Didn't complete my CBT
Discussion
I am a bit torn on whether to just buy a 125cc now anyway.
I was thinking of buying a 125cc bike anyway so I could practice and then decide whether to do the main test but I know there is a lot of difference of views on this. If I did buy one, I wouldn't really be losing out on anything in theory as I'd be buying one after the CBT anyway..
If I did get my CBT I'd be a bit concerned about spending a grand on doing the test without having more practice anyway.
I was thinking of buying a 125cc bike anyway so I could practice and then decide whether to do the main test but I know there is a lot of difference of views on this. If I did buy one, I wouldn't really be losing out on anything in theory as I'd be buying one after the CBT anyway..
If I did get my CBT I'd be a bit concerned about spending a grand on doing the test without having more practice anyway.
As some others have said I would bin it until you can master a push bike with tight manoeuvres, general balancing on 2 wheels, using brakes with sensitivity and without having to think about it.
Consequences on a motorcycle even a 125cc are extremely high and things can go horribly wrong very quickly.
Consequences on a motorcycle even a 125cc are extremely high and things can go horribly wrong very quickly.
I was fortunate enough to pass my driving test in the mid 80's so you could ride a 50cc without L plates or 125 with them. My first experience was a Honda step-thru in field, then years later my mum had a Honda Caren that we would rag to the shops now and again. I guess you dont realise the experience you are building up riding like this, although I have always had a passion for 2 wheels and was riding skateparks on BMX's so balance was never an issue.
I didnt take my test until my late 20's as I had been riding a MBX125 (got stolen!) then a Suzuki GS125 to work but wanted a full licence, shortly before my divorce..
Took an intense course, CBT on the Saturday, test on the Wednesday! When I got to the shop some of us had to ride the bikes to the schoolyard where we were being taught. Once there it was fairly obvious one of the women who spoke little English possessed no riding ability at all. So little that she bent every lever other than rear brake... One thing I got pulled on was shifting down when stopping in the box from 3rd. Riding for a few years it became habit and unnatural to stop in 3rd! After the session one of the instructors then asked if I would be king enough to ride the broken bike back to the shop!
The test at Hendon on the Wedbesday nearly didnt happen, as while going over the bike the examiner saw the brake light wasnt working with the front brake lever. Having at that time been spannering for 10 years I slackened the lever off and the switch worked..... He then said it wasnt uncommon for the loan bikes from the center I was using to be faulty, which was nice..
OP - Not everyone can drive, nor ride motorcycles. I would advise not buying one yet as it sounds like you need a lot more time to get to grips with the throttle and balance, You obviously have the skill to drive a car but remember - a small mistake on a bike can have huge repercussions, clipping a kerb in a car running wide on a corner might scuff a rim where on a bike will possibly have you in casualty. Unfortunately training takes time and money, rather than buying a bike, spend it on the training. You need to feel totally relaxed and in control before going on the road. Once Id passed, I found riding my first big (600) bike so much easier and enjoyable than a 125 it was like chalk and cheese. If you do feel you need to buy a 125 get something that has cheap and available spares, stick with the big names and avoid Chinese bikes like the plague!
I didnt take my test until my late 20's as I had been riding a MBX125 (got stolen!) then a Suzuki GS125 to work but wanted a full licence, shortly before my divorce..
Took an intense course, CBT on the Saturday, test on the Wednesday! When I got to the shop some of us had to ride the bikes to the schoolyard where we were being taught. Once there it was fairly obvious one of the women who spoke little English possessed no riding ability at all. So little that she bent every lever other than rear brake... One thing I got pulled on was shifting down when stopping in the box from 3rd. Riding for a few years it became habit and unnatural to stop in 3rd! After the session one of the instructors then asked if I would be king enough to ride the broken bike back to the shop!
The test at Hendon on the Wedbesday nearly didnt happen, as while going over the bike the examiner saw the brake light wasnt working with the front brake lever. Having at that time been spannering for 10 years I slackened the lever off and the switch worked..... He then said it wasnt uncommon for the loan bikes from the center I was using to be faulty, which was nice..
