changes nearly yanked my arms out their sockets and my breaking nearly put me over the handlebars. It seemed no matter what brake I used it was always the wrong one and I was getting frustrated and angry at myself for being such a utterly useless cack-handed pleb.

This went on for a couple of hours before we stopped, had a bit of a chat and moved on to the slow manoeuvres. I was drenched in nervous and heat related sweat at this point making me really uncomfortable and distracted and i was seriously stressing out as we were running out of time. Anyway I was awful at this as well whilst everybody else was getting on fine. I had issues with the throttle this time, I was either way to heavy or too light, I couldn’t slip the clutch properly and was seriously wobbly around each cone, I was probably rushing things. Luckily I didn’t put any feet down or fall off though. After a while doing slaloms and figure 8’s improved to an acceptable level and we started to get ready for the road.

The instructor guy came up to me and said although I’d improved a lot over the course of day and he thought I’d be fine to go out on the road on a manual he could see a day of toiling and stressing in the sweltering sun had taken its toll on me (by now the sweat was actually dripping out the sleeves of my jacket- yeah gross) and I could either come back another day or use a 50cc scooter for the on road stuff.

I’m a determined chap when I set my mind to things so I took the scooter out. To be honest my confidence which was low at that point increased significantly. Not having to worry about gears was a welcome break and I sailed through the manoeuvre’s and ride about with no problems what so ever and really enjoyed it. Then we headed back to the centre to pick up our certificates. I felt like mine had been well hard earned.

I’ve used my bike every day to commute 150 miles a week, wind rain and shine (and flooding) since then and I’m obsessed.

My advice for any other rank amateurs would be to use decent footwear, I wore hiking boots and they made my already clumsy fumbling even more ineffective, they were much too bulky. You should get some decent bike boots, you’ll be needing them after anyway.

[rice-pudding]

Beware : long read!

So I had my cbt last Sunday at CMS Aberdeen, the sun was shining although there was a breeze which later picked up quite a bit! It was the cup final day for Aberdeen so I was hoping the roads would be nice and quiet!

I arrived about a hour early to meet a guy redoing his cbt, smoked a few cigarettes and got a few tips off him as I'd never rode a bike before as we waited for the instructor to show up. The a young Irish woman came along .... also on her own bike and also resitting her cbt. This made me worry, thinking, oh crap! I'm the only guy here that can't ride! A few minutes later 2 instructors turned up and I was told that one instructor (Phil) was all mine for the day! Phew!

The other 2 went off and started doing laps round the set course and away off on the road. Me and Phil went into the wee hut, Sat down and gave him my car liscence, money etc and spend about an hour going over theory and what we were going to be doing throughout the course of the day.

We went out, had a look around the bike I was going to be riding ( lexmoto arrow 125) which looked ok. He explained the centre stand to me and made me take it on and off, which took me a while, I couldn't get me head around not using your arms to lift but instead to use your foot as a lever thing, I still don't quite get but hey ho I did it few times and he was happy and said we would be using the side stand for the rest of the day. We had a walk round the bike and he explained all the controls and regular checks that you should do which was all pretty straight forward.

Of I went! Some slow straight riding using the back brake to slow down and then the front, clutch control etc which came to me quite easily, then around in big circles stopping when he put his hand up.

Next we practiced pretend junctions, which meant using indicators and lifesavers which was all quite tricky to remember along with braking, clutch and balance but I soon got the hang of it although I did keep forgetting to cancel the indicators.

Then onto slow manoeuvres, figure 8s which I nailed first time so we didn't do that much and through some cones. Stopped for lunch and a bit more theory.

Free riding for half an hour in the yard, doing anything I wanted, which was really good, felt really relaxed and even got up to third gear! ! This gave me bags of confidence and after a small chat we were going out on the road!

Pulled out of the yard and instantly got told to speed up! I was doing 15mph but it felt like 100! After a few minutes I was used to it and relaxed a bit again. Riding round a built up area, using junctions and roundabouts was a little stressful but ok.

Then I really got on it! 20 minutes in and I was totally at one with the bike, apart from canceling indicators but I soon started remembering. We rode out of the town a bit and in to a 50 zone where Phil said "GO ON! OPEN HER UP! FEEL THE WIND IN YOUR FACE! which I did and it felt amazing! Even though the bike was rattling like hell!

Practiced some U-turns and a emergency stop, which a buggerd up but he said it wasn't too bad and I didn't have to do it again. Back into the town, round some huge round abouts and some uphill starts and he said back to the yard.

Driving back I was getting bullied by car drivers not letting me in lanes etc, but Phil sorted them out and let me pull in infront of him which was good.

Got back, had a yap and got my certificate, was buzzing all the way home! Would definitely recommend CMS!

Now hunting for a bike!

[tuktuk]

Done mine on monday gone at Art of Motorcycling in Newcastle. I had done one before when i was 16 so knew how the day would pan out.

