Fast Track Renewal
This is a course designed for those who have done at least one CBT before, have ridden regularly since their CBT and are confident on the type of bike they are planning to ride. It is not for those who have not ridden before or since their last CBT or for those wishing to learn new skills (eg. wishing to learn gears for the first time). Your CBT must be current. Students are booked on this course on the basis of information provided to us. If, once the course has started, it is clear that the entry criteria are not met, the booking may have to be renegotiated.
All elements of the CBT have to be covered including the classroom and off-road sections, but if you have already done this course before, there should be no need to teach you everything again from scratch. This renewal is based on validating what you should already know and be able to do. Of course there will be some refreshing of memory and some tidying up of skills but in principle your time will be spent working from the level of skill and knowledge that you are at already. The emphasis will be on your road riding skills and there will be an opportunity to cover topics not usually covered in CBT (such as filtering or overtaking) if required.
- Spending long sessions watching another student who has never ridden before while they learn the basics
- Being put aside while the instructor spends most of the time working with beginners
- Simply tagging along on a road ride while a novice learns how to cope with simple roadcraft
- Being told how to fasten your helmet up or where to find the front brake when you've been riding every day for the last 2 years!
Because we are not having to start from the beginning there should be time savings. The course on average takes about half a day. This includes a full 2 hours or more on the road. A course starting at 10am may finish about 2pm unless there are shortfalls in skills or knowledge.
Yes, if your CBT is current and so long as your bike is road legal, insured, taxed, Mot'd if necessary, in roadworthy condition and has L plates front and rear.
No more than 2. This is a higher level of teaching and a strict 1-to-2 ratio is observed.
Far from it. The Motorcycle Industry and DVSA approves of a client centred approach to training. This means using and building on prior knowledge and skills. A CBT retake listed with complete beginners is a missed opportunity to learn something new and improve your riding. A recent document* presented to Parliament in December 2014 by the Motorcycle Industry (to which our school contributed through the MCIA CBT Review response) suggested that CBT retakes should be more than just a repeat of the first basic level course and should be heavily road-based. Listing retake students separately should be seen as best practice.
* Realising the Motorcycling Opportunity: A Motorcycle Safety and Transport Policy Framework *