OP - Not everyone can drive, nor ride motorcycles. I would advise not buying one yet as it sounds like you need a lot more time to get to grips with the throttle and balance, You obviously have the skill to drive a car but remember - a small mistake on a bike can have huge repercussions, clipping a kerb in a car running wide on a corner might scuff a rim where on a bike will possibly have you in casualty. Unfortunately training takes time and money, rather than buying a bike, spend it on the training. You need to feel totally relaxed and in control before going on the road. Once Id passed, I found riding my first big (600) bike so much easier and enjoyable than a 125 it was like chalk and cheese. If you do feel you need to buy a 125 get something that has cheap and available spares, stick with the big names and avoid Chinese bikes like the plague!
Mojooo said:
I am a bit torn on whether to just buy a 125cc now anyway.
I was thinking of buying a 125cc bike anyway so I could practice and then decide whether to do the main test but I know there is a lot of difference of views on this. If I did buy one, I wouldn't really be losing out on anything in theory as I'd be buying one after the CBT anyway..
If I did get my CBT I'd be a bit concerned about spending a grand on doing the test without having more practice anyway.
Just read your original post, could have been me on my first CBT attempt. Having been driving for about 20 years prior thought it would be easy but as you, took place in a small tennis court and I just couldn’t get used to the clutch, breaking balance etc. Had the same conversation, ‘not confident enough for the road etc’.I was thinking of buying a 125cc bike anyway so I could practice and then decide whether to do the main test but I know there is a lot of difference of views on this. If I did buy one, I wouldn't really be losing out on anything in theory as I'd be buying one after the CBT anyway..
If I did get my CBT I'd be a bit concerned about spending a grand on doing the test without having more practice anyway.
I went home gutted and felt like a failure. However, bought a 125 Honda Varadero, booked for the next week on a 125 scooter. Was much easier and passed the CBT, got the L plates and stuck them on the Honda. Then took the bike out to a local supermarket car park for an hour or so and got used to it. And that was it, easy.
After a couple of months riding I took both Mod 1 and Mod 2 without any tuition and passed first time on both. That was about 15 years ago and never looked back.
So don’t give up!
Mojooo said:
So I went back to do my CBT today at a different school.
The difference in instruction was massive - much more relaxed and much more detailed. Just proves what a shambles the last teacher was. My instructor mentioned the first school was known as were a high throughput organisation.
Nicer weather helped as did better quality helmet, gloves etc.
There were 4 of us this time - 2 guys who had ridden bikes abroad in their home country and one guy with an expired CBT. I was doing auto and they were all doing manual.
The venue was also much bigger and felt less cramped.
I calculated that last time we started around 9.30 on the bikes and were finished something like 11.15 or 11.30. So we had 2 hours on the bike - maybe 2 hours 15 max
Today we had about 4 hours and we didn't even finish.
So my past experience definitely helped jumping straight on the auto. Oddly I found clutch control on the manual a bit easier to ride slowly because with the auto it felt hard to find the right point on the throttle - either nothing happened or I went to fast. The brake was also very responsive with little travel so balancing the brake and throttle was quite hard
Managed to do a straight line, figure of 8 was ok, wobbled a bit, did the U turn.
We then had to do a stop at a line. I never managed to get this perfect - either I would brake too early and finish to far away from the line (even 40-50cm was too much as someone could walk past in front of you) or I would press both brakes but still be twisting the throttle a little. So I was told I needed to come back and finish on another day as was the guy who had done his CBT. I don't know what happened to the other two but they must have run out of time as well as it was too late to do the road test.
So I am frustrated I haven't mastered the bike. But when I actually add up all the riding time, it still probably only adds up to maybe 15minutes combined. What I really need is 4 or 5 hours on my own in a car park just to master the machine.
Not sure what to do now.
The trainer says he has a high standard and won't just sign anyone off (i.e. the line exercise would be fine in real life IMO because if you stop short you just move forward a little or 99% of the time it won't even matter).
I could spend another £80 or whatever and go back and do more training...risk is that I may not make the mustard if the standard is high.
Or I could look at getting a bike and practicing on private land to master the bike skills first.
I am 99% sure I can master the bike, I just need time.
Instructor also suggested I didn't buy my own bike after CBT and practice if I wanted to do the full test as he says people pick up bad habits. I have flip flopped on this a few times!