Obviously by page 13 we know what will roughly happen so no need to go through the agenda. All i would say to anyone reading through this topic is to relax as much as possible, listen to the instructor and just give it a go, whats the worst that can happen.

I cant imagine doing the cbt and not enjoying it, its the first step into your own little motorcycling journey and like me you will be gutted when you realise you are riding back to the training centre!

[samYBR]

I sat my CBT about 3-4 weeks ago, I spoke to the guy on the phone and asked how much it would cost noticing that most other CBT places cost about £100 a pop, however this guy said £20 down the phone which sounded promising. I turned up one hour early and waited for him to arrive, turns out he said £120! not happy

[Guest]

Mine charges 120 but I like the guys and their 35 quid 1 hour ride ice breaker lasted 1.5 hours and I did two of these so fair play. They were keener for me to learn the drills and didnt think of watching the clock. Stadium Rider School in edmonton.

[samYBR]

how long was your CBT overall? mine was from 8:45 till 4:30

[staningrimsby]

Hi Everyone,

I did my CBT today and did pass eventually the day started off cold, miserable and very wet there was 4 of us on the training of which 2 were riding scooters and 2 of us were using Honda CBR's. The day started well by passing the eyesight test (nice and easy start) then the standard walk around with the bike for a bit.

Next we progressed to the short drive in first gear before being allowed to use second all was going well it seemed fairly straight forward until we had to do the figure of eight and a U-turn, sounds easy and straight forward but I seemed to really struggle with them . After a while this was completed to the instructors satisfaction and we progressed to the emergency stop and junctions which also seemed to go well, after about 5 mins of junctions I kept getting told off for not indicating although I was positive I was doing it then it wasn't long before the instructor came to tell me off, I explained I was using them and that's when he tested them and they seemed to have packed in I felt a sense of relief as it wasn't my fault so away went the Honda and out came a Yamaha YBR to replace it.

We then had a brief lunch break before heading out to the roads only for the rain to come in a biblical fashion so we pulled over and stood under a tree until it stopped before carrying on. The ride seemed to go really well, changing gears was no issue, stopping was fine and so was dealing with the traffic , then the dreaded U-turn again once again several attempts before the instructor was happy but the emergency stop was perfect. We then carried on with the drive for the rest of the session.

At the end of the ride we were both told we had passed and given some feed back I was told my riding was really good but had to practice a lot on manoeuvres as on the mod 1 they will expect it to be perfect in order to pass. So on the positive side I now have a CBT so I'm road legal and I have time to practice my manoeuvres before going for mod 1.

[mailee66]

Was that with Gaz and Shaun at Airfield, Stan?

[Guest]

I did my CBT two Saturdays ago at the BMTC in Hambrook, Bristol. Was a really great experience and I thoroughly recommend anyone in the north Bristol/South Gloucestershire area to head there if looking for a CBT.

Was told on the phone to arrive at 8am - got there on the dot and it was pouring with rain - concerned that there was nobody there yet.. Soon enough a lady arrived and unlocked the reception (a small portacabin) and let me come in out of the rain. Apparently 8am was a mistake - 8.30am was the supposed correct time!

Met my instructor, a very funny guy called Steve, and he gave the two of us an orientation of the bikes we would be riding after checking our licenses. Very thorough and detailed, giving a reason for everything he did - really could not fault him. We got kitted up and then went out to a static geared bike on a structure which let us get the hang of the gears without actually riding anywhere. Then we met our bikes.

Spent a good 2-3 hours on their purpose build skid-pan, weaving in and out of cones and getting the hang of the clutch etc. Moved on to emergency stops, junctions and the like all without leaving BMTC site - Steve being off his bike and in the middle of the skid pan, giving us tips and directions as needed. Broke for lunch about 12.30pm.

After lunch we took to the road as a 3-bike convoy and rode through Bradley Stoke, Winterbourne, Yate, Coalpit Heath, Downend and Fishponds. To those who don't know these are some extremes in north Bristol - Bradley Stoke/Winterbourne being very quiet and slow paced with Coalpit Heath being a very fast main road and Downend being very busy and slow! We came back through Frenchay and Hambrook itself - to get back to the test center at 4pm.

Delighted to hear both me and the other guy passed without question. Massive thanks to Steve - truly a credit to that bike school, really really professional and would no doubt seek to have him take me through my Mod1/Mod2 if possible.

[staningrimsby]

Was that with Gaz and Shaun at Airfield, Stan?

 

Not Gaz it was Shaun and a chap called Russ at Airfield, got a riding assessment with Gaz or Shaun on Saturday at 3pm but I have done a lot of practicing on my 125 so hoping it goes well and I can look at my mod 1 sooner rather than later.

