Modified: My wife has done her CBT - help!

[Tiger 55]

All help welcome but especially from the ladies please :)
In no particular order, she has some questions about training and generally getting started:

Were you treated any differently because you were female (e.g. as if you were totally stupid!)

What sort of bike did you learn on / would you recommend?

Were you nervous and if so did the lovely instructor calm you down?

Did you find CBT an enjoyable experience?

Thanks

[Kilted Ginger]

My mates wife was doing her lessons but felt intimidated by instructors attitude to a girl. Consequently she has been riding around on her 125 for about 2 years but couldnt get the courage up to go back for the das course. :cry:
Now she has found a female instructor (in bathgate I think) might be worth looking into (you'll probably find a couple of lady instructors in Glasgow) I had the same instructor as her and there was a woman on my course and she seemed fine.

It could be a perception thing or over sensitivity on the lady's part or lack of sensetivity on my part. Whatever makes the experience the most comfortable and least stressful for her. PM quedos as I think she went down the restricted route and became a little frustrated with it, (although I'm probably wrong again :roll: )

Whichever way she decides to go, just make sure you give her plenty of support and encouragement and count yourself lucky, my other half only wants to sit on the pillion despite me offering to pay for the lessons etc.

[Scooby Drew]

If she is willing to go east, speak to Trish at City School of Motorcycling 0131 669 4555. Even if she doesn't want to come so far for the training, just giving her a call will help. She is fab and very knowledgeable and patient too, isn't she Northwind :wink:

[Cam_73]

Can't speak from womans point of view :)

But Bike-It in Paisley where I done CBT and DAS were really good and very professional.

We had girls on CBT and throughout DAS. Instructors treated everyone the same.

Very courteous and called an eejit when deserved :shock:

bikes used were CG125's and Suzuki Van Van.

Van Van are much nicer on CBT as they are slightly heavier and more stable than the CG's.

What I can say about my instructors were they had your safety first and foremost on the list.

Fisrt post CBT lesson, I got cut up by an impatient driver approaching a roundabout.

I got an earful of angry instructor over the two way as he read the riot act through the driverside window to a very nervous cage monkey :D

[Quedos]

I can't say anything cos I went to buckie and had a nice holiday with it.

Started on a 125 and finished on a 125 after the 500 got the better of me hence why i'm restricted ( and i'm behind everyone else)

Go for the DAS and if not for her she can drop down for restricted to ensure she gets a licence.

Hated the CBT cos I was cold and it was chucking it down but the rrest was fun! :D

[ArtyLady]

When I did mine I was physically fit and strong (looking after horses) and I was 43, but I have to say I struggled physically over the 4 days, (having said that a lot of it was emotional exhuastion too - I was very nervous about the test in general).

I failed first time but having recovered from the "ordeal" I went back and passed no problem 1 month later. All the instructors were great - very encouraging toward women in general really.

A couple of my friends (who are knocking on 50) and quite petite now want to have a go and I said I thought theyd be better off doing the 125 test and going restricted for a couple of years rather than battle with a big bike which I found quite difficult at first.

hope that helps.

ps I said all that but clicked direct on the poll :? :roll:

[colinbal4]

Pro-Scot in Kirkcaldy are good. The instructors there are quite happy to have girls as they are easier to train...no testosterone fuelled racing around.

Bikes used for DAS usually have dead low seats and centre of gravity, ie: CBF500, and more user friendly than the more unstable 125's, so girls should handle them no bother and have no concerns about this. If they are cut out to ride a bike, they'll be turning them on a sixpence in a day.

Book in for a DAS course, and an assessment will be made on your 125 riding and the school will decide if you are ready to progress to 500's or if you will continue and do your test on a 125. Guaranteed pass does not mean your guaranteed to pass on a 500.

[instigator]

Not a lady but...

Trafalgar motorcycles in Greenock, woman called sara owns and runs it with ehr dad I believe. Not heard a bad thing said against them. They use cg125's there and they are great to deal with.

