Words by Phil Johnson, the Instructors Instructor.
In my last article we saw how to select the best motorcycle training school for you. It was well worth doing the little bit of research because now you do have an insight as to how these guys are going to treat you. And, how well you are going to be trained.
So, the big day arrives…
8:30 am you wake-up and the alarm goes off, you then roll out of bed and get your kit on, miss breakfast, look in the mirror quickly and then out of the front door getting there just for 9am. A brilliant start you might think, you’re there on time. Just like getting ready for work this and looking as rough as a bears backside too... Not good!
Remember, that this is probably going to be a full days course, so maybe an early night would have been in order surely! Certainly no ‘amber nectar’ the night before, if you are old enough to be allowed to consume it of course.
It’s really important to get some breakfast down you before you go out, there’s nothing worse than being tired and hungry by mid morning because you were up until 2am and out with your mates down the local. Plus, your instructor is going to be well impressed at how wide your mouth can extend when you are constantly yawning. You might just pulled to one side and the instructor has a quiet word with you about coming back when you have had a good nights kip!!!
Going for a CBT can, and should be a fun experience, but it is really SERIOUS stuff my friends. You are going to be in charge of a potentially lethal weapon.
That’s Lethal with a capital L to yourself and other people, so you are going to need to be WIDE AWAKE and ALERT for the training. What you are going to be taught today, are the important life skills you will need to learn to be a good and competent rider, so learn them thoroughly and take them with you throughout your motorcycle-riding career. You will need them, that I am 100% sure of.
So, now you have had an early night, no alcohol the night before and you set the alarm an hour earlier. You are up bright and early, even before the cat thinks of stirring and bright as a button. You go downstairs, put kettle on and the toasters at the ready.
It’s a beautiful day and the sun is shining, and there’s no rain, yippee!! It’s going to be a brilliant day, not only weather wise, but now you are well equipped to start your training with a good aptitude and alertness that your teacher would be proud of…
What am I going to need to take with me? I hear you ask… Well you could try these:
Your driving licence for starters...
You can’t conduct your CBT without it. If it’s a photo style licence you are going to need to bring BOTH the photo card and the green paper counterpart. Don’t tell me you threw the paper bit away with the brown envelope it came in? Oops!
Your paper bit should always be kept with the card bit as together they make up the licence.
So aren’t you glad you got up early now? You now have half an hour to turn every drawer in the house inside out trying to find it. Up and down the stairs 20 times, waking the whole house in the process, looking in every conceivable place at least six times just to check it hasn’t miraculously re-appeared there since you last looked three minutes ago!
At least you are alert enough to remember to bring it though. So, it would have been a good idea to sort this out a few weeks before the CBT, just in case you needed to obtain a replacement from our beloved DVLA. Ah! So there it is, you say to yourself sweating profusely. What idiot put it under the bed?
Licence sorted, now so how about some food and liquid?
Remember it could be a long day and you will be having breaks to eat and take a breather, so who’s going to be the one who’s starving while everyone else is filling their face with crisps, cakes and butties. Not you I hope!
Licence sorted, food sorted… Now, how about clothing?
T-shirt? Well it is going to be the hottest day of the year isn’t it? Get real, it’s March now and it is freezing! So put a few layers on. If you get too hot you can always peel off a couple of items. Nothing worse than being tired, hungry and cold for keeping up the concentration levels.
Most bike schools will have a proper bike jacket, gloves and helmet for you to use but if they haven’t you will need to give yourself some degree of protection against the cold, rain and an unlikely spill so ask yourself one honest question.
Am I going to be sufficiently protected in this attire?
If the answer is yes the go for it, brilliant! If it’s NO, then go find something else in the wardrobe that’s going to suffice.
Again think about your hands, fingers go stiff in the cold and can easily distract your thinking when in this cryogenic state. So if you have gloves of any kind, bring them with you. Your instructor will be able to advise you on their suitability and possibly lend you some if yours aren’t up to scratch.
Footwear is another area people don’t often think about when doing a CBT.
Ladies turning up in high-heeled shoes for a CBT on a geared bike… Not good! Flip-flops because it’s a nice day! Wellington’s because it’s raining, steel toecap boots from work because they are well sturdy. So much so, your feet and toes will have the feel and sensitivity of a rhinoceros stepping in wet concrete.
Normal shoes bare minimum, really anything with ankle protection such as shoe type boots will suffice as long as you can tie any laces out the way and tuck them in so they don’t catch the gear shift lever or brake pedal. Who’s going to look the fool when they try to put their foot on the floor when they stop the bike only to find out its caught by the laces around the gear lever?
SO, now your are up early, had breakfast, got your licence in order, got some dinnertime food and some half decent clothing and shoes?
GO for it and enjoy the day, relax and listen to what you are told and try your best.
Don’t panic, stay calm and DO expect to make mistakes!
That’s why you are there in the first place to gain knowledge through teaching, watch demonstrations and then go and practice. Yes you may get it wrong, but that’s human nature, we all learn by getting things wrong, learning from our experiences and then hopefully getting it right the next time. If anyone said they get everything right first time then I’ll show you a liar.
The difference is now that you have an experienced person by your side giving you advice and guidance as to how to do it correctly. Plus it’s all done in a nice safe environment at the CBT centre.
Go on... You can now ENJOY your CBT.
Next time you’ll be reading about what to expect on your CBT.
Notes:
Phil Johnson - (Greenlight rider training) is a leading CBT, direct access and instructor trainer and not only teaches students on a day-to-day basis, but also teachers many instructors. Phil has also taught examiners to ride motorcycles as well as examiners friends and families. Phil also works with local councils and colleges with various projects to give their clients training and motorcycle rider education.
If you know someone who is looking to learn to ride a motorcycle, or perhaps you know someone who is looking to make a living as a motorcycle training instructor, please contact Phil directly at info@greenlightridertraining.com for more information and advice.
Photo Credits:
www.bike-smart.net
