I found myself in this situation last year, at the age of 62, I hadn't ridden for 38 years. I took all the training (CBT, Mod 1 & 2 etc) and passed both MODs at the second attempt. I now have a 650 and I consider that I am still a beginner - on every ride I feel my confidence grow. Sometimes i have a good ride, and sometimes I think that I am not really improving - I am very self-critical and if i do something wrong I give myself a talking to. The whole thing has been a great experience and I have re-found my love of motorcycling. I would say to anybody getting in to biking for the first time, or after a long break, get trained with a reputable riding school, get out on the bike after your CBT as much as you can to build your confidence, and remember to enjoy the experience.
im 62 also and this all sounds familiar lol, i know a lot of my mistakes are as a result of getting over confident sometimes when it's going well, and can do things like take corners a tad too quickly and have to brake at the wrong time, making me feel a right pratt, but as you say being self critical and knowing what you did wrong definately helps ingrain better habits. GL
I have to compliment you on how calm and incentivating instrutor you are. I really wish you were my instrutor. I'm having a difficult time with mine but your vídeos have been helping me a lot! Thank you SIR!
you are a really good teacher, some motorbike teachers aren't patient or as polite as you, i wouldn't mind doing my big bike training with you as i have done my cbt and theory test now
For anyone unsure re having a go.... I owned a geared moped in early 1980's , (then legally ridden without instruction). 35 years later I did my Theory CBT & DAS followed by additional rider development. Vid's here help massively..Channel host a superb Instructor & rider....Well done to all the 3 students......Thanks 👍 🏍
This was a masterclass on many levels. I'm not going to say bad things about where I did my CBT and DAS but man what a difference in attitude and basic approach.
26 this year, had to support myself financially since I've been 16. Feel incredibly behind in life, watching all my friends learn to drive with the support of their parents. Finally managed to amount some money together for a DAS, seeing this video and the student also with 0 experience is a big confidence boost. Thank you for your videos; any additonal advice for a newbie would always be appreciated 🙌🏼
@leornoc608 thanks for your comments, i am glad the video is helpful. Also glad that you are learning to ride and I hope you enjoy the process. My advice would be to not rush anything, learn as much as you can and dont stop learning, dont get involved in risky behaviour on a bike and only ride with people you feel safe with. Not all bikers give good advice! But ultimately, enjoy your training, your riding and your bike. I wish you well and please keep watching.
You’re an amazing instructor. I did my CBT last week and unfortunately did not feel confident enough to do the road ride. I don’t want to completely blame my instructor as that’s only a factor but it would have been nice to have someone so patient with a focus on building the foundational skills instead of how rushed it felt. Keep up the good work!
Don’t be disheartened. Find another school or instructor and try again. I passed my CBT with one school but due to one instructor I didn’t feel confident with gears. I went to a Honda dealer that also has a training school, had a taster session and ended up buying one of their ex-training bikes! A little Honda CB125F. I will be using them for my DAS, hopefully in October. Keep going, it’s worth it. 👍🏻
Your instruction and method of teaching is very similar to the instructor I had and I found it really helped. Calm, direct instruction with helpful tips and guidance.
How refreshing to see you at work Phil, when i did my CBT, I had never ridden a motorcycle, at the age of 60,my instruction was nothing like this, i've cycled for over 50 years,d riven for 40, but do feel i was rushed through the CBT, had to vhave an extra session to get signed off from that, then left to my own devices for 2 years. I did go back to the same riding school, for my A2 licence, hobsons choice as they were the only school in my area with A2 compliant Scooter, i did pass, but i did feel i was rushed through. If i hadn't had my previous cycling and driving experience, i doubt if i would have been so confident to do so.
Nicely done, starting at the very basics is key and you took them through it calmly and confidently with no pressure. It's been a good 16 years since I've ridden and want to get in the saddle soon, I'll deffo be taking some lessons even though I have full bike licence and a good 6 years or so experience.
