Training advice.

woody84

I recently acquired my A cat learner permit and was was going to do my ibt training fairly soon. I won't be buying a bike for the foreseeable but i want to get my full license any way. It'll be at least March or April before I'll be able to do my test. So would it be wiser to wait until the New Year to do my ibt training and few lessons nearer the time of my test instead of doing ibt now and not sit on a bike again for few months? What you guys reckon? All tips/advice welcome

Del2005

I'd do IBT, lessons then test in as short a time frame as possible. So if you won't be getting a bike till next year hold off. But you could just use a school bike for the IBT/lessons/Test now and then buy next year.

woody84

It'll be a couple of years now before I buy so I'm planning to do all now in the spring on the instructors bike.

Goose81

woody84 wrote: »

It'll be a couple of years now before I buy so I'm planning to do all now in the spring on the instructors bike.

I did this and failed a few times before passing, its very difficult to just hop on a bike for a few hours before the test without riding on the roads daily and pass. The tester said to me both times if I had even had the bike for a few days I would have passed no bother.

Of course the instructor will tell you to do this because every time you do the test you will have to rent the bike for the test and do a pre test before with them so every time you fail if you do it's more cash for them

If I could do it again given time off work, renting bikes and pre tests it would have been cheaper for me to buy an old bandit 600 and insure it for the test.

Also should add I was able to ride bikes before the ibt and test , I had ridden mates Moto x bikes as a teen and had ridden a moped for a year on the road so wasn't exactly a novice. Have you ridden bikes before?

Del2005

Goose81 wrote: »

I did this and failed a few times before passing, its very difficult to just hop on a bike for a few hours before the test without riding on the roads daily and pass. The tester said to me both times if I had even had the bike for a few days I would have passed no bother.

Of course the instructor will tell you to do this because every time you do the test you will have to rent the bike for the test and do a pre test before with them so every time you fail if you do it's more cash for them

If I could do it again given time off work, renting bikes and pre tests it would have been cheaper for me to buy an old bandit 600 and insure it for the test.

Also should add I was able to ride bikes before the ibt and test , I had ridden mates Moto x bikes as a teen and had ridden a moped for a year on the road so wasn't exactly a novice. Have you ridden bikes before?

I was the opposite. The only test I passed on first attempt was the A and that was after 1 lesson after not being on a bike for over 10 years. For the others I had loads of lessons and practice but always messed up the test.

woody84

Goose81 wrote: »

I did this and failed a few times before passing, its very difficult to just hop on a bike for a few hours before the test without riding on the roads daily and pass. The tester said to me both times if I had even had the bike for a few days I would have passed no bother.

Of course the instructor will tell you to do this because every time you do the test you will have to rent the bike for the test and do a pre test before with them so every time you fail if you do it's more cash for them

If I could do it again given time off work, renting bikes and pre tests it would have been cheaper for me to buy an old bandit 600 and insure it for the test.

Also should add I was able to ride bikes before the ibt and test , I had ridden mates Moto x bikes as a teen and had ridden a moped for a year on the road so wasn't exactly a novice. Have you ridden bikes before?

I had 100cc bike bout 15 years ago. Rode it two years. So I'd prob be back to novice again on a 600cc

Goose81

woody84 wrote: »

I had 100cc bike bout 15 years ago. Rode it two years. So I'd prob be back to novice again on a 600cc

I get you I'd just do the sums tbh, like each time I did the test it was costing me 200 euro for a pre test and using the bike plus losing my salary for the day. You could pick up a bandit 600 for probably a grand and insure it for 400 then sell the bike for what you bought it for after you pass

woody84

Goose81 wrote: »

I get you I'd just do the sums tbh, like each time I did the test it was costing me 200 euro for a pre test and using the bike and losing my salary for the day. You could pick up a bandit 600 for probably a grand and insure it for 400 then sell the bike for what you bought it for after you pass

My problem is I've no place to park it securely. And I know it would be vandalised because the youths around here take great joy in breaking people's stuff

colm_c

woody84 wrote: »

My problem is I've no place to park it securely. And I know it would be vandalised because the youths around here take great joy in breaking people's stuff

Have you nowhere like your parents place or a friend's garage/shed?

Alternatively, just wait until you are in a position to be buying an riding a bike, as you say a couple of years. what is the rush?

woody84

colm_c wrote: »

Have you nowhere like your parents place or a friend's garage/shed?

Alternatively, just wait until you are in a position to be buying an riding a bike, as you say a couple of years. what is the rush?

No major rush but i thought I'd go and get my full license soon. Keep meaning to do it and keep putting it off.

Roadskill

Goose81 wrote: »

Of course the instructor will tell you to do this because every time you do the test you will have to rent the bike for the test and do a pre test before with them so every time you fail if you do it's more cash for them

Personally I don't agree with your statement. I would rather someone crashes their own bike than mine. Most people not riding their own bike regularly will find it hard to pass on a strange bike. It gets to a point where the instruction us all but done and saddle time is what's needed most. Loosing a school bike to a prang on a test can be more expensive for us than the trainee as we can't earn anymore from that bike until the insurance pays out or we source another machine that's suitable.
The OP should seriously consider waiting until closer to the time of buying then do the ibt, ride for a few months then lessons for test.
Remember the ibt lasts 2 years and from completion.
I always cringe a little when someone calls looking for my bikes when they haven't sat on one since ibt.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

Roadskill wrote: »

Personally I don't agree with your statement. I would rather someone crashes their own bike than mine. Most people not riding their own bike regularly will find it hard to pass on a strange bike. It gets to a point where the instruction us all but done and saddle time is what's needed most. Loosing a school bike to a prang on a test can be more expensive for us than the trainee as we can't earn anymore from that bike until the insurance pays out or we source another machine that's suitable.
The OP should seriously consider waiting until closer to the time of buying then do the ibt, ride for a few months then lessons for test.
Remember the ibt lasts 2 years and from completion.
I always cringe a little when someone calls looking for my bikes when they haven't sat on one since ibt.

Done my IBT on an MT07, bought and riding a DL650, will be doing lessons and test on the instructors MT07 as well.

Roadskill

Heaven Clever Zeal wrote: »

Done my IBT on an MT07, bought and riding a DL650, will be doing lessons and test on the instructors MT07 as well.

That's the best way if your own bike isn't suitable for test. At least you have saddle time on your own machine. That was my point to the OP

cantdecide

Passed my test on a Transalp that I hadn't ridden before the day of the test but I had my own Bandit and GSX1400 in the meantime which I'd been riding proactively for six months.