Riding Schools :: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

[flamegrape]

I've been riding for a week now after passing my MOD 2 on 25th May.

I was learning with a school in Sunderland, where I was repeatedly failing my Mod 2 tests. I changed riding schools without the knowledge of the original place and I totally sailed through the Mod 2 that followed.

I was wondering if anybody else has had a bad experience with a Riding School or anybody who knows of any good schools to help other people wanting to learn to ride.

It's like this:

FOUR MONTHS riding with Roadwise in Sunderland.
FIVE Module 2 tests... FAILED!

FOUR HOURS with ACE Motorcycle Training in Durham.
ONE Module 2 test... PASSED!

[MaybeGuy]

surepass. They are scum.
Do a forum search to find out why
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[Wahlberg]

If anyone's from the midlands, it might be worth checking out Hinckley Motorcycle training scheme - they're all volunteers so it doesn't cost the earth and they really take their time & don't put you into your test before they think your ready - really nice bunch of guys too, I did my DAS with them years ago I'd recommend them
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If you can't fix it with Gaffa tape, you havn't used enough Gaffa tape!

[Nai]

Getbike in Ealing. Did my CBT with them. Fantastic bunch.

If you do any class with them you get 10% off in their shop, and they have some good deals there. I got a pair of Sidi boots which online are £160ish for £80ish at Getbike.

If you fail your CBT / Mod1 / Mod2 the next time you do it its half price. Good incentive for them to get you passed, if you fail to many times it probably ends up costing them more in wages than they make from re tests. Seeing as 2 people failed the CBT when I was there, doesn't seem like they hand them out easy either.

Linkage : https://www.getbike.net/

[Ingah]

[sib123]

I've just done and passed my CBT with roadwise in Sunderland, might have a think about where I do my lessons if thats the case,

[metalangel]

https://www.bmtcbridgend.com/ are good guys - took me from a total newb to DAS...

Highly recommended if you are in South Wales.
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Previous: 2002 Honda CB500 (sold), 2007 Suzuki SV650SK6 (crashed), 2005 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer (sold). Currently bikeless
"A faired bike will get you 10x more clunge than a unfaired one." -Marlboro Matt

[dardappa2004]

IF your from leicester area go for Leicester motorcycle partnership, they are fuking brill, evev on a few occasions when my old rs125 broke down (repeatedly) i rang them as i didnt have breakdown cover and they came got me and dropped me home with my bike.

[dardappa2004]

https://www.leicestermotorcycletraining.co.uk/ : here there website

[supZ]

1st gear in farnborough = awesome guys.

around 6+ people i know including myself have been trained by them and all have very good things to say about them. friendly, professional, always willing to have a joke and a laugh but will instantly pull you up on anything you're not doing correctly.

great bunch of guys and an excellent quality of training.

---

lightning in reading and pinewood in crowthorne/wokingham on the other hand, one of my m8s had lessons and did his CBT/test with both (cbt/test with lightning and lessons with pinewood) and wasnt a big fan.

if you did something wrong with lightning they'd scream and shout at you, didnt seem interested in helping anyone who was having a hard time and just rushed people through the CBT. (n.b. im not saying they 'passed' you easily but if you were struggling they didnt bother helping you out, just went as fast as the best person in the group, not the worst. didnt take the time to give anyone any extra practice that needed it)

and at pinewood the guy was content in my m8 paying for lesson after lesson with no end in sight. everytime he asked about doing the test the answer was always 'lets do a couple more lesssons then talk about it' couple of lessons later, same answer, this carried on for a while until he got pissed off and just went back to lightning and did his test. bosh.. no problems.

both these experiences were from my workm8 not me, so i have no direct experience but this is a summary of the things he was telling me last year.
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CBR954RR - Daily toy
CBR600RR - Trackbike

[locked]

If your in the west midlands, its got to be these guys

https://www.2wheelstraining.com/

I did a 2 day DAS, passed both mod 1 and 2 first time with 1 minor. Great school, great staff! Big from me
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on the look out for my next bike....
CBT Passed - 13/09/09 Theroy Passed - 19/12/09 Mod 1 Passed 04/05/10 Mod 2 Passed 14/05/10 - Free to ride ANYTHING!
Motorcycles are perfectly safe as long as you remember they're dangerous.

