Element B
Element B Practical on Site Training:
- Be familiar with the motorcycle, its controls & how it works
- Be able to carry out basic checks & take the bike on/off the stand
- Be able to wheel the machine around to the left and right showing proper balance and bring to a controlled halt
- Be able to start & stop the engine satisfactorily
What can go wrong here and what can I do to prepare?
This is where things get more serious, even so not much can go wrong here. Again, you can help yourself by reading your motorcycle/moped’s owner’s handbook. This will allow the instructor to move quickly through the basic checks.
Don’t expect to understand the controls straight away – this may take a little time to practice the co-ordination and remember what everything does. Make sure that when you are being taught this that the instructor is allowing you to touch the controls. A good instructor will use the daily checks as a chance for you to reacquaint yourself with what each control does.
Taking the bike on and off the stand can sometimes be a struggle, particularly for those of a lighter build. If you think this might be a problem, then it’s worth taking advantage of an Introductory Lesson before booking the CBT. That said this is a technique rather than a feat of strength. If using the centre stand is awkward for you then ask for a bike fitted with a side stand.
Wheeling the machine is straight forward and it is safe to say that 99.9% of people will not have a problem here. Likewise, with starting and stopping the machine.
Showing proper balance and bringing the bike to a controlled halt is where people will become unstuck if they have had little or no previous experience of balancing on two wheels. If you’ve not ridden a bicycle before then this should be strongly encouraged before booking a CBT.