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A CBT - Introduction to motorcycles training


AndyAlfa
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Hi Folks


At the tender age of 52 I would like to learn to ride a motorcycle. However, I’ve never sat in one let alone ridden one and dont know anyone within 300miles of home (Hexham, Northumberland) who owns one.


Even before reading the posts of others I’d been concerned that just turning up for a cbt id struggle with the gears and after a couple of hours of catastrophic attempts at best I’d wobble out into traffic a danger to myself and anyone else while all the kids who’ve been on pit bikes from age 5 are buzzing round the instructor.


What I need/want for my own confidence apart from anything else is a day on a bike on a private road (or airfield:) ) with an instructor.


I’ve approached many bike schools in the region to ask but I’d describe the response as dismissive or worse. It’s CBT or don’t bother pal.


Does anyone know of any school or trainer in the North East or Cumbria that offers one on one private road training with bike hire. Cost isn’t really an issue. If it’s the oldest most knackered bike in the world I don’t care as long as it works.


I can ride a bicycle, have held a clean car licence for 30years l, used to race a caterham and restore cars for a hobby.


Thanks

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Can't help with private road tuition but don't dismiss the CBT. They won't let you out on the road if you are not ready, tuition will be a small group (2-1 for the road bit). Some places you can do a CBT on a scooter then a 1 to 1 session on a geared bike later on. Many have never ridden a motorbike before the CBT, myself included.

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I know I have to do a cbt before I can ride anything on the road. However, I’m 52 as noted and fairly proficient at everything else I do (Touch wood) but when it comes to bikes I really am at the very bottom and I really would be happier having time on a bike before entering a training session which may involve me, a bike and a road.

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They won't let you near a road unless the instructor feels you are proficient enough :thumb:


They literally treat you as if you haven't seen a bike before. Show you how to get on it, what all the controls are, make you walk the bike etc.


You'll spend most of the day in a closed off carpark going around cones and practicing maneuvers. Only the last bit is on road.

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They won't let you near a road unless the instructor feels you are proficient enough :thumb:


They literally treat you as if you haven't seen a bike before. Show you how to get on it, what all the controls are, make you walk the bike etc.


You'll spend most of the day in a closed off carpark going around cones and practicing maneuvers. Only the last bit is on road.

 

To the extent its not uncommon for people to have to come back and do a second day. Ask the right school they might give you 2 days CBT. Also watch on FB some schools offer taster sessions.


Local FB motorbike groups are often a good start, motorbikes and FB sadly run together and allot of good and bad advice (sorry contradictory good advice :D ) on it....

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Admittedly I did my CBT on a scooter :lol: (one of the training places bikes was out of action so they asked if anyone would mind riding a scooter)


First time I went near a geared bike was when it got delivered to the petrol station I worked at. After my shift ended I spent 20 minutes or so learning how to change gears by riding around the car park and doing laps of the car wash :lol:

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I’m not the only one - I see posts below give some horror stories too and I’ve read others. If you’ve never ridden a bike and you don’t know anyone who does the only thing you hear when you mention it is confident statements predicting death by the end of the week.


What’s a CBT cost £125 - 150. What’s a days training for middle age middle class wannabe like me worth - well the alternative is buy the helmet one would need anyway and a used bike, trailer and try and rent a field - which isn’t as good and world of hassle and cost say £2000 (as you don’t know anyone in the biking world who can just let you have a 125 cheap) - and ones got to get rid of the 125 shortly thereafter - which when your a 52 year old chartered accountant isn’t as easy as it sounds.


I’m surprised the training market isn’t more flexible and doesn’t recognise some people might be nervous.

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“To the extent its not uncommon for people to have to come back and do a second day. Ask the right school they might give you 2 days CBT. Also watch on FB some schools offer taster sessions.”


Thanks - I have approached BMW just now as they do a two day CBT although I do not know what their affiliate training centre at Darlington offers.


No one else I’ve asked In the NE offers taster or one to one off road sessions at any price. They just launch into having to start with CBT and only CBT.

Edited by AndyAlfa
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The CBT literally shows you how to ride a bike from the ground up. An instructor will show you everything there is to know, you go at your own pace in a closed off car park.


As onesea mentioned as well, a lot of schools offer taster sessions which is usually 30/60 minutes with an instructor getting to play with one of the school's bikes in a closed off car park.


I'd check around to see if any of the school's near you offer this. I know one of the ones near me does but Bradford might be a little out of the way for you :lol:

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Hi [mention]AndyAlfa[/mention]


Did you try Newcastle rider training, owner is called Neil, they have a reasonable size yard for off road training and I'm sure if you tell them you want to do a cbt but you may like a bit extra practice it shouldn't be a problem.


I went through the system only a few years back and I found them to be fine.


As said if they don't think your ready you won't get out on the road, and when you do its first stop local industrial estate.


If you can ride a pushbike you can ride a motorbike, it's just the co-ordination with clutch/throttle/gears that takes practice.


Assuming you drive a car you already have reasonable grasp on road craft it's just transferring that to the bike with a few adjustments.


Ohhh and now you know someone with a bike thats way less than 300 miles away.

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“I'd check around to see if any of the school's near you offer this. I know one of the ones near me does but Bradford might be a little out of the way for you”


Assume it’s not - I lived in Leeds (Pudsey and Moortown) for a long long time to the extent I developed a Yorkshire accent ( still miss it in a way) and pre Covid was there fortnightly. What are they called?


Your not called Matt and used to own GSXR by any chance?

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Did you try Newcastle rider training, owner is called Neil, they have a reasonable size yard for off road training and I'm sure if you tell them you want to do a cbt but you may like a bit extra practice it shouldn't be a problem.


I did a while ago first as I think they are closest to me and they only offered cbt.

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Nope I'm not called Matt :lol:


It's called two wheel school. Based in Eccleshill, Bradford. They used to have a few sites but have merged them all into one.


This is an excerpt from their website that might interest you:

 

We also offer a service called CBT preparation, it is aimed at complete novices who may be lacking in confidence or not sure if the whole thing is for them. Basically what happens is you come to our CBT site and have a go! It is proper tuition in a safe environment and we get you to the point where you can return and take a full CBT confidently. Usually it is between 1 and 2 hours at the beginning or end of the day. Ring to arrange.

 

http://www.2wheelskool.co.uk/CBT.html

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OP, my experience suggests that most of the people who join you on their CBT will not have sat on a bike before. The trainers are used to it and expect it, so don't worry unnecessarily.


I'm sure you'll be fine if you just go ahead and book yourself in.

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Hi Folks


At the EDIT*SNIP*

I can ride a bicycle, have held a clean car licence for 30years l, used to race a caterham and restore cars for a hobby.


Thanks

 

Like you, I had never sat on a motorcycle, ridden one, and don't know anyone who owns one or rides.

Been driving for 16 or whatever years. Unlike you, I don't ride bicycles. Not been on one since I was a kid.


It is nerve racking, but the CBT /IS/ that training.

Some places will do ONE-2-ONE CBT, but charge more. My CBT was £99.

Both times I did CBT there was only one other person doing it with me.

First time they also had never ridden, the second time obviously I had ridden a bit but the

other guy hadn't ridden at all.

It is actually quite useful having someone else there riding as you can see what they are doing

right and wrong. And with the instructor helping them, you learn more stuff.

For the majority of the CBT your instructor isn't on a bike. But will help a lot.


I know what you're trying to get, as I went through the same - wanting to do some basic bike stuff by myself

without other people but the instructor around. As i'd never done anything with a motorbike before.

But it all goes away once you are doing a CBT and it is THE most basic of basics. And you won't be wobbling out on

to the road at all, as they simply won't let you if you aren't able to go round the enclosed bit safely.


You don't need to buy anything extra, they have everything. Just yourself and a clear mind. And about £100.

£150 sounds fkn excessive for a normal CBT. :shock:


Unfortunately that is what you'll find from most places, do CBT ignore lessons.

As in the long run in a way it'd be cheaper.

CBT £99 for a full day of absolute basic teaching to ride a motorcycle which is what you need.

Or lessons at, I dunno are they £25 an hour? And you'll possibly be doing 5 hours +...

With no CBT at the end of it.


Book a CBT, you'll not regret it. I've done mine with NCL Rider Training in NCL, and 2wheels in Sunderland.

Preferred Sunderland. But that is a long way from you. :]

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I'm with the rest, just book it and be done, they are used to folks with no prior it's their raise en detre.


If you take your self off to practice you may actually be worse off, un learning bad habits it's way harder than learning to do things correctly in the first place.

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Hi Folks


At the tender age of 52 I would like to learn to ride a motorcycle. However, I’ve never sat in one let alone ridden one and dont know anyone within 300miles of home (Hexham, Northumberland) who owns one.


Even before reading the posts of others I’d been concerned that just turning up for a cbt id struggle with the gears and after a couple of hours of catastrophic attempts at best I’d wobble out into traffic a danger to myself and anyone else while all the kids who’ve been on pit bikes from age 5 are buzzing round the instructor.


What I need/want for my own confidence apart from anything else is a day on a bike on a private road (or airfield:) ) with an instructor.


I’ve approached many bike schools in the region to ask but I’d describe the response as dismissive or worse. It’s CBT or don’t bother pal.


Does anyone know of any school or trainer in the North East or Cumbria that offers one on one private road training with bike hire. Cost isn’t really an issue. If it’s the oldest most knackered bike in the world I don’t care as long as it works.


I can ride a bicycle, have held a clean car licence for 30years l, used to race a caterham and restore cars for a hobby.


Thanks

 

"


I’ve approached many bike schools in the region to ask but I’d describe the response as dismissive or worse. It’s CBT or don’t bother pal."


This just goes to show the importance of finding a decent school. The one I did my CBT with just wanted the day over as quick as possible and I didn't feel confident once I got my certificate. I'm at a different school for my DAS and they couldn't be more helpful, I've met guys there doing a taster session before a CBT and they have a First Ride option which is a couple of hours without the pressure of taking a CBT . Also something else mentioned was that they won't let you out unless you are ready but I'm not sure all school are that bothered. When I went on my first road ride with my DAS school they said I would have passed a CBT with them and it was evident that I was missing a fair bit if crucial training.

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I'd never sat on a motorbike before I turned up for the CBT. I'm slightly younger than you but I still took to it later in life.


If you have the ability to listen and take on board what they are saying you will be fine.


Just get a CBT booked, if you don't like what's going on you can walk away at any time, you are there because you want to and be don't feel pressured to go on the road if you you don't feel safe to. The instructors will have seen just about everything before, you won't be unique and they will do their best to put you at ease.


Learning to ride has been one of the best things I've ever done, I'm sue you'll find it the same.

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Something else that I remember my instructor mentioning a few times is:


Remember, its Compulsory Basic Training there is no test as such, you are being trained to be at a basic safe standard for the road :thumb:

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