Where can i learn how to drive a motormike and which insurance company is the best?
Answers:
If you are wanting to learn to ride a bike in the UK, here's what you need to do.
Firstly, before you can even get on a bike with L-plates you need to complete a course known as a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) average price for this is around £90.
Your CBT is a one-day course run by your local bike training school and is a legal requirement. you have to be at least 17 years of age.
You need to have applied for a provisonal entitlement for motorcycles on your license to do this.
What to expect on your CBT:
You should turn up to your training school wearing (if you do not already have protective bike clothing) sturdy boots with good ankle protection, heavy jeans, and a good thick waterproof jacket. you will be supplied with a helmet, gloves and flouresent bib ONLY. you will find yourself in a group of 2-4 people (2 people per instructor on the road)
Your CBT is broken down into three parts.
Stage one is Classroom work - this is used to cover everything you should experience out there on the roads and off it; covering such topics as legal requirements, advice on kit, hazard perceptions, effects of weather, road traffic law, road signs, road surfaces, riding defensively etc
You'll then move onto stage two, which is familiarisation with the motorcycle. your instructor will take you out to your bike for the day (usually a honda CG125) which will be on an enclosed concrete/tarmac working area, known as "the pad". here, you will be shown how to operate the bike, basic maintanence, and how it works etc
you will then be shown by demonstration, how to start up the bike, put it into first gear, and how to drive from one side of the pad to the other. your instructor will have you do this also.
you will spend as much time as neccessary out there with your instructor on the 'Pad going through numerous excerises and simulated road junctions/situations with your instructor until it is deemed your are confident and competent enough to proceed to the next step. if you do not achieve this, your instructor will ask you to come back the following day (at no extra cost) to try again.
once you have completed the second stage, you usually break for lunch to give you a break.
after lunch, its back into the classroom again for a short period of time while your instructor runs over some points and briefs you on the third stage of your CBT, which is a 2-hour on the road assessed ride - this is usually conducted in quiet (often buisness parks) roads around the training center while your instructor takes you through the same excercises as you just completed previously on the pad.
your instructor will be right behind you in constant radio contact. he/she will stop you frequently and brief you on any points your riding has raised and warn you of anything up ahead they think you should know about.
If your riding proves confident enough, they will move you onto other routes nearby with varying traffic conditions to make sure you can deal with them.
after two hours, you return to the training center, where your instructor will give you your personal debriefing. you will then learn whether you have achieved your CBT certificate. if you have, you will be awarded it there and then and this entitles you to ride on L-plates for up to 2 years. If you have not achieved your CBT, you will be asked to return the following day to try again (at no extra cost)
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after you have completed your CBT, you then have a number of tests left to complete to achieve your full license.
You have to sit your theory test which includes Hazard perception. you need to achieve at least 30 out of 35 questions, and pass the hazard perception video - feed test to pass this.
after your theory test,you then have two options dependant on your age.
if you are under 21, you sit your restricted license test.
it is the same requirements of the full test only it is completed on a 125cc motorcycle - you are then restricted to a motorbike of no greater than 33bhp for two years. (most big bikes can be restricted to this)
if you are 21 or over, you instead sit a DAS course (Direct Access Scheme) which means half of your lessons and your test are completed on a motorbike of 500cc. this allows you to then buy any size of bike.
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as far as insurance goes, shop around. their is one specialist insurance company who do cover for new and learning 125 riders called Rampdale who offer extremely good value for money.
best bet is to ring around as many as possible, get prices, and then ring each company back and say what else you have been offered and can they offer a better deal &/or match it.
Look for the MCN (motorcycle news) newspaper which is released on a thursday they have many advertisements for insurance companies. Either than, or try BikeTrader (motorcylce version of auto trader) or any motorcycle magazine such as Two Wheels Only, Bike, Ride Magazine etc.
All these are available in any place that stocks magazines! lol !
For advice on how to go about gaining your bike license contact the DSA via their website and they will be able to put you in touch with DSA-approved training centers in your area.
Either that, or have a flick through the Yellow Pages and ring around through the advertisements - the MCN and the other bike magazines are also a good source of information here.
If you are still stuck, contact the BMF (british motorcycle federation) or MAG (motorcycle action group)
Last word of advice - when you pass your test, contact your local traffic office and ask to apply to join a BikeSafe course. this is a police - run program which is a series of talks and police-assessed rides which bikers can participate in. they are absolutely fanatstic and not an oppertuntity to be missed!! if you are going to learn to be a better rider from anyone, it may as well be the best !
Good luck !
ALL INSURANCE COMPANIES WILL INSURE YOU
AS TO CLASSES ASK YOUR POLICE AND SEE WHO IS BEST AT TRAINING TO RIDE AND WHAT TO DO IN MANY WAYS TO AVOID HAZORDS
you can get all new rider info here : http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/conte.
not every insurance company will insure motorcycles, progressive or geico are very reasonable.
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