[mailee66]

They are all good instructors at Airfield. I do know Russ too but never had him when I attended. I would certainly recommend Gaz as he took me for most of my training along with Shaun. I had a great time with them and there is no feeling like riding behind your instructor back to the school when you have just passed your MOD 2. I look forward to hearing how it went on Saturday (Today). Good luck.

[staningrimsby]

Hi Mailee,

Well I got to Airfield today for 2:45 (15 mins early) and Gary is my instructor (really nice bloke and the patience of a saint), had a 2 hour lesson but all we seemed to do was correct braking techniques, feeding the bike into and out of corners properly, the dreaded U-turn but to be honest Gary told me to just have a go at how I do the U-turn and he would pick me up if there was an issue, thankfully he said it was all ok and I didn't bottle it on any of the 6 U-turns I did .

I have booked my next lesson but as they are really booked in advance I cant get it till the 30 June (1 hour session) then a week later for a 2 hour session, but Gary did say this would be the only day we would be doing little faffy things and next time we will take the ER6 for a good run on the open road then after that concentrate on the Mod 1, my only concern that at £36 per hour it ends up being expensive so it may take longer than I had first hoped .

[mailee66]

Glad to hear you got on ok with the training Stan. Yes Gaz is very patient, even when I dropped the bike at a junction he was so cool and relaxed about it and put me at my ease. (no damage, just stopped and lowered it down) I am a short a*se and got on fine with the ER6 as it is well balanced. It is expensive, yes and it did take a lot of time and money for me to pass (£1100 and about four months in my case) I did fail the MOD 1 three times though! (my own fault) But the instruction I received was first class and has turned me into a competent rider. Now it is all over I consider it worth every penny for the big grin on my face.

[staningrimsby]

Thanks for that I'm going to nip in tomorrow to try an sort my lessons for next month might have to be 1 hour ones tho cos at 1 a week even 1 hour lessons work out at £144 per month.

When I spoke to Gary yesterday he did say we will go for a good run on the bike next time then start on the mod 1 stuff, I think I have that pretty much sorted so hope its not to long for Mod 1

[mailee66]

Gaz will access you on the ride out and will give you some idea of how long it will take. If you have been riding a 125 you should be fine on the slow manoeuvres and should get the MOD 1 in no time. That ER6 is pretty agile and easy on the slow stuff, I don't think you will too much trouble mate. My problem was the avoidance as I either kicked the cone or went through the speed trap too slow!

[Psychybikey]

My story is that I went to do my CBT two weeks ago without any idea of what to expect. I have never been confident on two wheels (never having been allowed a pushbike as a child). The only experience i have is a few rides on the back of my husband;s bike. Everybody assured me it is less scary if you are the driver and have the control.

I failed miserably. Couldn't co-ordinate clutch and throttle, couldn't change gear, couldn't steer, couldn't balance, fell off once, dropped the bike once, my arms and shoulders were so rigid I could barely move them and I was so nervous I couldn't concentrate. There were 3 of us - a 30+ year old girl and a 17-yr-old lad who had passed his car driving test 3 weeks ago, and me. I am 60 and have been driving for 40 years. I got so mad and frustrated with myself the instructor took me off the bike and made me sit it out, until letting me back on at the end for a tootle round the car park just to end on a good note. Possibly my cursing and swearing was putting the others off.

I tried again today and it was even worse. I thought I was going to nail it this time but the usual problem - lack of confidence - every time I asked the bike to go a bit faster it went a bit faster and then I panicked - those of you who ride horses will be familiar with that feeling when it decides to tank off and you get a bit left behind - anyway, it wasn't long before I fell off again and this time the clutch lever broke and we had to stop as there wasn't a spare bike available. I felt marginally better about this when my husband told me he always carries a spare clutch lever with him.

I wasn't going to tell anybody about my CBT - the plan was to pass and then surprise my son by turning up at his house on a bike - but at the moment that just ain't going to happen and I feel so disheartened, angry and disappointed with myself. And it has leaked out now and my husband has told everybody I am trying, so I have to pass now. But one or two more falls like this and my confidence is just going to be completely destroyed.

[staningrimsby]

I know everybody will say don't stress about it and relax but we all know its not that easy ,

Just remember that your not on a test and the instructors are not looking to fail you they just want to ensure that you are safe to ride on the public highway, if you try to relax and take it in your stride it will all fall into place, there is no hurry when doing the maneuvers do it in your own time i.e. when asked to do the U-turn, stop take a few breaths and go when your ready nobody will tell you off for being to careful.

Good luck on your next attempt (I do think your right not telling anyone as that puts more pressure on you to pass) I didn't tell anyone when I did mine or when I did my theory test, and I wont mention my mod 1 unless I pass.

[fullscreenaging]

My story is that I went to do my CBT two weeks ago without any idea of what to expect. I have never been confident on two wheels (never having been allowed a pushbike as a child). The only experience i have is a few rides on the back of my husband;s bike. Everybody assured me it is less scary if you are the driver and have the control.

