CBT motorbike test question!

Ian D J

Ian D J

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Ian D J
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Hi. I'm about to become the proud owner of a brand new 125 cc yamaha motorbike (YBR 125 custom) as I'm giving up the car in favour of two wheels. After 17 years of driving, I'm bored of the expense and hassle with owning a car of one sort or another that I'm giving it up in favour of the motorbike.

Now, I know I will need to take a CBT test before I am able to ride my brand new 125 CC bike legally, I'm not worried about that as it should all be routine stuff, the law is the law, etc, etc.
But apparently you have to take another CBT test in two years time to get a full motorbike licence.
Bearing in mind that I won't want to get anything bigger and better than what I'm about to own (I'm 43 years old, too old to risk life and limb by racing around). I just want to be a casual commuter-type rider, just to work and home on a bike - hence I don't really need that full motorbike licence.
With that in mind, once I pass that initial CBT test, can I carry on riding the 125 CC bike while leaving the L plates on (no plans on carrying passengers) indefinitely, like what I used to be able to do in the 80's? (bear in mind I have a clean car driving licence since I passed my car driving test in 1990).

I have looked it up on t'interweb but ended up with asking myself more questions than there are answers! Talk about information overload!
 
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you can ride with L plates indefinately but you will need to do the CBT every 2 years

I used to ride a 125 scooter for 4 years before I passed my car test :)
 
from what i can remember it's like a car theory test, you have to take the cbt every 2 years to be able to ride without a full motorbike licence.

please correct me if im wrong as it's been a while since i looked into it :)
 
Cheers for the prompt replies. :thumbs:

So in short, I might as well go onto getting a motorbike licence to save me having to go through the CBT thing every two years - especially since it'll cost me over £100 every time!

Am going back to the motorbike shop tomorrow to sign some paperwork so I'm sure the shop owner will enlighten me some more. :)
 
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It's best to do the CBT anyway (as it will actually teach you the basics), even if you can ride on L plates with your driving licence (if you passed when you were a nipper). As long as you pass your test within those first 2 years following CBT, there's no repeat.

Bear in mind though that if you go for a full bike licence to add to your car, you'll also need to pass the theory and perception tests before you can put in for your bike test.

Passing your bike test on a 125, means that you are limited to 250cc for the first 2 years following full bike licence, then the world is your oyster. Given your age (my OH is 43 and has had his bike licence for nearly 3 years now), you may want to do the advanced test (you have a lesson, or weekend lessons on a bigger bike (400-450 I think), then you take the test on that and you are limitless from when you pass the practical).
 
Yeah, a CBT isn't so much a test (it wasn't when I did it), more of a half-day course.

They just teach you to control your bike. It's not really a pass or fail, it's just a turn up, do what your told, repeat what you're shown, get a piece of paper and go home.

Or at least it was when I last did it. The clue's in the name really; Compulsary Basic Training.
 
Am noting all this down, you are all being very helpful! :)

Like I said, I'm getting back to the old days of just commuting about on two wheels - used to do that in my early 20's back in the late '80s and early 90's, then I went and got my first car in 1993. Everything seemed so much simplier then! Get any bike up to 125 CC, stick L plates on and that's it, but now it's quite a different world.
I don't regret my decision to go back to two wheels, though.

Mind you, if the government came up with a CBT scheme for car drivers, my God, there'll be an uproar - and yet it's the car that is the bigger menace!
 
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I would suggest going for the full test anyway, you may find the urge to get a bigger bike most people do!
43 isn't old for bikes, a guy in his 82nd year by the name of Ted Fenwick recently won his class of race at the Billown circuit on the Isle of Man. :thumbs:
 
Hi my cousin is 60 and has been riding for 30 years + i remember when he started a Honda CB250 and after a while craved more, he has worked his way through many bikes now he has owned from new a Mint N reg triumph tiger 900 i think it's 16 years old correct me if i am wrong on that, but the N is at the front N*** ABC:eek:.

you may be left wanting after a while with a 125.


Regards merc
 
midsnick said:
I would suggest going for the full test anyway, you may find the urge to get a bigger bike most people do!
Click to expand...

Are you still limited to 33bhp for 2 years after passing your bike test unless you do the advanced test? Is the advanced test still over 21s only?
 
Yes, I knew somebody who passed their test, bought a GSX-R 750 and had it restricted to 33bhp until he was allowed to ride it at full capacity. :)
 
I did a CBT almost 2 years ago - and that was enough to show me that while I loved riding a bike it is not really for me (Old neck injury really played up).

What I would recommend is you find a school that do the CBT as a full day course. When I did mine the morning was learning bike control in their yard and then we went out for a three hour ride with varous manouvers included. Had I chosed to get a bike and use it regularly this would have put me way ahead of someone who had done a morning in the yards and 20 minutes on the road (As many schools do).
 
Hi everyone and thanks for all the response.

Now that the dust has settled, I have a much better idea what to expect. Of course I will have to take that CBT test then I'll get a certificate containing a number which I then can use to "release" the insurance.
I then have two years to ride the bike as normal (but with L plates and no passengers) but if I don't take an actual motorbike test then I have to take that CBT thing again.
But if I do take an actual bike test to get myself a motorbike licence, then I'll be going for the A1 one for "light motorbikes" as it'll be a long time before I'll be wanting to upgrade to a faster bike! It's just to stop me from having to retake that CBT thing every two years as basically I only want to use the bike to commute to work and home again and that's it.
The owner of the bike shop thought it was unfair for me to have to go through all that in my case as I'm 43 with a full car licence and have had experience of riding commuter bikes for years in the past before getting a car. But since I'm returning to the motorbike after a 15 years break, the law had changed over the years thus I have to be looked on as someone aged 16 who's never ridden a bike!
Oh well, the law's the law and this CBT'll come in handy anyway. Got the course booked in for mid-August. Could do it sooner but things are being very hectic on the job front (I'm a tomato farmer) so I'm waiting until when I'm on my three-weeks long holiday break in August then I can do it all in a much more relaxed fashion.
The bike itself is ready and on standby as it is stored in the bike shop, just have to be paitent (don't wanna rush things especially what with my greenhouse job and this hot weather!) but I just know the wait will be worth it when the time comes.

I don't regret it not one bit as I can't wait to see the end of the 4-wheels era.
 
I know money can be an issue - but if you have a decent break it may be worth seeing if they do a course that gets you a full license while you are off and how much it costs.

If I change my mind this is what I will do without a doubt.
 
From taking my CBT to passing my bike test was 4 weeks, and never ridden before that.
 
Wheels said:
From taking my CBT to passing my bike test was 4 weeks, and never ridden before that.
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Same here :) I was told it was actually better to not buy a bike until you pass your test. You also wont get into bad habits from riding on your own :) Enjoy the CBT :)
 
The 125s from yamaha are pretty nippy, mines a bit more powerfull than the ybr but just do pay attention while riding :D i came off mine the other week on a bit of mud that wouldn't phase a car, 150 quid repairs and 2 cracked ribs are a painfull reminder
 
My first was a little Yamaha too, RD125LC. Great lil thing. :)
 
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