So today I did my CBT and passed. Apologies in advance for the length of the following post, but I was close to jacking it all in when I first got back and need to get this off my chest.
I have no idea how I passed as the whole thing seemed to be a disaster in my eyes.
There were two of us and one instructor. We did 3 hours yard training before going out onto the road for two. The other guy who couldnt drive or ride seemed to take to it like a duck to water. I struggled with low speed manouvres because I couldn't get my head around riding the clutch, maintaing the revs and feathering the rear brake. I have driven for 20 years without accident and grew up with a push bike day in day out, but the co-ordinating myself wasnt coming as easily as it did for the other guy.
This is when the intstructor seemed to start with the snide comments, buddying up with the star pupil who was 20 years my junior,and generally being a bit of a git.
I should have seen this as a sign of things to come, so decided to persevere and after lunch we were out on the road. We left the yard and made our first right turn. I was still not 100% in doing this in a controlled fashion, but with a little correction made the turn and carried on. From this point onwards, it seemed to go downhill. At the next right turn, I was running a little fast entering the turn, and as I had done in the yard instinctively grabbed at the front brake and hit the deck. After ensuring I wasnt injured, the instructor was on me like a rabid dog f-ing and jeffing about why am I grabbing the front brake.
So off we go again and again I made the same error making a right turn and again he unleashed another verbal burst. By this point I was all ready to leave the bike and him, but after a quick breather I tried again and things started to improve a bit.
At this point we are off into a housing estate and going around in circles and I am making progress, or at least I thought I was. I was more controlled and doing all my checks correctly and he was actually praising me. Then completely out of the blue a voice in my ear says 'I cant believe you can drive a car'
By this point I am more or less totally deflated as we head back to the yard. During our return drive we were required to join a dual carriageway and give it some welly. I had no problem at all with this, and was both safe and relaxed. Unfortunately thats where it ended, on the leaving the dual carriageway I dropped too many gears on the slip road, there was no indicator on the bike and the rev counter didnt work. As soon as I started to let the clutch out the rear wheel locked. I managed to stop safely all be it a little shaken, but the instructor went into meltdown telling me I'd 'sealed my fate' amongst other things.
Back at the yard I lose my rag with him, because he was still harping on about the front brake issue and how that had caused me to lock the back wheel which didnt make any sense to me. I explained what had actually happened and suggested if he hadnt been verbally bashing me when it happened I may have stood some chance of recovering instead of bringing the bike to a stop in panic.
Another small torrent of abuse followed and I walked away back to my car to calm down.
10 mins later he comes over and apologises for his reaction and tells me I have passed.
I told him clearly that if I wasnt up to the required standard (and I didnt think I was) that he shouldnt issue a pass, but he did regardless.
So now I am in a position where I have completed the CBT, but dont have enough confidence in my low speed manouvres to feel comfortable on the road.
I have no doubt I need more practice in general control, but is the standard of 'training' I have received today the norm?
Can I do the CBT again with a different instructor who has some concept of teaching?
Any advice would be gratefully received?
I have no idea how I passed as the whole thing seemed to be a disaster in my eyes.
There were two of us and one instructor. We did 3 hours yard training before going out onto the road for two. The other guy who couldnt drive or ride seemed to take to it like a duck to water. I struggled with low speed manouvres because I couldn't get my head around riding the clutch, maintaing the revs and feathering the rear brake. I have driven for 20 years without accident and grew up with a push bike day in day out, but the co-ordinating myself wasnt coming as easily as it did for the other guy.
This is when the intstructor seemed to start with the snide comments, buddying up with the star pupil who was 20 years my junior,and generally being a bit of a git.
I should have seen this as a sign of things to come, so decided to persevere and after lunch we were out on the road. We left the yard and made our first right turn. I was still not 100% in doing this in a controlled fashion, but with a little correction made the turn and carried on. From this point onwards, it seemed to go downhill. At the next right turn, I was running a little fast entering the turn, and as I had done in the yard instinctively grabbed at the front brake and hit the deck. After ensuring I wasnt injured, the instructor was on me like a rabid dog f-ing and jeffing about why am I grabbing the front brake.
So off we go again and again I made the same error making a right turn and again he unleashed another verbal burst. By this point I was all ready to leave the bike and him, but after a quick breather I tried again and things started to improve a bit.
At this point we are off into a housing estate and going around in circles and I am making progress, or at least I thought I was. I was more controlled and doing all my checks correctly and he was actually praising me. Then completely out of the blue a voice in my ear says 'I cant believe you can drive a car'
By this point I am more or less totally deflated as we head back to the yard. During our return drive we were required to join a dual carriageway and give it some welly. I had no problem at all with this, and was both safe and relaxed. Unfortunately thats where it ended, on the leaving the dual carriageway I dropped too many gears on the slip road, there was no indicator on the bike and the rev counter didnt work. As soon as I started to let the clutch out the rear wheel locked. I managed to stop safely all be it a little shaken, but the instructor went into meltdown telling me I'd 'sealed my fate' amongst other things.
Back at the yard I lose my rag with him, because he was still harping on about the front brake issue and how that had caused me to lock the back wheel which didnt make any sense to me. I explained what had actually happened and suggested if he hadnt been verbally bashing me when it happened I may have stood some chance of recovering instead of bringing the bike to a stop in panic.
Another small torrent of abuse followed and I walked away back to my car to calm down.
10 mins later he comes over and apologises for his reaction and tells me I have passed.
I told him clearly that if I wasnt up to the required standard (and I didnt think I was) that he shouldnt issue a pass, but he did regardless.
So now I am in a position where I have completed the CBT, but dont have enough confidence in my low speed manouvres to feel comfortable on the road.
I have no doubt I need more practice in general control, but is the standard of 'training' I have received today the norm?
Can I do the CBT again with a different instructor who has some concept of teaching?
Any advice would be gratefully received?
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It's not that long.
Before i went for my Mod1, I spent a good amount of time in tesco car park using the painted car park spaces to do slalom's and turns in the road etc. etc. which i feel helped my slow-speed maneuvering. Maybe this would help you too 
