CBT to A2?

Psyoletic

Psyoletic

Psyoletic

Associate
Joined
29 May 2011
Posts
524
Evening folks,

I'll be shortly booking in my CBT after an epiphany two weeks ago and suddenly I wanted to ride a motorcycle! It was a naked Honda 600cc Hornet that had a similar colour design as this one and I instantly wanted it.

honda-hornet-600_zps592dfe63.png


After watching 100's of videos of people riding I've caught the bug and this is my destiny :D

The only experience I have riding is a quad bike for about a week when I helped my father's employer with local a farmer build a 600 yard livestock fence and within about 10 minutes I was riding at speeds something silly like 50mph in fields and drifting on the road between gates. Admittedly I could not contain myself and doughnuts just had be done!

I'm the sort of person that has to know his limits and what the vehicle can do and an adrenaline junkie :p

Anyway, I think I'll be fine with a motorbike and feel confident and I'm hazarding a guess at experience riding a BMX/Mountain Bike for most of my teens will be "transferable" like balance etc? My main question is the A2 licence, I understand that upon earning the licence that you can ride a bike up to 47bhp 0.2kg weight ratio and you cannot restrict a bike if its over 94bhp.

With the cost of an A2 licence + necessary training in a little over 9 months (24 in May) I'll be able to do a DAS for an A licence and can ride what I like providing the insurance is reasonable too.

Now do I wait and skip the A2 and stick with a 125cc and build up a years NCB or will I scream for power as being in Wales between me and the coast is Everest.

Providing the stars align and the interview went well, determines when I can buy a bike as I'll be commuting roughly 35 miles return and wondering would it be worth it to sink £££ into a 125cc, gain a few months road experience and go in for A2 and if I pass sell the 125cc as from what I've seen the value doesn't depreciate like cars do so I could effectively swap the 125cc for a a bigger bike.

What I dislike is the whole restricting process, I've seen restriction kits but I've also seen some throttle device clamp that doesn't allow you to go full throttle? It seems quite a farce to implement a licence with most bikes being either to powerful or simply don't exist without paying full price because manufactures are forced to release "A2 bikes" and therefore pricey.

That alone has put me off the A2 and ride it out with a 125cc until 24 hits and I can do a DAS.
 
Get a cheap 125 and wait till DAS, no point in A2... waste of money in your case. Riding a bike is different to riding a quadbike, you lean to the side that you take the corner not the other way like you would on a quadbike. There're other factors, but no point in listing them out. Just ride a 125 for a bit and you'll see what I mean. :p
 
Do the CBT get some road experience and wait till you're 24 to go straight to your A licence or else you've got to do your theory, mod 1 and mod 2 now then another full set of mod 1 and mod 2 to move from A2 to A.

You'll lose next to no money when it comes to selling on a 125 and obviously you'll already have all your riding gear so the only real money you'll "lose" is the £100ish to do the CBT.
 
tom_e said:
Do the CBT get some road experience and wait till you're 24 to go straight to your A licence or else you've got to do your theory, mod 1 and mod 2 now then another full set of mod 1 and mod 2 to move from A2 to A.

You'll lose next to no money when it comes to selling on a 125 and obviously you'll already have all your riding gear so the only real money you'll "lose" is the £100ish to do the CBT.
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He won't lose that money as it will still be valid when he comes to do his DAS ;)
 
It's the £100 he'll lose on test fees that are the main issue. Otherwise all DAS experience will be transferable from A2 to A, just on a bigger bike.
 
This whole A2/A1 system is complete insanity. Wouldn't be so bad if you just had to get 2 years experience on a bigger restricted bike and then apply for an A licence. But to do the same tests 2 times is ridiculous.

Personally I would just wait for the DAS at 24.
 
just a big money making scheme for the government,they could'nt care less about your safety

its not you that's the danger its other road users
 
wazza300 said:
just a big money making scheme for the government,they could'nt care less about your safety

its not you that's the danger its other road users
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IF anything needed changing imo its the CBT. You can ride a 125 at 16yo for 4 hours then get a piece of paper and ride on the road with no prior knowledge of the highway code or anything else. Saw some young lads on scooters the other week and they were all over the road weaving and being idiots, made me think.
 
great,make the rest of the tests as easy imo

its turning young folks off biking imo

if you kill yourself chances are its 99% your own fault
 
I agree about the CBT, its not enough. I can see how some people are driving, I also drive a car so that's a different story in my case. But some choose not to study the highway code at all, I'm not saying that A1, A2 and A is a good idea either as its just like wazza said. Government only wants your money, they don't care about you... they only want you to think that they actually care.