Thank you, yes that is a risk but one we consider. The necessity of gaining control with clutch tends to outweigh the risk of trying to have feet up straight away. It’s also useful as some riders need both feet down at closed junctions so they can get used to it. All the best
Thanks for the video. I was deflated not to pass into the road riding assessment part of the CBT in London very recently. I rode a couple of Intro sessions over the past two years and felt confident enough to take my first CBT. But on the day, it didn't go so well, being a bit rough on 125cc auto scooter and my handling/control wasn't there. I managed to do figure-of-8, U-turn, emergency stop, slow riding all ok. Very shaky on the mock-junction turn. Being a bit tense on the bike doesn't help but I felt the CBT format was a tad unforgiving for anyone being a nervous novice because there's minimal time for you to iron out any performance and confidence issues. Having fellow CBT riders on their 4-6th CBT only amplifies the mistakes (no mater how minor). I'm man enough to admit defeat and I'm weighing up my options. The dilemma is without more practice with a bike of my own, how am I supposed to pick up the experience? Would I have to bite the bullet and spend £x for more ITM lessons?
@crimsonorc thanks for your post, sorry to hear that you didnt complete your cbt. But, if you really want to ride, dont give up. Its a myth that CBT is a days course and many people take more than a day to complete it. If you can find a school who will do lessons for you where you can practice more then do that, with no pressure. If you have successfully completed up to Element D of the CBT, technically you just need to keep building timer on road to complete Element E. But, if as you say you are tense, then do some more off road practice to become more at one with the bike before going back to Element E. Please dont worry about how other riders are, CBT was originally designed for practice before someone went for a full licence, a 4+ repeat of a CBT every 2 years whilst possible wasnt the original intention! If you want it and with the help from the right school/instructor, you will complete your CBT. All the best
Off topic a bit but what do you think about electric bikes? Without the clutch I feel I would not have enough control at slow speed turns etc. I have a DIY ebike and throttle without peddling possible ( off road private land of course ) but the control is definitely lacking at slow speeds tight turns etc. On a electric bike I would have the rear brake to drag of course which is where the control will come from, I have this on the ebike but doesn't really give the fine control that a clutch plus rear brake gives ... I need to test ride a zero SR to find out for certain but no one really mentions this aspect of electric bikes on reviews...
@FlyingFun. thank you for the thoughts on this. I have ridden an electric bike, not my thing tbh. I found it soulless and bland, although very quick. I agree with your control issues, back brake was the controller in the same way it would be for an auto. However, the power is very rapid, so much so that one customer (experienced biker) who was demo'ing a bike crashed when pulling away, probably due to too much acceleration stepping the rear wheel out. Im firmly sticking with the ICE! All the best
Genuine question from someone who is tootling around on a 125 (with my cbt)…how much training does the average person need when they move to the bigger bikes? I’m looking to do my A licence later this year. I passed my motorcycle theory in December of 2022, and my cbt in January of 2023…I’ve had my trusty Honda CB125F since then, and have been riding round quite a bit on it, though I still have nervous moments at times. I’ve been driving cars for 12 years, so my road awareness etc is pretty decent…just wondering how people find it going from cbt to A licence with bigger bikes? Thanks
Many riders in a similar situation to yourself would go on a 4 day intensive DAS course and a good percentage would pass mod 1 & 2 on day 4. But please be aware that there is still so much to learn after achieving a full licence. Good luck with it all.
@@MotorcyclePWRthank you for taking the time to respond. Like any type of licence, I think the learning really starts when you get the licence and get out on the road on your own….i spoke to my local riding school about a DAS course but they said I might not need that 🤷🏼♀️ I think I’ll go for some big bike lessons and see what they suggest. Thanks again though, I appreciate it!
That was a pleasure to watch, teaching by encouragement and clear explanation in an easy manner. Take note shouty Instructors. 👍
Fantastic effort by all, and thanks for letting the instructor film you've enlightened and helped a lot 😊 great work instructing buddy keep it up!👍
I found myself in this situation last year, at the age of 62, I hadn't ridden for 38 years. I took all the training (CBT, Mod 1 & 2 etc) and passed both MODs at the second attempt. I now have a 650 and I consider that I am still a beginner - on every ride I feel my confidence grow. Sometimes i have a good ride, and sometimes I think that I am not really improving - I am very self-critical and if i do something wrong I give myself a talking to. The whole thing has been a great experience and I have re-found my love of motorcycling. I would say to anybody getting in to biking for the first time, or after a long break, get trained with a reputable riding school, get out on the bike after your CBT as much as you can to build your confidence, and remember to enjoy the experience.
im 62 also and this all sounds familiar lol, i know a lot of my mistakes are as a result of getting over confident sometimes when it's going well, and can do things like take corners a tad too quickly and have to brake at the wrong time, making me feel a right pratt, but as you say being self critical and knowing what you did wrong definately helps ingrain better habits. GL
biggup the silver riders! :)
I have to compliment you on how calm and incentivating instrutor you are. I really wish you were my instrutor. I'm having a difficult time with mine but your vídeos have been helping me a lot! Thank you SIR!
thank you, glad the vids help and hope the training goes well. all the best
you are a really good teacher, some motorbike teachers aren't patient or as polite as you, i wouldn't mind doing my big bike training with you as i have done my cbt and theory test now
For anyone unsure re having a go....
I owned a geared moped in early 1980's , (then legally ridden without instruction). 35 years later I did my Theory CBT & DAS followed by additional rider development.
Vid's here help massively..Channel host a superb Instructor & rider....Well done to all the 3 students......Thanks 👍 🏍
Thanks AW8, your ongoing support much appreciated. Hope all is well with you? All the best
@@MotorcyclePWR NP... Generally OK here TY👍
I think they all did fantastically well 👏🏻
You’re the man Phil! x
What a unique experience it was for these gents to practice together with very different levels of experience.
Apologies, gents and a lady :)
Wrote that before I realised.
Great overview of some training. Relaxed and well informed.
Always nice to watch you with students. They all did brilliant and being filmed too!
This was a masterclass on many levels. I'm not going to say bad things about where I did my CBT and DAS but man what a difference in attitude and basic approach.
26 this year, had to support myself financially since I've been 16. Feel incredibly behind in life, watching all my friends learn to drive with the support of their parents. Finally managed to amount some money together for a DAS, seeing this video and the student also with 0 experience is a big confidence boost. Thank you for your videos; any additonal advice for a newbie would always be appreciated 🙌🏼
@leornoc608 thanks for your comments, i am glad the video is helpful. Also glad that you are learning to ride and I hope you enjoy the process. My advice would be to not rush anything, learn as much as you can and dont stop learning, dont get involved in risky behaviour on a bike and only ride with people you feel safe with. Not all bikers give good advice! But ultimately, enjoy your training, your riding and your bike. I wish you well and please keep watching.
You’re an amazing instructor. I did my CBT last week and unfortunately did not feel confident enough to do the road ride. I don’t want to completely blame my instructor as that’s only a factor but it would have been nice to have someone so patient with a focus on building the foundational skills instead of how rushed it felt. Keep up the good work!
Don’t be disheartened. Find another school or instructor and try again. I passed my CBT with one school but due to one instructor I didn’t feel confident with gears.
I went to a Honda dealer that also has a training school, had a taster session and ended up buying one of their ex-training bikes! A little Honda CB125F. I will be using them for my DAS, hopefully in October.
Keep going, it’s worth it. 👍🏻
That was great, I was actually feeling a bit of the excitement of them as they were getting used to things.
Your instruction and method of teaching is very similar to the instructor I had and I found it really helped. Calm, direct instruction with helpful tips and guidance.
How refreshing to see you at work Phil, when i did my CBT, I had never ridden a motorcycle, at the age of 60,my instruction was nothing like this, i've cycled for over 50 years,d riven for 40, but do feel i was rushed through the CBT, had to vhave an extra session to get signed off from that, then left to my own devices for 2 years.
I did go back to the same riding school, for my A2 licence, hobsons choice as they were the only school in my area with A2 compliant Scooter, i did pass, but i did feel i was rushed through.
If i hadn't had my previous cycling and driving experience, i doubt if i would have been so confident to do so.
Great teaching technique. That brings back memories....😬
Nicely done, starting at the very basics is key and you took them through it calmly and confidently with no pressure.
It's been a good 16 years since I've ridden and want to get in the saddle soon, I'll deffo be taking some lessons even though I have full bike licence and a good 6 years or so experience.
This brings back memories when I did my direct access 24 years ago
really good video, clearly a good and clear instructor
Great job by all, awesome slow U turns.
Fantastic job, just wonderful. What about the risk factor associated with walking the bike? Might the students catch their calves on the footpegs?
Thank you, yes that is a risk but one we consider. The necessity of gaining control with clutch tends to outweigh the risk of trying to have feet up straight away. It’s also useful as some riders need both feet down at closed junctions so they can get used to it. All the best
Thanks for the video. I was deflated not to pass into the road riding assessment part of the CBT in London very recently. I rode a couple of Intro sessions over the past two years and felt confident enough to take my first CBT. But on the day, it didn't go so well, being a bit rough on 125cc auto scooter and my handling/control wasn't there. I managed to do figure-of-8, U-turn, emergency stop, slow riding all ok. Very shaky on the mock-junction turn. Being a bit tense on the bike doesn't help but I felt the CBT format was a tad unforgiving for anyone being a nervous novice because there's minimal time for you to iron out any performance and confidence issues. Having fellow CBT riders on their 4-6th CBT only amplifies the mistakes (no mater how minor). I'm man enough to admit defeat and I'm weighing up my options. The dilemma is without more practice with a bike of my own, how am I supposed to pick up the experience? Would I have to bite the bullet and spend £x for more ITM lessons?
@crimsonorc thanks for your post, sorry to hear that you didnt complete your cbt. But, if you really want to ride, dont give up. Its a myth that CBT is a days course and many people take more than a day to complete it. If you can find a school who will do lessons for you where you can practice more then do that, with no pressure. If you have successfully completed up to Element D of the CBT, technically you just need to keep building timer on road to complete Element E. But, if as you say you are tense, then do some more off road practice to become more at one with the bike before going back to Element E.
Please dont worry about how other riders are, CBT was originally designed for practice before someone went for a full licence, a 4+ repeat of a CBT every 2 years whilst possible wasnt the original intention!
If you want it and with the help from the right school/instructor, you will complete your CBT. All the best
Off topic a bit but what do you think about electric bikes?
Without the clutch I feel I would not have enough control at slow speed turns etc.
I have a DIY ebike and throttle without peddling possible ( off road private land of course ) but the control is definitely lacking at slow speeds tight turns etc.
On a electric bike I would have the rear brake to drag of course which is where the control will come from, I have this on the ebike but doesn't really give the fine control that a clutch plus rear brake gives ...
I need to test ride a zero SR to find out for certain but no one really mentions this aspect of electric bikes on reviews...
@FlyingFun. thank you for the thoughts on this. I have ridden an electric bike, not my thing tbh. I found it soulless and bland, although very quick. I agree with your control issues, back brake was the controller in the same way it would be for an auto. However, the power is very rapid, so much so that one customer (experienced biker) who was demo'ing a bike crashed when pulling away, probably due to too much acceleration stepping the rear wheel out. Im firmly sticking with the ICE! All the best
@MotorcyclePWR, what jacket and helmet do you wear? They look great with their hi-viz. 👍
Hi, the helmet is a BMW System 7 carbon and the hi viz is an air bag ready vented jacket made by Hideout Leather in Essex. Cheers
Genuine question from someone who is tootling around on a 125 (with my cbt)…how much training does the average person need when they move to the bigger bikes? I’m looking to do my A licence later this year. I passed my motorcycle theory in December of 2022, and my cbt in January of 2023…I’ve had my trusty Honda CB125F since then, and have been riding round quite a bit on it, though I still have nervous moments at times. I’ve been driving cars for 12 years, so my road awareness etc is pretty decent…just wondering how people find it going from cbt to A licence with bigger bikes? Thanks
Many riders in a similar situation to yourself would go on a 4 day intensive DAS course and a good percentage would pass mod 1 & 2 on day 4. But please be aware that there is still so much to learn after achieving a full licence. Good luck with it all.
@@MotorcyclePWRthank you for taking the time to respond. Like any type of licence, I think the learning really starts when you get the licence and get out on the road on your own….i spoke to my local riding school about a DAS course but they said I might not need that 🤷🏼♀️ I think I’ll go for some big bike lessons and see what they suggest. Thanks again though, I appreciate it!
New bike?
yes, just a work and winter hack really!