After my huge success at the NEC at the wheel of a geared bike (stalled a couple of times, but within five minutes was doing the old traffic cone thing much to everybody’s amazement - little did they know I’d been riding scooters for a few years!), I thought I might as well learn how to ride a geared bike properly. The BSM guy suggested I might want to do a one-day CBT, but as I don’t need to pass a test, get a bit of extra riding instead.
So, can anybody recommend anywhere? If possible, fairly Central London (purely because I’m so lazy I can’t be bothered to ride far). I’m definitely on a budget, as there’s not much point in learning how to do it if I don’t put it in practice, so may have to rent a bike to try it a bit more, and possibly even buy one for the winter to play with (and quite possibly cause some minor damage to), before I invest £5k in a proper bike. The BSM guy thought I might get something for £100. Tbh, I’d be a lot happier if I could spend even less than that.
Hey Paivi, sorry I missed you at the ace last friday but I couldn’t make it. I went to Soho but I guess you were running from the ‘showers’ eh?
Metropolis runs a complete set of training course for the motorcycle test and it’s only by the Vauxall bridge, http://www.metrop.co.uk/training.html maybe it’s near enough for you? lol check out the link
Cezar: didn’t make it to Soho, as had got up at crack of dawn to drive up to the NEC with Pixie. Went to the Ace, and when I got home, all I wanted to do was see what I’d bought and go to bed! I’ll check what Metropolis say, they are very near to me, but I’ve heard they’re the most expensive one.
Beachbum: I’ve been riding scooters for a few years and I have a full licence, so I don’t really want to go and spend £450 on DAS, nor can I commit to five days. I was thinking of doing just the one day CBT, as they’d teach me how to change gears, emergency stop and clutch control. The rest will be practice, for which I’d either rent a bike here and there to keep up the skills, or buy a cheap 125cc. I don’t need to waste my time on hazard perception, road positioning and the Highway Code, I just need to be shown how I physically ride a geared bike.
Ideally, I’d find somebody who had a geared 125cc (that they wouldn’t mind being scratched, should I come off) and would give me free private tuition for a few hours…
The only good one I know of is pass masters up in Rislip just a little way up the A40 from the Ace. The guys and girl there are really good and the bikes are in good nick.
ride motorcycle training in west ruislip, brilliant blokes, wicked laugh, very professional teachers, v encourageing and positive and patient as saints too. did my cbt and das there and they are as good as gold. there’s even a lowered 125 that’ll be perfect for you, and a 500 so u can practise with a bigger bike b4 u unleash the monster you’re gona buy, altho i cant imagen why they would have a couple of slightly lowered bikes. ahem.
ride 07904926095, they do have a website and landline but i cant remember it.
speak to mem and tell him little ali recommended you went there and he’ll see you right
Paivi, I’ve heard good things about Ride in ruislip but Metrop in Vauxhall are pretty good actually. Its their servicing dept I wouldn’t touch with a barge pole!
My misses has done hers twice (or 3 times really) there and got a lot out of it. Actually failed first time (never ridden a bike, or had any road sense) but they were very encouraging and the 2nd time spent a lot of time with her. 2 years later she done it again there for her renewal and got a lot of it again.
Obviously go with word of mouth from friends though. As for cost, most places are £100 with bike hire, you’ll be lucky to find significantly cheaper. The test is a standard amount so it just depends on their hire costs.
Have you considered the A2 test or even the DAS? More money but you can have that Ducati then The misses just booked an A2 test and turned up, no official training. Unfortunately messed her U-turn, but she’s booked in again for another this Friday.
Good luck though, the CBT should be a breeze for you.
The reason I went for the CBT option is that apparently it’s the cheapest way to learn how to ride a bike. If I were to take a day’s worth of individual riding lessons, I’d pay a lot more than the CBT.
The problem with CBT seems to be that part of the day includes the cost of the test. Now, I don’t need to do/pass a test, so I don’t particularly want to pay for one. Nor do I particularly want to spend time on theory lessons either. Methinks I have to start ringing round these places you guys suggested and ask them how to do it, if I can do something like the CBT but without the test, instead get an extra 1h of riding. I didn’t even think about the bike hire cost, so I suppose £100 is reasonable.