[Anonymous]

i did my das over 2 weekends. first weekend cbt on sat and riding about on CG125 sunday, next week ER5 sat and sun. test monday. which i failed and re sat 10 days later passing with only 2 minors.

cbt i enjoyed DAS instructor was a knob, a right male chauvenist. it didnt bother me as i was in the wrens for 4 years and am used to it. he wouldnt help me pick up my bike when i dropped it 17 times on the u turn on the sunday, kept saying things like, "well you want to join the big boys and ride a bike you better learn to pick it up" "woman should be in the kitchen not out on bikes" a wiggle of the pinkie at him usually shut him up for a bit.

tell her to grow a thick skin and go out and prove them she can do it.

i actually trained some of the guys from the riding school to pass their advanced test. cbt guy was lovely and other was still a ****. wouldnt listen to any advice from me at all. cant be bothered with that.

anyway all the best to her.

oh yeah i went to Harleys in Springburn for my training - wouldnt really recommend but saying that it was 5 years ago maybe t hings have changed.

[STRAMASHER]

DA everytime, why restrict yourself/herself to certain bikes? All or nothing, and you get that full license for the rest of your days. :)

What about ropping-in another gurly to go for it at the same time? Maybe would not be so "traumatic"? My missus and pal went that way and had a really fun time. Both passed 2nd time with Bikerite and went onto ride a Bindit400 and CBR600 respectively.

Good luck 8)

[jim@55]

Not a lady but...

Trafalgar motorcycles in Greenock, woman called sara owns and runs it with ehr dad I believe. Not heard a bad thing said against them. They use cg125's there and they are great to deal with.

heard the same here from the police ,so that must say something !!

my wife passed her das last yr and i bought her a wee gn250 for a bit of confidence building/ experience ,worked a treat ,and now shes got a cbr400 .she has a full licence but being quite small wasnt sure of a bigger bike straight away,even now a big/heavy bike isnt for her ,but thats not down to riding skills ,its cos shes only 5'2 and about 8st i dont think she;ll ever b comfy/ready on a bigger bike but were keeping the cbr cos its ideal for her,,,,btw wanna get her a gn250 ?iim selling one ,ideal for women /shorties

[MacT]

I found the whole experience to be very enjoyable. Nerve wracking but hey you should do something that scares you every day! The guys at Bike It in Paisley were brilliant! No probs with being female and they were very good at what they do. I did feel fearful of the whole female learning to ride a bike attitude thing, but she will hopefully find that she is treated the same as everyone else..as I was.

Enjoy it :D

[Broxi Bear]

I can't say anything cos I went to buckie and had a nice holiday with it.

Started on a 125 and finished on a 125 after the 500 got the better of me hence why i'm restricted ( and i'm behind everyone else)

Go for the DAS and if not for her she can drop down for restricted to ensure she gets a licence.

Hated the CBT cos I was cold and it was chucking it down but the rrest was fun! :D

Was that with Fastrack? Les Craib? If it was, that is who I did my CBT and DAS with, so did my wife, I can't speak highly of Les he is a great teacher and knows his stuff, he has a very high percentage of passes. Not sure if he still does but I think if you book a weeks course with the test at the end of the week, you get free B&B as they also run a B&B.

arabest

[northwind]

Can't speak too highly of the guys at CSM in Edinburgh- I think Trish (is that her name?) often takes CBTs too if that'd be of any use. Fantastic teacher, she even managed to get me sorted with a little help from, well, all the other trainers ;) They did have an absolute chauvinistic bellend, but he's long gone.

[Beaniebike]

The female thing wasn't an issue for me as my instructor was female! She runs a school in Darvel. I did mine on a 125 and got my CB 500 restricted for 5 years, To be honest, you don't notice that much of a difference around town and stuff with the restrictor, but you do notice a diff on motorways and stuff. The only thing is, I think in hindsight, I may have beren a better rider if |I had done the DAS, or at least gone and had some after test instruction when I got the CB, as being heavier (and in ways earier to ride) you also have to approach the bike differently to a 125... My confidence would have been better I thik if |I had gone back to her. Really, its a matter of what you wanna do... and really, 2 years is nothing...The restrictor comes out quick enough.