Instructor did mention I was an over thinker and things I was doing OK earlier were then going backwards after lunch which can happen when people become overloaded.
Overall, not the best day but not the worst. I think I am a bit tainted by the last experience. If today was my first ever experience then I'd be back to carry on no problem and that is probably what I'll do...its another day out.
if you really want to ride a bike you won’t go wrong buying one and practising yourself and then getting the cbt done maybe even do it on a scooter and if all else fails flog it and you probably won’t lose money The difference in instruction was massive - much more relaxed and much more detailed. Just proves what a shambles the last teacher was. My instructor mentioned the first school was known as were a high throughput organisation.
Nicer weather helped as did better quality helmet, gloves etc.
There were 4 of us this time - 2 guys who had ridden bikes abroad in their home country and one guy with an expired CBT. I was doing auto and they were all doing manual.
The venue was also much bigger and felt less cramped.
I calculated that last time we started around 9.30 on the bikes and were finished something like 11.15 or 11.30. So we had 2 hours on the bike - maybe 2 hours 15 max
Today we had about 4 hours and we didn't even finish.
So my past experience definitely helped jumping straight on the auto. Oddly I found clutch control on the manual a bit easier to ride slowly because with the auto it felt hard to find the right point on the throttle - either nothing happened or I went to fast. The brake was also very responsive with little travel so balancing the brake and throttle was quite hard
Managed to do a straight line, figure of 8 was ok, wobbled a bit, did the U turn.
We then had to do a stop at a line. I never managed to get this perfect - either I would brake too early and finish to far away from the line (even 40-50cm was too much as someone could walk past in front of you) or I would press both brakes but still be twisting the throttle a little. So I was told I needed to come back and finish on another day as was the guy who had done his CBT. I don't know what happened to the other two but they must have run out of time as well as it was too late to do the road test.
So I am frustrated I haven't mastered the bike. But when I actually add up all the riding time, it still probably only adds up to maybe 15minutes combined. What I really need is 4 or 5 hours on my own in a car park just to master the machine.
Not sure what to do now.
The trainer says he has a high standard and won't just sign anyone off (i.e. the line exercise would be fine in real life IMO because if you stop short you just move forward a little or 99% of the time it won't even matter).
I could spend another £80 or whatever and go back and do more training...risk is that I may not make the mustard if the standard is high.
Or I could look at getting a bike and practicing on private land to master the bike skills first.
I am 99% sure I can master the bike, I just need time.
Instructor also suggested I didn't buy my own bike after CBT and practice if I wanted to do the full test as he says people pick up bad habits. I have flip flopped on this a few times!
Instructor did mention I was an over thinker and things I was doing OK earlier were then going backwards after lunch which can happen when people become overloaded.
Overall, not the best day but not the worst. I think I am a bit tainted by the last experience. If today was my first ever experience then I'd be back to carry on no problem and that is probably what I'll do...its another day out.
To add to some of this, I found the car park a pretty unnatural environment when I did mine, trying to fit together all the positioning, mastering changing gears, mirroring, signalling and manoeuvring in the space of 5 metres all felt like an overload. As soon as I was out on the open road though it all clicked, you've got time to think everything through properly and systematically like you would when you approach say a roundabout in a car.
I tried to do mine in my late 30’s in Hong Kong, late 90’s, I’d previously ridden 125cc on L plates in the UK.
First morning was classroom, which I enjoyed, listening intently, after lunch we had some practical time on a figure of eight course.
After this the trainer, decided I didn’t need anymore class time, which as I’d paid for it, peed me off.
Knowing the locals fear of loosing face, I put it down to that, but it was none the less annoying as I felt I gained a lot from the morning session.
Sadly I gave up on it as their reluctance was obvious, which took the enjoyment out of it.
First morning was classroom, which I enjoyed, listening intently, after lunch we had some practical time on a figure of eight course.
After this the trainer, decided I didn’t need anymore class time, which as I’d paid for it, peed me off.
Knowing the locals fear of loosing face, I put it down to that, but it was none the less annoying as I felt I gained a lot from the morning session.
Sadly I gave up on it as their reluctance was obvious, which took the enjoyment out of it.
