Doing meh CBT

[Jeros]

Ok, thats it, i have had enough of this pushbike and bus crap, i cant afford to get, insure or run a car the way things are going with fuel.

Ill just get little a run around for now, as im 24 ill do my CBT, get a 125CC bike and use that around town with L plates for now, when i have enough cash i do the full test so i can take on the motorway. I would pretty much use the bike and car for the same thing and its hard to justify the significant extra cost of a car for communting etc

any bike peeps have any advice for me on this endevor, yes that means you dukat

 

[Lamp]

What do you want advice on ?

The CBT ?
The full motorbike test ?
what ?

 

[Jeros]

What do you want advice on ?

The CBT ?
The full motorbike test ?
what ?

well just anything i need to be aware of, just going to do the CBT for now so i guess advice on that

 

[Dukat]

Hiya Jeros!

The CBT is pretty much just a 1 day course rather than a test, you pay between £65-90 depending on where you go, and all it really does is introduce you to what bikes are, how they work and give you an hour or so on the road to see how you get on.

I'm actually selling my little 125 CBR at the moment, because I just passed my big bike test

Most of the 125's will go forever petrol wise, although some are better than others My CBR does 100mpg for example, but a friend who had a 125 suziki said his wasnt as good.

There are two types of 125cc bike, 2 stroke and 4 stroke, 2 stroke being the type that makes a sound like a hairdryer, needs to be revved before it goes anywhere, and requires 2 stroke oil as well as petrol. 4 stroke bikes like my CBR sound like a big bike, have a nice and even powerband that doesnt require constant massive revving, and only requires petrol

2 strokes aren't as reliable as 4 strokes either!

As you can guess, I would highly recommend a 4 stroke honda if you're getting a 125cc bike. They generally all have good petrol consumtion, they're always reliable and really you cant go far wrong. If mine was just a *little* faster I'd be staying with it forever, sadly it tops out at around 80mph though, which for me is the only downfall of 4-stroke 125cc bikes.

My brother had a 2 stroke aprillia for a little while, but hated it and ended up getting a 4 stroke honda I had a few goes on the aprillia and it was good fun, but I wouldnt have wanted to have gone everywhere on something that sounded like it had an angry bumblebee inside it

What sort of bike are you looking for? I'll be on steam and IRC for a bit if you want to have a chat? A friend of mine, throdgrain, used to run a bike shop, knows loads about bikes, and recommended the CBR to me originally. He should be on IRC in a few as well, and should beable to answer anything I cant

 

[Dukat]

well just anything i need to be aware of, just going to do the CBT for now so i guess advice on that

The CBT is nothing to worry about

You do the eyesight test, which is about the only thing you can really fail on, and then its onto the bikes on the track to get used to them for most of the day.

Towards the end of the day you go on the road for a couple of hours and the instructor follows you to make sure you know more or less what you're doing.

The instructors will tell you everything you need to know before you go out, so its only really just a case of learning as much as you can, anything you get wrong on the road will just be pointed out by the instructor - he wont fail you for any mistakes unless you cause an accident, and even then, I've heard stories of people who did, and still passed

The main things to remember is relax, remember to do lifesavers (looking over your shoulder to check blindspots) before doing anything that changes your position in the road - whether that is turning left or right, moving past obstructions or coming to a stop.

CBT's are generally good fun though, nothing to worry about at all

 

[Lamp]

Most places will offer the CBT cheaper if you have your own bike
Some places also do a half-day CBT so worth checking a few places in your area

 

[kiliarien]

First of all, good luck when you do it, I see your reasons and I can't blame you! But....

Controversial maybe: people shouldn't be allowed solo on bikes until they've passed a proper test, not some BS thing such as the CBT. The CBT was designed to drop motorbike accidents. It hasn't. I don't even agree with learner bikers with their provisional licence being allowed to go about on their own.

Quote from a government-funded paper (Mannering and Grodsky (1995)) "motorcycle riding is more complex than car driving, requiring excellent motor skills, physical co-ordination and balance"

Problems with that:

a) Most have no idea about driver car field-of-vision because they never bothered or are too young.
b) They don't have any of the excellent characteristics for response.
c) Most are too young and often too fooking stupid to be allowed on a pushbike, let alone a motorised version.

I'm sure this won't be a popular post, but hey, I have to stay true to the fact at the school I teach at has had 2 dead in the last 2 years....on mopeds, and I doubt I am the only one who has stories of dead motorcyclists compared to normal motorists.

 

[Lollie]

i agree with the 2nd and 3rd one, ( both can be used for car drivers as well), but i dont understand what the first has owt to do with some one riding a bike

 

[Dukat]

First of all, good luck when you do it, I see your reasons and I can't blame you! But....

Controversial maybe: people shouldn't be allowed solo on bikes until they've passed a proper test, not some BS thing such as the CBT. The CBT was designed to drop motorbike accidents. It hasn't. I don't even agree with learner bikers with their provisional licence being allowed to go about on their own.

Quote from a government-funded paper (Mannering and Grodsky (1995)) "motorcycle riding is more complex than car driving, requiring excellent motor skills, physical co-ordination and balance"

Problems with that:

a) Most have no idea about driver car field-of-vision because they never bothered or are too young.
b) They don't have any of the excellent characteristics for response.
c) Most are too young and often too fooking stupid to be allowed on a pushbike, let alone a motorised version.

I'm sure this won't be a popular post, but hey, I have to stay true to the fact at the school I teach at has had 2 dead in the last 2 years....on mopeds, and I doubt I am the only one who has stories of dead motorcyclists compared to normal motorists.

I agree in a way - after I did my CBT and bought my bike, I had to spend 3 weeks learning how to ride the thing because the CBT was so brief that I really didnt have the first clue until I managed to learn things on my own, going round a housing estate (slowly ofc!) before getting myself out on a proper road.

That said, I enjoyed learning things on my own, I feel I'm a better rider for it than if I'd of had everything spoon-fed to me. I agree the risks of doing that arent practical though.

The CBT needs to be more comprehensive, but supposedly this new practical test is so difficult that alot of instructors cant do it. I think they should really be making the CBT harder rather than the practical test personally.

 

[Dukat]

i agree with the 2nd and 3rd one, ( both can be used for car drivers as well), but i dont understand what the first has owt to do with some one riding a bike

I think its to do with how alot of new bikers tend to hover around a cars blindspot when they're about to overtake. If they drove a car and knew where a car driver's blindspots are, and where they should position themselves to be seen, then there would probably be fewer accidents.

I tend to sit in a position where I can see the driver's face in the wing mirror though

 

[Lollie]

yeah but its goes both ways, but to be honest if you do everything right then they you should be ok presuming the fuckwit in front knows what they are doing

 

[Jeros]

I had years of driving lessons on and off but there way always something stopping me doing the test, money, time or in one case leaving the country.

I can drive a car with the exception of some of the parking manuvers, so my road awareness is good

 

[ECA]

CBT is pretty extreme, perhaps you should try some light spanking first?

 

[Lamp]

Lol