I failed miserably. Couldn't co-ordinate clutch and throttle, couldn't change gear, couldn't steer, couldn't balance, fell off once, dropped the bike once, my arms and shoulders were so rigid I could barely move them and I was so nervous I couldn't concentrate. There were 3 of us - a 30+ year old girl and a 17-yr-old lad who had passed his car driving test 3 weeks ago, and me. I am 60 and have been driving for 40 years. I got so mad and frustrated with myself the instructor took me off the bike and made me sit it out, until letting me back on at the end for a tootle round the car park just to end on a good note. Possibly my cursing and swearing was putting the others off.

I tried again today and it was even worse. I thought I was going to nail it this time but the usual problem - lack of confidence - every time I asked the bike to go a bit faster it went a bit faster and then I panicked - those of you who ride horses will be familiar with that feeling when it decides to tank off and you get a bit left behind - anyway, it wasn't long before I fell off again and this time the clutch lever broke and we had to stop as there wasn't a spare bike available. I felt marginally better about this when my husband told me he always carries a spare clutch lever with him.

I wasn't going to tell anybody about my CBT - the plan was to pass and then surprise my son by turning up at his house on a bike - but at the moment that just ain't going to happen and I feel so disheartened, angry and disappointed with myself. And it has leaked out now and my husband has told everybody I am trying, so I have to pass now. But one or two more falls like this and my confidence is just going to be completely destroyed.

 

You seem to be making this too hard for yourself.

Have you not thought to do your CBT on a rev n go and then once you have your certificate you then have options.

You could have a few lessons on a 125 geared bike with no pressure and then buy a geared bike or you can look at the scooter route.

Good luck whichever way you go!

[Psychybikey]

Thank you.

I don't know if they have rev & go at the centre I'm going to, I will ask, I'll tell them I've asked others to see what they think so they know I'm not just making it up out of desperation - I just think that as I have to learn on gears anyway, wouldn't I just have to start all over again? You know how if you pass your driving test in an automatic car, you can't drive a car with gears? Is it like that? Wouldn't I just be making it harder for myself?

As for a scooter, well, that has been suggested, but I'm afraid I've got an age thing going on here. A chick in Barbie pink on a pink scooter would look cool. But I fear I would just be pointed at and laughed at by schoolchildren. Not that they could tell I looked like one of their teachers with my helmet on, of course.

To be fair, when I think about it, I have probably ridden for a sum total of 30 - 45 minutes. The little 17 year old had nailed it by then. But he's 17, isn't he? Young enough to learn quickly, young enough to have no fear. I always tell other people that they shouldn't compare themselves with others. And if it hadn't been for the clutch lever, I would have been straight back on that bike. just like you get straight back on a horse - providing you haven't broken the horse.

[fullscreenaging]

Thank you.

I don't know if they have rev & go at the centre I'm going to, I will ask, I'll tell them I've asked others to see what they think so they know I'm not just making it up out of desperation - I just think that as I have to learn on gears anyway, wouldn't I just have to start all over again? You know how if you pass your driving test in an automatic car, you can't drive a car with gears? Is it like that? Wouldn't I just be making it harder for myself?

As for a scooter, well, that has been suggested, but I'm afraid I've got an age thing going on here. A chick in Barbie pink on a pink scooter would look cool. But I fear I would just be pointed at and laughed at by schoolchildren. Not that they could tell I looked like one of their teachers with my helmet on, of course.

To be fair, when I think about it, I have probably ridden for a sum total of 30 - 45 minutes. The little 17 year old had nailed it by then. But he's 17, isn't he? Young enough to learn quickly, young enough to have no fear. I always tell other people that they shouldn't compare themselves with others. And if it hadn't been for the clutch lever, I would have been straight back on that bike. just like you get straight back on a horse - providing you haven't broken the horse.

 

If the school has any salt about them, then they will have a rev n go.

Excerpt from here https://www.gov.uk/cbt-compulsory-basic ... completion

'When you complete compulsory basic training (CBT) to at least the minimum standard, you’ll get a certificate of completion – also called a DL196.

Your certificate of completion lets you ride a moped or a motorbike up to 125cc on the road with L plates for 2 years (L or D plates in Wales).'

I think people have the misconception you mentioned. You can complete your CBT on a geared bike or rev n go. The aim is to achieve the certificate, right?

You are correct as regards the young lad learning quicker etc, but I trying to get you to think outside the box.

Riding a rev n go will simplify things for you so that you can concentrate on your balance. Does it really matter that you might need a couple of hours tuition on a geared bike in the grand scheme of things? It will all be forgotten when you achieve your aim and have that big biker grin plastered all over your face.

Once again, the best of luck to you and I'm we'd like an update once you've done it