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FULL LICENCE COURSES

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GETTING STARTED

For the majority of people wishing to ride a motorbike of any description, the first step is the day-long
Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course, which, as its name suggests, is an introduction to motorcycle
riding.

The course begins off road, getting used to the controls of the machine and simulating the kind of
manoeuvres that will later be practised on road. These include U-turns and emergency stops as well as
slow riding and generally getting you confident and comfortable on your motorcycle or scooter.

Slow control is a vital skill to master.

Once you have reached a safe standard (usually after about 3
hours of off road practice) it's time to put what you have learned
into practice out on the road. This part of the training is conducted
at a ratio of two students to one instructor, who is in constant
contact with you via bike to bike radios. During the two hour road
ride, there will be plenty of time to stop and talk about your riding,
the instructor helping you to become more confident on your
machine and pointing out areas which still require work.

Don't think of the CBT as a pass or fail test. It's a day of
assessment and instruction aimed at bringing you to a safe basic
standard of riding. With this achieved, a DL196, the CBT
certificate, will be issued which then enables you, licence
restrictions permitting, to ride up to a 125cc machine (either
geared or automatic, regardless of the machine you have done
the CBT on) with L-Plates for a period of up to 2 years. After this
time the certificate will expire, so you either need to re-do your
CBT or think about getting a full licence before that point.

FULL LICENCE COURSES

Once you hold a CBT certificate there are a variety of options available to you depending on your age,
experience and the kind of motorcycling you wish to enjoy.

A moped is any bike of 50cc only. On a full car licence, a moped can be ridden without L-Plates once
the CBT has been completed, and this then does not need to be retaken in 2 years time (so long as
the rider does not go onto a bigger machine). Mopeds can be ridden by 16 year olds on L-Plates with a
provisional licence once the CBT has been completed.

The CBT allows you to ride up to a 125cc machine on L-Plates. Getting rid of your
L-Plates (and therefore being able to take a passenger or use the motorways)
requires you to do your full licence test. The training and the test can be taken on
a 125cc machine, if you wish. This is ideal for anyone under 21 (and therefore not
old enough to do a Direct Access Course (see below) or for those who do not want
to go onto a bigger and heavier bike.

Things to remember about the Standard/ Restricted Licence:

1) for the next 2 years you will be restricted to a bike of no more than 33 bhp but
after this period your licence will automatically become full and unrestricted;

2) if you take your full test on an automatic machine, you will only be licenced to
ride automatics;

3) if your 125 is not capable of at least 100 kph, you will be given a LIGHT
MOTORCYCLE LICENCE. Unlike the Standard Licence, this only allows you to
ride a 125cc machine, nothing bigger, so check out the specifications of your
machine before taking your test. Generally speaking though, this is only an issue
with automatics as most gearerd 125s are more powerful;

4)under 5'4 tall you may well struggle to control a bigger bike and might be advised
to stick to a Standard Licence. After all, it's better to pass on a 125 than fail on a
500!

DIRECT ACCESS (DAS) COURSES

For riders of 21 or over, a DAS course will enable them to take their test on a
500cc motorcycle (or 46.6 bhp), which in turn will allow them to ride any size of
motorcycle immediately thereafter.

Training generally starts on the 125cc bike before moving up to the larger
machine.

Images courtesy of Yamaha Motor UK ltd. For a brochure call the brochure hotline on 01932 35812.

HOW MANY DAYS TRAINING?

Training courses vary in length from 1-6 days or more depending on individual requirements and
previous riding experience (if any). Courses run over the weekends as well as through the week.

A few options and scenarios are outlined below to give you an idea of how many days it'll take you to
get a full licence.

I'm a car driver but have no previous biking experience and want to do a DAS course.

No problem, so long as you can ride a push bike (ie. you have a sense of balance!) a 5 day course
will take you from CBT on day one to full test on day five!

I have a CBT certificate and am riding a scooter at the moment. I just want to get rid of my L-Plates
so I can take a passenger.

As you are already comfortable on your bike, and don't have the added complication of a bike with
clutch and gears, a 2 day course will suffice with the test on the second day.

I hold a CBT certificate and am riding a geared 125 at presesnt. I'm desperate to get something more
powerful!

Do a 3 day DAS course. Depending on the time you've been on the 125, you could find yourself
straight out on the 500 on the first day of training.

