Training school - is it me?

[lynnnsr]

Hi First post and a moan I'm afraid!

Background is I've been riding my 125 on a CBT for nearly a year now, decided to book some training recently to get mod1 out the way. Did my CBT with this school without issue back in June.

Booked a 2 hour mod 1 training session, which turned out to be a 2 hour big bike road ride, which was useful, but did not get me any closer to mod 1.

Booked a further 2 hour session with them on the actual MMR at the test centre, brilliant I thought, I turned up, instructor did not, considerable waste of fuel and time in getting there and hanging round waiting 2 hours. It was 2 days before I got the explanation that it was a cock up in their diary.

Booked a further 2 hour session which I went to today, along with a mod 1 test booked for this coming Thursday on their advice. Turned up there, the guy obviously expected me to be at test standard despite it being 'training', 4 to 1 ratio, meant I got about 20 mins on the bike and only covered half the manoeuvres of the mod 1. Had no training on the circuit rides at all. Had to leave after 2 hours, still unable to confidently do the U-turn. I have just got home and felt I had to cancel the test because I do not have confidence in this school to get me prepared for it properly.

On top of that, it was a different instructor every time and the session today was not run to time, so that I was actually too late to drop my bike off at the garage on my way home for its MOT on Monday as I had planned to do.

FOrtunately, I have not actually paid them anything yet, so I feel that I am willing to pay only for the road ride and just say that I am going to find training elsewhere.

I have no complaint with the training that I did receive, just the short time on the bike, and the poor organisation of lessons etc.

So, is this sort of thing normal, or am I just expecting too much?!? Would you pay them?

[Andy_Pagin]

No it's not normal, they sound like a complete shambles, find another school pronto. As for not paying them, I'll leave that to the BCF armchair lawyers to advise.
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They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
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Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer

[kevin_cambs_uk]

That's not great,
The people I went with, you went there, picked up the bike and had a 4 hour lesson every time, almost all out on the roads doing stuff.

I never did any MOD 1 training on the MOD1 test area at the DSA, never knew you could do that. Almost seems like cheating to me!!!!

[MattEMulsion]

They sound like a waste of time, I'd bin them off and find another training school.
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Yamaha YZF-R6

[Rogerborg]

Cower of shunts, find another school. 4-to-1 is a joke, that's not training, it's bike hire with a plonker shouting at you.

As to paying them, jog on. 4 hours of the wrong training versus 2 hours plus of your time wasted, I'd call that a wash. Dunno what you mean, got a contract, have you?
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[lynnnsr]

Thanks, chaps, decision made I think!
The school seem to have some arrangement with the local DSA centre where they can get access to the MMA when it is not being used for tests. Surprised me too, not sure how formal this arrangement is though!

[ninja_butler]

I thought four to one was common. Around my area three to one seems to be the norm.

[-Matt-]

Useless cunts school of motorcycling TM.

Go elsewhere, i learnt 2-1, see a few 3-1s in the local area but 4-1 is ridiculous let alone the rest.

Dont let it put you off

[lukamon]

IMO 4- 1 while offroad is fine providing you have a bike each. that's what my mod1 training at the airfield was, it worked really well. spent all day on the bike
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killa wrote: Im an ass man myself

[thepuma]

I wouldnt have cancelled the Mod1...even with no training you still stand a very good chance of passing and it would have got it out the way so you could concentrate on finding another school for your mod2.

Mod1 is just basic bike control. ...if you've been riding for 12 months you should nail it.

I echo others though in finding another school.
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YBR125 (SOLD) - CBR250R(SOLD) - CBR650F(SOLD) Current - Street Triple
765 RS

[andyscooter]

i had 2 to 1 on my training

one in front and one behind the instucter and we swapped about every so often
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[lynnnsr]

Some good points made - I agree 4:1 could work with 2+ bikes, but this session yesterday was 4 sharing 1 bike! They seemed to want 4 people for 4 hours' training paying a total £480, when they should have had 2x 2:1 sessions paying them £240. Just feel that it was set up as a bit of a rip off really.

I cancelled the test because I need a school's big bike to do it on. Forgot to say I am going for full category A as I am 36.

But that's got me thinking should I just, in place of lessons, book a few Mod 1s and just rock up there on my 125 for practice, then either buy or hire a big bike for the real thing once I've "passed" once or twice.

Anyone done it this way?

[lukamon]

[Rogerborg]

[Hefty]

Name & shame the school?
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'13 Honda CBF125 // '99 Suzuki SV650s // '98 Honda CB600F Hornet

[bren_9311]

Am i reading this right is it 4 people sharing 1 bike for 4 hours or 4 people and 1 instructor?
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Ps4- bren_9311

[lynnnsr]

It was 4 people, with 1 instructor and 1 bike, for 4 hours.

I had booked for 2 hours, but when I turned up they expected me to stay for 4 hours, and pay for 4 hours, and same with the three other people. Well, 6, actually, because they had use of the 'pad' from 11-1, and 3-5 pm, and a 2-hour 'break containing no training.

To my mind, that has to be an absolute maximum of 1 hour each on the bike, and 5 hours' standing about.

I live in Gloucestershire, which contains a massive clue about which mod 1 test centre we were using.

May name and shame later, depends how my conversation and attempts to 'settle up' with this lot go on Tuesday.

[bren_9311]

Thats ridiclious all of my mod 1 trianing was 1-1 rare occasion it was 2-1 but we had our own bikes to use. My Mod 2 training was all 1-1 aswell.

I would not pay them anything if i was you, or just pay for the time you used the bike, find a different school.
____________________
My opinion is neither copyrighted nor trademarked. If you like, I'll trade for one of yours.
Currently bikeless.
Ps4- bren_9311

[Rogerborg]

[pinkyfloyd]

We do 1-1 or at worst 2-1 and the instructor you get for day 1 of DAS is the one who takes you to test.

Get a decent school, knock this 2 hours here and there on the head and save up for full days worth of courses. Go into a decent school, ask them to assess you, some may even do it free on the pad. They'll tell you how many days DAS they will need to train you to standard, 3, 4 or 5. Ask fee's, that should include both mod 1 and 2 test fees. If not then come down and do it with us in Gosport.
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[Rogerborg]

^^^^^
Bad schools and bad instructors should lose money and should go out of business so that good schools and good instructors can thrive.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[lynnnsr]

Well, met the guy and told him I didn't require his services, he seemed a bit taken aback and couldn't really understand where I was coming from, to be fair he did offer me some free training to make up but I had to say no thanks after all the messing, so I paid him for the 2 hour road ride (which will be useful one day) and left it at that.

SO instead, I've booked in with my dad and his 650 on a car park on Sunday. He is a really unforgiving teacher from what I can remember (25 years ago teaching me to ride a pushbike on same said car park) but at least he will give me exclusive use of the bike at very reasonable rates!!!

[Imperial_Maniac]

I used camrider norwich, they were pretty much always late, two of their bikes broke whilst I was riding them, and they almost cancelled my MOD 1 without my permission :/

[lukamon]

[Rogerborg]