UK Bike Law - Do I need to ride home with a CBT instructor

[John D]

Hey,

I was doing my CBT training, my bike instructor is about 2 miles from mine.

I was out training with him and just went home myself - It was the last lesson before I passed the test.

My motorbike was stole from where it was and the insurance doesnt want to pay out because I wasnt riding with the instructor to where I left the bike.

Is that right? Does the instructor have to be with me at all times when on the bike before passing the CBT?

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

https://www.gov.uk/motorcycle-cbt

It depends if you hold any kind of previous licence and when you passed that. But for most people you need to have completed CBT before riding unaccompanied.

It's not something you pass or fail - it's just something you need to complete and then you have the certificate for 2 years.

[Guest]

are you not doing the cbt all in one day? Normally you turn up, do the cbt in a day and complete it, meaning you can ride off on a 125 with l plates or you need to go back another day for further training in which case you shouldn't be off riding on your own.

[geofferz]

 

Is that right? Does the instructor have to be with me at all times when on the bike before passing the CBT?

 

I don't know for sure but I'm pretty certain this is the case - until you have a pass certificate I don't think you can go out riding on your lunchbreak for example without your instructor.

Unless you were renewing your CBT and had an old certificate that expired in a week for example.

[TimR]

Do yoy mean cbt or your full licence.

Either way your screwed

If you have not passed your cbt and issued a certificate

Your insurance is void as it is a term and condition that you hold a valid cbt

Or if your riding a bike you are not licensed to ride ie over 125cc

without an instructor present your insurance is void.

Both raise the further point of riding not in accordance with licence

Meaning your riding without valid insurance ( yet third party will be covered but insurance company will chase you for repayment)

You also now raise the issue of why your instructor has allowed you to ride on road unlicensed and may cause issues for them

If your bike was stolen from its declared address then they would have paid out but as it was away from there for the reasons given then it has decided to not pay out.

[Gerontious]

Please clear up any confusion.

where was the bike when it was stolen? was it at your home address?

[John D]

Hey,

Thanks for all the replies.

The bike was a 125cc - I was riding 125s before, which didnt require a certificate ( Northern Ireland )

The bike was outside my friends house, her own private parking spot.

The bike was 124cc.

 

are you not doing the cbt all in one day? Normally you turn up, do the cbt in a day and complete it, meaning you can ride off on a 125 with l plates or you need to go back another day for further training in which case you shouldn't be off riding on your own.

 

The CBT was done in one day, I was out with the instructor on my bike a few times, then on his 500cc for a full day which also covered the CBT, then I rode my 125 ( Engine size is 124cc) back.

[Westbeef]

Hey,

Thanks for all the replies.

The bike was a 125cc - I was riding 125s before, which didnt require a certificate ( Northern Ireland )

The bike was outside my friends house, her own private parking spot.

The bike was 124cc.

 

are you not doing the cbt all in one day? Normally you turn up, do the cbt in a day and complete it, meaning you can ride off on a 125 with l plates or you need to go back another day for further training in which case you shouldn't be off riding on your own.

 

The CBT was done in one day, I was out with the instructor on my bike a few times, then on his 500cc for a full day which also covered the CBT, then I rode my 125 ( Engine size is 124cc) back.

 

If he’s handed you a CBT certificate when you’ve left and you’ve completed the CBT then you will have been insured. Providing you had the cover to start on that day of course.

[geofferz]

 

The CBT was done in one day, I was out with the instructor on my bike a few times, then on his 500cc for a full day which also covered the CBT,

 

Eh?!

[TimR]

Northern ireland is part of uk licensing laws and a cbt is required .

If you had a valid cbt certificate in effect for that day ..ie you passed prior to the incident then you should be insured and need to contact insurer's.

Had you complied with all security requirements ? Ie chained etc

Or had you given false information for insurance policy stating you held a valid cbt before you actually did ?

[JRH]

As TimR says Northern Ireland laws require a CBT

Extract from

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/motorcycle-licence-requirements

Motorcycle licence requirements

Part of: The Highway Code, The Highway Code Annexes

Motorcycle licence requirements.

Jump to table of contents

If you have a provisional motorcycle licence, you must satisfactorily complete a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course.

You can then ride unaccompanied on the public road a motorcycle up to 125 cc with a power output not exceeding 11 kW, with L plates, for up to two years.

So it boils down to , did the OP have a valid CBT and provisional license at the time.

[someone]

The CBT was done in one day, I was out with the instructor on my bike a few times, then on his 500cc for a full day which also covered the CBT,

 

Eh?!

 

In Northern Ireland you have to do the CBT on a big bike before being able to do training for an A2 or A licence, unless you have held a full A1 licence for at least two years.

This is because new drivers of cars and A1 bikes have to display an R plate and are limited to 45mph for the first year of holding their full licence. This limit obviously applies to anyone on L plates, including a CBT taken on a moped or 125.

If you have held an A1 licence for two years you should have gained a year's experience riding above 45mph, which is why that is the exception to needing another CBT when training for a bigger bike licence.

Although it also means when you get your A1 or A licence you are not restricted to 45mph in the first year, even though you still have to display the R plate.

 

The bike was a 125cc - I was riding 125s before, which didnt require a certificate ( Northern Ireland )

The CBT was done in one day, I was out with the instructor on my bike a few times, then on his 500cc for a full day which also covered the CBT, then I rode my 125 ( Engine size is 124cc) back.

 

When you say you were riding before, do you mean before the law came in to require a CBT and had since taken a break from riding? Car drivers only retained full moped entitlement when the law changed, you need to take a CBT to continue to ride a 125.

If you have a valid CBT on an AM or A1 bike you can ride a moped or 125 unaccompanied with L plates. Otherwise you must be accompanied by a certified instructor at all times on a category of bike for which you do not hold a full licence.

But I am also confused by what actually happened. You have said your bike was parked outside your friend's house when it was stolen, and you just went home instead of returning to it, yet you were also riding your bike back?

Also you said you just went home after the lesson, so what is the actual reason they gave you for refusing to pay out? Did they say it was because you were riding unaccompanied or is it simply because, to them, you abandoned the bike somewhere?

It may be better to get proper legal advice, not least of which because most of us on here are not familiar or proficient with the difference in law between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. But if the bike was parked and you were not riding it then I do not see how the conditions of your licence would be relevant, so a professional would be better able to understand the terms of your insurance and whether they apply.

[Westbeef]

Also the school I used, use to let people do a CBT on a big bike if they wanted. Think it was their way of trying to get them to go for a test. Even newbies with no experience they would occasionally stick on a big bike. See them put pics and videos of it up from time to time.

[elizabethf]

are you not doing the cbt all in one day? Normally you turn up, do the cbt in a day and complete it, meaning you can ride off on a 125 with l plates or you need to go back another day for further training in which case you shouldn't be off riding on your own.

 

Not necessarily - when booking mine I said Id never ridden any bike or scooter before and can be a nervous learner so we did a 2 day CBT. I passed on day one as it was done on a 110 scooter, so i could get my head around balancing, manoeuvres, lifesavers etc whilst also learning about the parts of a geared bike, went out on the road.

Then on day two was just for learning to ride a motorbike with gears, no pressure.