Bad CBT Experience

[DexterKane]

Just got sent home from my CBT as the instructor didn't feel confident about letting me out on the road. TBF I wasn't much of a natural but I felt like the whole thing was so rushed I didn't get much of a chance to get the hang of it.

The other attendees either had biking experience or were riding peds so I felt like he just rushed through at their pace, while I was just expected to know what I was doing on the gears without having it explained in much detail. (Took me to near the end of the lesson to figure out that neutral is a half click for example).

I also really struggled with the throttle control, I'm 6.4 and felt like the handlebars were too close for my long arms, so found it hard not too wrap my hands too far round the throttle. My hands started aching after not long and it's still sore to type this.

We got on the bikes at around 10am, by 11.20 the others were sent to lunch. He gave me another 20 mins or so then hinted I should get a moped instead of a bike. As a tutor myself, I thought that was really poor practise. Suggesting someone should give up after less than 2 hours training at something is ridiculous. Obviously I told him I'd be back for another day, but am I right in thinking I should have been given a bit more time? Seems like a big ask to commit all that to muscle memory in less than 2 hours.

[ThunderGuts]

The road ride is the last bit, so you'd expect to be setting off around 1pm-2pm to do that bit. If you started at 9am (including the classroom and maintenance bits), then that's about the right amount of time to get everything else in. It is a little bit rushed as it's basically motorcycling in a tiny nutshell.

Size-wise it'll always be a problem; there are a few "large" 125s but they're not going to fit Mr/Mrs Average as easily (particularly for people who've never been on one before) so I doubt many, if any, schools will have them.

Contrary to popular belief, it isn't unheard of to be sent home from a CBT without the certificate - yes there is a fair bit to learn, some will get it more quickly than others (either through experience or natural ability, or a combination). Don't take it personally, just book yourself in again - perhaps emphasise when you do so the areas you were struggling with and they might be able to focus on those a bit more.

Out of interest, do you have a car licence? If not, I've always thought the CBT was a fair intake of knowledge for a day given you've got both the theory and practical elements to digest in a short time.
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TG.

[Bhud]

What you're saying is, if you were given a little more time, you may have got the hang of it. We don't know whether you're right about this, because we weren't there. Don't know whether you were wobbling around or just being dangerous, and you mention that your issue is gear shifting - a pretty fundamental thing to riding a bike. If you couldn't shift to neutral then you definitely shouldn't have been allowed on the road. However, you are sure you just needed a bit more time. The solution offered by the trainer was to give you more time by allowing you to return another day to pick up where you left it. You want more time and he's giving you more time, so there's no problem.

You also state that the other trainees picked it up quickly because they had had experience on peds. You then say that your trainer suggested you try peds. Again, I can't see the problem - the advice is surely sound if, as you say, experience on peds makes it easier to learn to ride a bike.

[DexterKane]

[DexterKane]

[Freddyfruitba...]

No personal experience as I passed my test long before anybody ever thought of CBT. However, my lad is on the point of getting into riding (although he has a car license he has never ridden any form of powered two-wheeler), and he recently contacted a training centre to discuss options. The guy was very iffy about him just pitching up to do a CBT on that basis, and strongly reccomended that he came down to the centre for a bit of 1:1 training first, which he's probably going to do.

Sounds like you'd have been better off doing likewise?
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KC100->CB100N->CB250RS--------->DL650AL2->R1200RS->R1250RS

[Bhud]

[Riejufixing]

What were you riding?

Do you live in a rural area or in a busy town?

[DexterKane]

[Riejufixing]

[Easy-X]

Same here: 20 years or so of driving. Luckily I did my CBT in the middle of winter so it was just me and a guy doing his fourth cert renewal so basically it was just me in the afternoon.

I suspect I was at the same level as you @ 9am. Even my instructor said it was like night and day between starting and finishing... I doubt I'd achieve so much with a load of other students huffing and clicking their teeth waiting for the n00b to catch up.

I recommend Twickenham Motorcycle Training where I did my Mod 1 & 2. if that's not too far out of your way. They are still the aforementioned "biker bikers" of old You can pay them a tenner and they'll give you a quick, half hour assessment on the bike of your choosing (ped, 125, etc.) which seems like a fair deal. If you don't like their style you've only wasted a few quid!
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Easy-X]

Oh, and with regards to controlling the bike... yes, there's a fair bit going on! Pretty much every limb working simultaneously - there is an art to it that is worth chasing for.

