Bike Test Questions

[5cupa]

Seeing as the bike test changes have been put off till march 30th 09. i am seriously thinking about doing it before the change date. As a car driver for the past 18 years, what can I expect from the test and training as I have never ridden a bike before.

any help appreciated.

[dave87]

5cupa - I've got both a full car and bike license, so I've done the test. Only difference is because of my age, I sat my test on a 125 rather than a 500 - apart from that, the test is the same.

First thing you need to do is book a CBT, Compulsory Basic Training. Takes place in a variety of localities, mainly tarmac areas outside schools etc at weekends. You learn various things from putting the bike on/off the stand, then clutch control and gear changes. Observations are also taught alongside a short classroom session to prepare you for a ride in the afternoon.

Usually, that is when you'll break for lunch. Afterwards, it's time to head out onto the road with another pupil and your instructor. They then see if you meet the minimum basic requirement for riding a bike safely. If you do, fantastic, you pass. If you don't, you don't fail but need to come back again in order to pass.


After all that, you can ride a 125cc bike on the road with L plates, or go on and do the DAS, Direct Access to larger machines. More training, Usually 3 or 4 days with a test on the last day, during which you'll learn all the manoeuvres required for the test. You also need to get your theory test done before the test, otherwise they cannot assess you.

If you pass, congrats, you can ride any motorbike currently in production or otherwise, no limits on performance. However most people will then get a 600 sports bike (CBR600F etc) to learn on and enjoy.

Hope this helps, and go for it, it is bloody good fun

[mmh]

I'm considering doing this also...

how much do you think its going to cost from start to finish?

[dave87]

http://www.probiketraining.com/Price..._training.html

That's the people I did my training with - they were offering a free CBT when I did it, so might be worth phoning them and asking about any offers etc?

[5cupa]

thanks dave for the info. mmh its around £650 for the full course (london) which includes bike, leathers, insurance etc

[BigGlenn]

I would second what Dave said.... it is bloody good fun

I passed my test in August '06 but wasn't able to afford a bike until this summer (which ended up being a K5 GSXR600) and as soon as I started getting out I wished I had passed my test years ago!

Prices will vary, and from what I have heard, sometimes the quality of the instruction will vary as well, so shop around and if you can, try to speak to people and see who they recommend - I won't name names but I have heard of a particular bike school that gave somebody their CBT in the space of a couple of hours without taking them out on the road or even showing them the basics of how to control a bike properly!!!

[5cupa]

did you have any previous bike experience though. I am pretty good at picking things up I guess I am worried about not being able to handle the bike and looking like a fool whilst crashing out of the test centre and down the road

[BigGlenn]

did you have any previous bike experience though. I am pretty good at picking things up I guess I am worried about not being able to handle the bike and looking like a fool whilst crashing out of the test centre and down the road

Unless you count mountain-biking as previous experience, then no I didn't

I didn't find it that hard to pick up, you just need to get your confidence as it is a totally different sensation to driving, and unlike driving, you are in complete control of the bike on your own without the instructor being able to do anything for you - which is one of the biggest reasons for having the CBT before you are let loose so to speak

There are similarities to driving in that the controls are on the same side as your body for riding as they are for driving, ie the clutch and gears are controlled with your left side (albeit your hand is the clutch and your foot changes gear) and the throttle is controlled with your right hand

[madmaca]

did you have any previous bike experience though. I am pretty good at picking things up I guess I am worried about not being able to handle the bike and looking like a fool whilst crashing out of the test centre and down the road

I passed my bike test 7 years ago and I had no bike experience whatsoever before doing my CBT. I then did a DAS course over the course of a long weekend (Fri-Mon) - I passed my test first time on the Tuesday

It's a little confusing and very unnerving for the first few lessons, but I actually felt safer and more in control of the bigger bike I learned on (500cc Kawasaki Er-5). So much so that I went out and bought the ER-5's slightly sportier stablemate a GPZ500S and rode that for 3 years after my test. Since then I've owned a Honda CBR600 for the past 4 years and test ridden lots of bikes.

I now ride almost everyday (except snow and ice), and have not regretted any part of my biking history. Only had one small spill (on a car park) and a couple of near misses, but your training does a very good job of drumming it into you that you have to watch other road users as well as yourself. I firmly believe that EVERYONE should do the bike test as it makes you a much safer and more aware car driver also. Since passing my test, I've never used my mirrors so much!

[5cupa]

tbh its the test changing end of march which is pushing me to do it.