revtothelimit - motorbike forum

I am thinking of training to become one. Any advice, tips etc

Thanks

@wull will be in touch shortly.

IIRC Spin and Bigyin are/were instructors.

I looked at it when I was 'stuck' in the UK for a couple of years! I did talk to someone from the old place, but my brian is not co-operating this morning and I can't remember who. They were very helpful and if I hadn't made the decision to move to France then I'd have actually done it!

I did buy the 390 Duke because of the plan, so it wasn't all bad!!

Cousin Jack wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 12:05 pm IIRC Spin and Bigyin are/were instructors.

@Bigyin definitely has most recent experience of working through the system for CBT & DAS accreditation.

He can also advise on the financial side of things. There are few rich bike instructors.

Deadpool2 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 11:46 am I am thinking of training to become one. Any advice, tips etc

Thanks

What groups do you want to train? What do you mean by 'a course'? What do you want to know?

Just as a slight hi-jack, is IAM worth doing?
Or does it turn you into Mr Hi Viz dullard?

Mr Moofo wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 2:01 pm Just as a slight hi-jack, is IAM worth doing?
Or does it turn you into Mr Hi Viz dullard?

Find your local group, ask whether they would do a free assessment for you.

Similar to Spin's list, what do you hope to achieve (hi-vis, boring & smelling of wee is not mandatory)?

Is it a general 'I could be better', or do you want to be 'faster', or have you noticed something about your riding that needs fixing, or ... ?

Mr Moofo wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 2:01 pm Just as a slight hi-jack, is IAM worth doing?
Or does it turn you into Mr Hi Viz dullard?

Some people merely adopt the Hi Viz, others are born into it, moulded by it.

Oi! I have to wear a hi viz when I am working and I dont smell of wee!


Well, not strongly.

Deadpool2 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 11:46 am I am thinking of training to become one. Any advice, tips etc

Thanks

Do it as a hobby as it doesnt pay enough to be a career unless you want to be in 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month or you are lucky enough to find a salaried position when fully qualified.

There are a few places that claim to teach you in a couple of weeks but i have no knowledge of how good they are as i went the usual route most do.

Step 1 is find a local school that will teach you. You wont get paid until you are qualified so hence treat it as a a hobby. I did mine at a local ATB (authorised training body) over a period of months starting with watching, helping and gradually taking on more parts of the CBT until i was doing complete CBT's as a downtrained instructor. This gives you a license to teach under a fully qualified instructors ticket. As soon as you start this downtrained bit you are assessed by the DVSA and have to reach a required mark but you get paid per lesson by this point.

Next step is to get your own CBT license which involves a 2 day assessment at one of the DVSA centres where they get you to do nominated lessons as an instructor but also as an assessing instructor. I did mine at Chaddington near Manchester which was my local one to Norfolk ffs. The pass rate at first attempt is about 35-40% in small groups of 3. When i did mine there were 9 of us between 3 assessors and only 4 passed with me and a lad from Cambridge being the 2 first attempts, the other 2 were second attempt. One who failed was deemed so poor/dangerous she had her downtrained ticket pulled as well.

The pass rate at second attempt is about 65% ......... you are only allowed 2 attempts then its a 12 month wait till you can try again.

Next step is to get the DAS authority to teach on bigger bikes to full license ...... The DVSA assessment for that is a half day session. Again i did mine at Chaddington in fecking biblical rain with an assessor on a CB650 pretending to be a DAS student.

I am now qualified to teach everything from CBT on peds and 125 geared bikes up to A1, A2 and A license and everything in between such as geared lessons, back to riding after a long lay off etc etc.

I now do it as a hobby a few days a month as i wasnt making enough money with the 3-4 days work i was getting at the school i am with as 1 instructor who was full time got most of the work and another got double my work as he had been there years. I was bottom of the food chain as the new bloke and no matter what i said my work level stayed low so i found another job that paid what i needed to continue working part time.

Any questions feel free to fire them across

David wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 4:02 pm Oi! I have to wear a hi viz when I am working and I dont smell of wee!

You're not the only one - I had a vast collection of 'work' PPE, including fleece, trizzers, overtrousers, jackets, vests, etc.

But, sadly, bought my first BMW in 1980, so the wee smell is too ingrained

Cousin Jack wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 12:05 pm IIRC Spin and Bigyin are/were instructors.

I was thinking more CBT sort of stuff, not the advanced stuff Spin does

Deadpool2 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 6:07 pm

Cousin Jack wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 12:05 pm IIRC Spin and Bigyin are/were instructors.

I was thinking more CBT sort of stuff, not the advanced stuff Spin does

Being my usual pessimistic self, be wary that turning a hobby into a job doesn't kill the pleasure.

And get comfy boots - you'll spend a lot of time walking around the training ground

Horse wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 6:34 pm
Being my usual pessimistic self, be wary that turning a hobby into a job doesn't kill the pleasure.

Good point as out of the 4 instructors at my place i am the only one who consistently gets out on the bike just for fun or does any touring, trackdays and shizzle. The others barely ride at all apart from training and maybe to a local bike meet once in a blue moon.

Horse wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 6:34 pm And get comfy boots - you'll spend a lot of time walking around the training ground

On the subject of boots dont wear bike boots as they get destroyed in a week or 2 so i tried walking boots for a while which were better but not perfect. I ended up with the trusty Altberg Defender army issue as my go to. Comfy, waterproof and durable

Thanks all. This is more of a hobby thing for me, not a career. I am trying to figure out what to do post retirement and if I don’t do something I will just veg.

Bigyin wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 7:26 pm

Horse wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 6:34 pm And get comfy boots - you'll spend a lot of time walking around the training ground

On the subject of boots dont wear bike boots as they get destroyed in a week or 2 so i tried walking boots for a while which were better but not perfect. I ended up with the trusty Altberg Defender army issue as my go to. Comfy, waterproof and durable

A vote for Daytona Road Star. Ok, I would only be doing one day a week, not 5 or 6, but they were comfy and didn't wear out over several years' use.

Deadpool2 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 7:32 pm Thanks all. This is more of a hobby thing for me, not a career. I am trying to figure out what to do post retirement and if I don’t do something I will just veg.

Pretty much what my plan was in all honest as i retired early. the money i made from 2-3 days a month was ok but didnt hit the target figure i had in mind for how i wanted to plan finances. Winter months with almost no work for 2 winters (350 quid before tax and fuel for Dec and Jan) made my decision to go back to a proper part time job.

I will keep my tickets valid by doing 2-3 days a month and i really enjoy doing the training so the money is now used to run my bikes, pay for trackdays and the proper job helps pay the actual bills now

Bigyin wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 9:03 pm i really enjoy doing the training

And that's the important bit

Wet, cold, tired, sometimes cheesed off with the great British public - but usually a marvellous sense of achievement.

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 2:50 pm
Some people merely adopt the Hi Viz, others are born into it, moulded by it.

Sorry, but you have slightly misquoted Shakespeare. What he actually wrote was,
Some are born in Hi Viz,
Some achieve Hi Viz,
And others have Hi Viz thrust upon them.