Newbie

Discussion in 'Introduce Yourself...' started by Annie, Jan 30, 2017.

  1. Annie

    Annie New Member

    Messages:
    14
    Hello:)
    I am such a newbie that I have not got my scooter yet as I failed my CBT on Friday..Hoping to get more active on the forum once I manage to complete CBT, in the mean time any advice for very basic scooter riding etc would be appreciated! I feel like a complete idiot not getting to go on the road on an automatic scooter on my CBT but would think I'm not the first one?!
     
  2. torpedo01

    torpedo01 Active Member

    Messages:
    500
    Rides:
    Pedal Bike M8
    No such thing as failing we all need to learn and your instructor will give you the certificate as soon as he/she thinks you are safe enough we all learn somehow I didnt complete my first CBT first time either best advice we can give you is to listen to your instructor and dont stress about it all
     
  3. Annie

    Annie New Member

    Messages:
    14
    Thanks for the advice:) Just wondering what the normal rate for extra lessons would be? I contacted the place where I had the CBT and asked what I needed to do next to complete the CBT, and the teacher suggested a 2 hours one on one lesson to begin with, to the cost of £130. And then a reduced cost to complete the CBT,but I am not sure how much this would be ( will ask tomorrow)

    I though that was rather expensive but don't know much about the going price at the moment (Dorset). I saw another place advertising a CBT extra (over 2 days) for £240 so I am considering if this might be a better option? Will see tomorrow as I have been in touch with some different places and asked about their cost and cost for extra lessons.
     
  4. Tamiyacowboy

    Tamiyacowboy Pippa's Owner

    Messages:
    1,850
    Rides:
    Piaggio Skipper
    welcome to the scooter shack Anne

    no such thing as a newbie when it comes to the CBT, yes i passed both mine on the first goes, but i had been riding a lotta years before then.
    on both my tests people did not get the road ride, it happens and your instructor needs to be sure your ready for those open roads and your ability to control the scooter safely .

    Relax is the key, its NOT an exam its a fun day out where you gain the ability to learn to ride a scooter safely and with confidence , we all have our own speed at what we learn new things at so do not fret one bit. before you sit your cbt calm your nerves listen to your fave tunes, take a flask of tea with you and have a warm drink to help your settle and relax. if you feel a little stressed out step back take a few nice deep breaths in and out and let those first nerves settle.

    as this will be your second time its not so much a shock to the system , never be afraid to ask your instructor advice or helpful tips either, they are there to help you learn to ride , not make you feel uncomfy with yourself and the machine.... if you know someone that has a little scooter and some private land maybe see if they can let you have a little ride about and get accustomed to the handling of the machine, a freindly face is always a settling one. if not ask your cbt place what areas need work on and if they can do short learn session . also shop around and see what other cbt providers charge for learner lessons ;)

    Madmags has just passed her CBT maybe PM mags and get some pointers how she relaxed and got the jitters settled :)
    Good luck on your re-take and keep us posted on your journey to your CBT

    :)
     
  5. Stevep

    Stevep Well-Known Member

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    5,895
    What do you feel was the problem?
    Have you ridden a scooter at all in the past?
     
  6. Annie

    Annie New Member

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    14
    Hi Stevep,

    I did not feel confident at all, and did not do well with the slow control and my hands and brain did not work together. It was a bit of a shambles really so I would have chosen not to go on the road even if the instructor had said I could. I admit it was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be and it has really knocked my confidence, to the point I am not sure id I can do it?! I feel stupid since it was on an automatic scooter and people say things like "how can anyone fail a cbt on an automatic" etc..I have been in contact with different schools for advice and pricing etc and will hopefully hear back today. And I'm actually sat here thinking if I should maybe just get a pushbike...

    Wow, that all sounded super negative!!
     
  7. Annie

    Annie New Member

    Messages:
    14
    Forgot to answer your question, I was on a moped for a bit when I was 16 as an activity in school but this was not in the UK so different rules and I did go on the road but there was no such thing as a CBT, just rode around with a group of people and instructor.Had plans to get my license then but other things got in the way. I find it a bit strange because I tried both twist and go and a geared moped and I could do both of them fine back then! This is 16 years ago though..
     
  8. gilburton

    gilburton Active Member

    Messages:
    558
    A pushbike might be a good idea on a temporary basis just to get the feeling of being on 2 wheels and possibly if you could find a cheap electric one it might help you find your balance.
    My son (in his thirties) failed the CBT and actually came off on the road.
    He did get the CBT the next time but he was not confident.
    His problem was cornering as he had never really been on pushbikes either even when he was young.
    I took him out on the back of my 900 and showed him how to corner and the technique of "counter steering".
    It took a little while but when we came back he suddenly got it and was keen to get out on his 125 bike and it was a job to get him off lol
    Whereabouts in the country are you and I'll have a look online to see if there is anything in your area.
     
  9. scubabiker

    scubabiker NITROJUNKIE

    Messages:
    7,321
    my mum failed her CBT 2 times. it takes some people longer than others, but keep trying. she now rides a big bike and did her DAS (which she also failed 2 times!)
    listen to the instructor and try and relax a bit, if you are stressing it will be difficult, relax and its easy.
     
  10. Mackay

    Mackay New Member

    Messages:
    5
    Welcome, please don't give up! You will get there. It is worth it.

    I took my CBT last Monday on a geared 125 and only just scraped through and I have been riding a 50cc scooter for nearly 8 years. I really struggled to get my head round the gears, clutch and footbrake especially in the slow maneuvers. As others have said the key is to relax (easier I know than it sounds) I nearly gave up on several occasions during the CBT, but, I listened to everything the instructors told me and focused on thinking of it as training and fun and not a test as such. When I did start to relax I started to enjoy it and get a buzz from it, then things started to become more natural. I was really not confident to get out for the road bit but I found that when actually out on the road things started to come more naturally.

    I kept looking down at what my hands were doing and it was only once the instructors told me to keep looking up did things start to become more natural.

    In a sense once you master the slow stuff actually riding with more speed is easier.

    Ignor the people who say things like "how can anyone fail a cbt on an automatic" if they can't say anything helpful or constructive they should keep there mouths shut! :)

    Stick with it you will get there and look back on it with a smile.
     
    scubabiker likes this.
  11. Stevep

    Stevep Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    5,895
    I was actually thinking the same thing as Gilburton, grab yourself cheap pushbike, just to get your head around the two wheel balance/braking/cornering aspect of things again. Plus getting aclimatised to the road and cars on an open vehicle.
    Pushbikes are surprisingly similar to automatic scooters, the only difference being it has an engine.
    The front and rear brakes are the same, they corner the same, they balance the same, and the potholes are the same.
    And if you're good enough, the speed is the same.;)
     
  12. gilburton

    gilburton Active Member

    Messages:
    558
    Just to add possibly a change of CBT instructor might help or if you can find a friend with a scooter and try some off road tuition?
    I wasn't too impressed by the cost of the extra 2hrs tuition as some places will do it for free until you pass.
    My local CBT place says that if you don't pass the off road part you will be asked to go home and return for another session at a cost of £40 for bike hire so there are better deals out there especially if you didn't get on with the instructor or for cost reasons.
    Check out other CBT courses.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2017
    scubabiker likes this.
  13. madmags

    madmags Member

    Messages:
    42
    I took my CBT on Saturday and I think the most important bit is to remember this is not a test, but an opportunity to learn. If you're not sure how to do something, or you're looking for advice on techniques (like for slow control), ask your instructor, they should be happy to help. Ours told us from the start that if we had any doubts, we should ask, even if we think we'd look stupid by making him repeat things. Trust me, it's better than pretending everything is fine and then not having the confidence to actually ride.

    Stevep has the right idea: a pushbike will give you some preparation for riding a moped/scooter. Riding it will give you the opportunity to practice balancing, control at turns, braking etc. I've been riding a bicycle for nearly 8 years (mainly in London) and I didn't think it would come in handy when doing my CBT, so I was surprised when it did.

    For slow control turns, try to loosen your body a little and move your hips in the opposite direction to the one you're turning. It sounds daft, but it works :D
     
  14. Annie

    Annie New Member

    Messages:
    14
    Thank you all so much for advice and encouragement:) I have decided to stick with it and will pass my CBT, no matter how long it should take! I have found some better alternatives to the price I was initially given on my first CBT extra training and I will call up tomorrow to book. I suppose I was sure I was gonna successfully complete CBT first time around so was very disappointed when this did not happen. But I do really want to get a scooter and work towards becoming a good and safe driver and luckily I have some savings earmarked for lessons, scooter, gear etc so this is a good time to do it. Funny how some encouragement can help your attitude so much:)

    I think I will still find the next CBT hard too, but I will try my best to relax and at least I know a bit more what to expect this time around! Would any of you guys know how much I could expect to pay in insurance? I think I will go for fully comp and will be using the scooter to work 5 days a week, approximately 19 miles a day. My first scooter will be a Longjia as a friend is selling for a good price, in full working condition. Any advice for where to get some decent but not too expensive safety gear is also very welcome (what would you say is the minimum you need;jacket, boots, trousers etc?).

    Have a nice evening everyone and thanks for good comments!
     
  15. gilburton

    gilburton Active Member

    Messages:
    558
    Some CBT places will give extra lessons before your CBT just to give total novices a bit more time to get familiar with the scooter.
    Too many variables to get an idea on insurance as it depends on age/area/scooter etc.
    The scooter you are thinking of buying is a Chinese make. Just make sure you have somewhere local(or know someone) who will maintain it for you.
    There are a lot of scare stories re Chinese scooters some more true than others but I've found if you maintain them and are prepared to wash and polish them regularly they are not too bad.
    Plenty of spare parts are available cheaply on line.
    Going back to insurance go on a comparison site eg Gocompare or similar and check out what it will cost and you can play around with third party fire and theft or comp.
    Your scooter won't be worth a lot because it is Chinese but watch the excess costs of the various quotes as you sometimes find especially with third party you won't get anything back as the excess might far outweigh the cost of the scooter.

    There are a few videos on youtube if you search for scooter CBT so might give you some tips from different places.

    Try a bit of twerking on the scooter lol and you'll find it responds.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2017
  16. Tamiyacowboy

    Tamiyacowboy Pippa's Owner

    Messages:
    1,850
    Rides:
    Piaggio Skipper
    Stick at it Annie , and when you pass your going to be SUPER PROUD OF YOURSELF , you can hold aloft that bit of paper and shout to the world F .. .Yeah i done it :)

    jackets you can pick up second hand on gumtree and likes and trousers to, boots some good stiff waterproof boots will be ideal , stealtoe cap boots will make your toes colder but do offer a bit extra crush protection.
    gloves , there are two types , summer gloves and winter gloves ( gauntlet style) i would go winter gloves you can pick these up cheap from around £15 in the bike stores.

    Helmet, please do not buy second hand , theres a lotta folks out there selling helmets on gumtree and likes that are used, but in all honesty you need to be 100% sure its a safe hat never been dropped or mistreated. they come in variety of prices from dirty cheap to very expensive. at the moment a lot of shops are selling good helmets with upto 50% of the marked prices to make way for the new 2017 models coming out.
    infinity motorcycles is one store, they have £70 helmets reduced to in some cases for £15 , the helemt is the thing that keeps your head intact in an accident so try to spend as much as you can on this item of bike gear.
     
  17. Annie

    Annie New Member

    Messages:
    14
    Thanks for your replies and I understand insurance can vary greatly so I will sit down and have a better look at this before I pick up my bike. I have heard a lot of bad stuff about Chinese bikes but I think for myself this will be a good first bike as I buy it fairly cheap, I know a mechanic that will look at it and fix if anything needed and I did not want to buy a very expensive bike as my first one. I reckon I can use this one to get more confident and then move on to something a bit more fancy once I become a decent rider.

    I will have a look at gumtree etc for used bike clothing but will definitely invest in a decent, new helmet. I do have quite a small head as well so will go somewhere I can try it on and make sure the size is correct. My bike will be parked in the little patio area in front of my flat, so I think I will get a rain cover to keep water out but also to keep prying eyes away. (Think it will be ok though, there are some more expensive scooters down the road haha)

    This might be a stoopid question but I have never had to deal with insurance before; do you have to pay this off in one chunk payment or can you set up for example monthly direct debit for this?
     
  18. gilburton

    gilburton Active Member

    Messages:
    558
    You can pay in instalments over a year if you find the cost too much.

    You are correct in getting a cheap bike so if it gets damaged it's not so much a problem.
    Get a chain as well as a cover or you might not have it long and if you can chain it to a post or railing even better.
     
  19. Tamiyacowboy

    Tamiyacowboy Pippa's Owner

    Messages:
    1,850
    Rides:
    Piaggio Skipper
    two options for insurance payment, you can lump sum it or spread it out over monthly payments , i myself pay via monthly direct debit i pay just under £9 a month. i ride a 50cc sym scooter ages 45yrs and third party fire-theft , the total yearly cost is around £107 .

    your road tax costs £17 and every year your mot costs £29
     
  20. Annie

    Annie New Member

    Messages:
    14
    Thanks again for replies and good advice! I now have a new Cbt booked for saturday and I am looking forward to it, while at the same time feeling very nervous! I did struggle with slow control (and confidence) and keeping my balance, any advice on this?

    And could anyone please clarify for me;
    Do you always use both brakes when comin to a stop or can you ease off throttle and come to a stop with rear brake?
    We were told never to break while turning, yet used back brake with throttle in slow control (figures of 8 etc)?

    I realise these questions might sound really stupid but need to know:)
     

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