Bike Training 'Schools' to Avoid - Share Your Experiences!

[NuBiker2014]

Hi all,

First of all, sorry if a thread like this already exists. I thought I'd like to start a thread on bike 'schools' to avoid. So, please do all chip in.

I'd like to share my experience(s) of a school called CBT & DAS 4 You or Cbt4you which is based in 'many' places (yeah, now I've finally thought of how to start off).

Summary of below (if you don't want to read all): time wasters, not much guidance, not much riding, never made me confident and safe, always asking to fill the bike with petrol, false promises, 4 guys doing a CBT and sharing 1 bike, other student all say similar stories etc etc etc...

Yes, 'many' places as in 1 place which is in London E16. Their website indicates Basildon, Beckton, Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton and Southwark. However, they only operate in one area. I called the number and they picked me up from Chelmsford which is a good thing and took me to London E16 near City Airport.

These guys charge around £720 including DAS and CBT but I paid £640 just for the 3 day DAS. However, was told by the CEO, Steve, who runs the place and is on site always that I will put in about £15 of petrol to cover the whole 3 days.

By the way he's good at making you feel good and happy and giving promises like 'oh I'll take you out on a free ride on a 600cc after you do your theory test to get a feel'. Well, to be honest this hooked me in, but never happened. Other students i met there said the same thing and we LOL'd. So beware. I paid in advance a £200 deposit and he was 'booked out' on this free ride.

Anyways, Day 1 of 3 DAS 'course': Went out late, around 10:30 when asked to be there at 8:45. Was picked up at 9:15 and been told was being picked up from Chelmsford at 8. Waited in the early summer cold like a tree. Basically did 3 hours and 20 mins bike ride (yeah I'm paying over half a grand so I would naturally calculate) with no guidance at all. Just now and then he'd say something "follow me and copy me" etc, "remember your OSM and PSL in your CBT"
To be fair, he did tell us in details when we had a lunch break and explained a bit when I asked questioned, but I shouldn't be asking and this should be told on road. Put in £10 petrol to cover 3 days DAS

Day 2 of 3 DAS: I had this about 3 days after day 1. Told to put petrol in again! so I said noooo. Mod-1 test in the afternoon and about 2 hours training only. which wasn't enough as there were 4 of us training on some side road and had to take turns so not enough practice. I failed

MOD 1 retake: similar as Day 2 but passed.

DAY 3 of 3 DAS: 2 hour 15 min road ride (yes I'm watching the clock) and told to put in another £10. I just put it in. I passed my MOD 2

Most of the trainin I done was on my scooter at home which is how I passed. I really needed the guidance which they failed to deliver. I met a handful of guys on the 4 days there. Most had experience and didn't bother about their poor service even though they knew the school were taking us for a ride (hey, just made a joke!). They just wanted the test and be done with as they knew how to ride.

2 guys I met were fuming, they did 45 mind of Mod-1 training before going to the test on their day 2 of DAS!

There's 2 instructors there as well, sometimes its Steve and sometimes I'ts Rob. Rob wastes less time but still he does take us for a ride(!) I think hes pressured with time and man power.

This place is a joke, wasted my money and time. Hated every moment of it unfortunately. But once you get your licence, everything goes out the head and you don't care anymore and you feel you won a million. But I had to do something. Wasted a lot of money on these guys, just over £800 on training, 1 retake and petrol money. I had to write about these guys.

I met a chap from there who lived local to the school who was really distraught. We went out for a snack after our 'training' really do feel for him (failed mod 1 twice) but we're in touch and told him to write reviews of his experience also. And will send this link to him to let him know something is being started

I would love somebody to tell me the above, I would have saved my money. But couldn't find much info on them. This is why I'm here posting and letting you guys out there know. MOST IMPORTANT: I DID NOT FEEL SAFE ON THE ROAD WITH THEM, NO HELP IN MAKING ME CONFIDENT. If I sway 1 guy away from this school, I'll be happy.

Sorry, I tried to keep this brief but I had to let out so much off my chest on this Friday evening. So please do all share your experiences of your unfortunate encounters like the above of schools to avoid, and keep each other safe.
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NuBiker2014

[pinkyfloyd]

Wait a minute. You paid £720 for a 3 day DAS course and did not get 3 days training and had to pay for petrol?

I'm asking because of the disbelief.

I'm sure Roger will be along in a bit with the relevant complaint links and I would strongly suggest putting in a complaint.
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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.

[MC]

I didn't have a v.good experience on my CBT or DAS, but then I went for the cheapest places. £720! Me and a mate paid less than that for both of us to do a 3 day course. Unbelievable they made you pay for fuel
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[NuBiker2014]

Thanks for the replies guys.

No, £640 for 3 day DAS

And MC, thanks for your post. If you can post the name of your school you went, that would help others. Thanks
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NuBiker2014

[_mjs_]

You should have turned up the next day with a jerry can and a rubber pipe to get your petrol back. The cheeky bastards.
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Previous Bikes: 2006 Honda XR125L > 2003 Yamaha DT125R > 1996 Honda CB500
Current bikes: 1997 Kawasaki ZZR 600 E5 > 2006 Honda Varadero XL125V

[Rogerborg]

[Knacker]

I Paid £249 for 1 Day Training on a restricted license and I thought that was expensive but then I passed and didn't give a flying...
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Current: Gsxr 600 Srad - GS125 - DT125
Previous: K1 GSXR 1000

[Northern Monkey]

Why did you start 2 threads with the same information?
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Fisty: after polishing the tank with the glistenng beads of sweat from my full hot scrotum, I filled the headrace bearings with 10cc of my manmilk

[HotdogMcDraw]

[MC]

CSMT (Edmonton) - guy shouted at me for 2 hours, then gave me my CBT certificate. That's not 2 hours on the road ride, that's 2 hours for the whole course

Bikewize (North Cheam) - feel a bit cheeky criticising them as it was really cheap, but they were extremely disorganised, and the lack of proper facilities meant some of the stuff we did was a bit dangerous.

Instructor was nice, but he seemed more interested in just going for a ride, than doing proper training etc. For mod 1 we did hardly any practice, and that was where we needed it, both me and my mate having road experience. Anyway we both passed so whatever
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[rideslikean00...]

I only used one riding school and they were fucking brilliant (I don't swear on here very often, but it's true, they were) so I can't name and shame anyone because there weren't any shit ones.

What I can do is name and shame an insurance company though.

Avoid Just Motorcycle Insurance

They are a worthless bunch of cunts.

I keep meaning to make a detailed thread and post the recorded calls but let's put it this way - I had to ring up five times to cancel. On a premium rate number. I was given a quote about twice as expensive as most other insurers when going up from a 125 to a 600cc bike. I was charged for an extra month of insurance on that 125 which I no longer had because they refused to cancel even though my first call to do so was about 10 days before the next payment was due, and then adding insult to injury I was flatly denied refunds on at least two if not three occasions. Due to their incompetence - and the fact they broke several of their own terms and conditions, a fact I should eventually report to the Financial Ombudsman - I now have both them demanding money (fucking cheek) and the finance company that provided the backing for the insurance asking for money. Disgraceful. Avoid these fly-by-night bastards at all costs. All they ever did was take my money and fuck me around.
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Previous/Current Bikes
2013 Yamaha YBR-125ED -> 1997 Yamaha YZF-1000R Thunderace -> 2009 Yamaha XJ-6 Diversion -> 2007 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2

[pinkyfloyd]

[Knacker]

[Ballpien]

[MC]

[wr6133]

[NuBiker2014]

[rideslikean00...]

[kawakid]

My cbt instructor made national news as she fell off her bike repeatedly as she's was drunk.

Tbf when she took me she was sober and she was really good.


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1264118/Motorbike-instructor-fell-times-brandy-jacket-lesson-spared-jail.html
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I've a twin and a 4.

[Snop Doog]

Anything on DAS London? https://www.das-london.co.uk/

Thinking of going there in a couple of months however I've read some bad reviews online.

[drbaig]

I had a mixed experience when it comes to the DAS itself.

Most of the riding is done on the road, therefore I find certain parts of mod 1 pointless. I knew from the beginning I wouldn't find mod 1 difficult so I never put too much stress on it. I wanted more road experience as I had not ridden a bike on the roads before. Maybe that's why I messed mod 2.

Apparently a lot of people fail mod 1 therefore a considerable amount of emphasis was placed on the training by the school. I spent quite a lengthy amount of time practising the manoeuvres and passed it the first time without any minors. Good enough. However I was very confident and found it easy.

Mod 2 on the other hand. I spend maybe 6 hours on the road riding the bike. Which definitely wasn't enough. Or was enough but as I had already made up my mind that this was the harder of the two tests maybe I over hyped it, so messed that up. Passed it eventually but didn't feel like I was a good motorcyclist. Felt more of a relief that I had passed.

I think this certain feeling I have about the school is also because I had a fantastic driving instructor who made me drive everywhere and made me do all sorts of things to improve road confidence and my driving skill. I never once thought I was going to mess up my driving test, and passed with 2 minors. All my siblings have passed their car tests first time with the same instructor as well. So I think I may be went with a high standard of instruction in mind.

But nevertheless, I have a full bike license and now I ride a bike so all is well.
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yzf 600r

[NuBiker2014]

[Skudd]

The problem with teaching people to ride/drive is that everyone is different. I know some people thought that I was fantastic at teaching and I'm sure some didn't as they didn't book with me again. I was the same person. I had pupils who were a pain in the arse but thought I was great, other pupils it was just a business transaction that we both went through.

The trick is to find someone that suites you. It doesn't mean that the others are crap and need i-raping, just that their style isn't for you.
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Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[NuBiker2014]

[Skudd]