HybridTheory said:
f you really want to ride a bike you won’t go wrong buying one and practising yourself and then getting the cbt done maybe even do it on a scooter and if all else fails flog it and you probably won’t lose money
Unless he does it on the public road, crashes, has no licence and insurance, then he's in a whole world of s
te. It’s strange that people turn up to a CBT to learn from scratch how a bike works. I can understand a 16 year old not knowing but as an adult how can you have no idea whether riding a motorbike is for you before arriving on the day?
Re: Gears - Watch some videos and swap what your left foot does in a car with clicking a lever up and down, and do the clutch with your hand. Maybe I’m an exception to the rule but it’s not hard and shouldn’t take more than a couple of rounds of the carpark to get the hang of.
Re: Gears - Watch some videos and swap what your left foot does in a car with clicking a lever up and down, and do the clutch with your hand. Maybe I’m an exception to the rule but it’s not hard and shouldn’t take more than a couple of rounds of the carpark to get the hang of.
jonathan_roberts said:
It’s strange that people turn up to a CBT to learn from scratch how a bike works. I can understand a 16 year old not knowing but as an adult how can you have no idea whether riding a motorbike is for you before arriving on the day?
How else are you going to find out? For the price there's not a lot else you can do that gives you as much insight and training. For me I had a pretty good idea I'd enjoy it, but it was the perfect taster.Stevil said:
jonathan_roberts said:
It’s strange that people turn up to a CBT to learn from scratch how a bike works. I can understand a 16 year old not knowing but as an adult how can you have no idea whether riding a motorbike is for you before arriving on the day?
How else are you going to find out? For the price there's not a lot else you can do that gives you as much insight and training. For me I had a pretty good idea I'd enjoy it, but it was the perfect taster.hiccy18 said:
Stevil said:
jonathan_roberts said:
It’s strange that people turn up to a CBT to learn from scratch how a bike works. I can understand a 16 year old not knowing but as an adult how can you have no idea whether riding a motorbike is for you before arriving on the day?
How else are you going to find out? For the price there's not a lot else you can do that gives you as much insight and training. For me I had a pretty good idea I'd enjoy it, but it was the perfect taster.Some people have many attempts at the car driving test and its a steep learning curve at 17 with no experience whatsoever.
If you really want to learn to ride a bike you will do so, dont give up at the first hurdle. You either pay for more time at the school on their bike or even go on a "motocross try out day" if you can find one nearby. The motocross schools will rent you all the gear, start you off on an 80cc bike on the childrens circuit, teach you the basics and off you go. I've been with friends on stag events who have zero motorcycle experience and they got on great.
Just like in a car, if you have 8-16 hours practice on an airfield with no pressure other than driving about doing what you like, when you actually get to doing the formal training, it will be so much easier.
If you really want to learn to ride a bike you will do so, dont give up at the first hurdle. You either pay for more time at the school on their bike or even go on a "motocross try out day" if you can find one nearby. The motocross schools will rent you all the gear, start you off on an 80cc bike on the childrens circuit, teach you the basics and off you go. I've been with friends on stag events who have zero motorcycle experience and they got on great.
Just like in a car, if you have 8-16 hours practice on an airfield with no pressure other than driving about doing what you like, when you actually get to doing the formal training, it will be so much easier.
jonathan_roberts said:
hiccy18 said:
Stevil said:
jonathan_roberts said:
It’s strange that people turn up to a CBT to learn from scratch how a bike works. I can understand a 16 year old not knowing but as an adult how can you have no idea whether riding a motorbike is for you before arriving on the day?
How else are you going to find out? For the price there's not a lot else you can do that gives you as much insight and training. For me I had a pretty good idea I'd enjoy it, but it was the perfect taster.bogie said:
If you really want to learn to ride a bike you will do so, dont give up at the first hurdle. You either pay for more time at the school on their bike or even go on a "motocross try out day" if you can find one nearby. The motocross schools will rent you all the gear, start you off on an 80cc bike on the childrens circuit, teach you the basics and off you go. I've been with friends on stag events who have zero motorcycle experience and they got on great.
That sounds interesting, where did you do yours?Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff