What is a CBT?
This is the first course riders must complete to ride unaccompanied on the road on a 50cc moped or 125cc motorcycle. The CBT is also where the skills are initially formed to ride a large capacity machine.
The CBT is a legal course made up of 5 elements-
- A. Licence & eyesight check along with Aims of the CBT course & safety equipment chat.
- B. Introduction to controls, safety checks, manual handling, starting & stopping the engine.
- C. Basics of riding leading to development exercises and road junction practice.
- D. Classroom discussion about aspects of how to ride on road safely.
- E. Road ride using radios to develop safe riding.
These elements have a little more involved, but this is gives you an idea of the course.
Licence Categories
If you are 16 years old your provisional license should have an in date category P for your Moped entitlement (on the back of your green card part of your licence) this will allow you to ride a 50cc moped with a CBT certificate.
If you are 17 or over the provisional category A entitlement will commence from your 17th birthday or when the licence was issued. It is this entitlement that allows you to ride a 125cc machine with a CBT certificate. This category will be on your card part, unless you have passed your car test, then it will be on your paper counterpart instead of your pink card.
When gained, your CBT certificate validates these entitlements allowing you to ride on road on a suitable machine. The CBT certificate gives you the choice to train for your full motorcycle test.
CBT Key Tips
The CBT course is usually completed in a day with people who already use the road, however this may be a struggle/unrealistic without prior road knowledge.
To gain this prior knowledge if you are not a car driver dig out or borrow a pedal bike and use the highway code/internet to learn and practice road rules. Maybe ask someone you know who drives how they negotiate different hazards such as traffic lights and roundabouts (they may take you out in the passenger seat and let you watch how they use the road), any extra work you can put in will show during the day and always reaps benefits. These things will be covered on the course but it is essential to have an understanding of basic road rules, as well as good machine control, to pass in a day.
Without prior highway code knowledge it is unlikely you will pass and you may have to come back and spend more time road riding. If you are not prepared to invest time in yourself and develop your skills you may be disappointed in your performance. Remember you don’t need to be a good rider; that will come in time; just safe.