Like I said, I’ve got a full UK motorbike licence, so if I wanted to, I could go and buy my Monster today and ride it home. What’s stopping me is that I don’t know how to physically ride a geared bike. At the NEC, we pootled along at 5-10mph in first gear, so I haven’t ever even changed gears.
seriously, i know its a little bit out of your way but go to ride in ruislip. they were the only bike school i rang that didnt advise me to “get a scooter you’re too small to ride a bike” they went out of their way to help me out, and have become firm friends since.
they do things like a days training on a geared bike for people who are in the same situtaion as you and refresher courses, advanced training etc aswell as cbt das etc they have the bikes all ready to go, both a 125 and a 500 (ie: slightly lowered seat height, which i reckon u might need) and by now i think they’ll even have 650 supermoto for students to use too they will get you thro and make sure u are not just competant to go out on the road, but confident and assured too. and they’ll have you laughin all day long too. i cant praise em enough. worth every penny and not expensive either.
To be honest I’d have thought your best bet would be to hire a little 125 geared bike from somewhere like http://www.abouttownbikehire.co.uk for £45 and then booking a days refresher course at your local training centre.
Might cost a little more than the CBT, but remember you don’t get that much real riding time with the CBT as a lot of it is spent learning basic theory, road craft and watching other people trying to do u-turns etc. All of which you don’t need.
Cool! So, it looks like the Refresher course might be my best bet, as I don’t really want to waste my time & money on theory and “watching other people do their u-turns”, but spend a solid day just riding to get the practice in.
I reckon Mike at the About Town would probably do me a deal as well on a bike. Not sure he’d be happy for me to take a bike, though, if I don’t know how to ride it? Hmm, how do I get round that? Do a refresher at the centre’s bike, then hire one?
I could get a Honda CG125 for £145 for a whole week. Hmmm…
You should try the guys at Off The Kerb who are just up as Scooters on the Fulham Road (about 2 mins from you). Call Fred on 020 76101210 or look up www.offthekerbmct.co.uk.
Hey Paivi,
Did my DAS with Rex Judd in Edgeware, and got a really good finance deal on a 2000 R6 withe the DAS thrown in. Choose a bike drop the speech about 'getting a package…what can you do…?" and they’ll do you a nice deal I reckon - they dropped the price of the bike and the course.
The guys there are really nice, very professional and know their stuff. As far as I know a couple of instructors have moved on to be examiners for the Hendon test centre, and so have a good relationship. Had a great time doing mine, did a Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon so not to pss work off too much, and after 2 years on scooters, they got me up to standard really well - 1st time pass. Couldnt reccomend them enough!
You say you have a full motorcycle licence but was that taken on a scooter, if it was you are not allowed to ride a geared bike untill you take a CBT and test for one, bit like a car, check you licence to make sure you have the correct entitlement. otherwise you could be done for riding without a licence. Aslo depends how old you are as this didnt come into law until sometime in the 90’s.
Unfortunately, I’m old enough to have one of those freebies, having a licence from 1988! I never took a single riding lesson, let alone pass a test, and I still got a full and unrestricted licence. I did pass my car driving test at first attempt, though, even after I ran over the flower beds as I turned back into the test centre… Until 1989, in Finland, a car licence automatically included a motorbike one, then they realised they’re two different animals, and changed it. Most of Europe had the same system, I think, until the early 1990s. When I moved to the UK, I sent in my Finnish licence and got a UK licence by return of post, with full entitlement. Howzat! Now I know there’s no pressure on me, as I don’t need to pass a test, so I can concentrate on learning.
So, once I get a job, I can arrange something, and from what the guys here have said, my best bet is to arrange a Refresher course rather than CBT where I’d spend loads of time in the classroom, whereas on the Refresher one, it’s pretty well all riding.
(never ridden a bike, or had any road sense) but they were very encouraging and the 2nd time spent a lot of time with her. 2 years later she done it again there for her renewal and got a lot of it again.
The misses just booked an A2 test and turned up, no official training. Unfortunately messed her U-turn, but she’s booked in again for another this Friday.
they will get you thro and make sure u are not just competant to go out on the road, but confident and assured too. and they’ll have you laughin all day long too. i cant praise em enough. worth every penny and not expensive either.