Compulsory Basic Training (CBT)

Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) is the first stage for most people in learning to ride a motorbike. Before you can take a Compulsory Basic Training motorcycle course, you’ll need to hold a provisional driving licence or a full driving licence. If you’re 15 years and 9 months or older, you can apply for a provisional licence.

Compulsory Basic Training objectives

The CBT motorcycle course is all about teaching you the skills needed to ride a moped or lower-powered motorbike safely and competently. The focus is on road safety and obtaining a level of competency that you can build upon when riding alone.

When you choose us for your CBT motorcycle training, you’ll get access to RideFree pre-training resources. These online resources prepare you well for your course. The five modues cover:

• The Highway Code
• Hazard Perception
• Motorcycle clothing and equipment
• The importance of maintenance
• How a rider’s behaviour impacts them and other road user

This added bonus to our CBT course puts you ahead of other learner riders. When you complete these modules before your CBT training, you’ll get more time developing on-road skills with us. But most importantly, you’ll develop hazard perception skills and become a safer, more aware rider, faster.

There is no specific pass or fail test for the Compulsory Basic Training course. Certification is carried out by a qualified instructor. This same instructor will be with you throughout your training and will help you to improve your motorcycling skills.

Once your instructor sees you have reached the CBT standard, you’ll be certified with a DL196 and able to continue practising on your own.

Part B: Practical On-Site Training

This is your introduction to the motorcycle. You’ll get a feel for the weight and balance of a motorbike and be able to show your knowledge of how the motorcycle works at the end of this element. You won’t start riding until the next part, but you will be able to perform basic safety checks, understand the motorcycle’s controls, be able to start and stop the engine, be able to wheel the motorcycle and brake the bike to a standstill. You will learn these skills along with a maximum of three other students.

Part C: Practical On-Site Riding

Now you’ve covered the very basics, you can begin riding the motorcycle. Your motorcycle trainer will take you through some core skills. You’ll get to practice them until they’re happy you’re safe to be taken out on public roads. These skills and techniques include rear observation, the OSM routine (observation – signal – manoeuvre), and PSL routine (position – speed – look).

All these skills enable you to control the motorcycle safely when riding it. You’ll cover riding in a straight line, riding slowly, figure of eight riding, U-turns, braking, changing gears, emergency stopping, rear observation, and turning left and right. No more than three other students will accompany you on this part of the Compulsory Basic Training course.

Part D: On-Road Training

Once you have completed the off-road theory and practical training, you’ll need to be prepared for the on-road element. Your group may need to be split at this point. It is a legal requirement that a trainer manages no more than two students for all on-road parts of CBT motorcycle training. Part D of the on-road training is purely theoretical, and your trainer will take you through all the information and theory needed to understand how to legally and safely ride on the road. These are the foundations of motorcycle riding and cover essential points such as:

• Legal requirements for riding on the road
• Being visible to other road users
• The vulnerability of motorcyclists
• Highway Code
• Speed
• Road positioning
• Distances to maintain between you and other vehicles
• Rear observation
• Anticipating hazards and other drivers’ behaviour
• Road surfaces
• Weather conditions
• Hazard perception
• Rider attitude
• Drugs and alcohol

Part E: Practical On-Road Riding

This is the final element of the CBT motorcycle course, throughout which your trainer will assess if you are ready to ride on the road on your own. If they believe this to be the case, they will then issue you with a CBT certificate (DL196).

You’ll ride on the road with your trainer (and possibly one other student) for a minimum of two hours and be in radio contact with your trainer throughout this time. You will need to demonstrate that you are able to cope with a variety of traffic conditions in a safe manner. Your trainer will request you to stop and discuss various aspects of your riding. They’ll also explain how you can put into practice the theory from earlier in your training. The Compulsory Basic Training certificate (DL196) will only be signed when your trainer is confident you are safe to continue learning to ride on your own.

To ride without L plates and avoid the need to take a CBT course again in two years’ time to continue riding on the road, you will need an AM licence, or higher depending on your age.

After getting your CBT

Once you complete your CBT, you’ll receive a certificate (DL196). This proves you have successfully completed the motorcycle training course.

If you wish to ride without L plates, carry a pillion passenger, ride on the motorway or avoid the need to retake the CBT every two years, you’ll need to obtain a full licence, which includes a theory and practical test.