Last weekend, a few employees here at Safely Insured went and got their CBT licences with Vision Motorcycle Training, a training company we’d highly recommend.

We spoke with Alex who took part in the day, and found out all about what happens when you actually go for your CBT. But first, let’s talk about what CBT actually stands for…

What does CBT stand for?

CBT stands for ‘Compulsory Basic Training’. It’s a preliminary course for those of you who want to be moped, scooter, and motorbike users / riders. The training provides you with the essential knowledge of how to use the motorcycle in question, how to use its controls correctly, and also teaches you how to ride the motorcycle safely (this is a necessity for when you’re out on the road).

The CBT isn’t a ‘pass or fail’ test. It’s simply designed to give you the skills you need to get out on the road, but it is a legal requirement (except for in a very few amount of cases). You could find yourself with a fine of up to £1000 and 6 points on your license if you do not have a valid CBT certificate. For more information on CBT, visit the government website.

What happens on the day?

We spoke with Alex, our sales manager, who went along on the day. When he got back, he told us all about how the day panned out, and exactly what happened, step-by-step. Here’s what he had to say:

We arrived at Vision Motorcycle Training early (8:00am), and started with the absolute basics: why you wear a helmet and protective clothing, how to choose clothing that’s best for you, and what’s legal a requirement (and what’s not).

Once everyone understood that, we then headed out onto the private course to meet the bikes we’ll be using for the day – 125cc Yamahas and 50cc Peugeot mopeds.

If you’ve never ridden before then you’ll likely find yourself nervously excited, perhaps even slightly intimated, but itching to have a go. Over the next few hours we learnt everything, from: pulling away, turning, manoeuvring, positioning, emergency stops, and how to apply all of this safely. This soon becomes the clear ‘theme of the day’.

Once we’d had a break and familiarised ourselves with the Highway Code, we headed out onto the road for a couple of hours to put all of our newly acquired knowledge into real life practise. This part was exciting and almost barely believable, can you really go from having never ridden a bike, to competently and safely riding on the road all within the same day? Well, yes, you can. Once on the road, it’s 2 trainees to one instructor who rides very close at the back and is in constant radio contact (which is reassuring). Confidence quickly builds, this was the case especially after we navigated some busy junctions and roundabouts. Even on our learner bikes, it was great fun and highly enjoyable.

Back at the base, we’d all completed the assessment (you can’t technically pass or fail, as it’s not a test) but it still comes with a huge sense of accomplishment.

We used Vision Motorcycle Training – who we highly recommend. We would also like to say a huge thank you to Gibson Motorcycles who organised the day for us.