I have done a DAS course already with another school but failed my test.

A single day with the test in the afternoon could well be the key. Remember that if you're not sure
about the number of days to book, you can always come in one weekday afternoon and do a free
assessment. It's better to buy the right number of days, than try to scrimp on your training and end up
failing again!

I only hold a Provisional Licence but I would like to get myself a full motorcycle licence.

With limited road experience, it's probably a good idea not to book up a full licence course straight
away but to start off with the CBT and see how you get on from there. The CBT gives the instructors a
chance to assess your performance out on the road. If all goes well, they may suggest you book up
the remaining four days without delay. If the road section proves to be more challenging, it might be
an idea to book a Booster course (a whole day of on-road riding) and then reassess the situation after
that. Alternatively, once you've done the CBT, you might decide to buy yourself a cheap second hand
125 and get some miles under your belt before considering applying for the full test.

I have a full bike licence already but it's years since I passed my test and now I want to buy myself a
big bike.

There are plenty of people in your situation who are nervous about getting back on 2 wheels,
especially with today's powerful superbikes. Why not consider a one-to-one Executive training
session where you can call the shots and take things at your own pace? You'll love every minute of it!

I have a CBT certificate and am riding a sccoter at present. I have never been on a geared bike
before. However, I fancy getting a full motorbike licence.

You may well have to consider going back to square one without geared bike experience, this time
retaking your CBT on a motorbike with clutch and gears. Unless you are already comfortable on a
geared motorcycle it makes no sense to try and cut back on your training.

At Advantage, we also offer an Executive service. This is a one-to-one training session held
outside of normal course hours for those who may have difficulty taking time off work. Choose from
7.00am-8.45am or 5.00pm-6.45pm, although other times may be negotiable. This is not the cheap
option, but the one on one personal attention guarantees you maximum results for your money.

Unless you already hold some form of full motorcycle entitlement (such as a light motorcycle
licence), you will need to do a motorcycle theory test before you can take the practical test to get rid
of your L-Plates.

The theory test is done at a designated DSA test centre (eg. Kingston, Southwark or Croydon) and
the test is in two parts, taking about an hour to complete. You need to arrive 15 minutes before your
scheduled test to register and the results are issued upon completion. Both parts of the test need to
be completed successfully at the same sitting for a pass certificate to be issued.

So what's involved?

PART ONE: 35 multiple choice questions on a wide range of subjects. These include driving and
road conditions, highway code questions, motorcycling awareness and even the odd first aid
question-so be prepared for anything! The pass mark for this part of the test currently stands at 30
out of the 35 questions. A maximum of 40 minutes is allowed for this section of the test.

PART TWO: a 15 minute hazard perception test comprises 14 video clips of real road situations.
Candidates watch the video and click a mouse button every time they see a hazard developing.
Although you are advised not to click the mouse endlessly throughout the clip, you may find as you
watch, the situation changes and another hazard becomes evident (maybe because another vehicle
has come onto the scene, for instance) so you will need to click the mouse button again. A red flag
appears at the bottom of the screen to indicate that your response has been logged. The faster the
hazard is spotted, the greater your score from 5-1. Most clips just have one scoreable hazard to
watch out for, though one clip will have two!

Although it all sounds straight forward enough, this part of the test has proved tricky in reality and it
is worth doing a bit of swotting before you turn up, to give yourself the best chances of passing first
time round! (Give our office a ring for a few more pointers and some study guide suggestions.) The
pass mark for this part of the theory test has been gradually increased from its introduction in
November 2002 and currently stands at 44 out of a total of 75.

You can book the theory test direct yourself with the Driving Standards Agency or you can let us
organise it for you. Just remember if you're doing it yourself, state that you want a motorcycle theory
test and have a credit/ debit card to hand along with your driving licence number.

GOOD LUCK!

HOW TO BOOK

If you'd like to book a course, or if you've got any questions at all about anything you've seen on the
website, simply give us a call on 020 8687 2233. Alternatively you can send us an e-mail via
pass@thebikeschool.com by clicking the e-mail icon below. Remember, we're here to help!

Get 10% off clothing and accessories with local bike dealers when booking through Advantage Wimbledon!

More special offers to full licence customers upon passing!

Why pay more than you have to?!