Compulsory Basic Training - CBT

First introduced for provisional licence holders in 1991, CBT is now a legal requirement for all learner riders whatever the type of licence they hold.

The certificate is valid for 2 years and must be presented to the examiner when a candidate turns up for his/her DSA test on any category of motorcycle or moped.
NB For anyone riding, other than on a full licence, it is illegal to ride a motorcycle or moped on the road unless the rider is the holder of a valid CBT certificate. The certificate is only obtainable from an Approved Training Body (ATB) and is issued only on completion of a prescribed course of training.

Training can be taken on any type of bike (including automatics and mopeds) and one certificate covers all other types. However, if you take the test on a bike with a sidecar or a three-wheeler the CBT will be restricted to those types of machine only.

Incidentally, most insurance companies will not issue an insurance certificate to a learner until a valid CBT certificate has been produced.

Compulsory Basic Training must cover the following;

An overview of the objectives of the training.

• Protective clothing and equipment.
• Motorcycle controls.
• Routine daily checks.
• Manual handling (including use of stands).
• Starting, stopping, changing gears (if applicable).
• Turning to the left and the right.
• Observation and signalling.
• Controlled braking in an emergency.
• An introduction to defensive riding and a talk about riding on the road.
• Practical on-road riding through a variety of hazards
  
  
  Training schemes have to obey a number of rules including the provision of florescent jackets and a strict 4 to 1 student/instructor ratio off road and 2 to 1 on road must be maintained.
  
  A detailed description of the CBT course can be found in the DSA publication 'Compulsory Basic Training'