[Tiger 55]

Thanks girls, and guys! What an encouraging bunch you are on here :D

Wife's plumped for Ride On in Glasgow, partly because of geography (doesn't want to get 'lost') and partly because she knows a couple of ladies who've done it there without being shouted at Full Metal Jacket style.

Had a wee shot on a friends 125 Virago (on private property officer) on Saturday and had a ball, lots of grinning from both of us. There'll be no stopping her. And it's DAS all the way, who are we to go against democracy?

As for the GN250, I'd be delighted to see her on that but she's got her eye on a Ducati 748. Details of a fighting fund to subsidise that purchase on a seperate thread...

[northwind]

Had a wee shot on a friends 125 Virago (on private property officer) on Saturday and had a ball, lots of grinning from both of us.

They're rubbish learning machines too :) Good start, if she can get around on the XV she'll be able to do backflips on an SR or CG.

[Tiger 55]

Job done! Took two attempts with Ride On (First time round they had to stop as one of the students chucked his brand new YBR125 up the road - ouch!) but she absolutely loved it. Both her instructors - Cammy and John - were top blokes and filled her up with enthusiasm and confidence.

Now she just needs a bike to "run round/practice" on. Any suggestions?

[Kilted Ginger]

Brilliant, tell her well done from me.

Now she just needs a bike to "run round/practice" on. Any suggestions?

Restricted SV :wink:

[STRAMASHER]

Triumph Sprint :wink: :lol: :lol:

My missus and her sister shared a cb250 (£600) out the snips for about a year. 20bhp + 70mpg , indesructible.

Yellow paper is a great source for cheap metal. Be quick, everbody is looking for a hack for winter. Mostly tat by december.

Congrats by the way!

[Stu]

Brilliant, tell her well done from me.

Now she just needs a bike to "run round/practice" on. Any suggestions?

Restricted SV :wink:
restricted to 125 on CBT :evil: But has this thread moved on from the title? So just ignore me

[Tiger 55]

No you're right enough Stu, she's only done the CBT so we're talking about a 100/125 to practice on till she's confident enough to go for the DAS.

OK, I'm off to modify the thread title now..

Oh Stramasher, the Sprint weighs about 8 tons, not an ideal confidence builder and besides, that's MY winter hack!

[Kilted Ginger]

No you're right enough Stu, she's only done the CBT so we're talking about a 100/125 to practice on till she's confident enough to go for the DAS.


Sorry my lack of biking experience and knowledge shinging through again :oops: ](*,) I was CBT on saturday and started Das monday , Test Thursday so no running around on anything until I got the SV.

I thought once you'd done the cbt that was when you could run about on a 125 with L Plates or a bigger bike restricted to a certain bhp :?: also with L plates
Obviously got it wrong again #-o

Or is it the U21's that pass their full test that have to use a restricted bike until 21,

I'm all confused now, need to go for a lie down.

On a lighter note went out for a 30 min blast earlier to cheer myself up after spending 8 hours gardening, probably going faster than I should have been :roll: came up quite quickly :-dd behind a :plod: car which pulled to the left and waved me past as i approached, I took it at face value and shot past without slowing and then panicked as i noticed my speed and frantically checked the mirrors for the blue lights. Nope, carried on, So cheers mr policeman. :salut: :thumbsup: :plod:

[Stu]

Brilliant, tell her well done from me.

Now she just needs a bike to "run round/practice" on. Any suggestions?

Restricted SV :wink:

Seriously restricted SV - disconnect the front cylinder and put 200mls of something in ther rear?
C'mon you know it's the best bike there is :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Quedos]

I've got a very nice example of restricted SV power if she ever needs it! :wink: