Motorbike riders in the UK must complete what is called CBT or compulsory basic training to qualify for a motorcycle licence. This is a legal requirement and cannot be avoided, so if you have dreams of being a motorcyclist, you should incorporate about 8 hours of CBT into that dream. It's nothing to stress about and if you're good enough at driving a car you should be able to pass the CBT.
CBT is broken into five categories: A, B, C, D and E and each of these must be completed, in order, for the CBT to be successfully completed. This article provides a brief outline of what these training packages consist of, as in what skills you would be expected to have at the end of them.
Category A: Legal Requirements. This is where your motorbike trainer makes sure you have a valid licence and a safe, properly functioning motorbike. Of course if you are going to hire a motorbike from the place you are doing your motorcycle test on the day, you will not have to provide legal evidence that your bike is in roadworthy condition. You also need a helmet and L plates to wear for when you go on public roads, but these are provided by the training school usually.
Category B: On-site training (practical). The trainer is obliged to check that you firstly even know what a motorbike is and secondly that you know your way around it. Riding a bike comes after you can distinguish the throttle from the clutch and the kick stand from the exhaust pipe, after all. There are lots of components on a bike that you need to be aware of.
Category C: Practical On-Site Training Continued. To be sure you're capable of riding on the public roads safely, the assessor will make you ride around witches hats (the most common image people have when they think about motorcycle training days such as the CBT). This is to see if you can change lanes, park, turn the bike effectively around corners at low and higher speeds and generally control the bike in different situations. When you have completed this step you will be ready for the second most important aspect of the CBT.
Element D: Dangers of Riding a Motorbike. You will have heard statistics of road fatalities of motorcyclists - they are high and shocking everywhere in the world. For this reason courses like the CBT emphasise road safety for motorcyclists like you so pay attention. Issues like driving in different weather conditions, wearing the right helmet, dealing with road rage and general hazard awareness will be touched on.
Category E: Practical Training (On-Road). Being on the road with an instructor watching you can be intimidating, but be thankful someone who knows what he or she is doing is watching you... feedback from your assessor may even save your life, so swallow some humble pie and suck up the feedback. Remember that public roads are not race tracks so treat them as the dangerous places that they are.
If you are wondering about CBT test prices, you should get some quotes from individual providers of CBT, as each assessor and instructor will charge different amounts depending on their business model. When you have found a trainer you are comfortable with and the cost of CBT matches your expectations and budget, go for it. Safe riding!
CBT is broken into five categories: A, B, C, D and E and each of these must be completed, in order, for the CBT to be successfully completed. This article provides a brief outline of what these training packages consist of, as in what skills you would be expected to have at the end of them.
Category A: Legal Requirements. This is where your motorbike trainer makes sure you have a valid licence and a safe, properly functioning motorbike. Of course if you are going to hire a motorbike from the place you are doing your motorcycle test on the day, you will not have to provide legal evidence that your bike is in roadworthy condition. You also need a helmet and L plates to wear for when you go on public roads, but these are provided by the training school usually.
Category B: On-site training (practical). The trainer is obliged to check that you firstly even know what a motorbike is and secondly that you know your way around it. Riding a bike comes after you can distinguish the throttle from the clutch and the kick stand from the exhaust pipe, after all. There are lots of components on a bike that you need to be aware of.
Category C: Practical On-Site Training Continued. To be sure you're capable of riding on the public roads safely, the assessor will make you ride around witches hats (the most common image people have when they think about motorcycle training days such as the CBT). This is to see if you can change lanes, park, turn the bike effectively around corners at low and higher speeds and generally control the bike in different situations. When you have completed this step you will be ready for the second most important aspect of the CBT.
Element D: Dangers of Riding a Motorbike. You will have heard statistics of road fatalities of motorcyclists - they are high and shocking everywhere in the world. For this reason courses like the CBT emphasise road safety for motorcyclists like you so pay attention. Issues like driving in different weather conditions, wearing the right helmet, dealing with road rage and general hazard awareness will be touched on.
Category E: Practical Training (On-Road). Being on the road with an instructor watching you can be intimidating, but be thankful someone who knows what he or she is doing is watching you... feedback from your assessor may even save your life, so swallow some humble pie and suck up the feedback. Remember that public roads are not race tracks so treat them as the dangerous places that they are.
If you are wondering about CBT test prices, you should get some quotes from individual providers of CBT, as each assessor and instructor will charge different amounts depending on their business model. When you have found a trainer you are comfortable with and the cost of CBT matches your expectations and budget, go for it. Safe riding!