[Bubbs]

[N cee thirty]

did my cbt with one2one in crewe

they were pretty sound
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'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

Jewlio Iglesias wrote: I actually did vote BNP once

[Bikergal]

Recently passed my Mod 1 and 2 first time! Did my training with Sureriding, which has been mentioned on an earlier post. Can only say how brilliant the experience was, thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. The instructor was fair, worked us really hard, but got the job done and to be honest we felt we needed pushing! Have been to another school for my CBT, but felt they weren't particularly interested in whether you were safe on the road or not. So I would recommend Sureriding to anyone in the Leicester area and have have already recommended them to other friends. Brill!!!

[dragstaar]

i did my cbt with Elite Motorcycle Training in wimbledon. Funny, some may argue that what i'm about to say is actually them being irresponsible, but i argue that its common sense.

I had no concept of a clutch, and i stalled so much that i ran the battery down on one bike, and got another, stalled that one to the point he had to bump start it for me 8 times. Finally got out onto the road, middle of winter, shit forzen everywhere, guy in front went down literally 10 seconds from leaving the gate, and i ran his bike over, and i fell down. Went back. took half hour break, went at it again, and stalled on a hill, and kept stalling the hill start. then when we were back i dropped it while trying to put it on the hill start.

So after all that, i still was passed. he said its because all my issues were clutch control, which the only way to get was to practice. He said he knew i was gonna be safe on the road.

i've heard stories about cbt centres being absolutely anal about stuff and failing people. elite gave me advice and training i use to this day

[Bloke]

Did my cbt with toms school of motoring in cheltenham, they were okay and nothing massively bad to say about them but they were however lacking in the providing of training (didn't teach me how to kickstart a bike and I managed only one u turn on the entire day and that was with a foot down) Which cropped me up when I did my mod 1 with a new school.

Did my mod1&2 with bristol motorcycle training centre (bmtc) and they were outstanding. Good instructors, very thorough had a permanent mod 1 setup they have accommodation on site, cafe, small kit shop (you can buy helmets, gloves and stuff there) would definitely recommend to others.
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2008 VFR800 VTEC

[pinkyfloyd]

I done CBT, Mod 1 and 2 DAS with silverbikes in Havant. Very good and as a result I call back now and then and bump into them at the local biker car park pretty regularly.
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illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.

[sparkind]

I had a very bad experience (totally down to one particular instructor), and decided to change schools. It was the best thing I did.

Now, I'm not saying that the original school was bad - they came highly recommended, and seem to be popular in my local area - but it just shows that, despite a school's reputation, if you don't gel with your instructor, then you're going to struggle (as I did).

I guess some people just like to be sworn and shouted at by their instructor

[TeamMCS]

[Willson]

Shire Oak Motorcycles in Brownhills.

Brilliant school, everyone's up for a laugh, and they won't put you in for test until you're ready.

Plus, if you're a trainee, or ex-trainee, they'll give you 5% off all gear purchases and maintenance. (They've got their own shop and mechanics on site).

Edit: Wow I sound like a freakin' advertising agency...
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Benson: Wouldn't life be easier if we were all turtles?
Me: Pig on bread = The way forward.
Riding: '00 Suzuki SV650S. Previous: '99 Kawasaki ER5 - sold, '02 Suzuki GZ125 Marauder - sold

[0l0dom0l0]

[Stowelly]

total moto in burgess hill are awesome!

[Jodie]

[stonesie]

I'm doing my DAS at Bikesafe Sheffield and I really recommend them, the instructors like to have a laugh and a joke while having a chat and I have seen them being very patient with some folk.

Overall a nice friendly atmosphere to the place and they have a very high pass rate

www.bikesafe-sheffield.co.uk