Edit:

I think at the age of 18 you can do category A, be restricted to 47bhp or 48bhp for 2 years and then you can ride anything. To me that seems like a reasonable move that government should take
 
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the cbt is all you need,it learns you your riding system and anyone with common sense will be fine

they should scrap the mod1/2 just keep the cbt,also scrap the theory tests
 
wazza300 said:
the cbt is all you need,it learns you your riding system and anyone with common sense will be fine

they should scrap the mod1/2 just keep the cbt,also scrap the theory tests
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I think that car theory should also be valid for a bike license within those 2 years , no theory at all wouldn't be a good idea.
 
that's whats caused it,young folks passing and jumping on big powerfull machines and getting killed

I understand all the safety and tests but its like a minefield atm with all the hoops you have to jump through and then theres the cost

your only gonna hurt yourself on a bike,so it comes down to being sensible on it I guess
 
I'd echo that, the CBT is a terrible first step. Sure if you get a good riding school it'd be great but where I did mine (and I would hazard a guess that most are similar down here) they were just after making a quick buck out of you and then giving you the certificate. Training was appalling.
 
gcaster said:
I'd echo that, the CBT is a terrible first step. Sure if you get a good riding school it'd be great but where I did mine (and I would hazard a guess that most are similar down here) they were just after making a quick buck out of you and then giving you the certificate. Training was appalling.
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I did mine with PRT Motorcycle Training and they were superb. Most people I talk to have done it with them, but then there was a guy during my CBT which has done it before with a different company and couldn't turn right (as if you were to take off a junction). :p
 
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I had a guy on my CBT who had already held a CBT and was just renewing it, from the second he got on the bike he was a total danger to himself ended up being switched to a twist and go to see if he was any better and he binned it on the emergency stop and knocked himself out.

I was talking about it to the guy I done my DAS with which was a different school and he'd had a guy that sounded suspiciously similar turn up to redo his CBT with him and he said exactly the same absolutely terrible and no idea how he'd ever held a CBT in the first place.
 
tom_e said:
I had a guy on my CBT who had already held a CBT and was just renewing it, from the second he got on the bike he was a total danger to himself ended up being switched to a twist and go to see if he was any better and he binned it on the emergency stop and knocked himself out.
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LOL just pictured that in my head. :D I think if I saw that my face would be like :eek::eek:
 
Oh yeah, that guy who couldn't do right turn was doing DAS and when I spoke to him he already bought a CBR 600 RR... good luck to him.

Another guy in my group who was going with me stalled the bike on every possible occasion, first of he dropped the bike on my leg. But I saw what was coming and move away a bit so didn't really land on my leg, but still hit me. I had a bruise afterwards... Overall the CBT took 8 hours and lets be honest 4 hours would have been plenty for most.

Thankfully on such a boiling day, the instructor was kind enough for me and the other guy who could ride take a break, as those 2 others were dangerous.
 
for the sake of 9 months definitely wait. I was in a similar position except I had 2 years before turning 24 so I went for the A2 license. Started on CBT+125 and lasted 6 months before getting bored but for just a little bit longer it is certainly more cost efficient to wait
 
Thanks for the advice, I'll stick with a 125cc until I can take the A licence tests with a good year under my belt. I cannot be bothered to faff around with the A2 licence and finding a decent bike within the restriction and then restrict it... sod it I'll jump on a 600c when I pass my A Cat :p

Already got a jacket snagged a deal on eBay, £42 for a RST Textile waterproof and quilted with CE armour that had only been worn once from new.

I've found a place I can take my CBT at;

Reviews sound favourable and for a £100 CBT "Summer Deal" I think it's the place I'll go.

http://www.bikeschool.co.uk/
 
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