The thing to consider, at low speed, is the throttle and clutch work in tandem: get some revs going with the clutch in and then control the speed of the bike with just by easing the clutch in and out otherwise it's boing, boing, kangaroo time Think the bike's stalling? A little more throttle. Engine screaming? Ease off a little. Going too fast? Dab the back brake. Yes, a bit overwhelming on the first pass.

You should really master the slow manoeuvring before even tackling changing up to second or third.

With regards to the game of "hunt the neutral" while it is shocking that this wasn't explained to you I have to counter that there is this thing called the Internet and there are egos aplenty on YouTube falling over themselves to explain how bikes work in excruciating detail. A little bit of homework beforehand might have helped.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[DexterKane]

[GSTEEL32]

Personally, I think you've got the wrong end of the stick.

This guy has said you're sh!t with gears. You are. You admit it yourself.

This guy is signing off that you can manage f*ck off buses, trucks and commuters on a geared bike on public roads.

Which you can not.

He suggested a ped as you have 20 years driving experience.

What's so wrong with that?

He's saving you getting your head wedged under a night bus because you were fannying around looking for 2nd rather than a junction.

Get the CBT passed. Buy a geared bike. Spend 2 weekends going up and down a private path and you'll be job done.

YouTube will definitely not help in this instance, only physical practice.

[DexterKane]

[GSTEEL32]

As a teacher, do you think you were prepared enough for CBT?

Did you not read through a quick syllabus of an average CBT, to ensure you could keep up ?

You seem like an intelligent fella, suck up the day's training, put it down to experience and have another go.

[DexterKane]

[Ste]

Phone around other CBT places in your area and explain how your attempt went and how you think they were rushing through everything without enough time for you to pick it all up as the other people were on scooters or were just renewing their CBT.

You'll find somewhere that is very disapproving of how the first place expected you to rush through everything and they'll offer you something where the day is for people who're new to geared bikes so things will go at a sensible pace.

Of course you'll have the advantage of having more of an idea of what to do than everyone else who's new to geared bikes so that should take some of the pressure off.

As you're going to be getting a geared bike, you want to be learning the very basics on a CBT schools bike rather than your own. Plus it makes sense to do the compulsory basic training on a geared bike as that's what you're planning on riding.

[Sister Sledge]

Look I'm a noob when it comes to CBT. I did my test in the B&W days..
If you do the CBT on a ped does that mean you can only ride a ped the rest of your life? What I'm trying to say is CBT on a ped and Once through that find a geared bike to actually learn on?? (obviously somewhere private and safe)
Surely that's the answer here?
CBT by the sounds of it is simply a quick introduction to bikes and the roads? It's not a whole day of practice with gears and throttle control.
(I could also be very wrong)
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CCM 404 DS

[linuxyeti]

[pinkyfloyd]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Riejufixing]

[Ribenapigeon]

Dont put pressure on yourself. If you think the attitude of the instructor was a bit iffy then as others have said book with another outfit. To be fair though, imagine the responsibility an instructor has taking someone on the road, he probably thought better safe than sorry.

On a lighter note, when I did my CBT i just could not do a Uturn, it transpired being 6'2" my knee was stopping me turning the bars enough. So at 6'4" good luck with your Uturns.
Keep at it.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

When I did mine a few years ago I felt a massive amount of pressure, which'll probably be an even more common experience since the "recent" two-year compulsory renewal of CBT for continual 125cc riders (who don't have a full license). I mention this because one of the psychological stresses I felt was a result of holding others up. The five of us were at very different stages - a couple had obviously ridden before, and had good-to-excellent machine control, and loads of familiarity with bikes. Me and this other kid basically sucked.

I was so fucking relieved when, that afternoon, the instructor said us two couldn't go on the road ride. In fact, I would've refused anyway. The other guy was gutted though - even when I tried to tell him it was probably for the best anyway. It did feel like we'd failed - but if we'd all of us been starting from a similar place, I'm pretty sure none of us would've gone out.

Five is a big group for one instructor, especially when everyone's starting on a different level.

In the end, I had to go back on another day - and that's when I sussed it. Quite quickly, as it happened. This time it was one-to-one - and when I went out on the road after a few hours in the compound, it was fine and I had no dramas or owt.

But it's all a bit heavy at times and I don't envy the instructors having to contend with groups of different levels and not much time.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125