If you want to start riding a motorcycle in London or anywhere in the UK, your first step is to get your Compulsory Basic Training or ‘CBT’ completed. This is a simple one day course and isn’t a test as such if your instructor finds that you have reached the required standard to ride on the road, your CBT training will be complete and your certificate issued. See more information about CBT courses in London and the UK on RideTo, the UK’s #1 platform for new riders.
So what happens on the day? Once you have booked a CBT with your local RideTo training school, you will be instructed on what you need to bring and what you need to wear on the day. The minimum requirements from a clothing point of view are a crash helmet, gloves and boots that cover your ankle. Your arms and legs must also be fully covered. If you don’t have any gear yet and are waiting until you complete your CBT, the training school will be able to loan you the minimum required equipment for the duration of your training. Although with the current pandemic, new riders are being advised to bring their own equipment where possible.
On the day of the CBT training, there are a few formalities to go through. The first of these is to check and record your provisional or full driving license. A quick eyesight check follows, so If you do require glasses for general or distance vision, please don’t forget them! A short classroom session will kick things off where the instructor will talk through the plan for the day and cover a few items for riding on the road such as positioning, what to expect from other road users and most likely a refresher on road signs and rules for junctions and roundabouts etc.
This may be a nervous moment, but believe us, it’s also a very exciting moment too.
It’s then time to head out to the instruction area and mount your trusty steeds. These can of course be either an automatic moped or manual motorcycle up to 125cc in size. This may be a nervous moment, but believe us, it’s also a very exciting moment too. In this controlled environment, you will learn the basic controls of the bike such as balance, throttle and clutch control, as well as changing gears if you are learning on a manual motorcycle.
This will continue up until lunchtime and the instructor will have hopefully got everybody to a point where he is happy to get out onto the road. Some training schools may have eating facilities but the majority will rely on local sandwich shops or food outlets and by the time you’ve finished your instruction pad riding and the adrenalin wears off, you’ll certainly be hungry.
Once fuelled up, the rest of the afternoon will be dedicated to practising all the new skills you’ve learned, but this time out on the open road. You will have a minimum of two hours of riding as that’s compulsory, but most schools will ride for longer to give you a chance to get really comfortable. Some students may take longer to grasp the required skills, so this allows time for the instructors to offer the required help and encouragement where needed.
The afternoon will fly by and before you know it you’ll be back at the training school collecting your ‘Certificate of Completion’. You can continue to ride your bike (up to 125cc) displaying L plates, but remember that you will have to renew your CBT every two years. Most riders move on to take an A2 or full motorcycle licence and RideTo are here to help out with that too.
Welcome to your new life on two wheels!
