DAS - A stupid question

[Tiger 55]

Is there a set amount of training that is required to complete DAS or is at the instructor's discretion?

Reason I ask is that Ride On in Glasgow are telling my neighbour (she of the Virago 125) that she'll need to do 20 hours. Seems fair enough to me, I mean you just might learn something that saves your life, but she's slightly concerned it's a bit of a rip off.

And I'll be buggered if I can find the answer on the DVLA/Direct Gov websites.

Cheers!

[SoulKiss]

As far as I am aware, the completion of a DAS course is when its finished.

I would say the 20 hours you are being quoted is their estimation of how much training will be required based on what they have been told of rider experience.

The real test of the DAS course is when you then do your test and pass or fail.

I failed

David

[Mr Toad]

my DAS went something like this -

first day essentially repeating the CBT course, but on a geared 125 (previously I'd been on a Scooter :oops: )

second day, a quick refresh on the 125 for an hour or so, and then step up to a 500 :D , rest of day spent trundling around on this

third day on 500, trundling around, emergency stops, U-turns, etc

fourth day - an hour or so of practicing emergency stops in the wet (it was chucking it down) and U-turns, and then the test :D

the days were not consecutive, but spread out over 2 weeks
I was expecting a kind of 9-5 routine, but we knocked off earlier than this each day. At first I was a bit miffed at being short changed, but when I got home and found how knackered I was, I didn't feel so bad.

So 20 hours - probably about right - you can't have too much practice, especially on the U-turns. If she takes to a 500 very quickly then you might be able to cut some time, but I'd feel very stupid if I'd skipped a few hours practice, and then failed :shock:

[colinbal4]

20 hours is about right for a new rider, someone who rides a 125 on L plates every day should do it in less. As far as a rip off is concerned it depends upon how much your paying for the 20 hours, £400 plus your test fees (total £480 ish) is a good deal.

DAS is an accelerated course and you are basically going for a driving test after only 20 hours experience.

Compare that with the amount of driving you did before your driving test. When I was a learner at 17, if I was sitting in my parents car - I was driving it - in my case 2 or sometimes 4 journeys a day for 7 weeks after my 17th birthday, until passing my test.

One major mistake on the bike test and you've failed. Something as trivial and non-dangerous as putting your foot down on a U-Turn is a major mistake. It's all too easy to fail it.

Take as many hours as you can afford.

[Stu]

I chose my das course as being the cheapest I could find which was down to the one that would give me the least instruction before going for the test.

I failed first time.

Another days training and passed second time.

Wished I'd gone for 3 days tuition instead of only 2 in the first place.

[Kilted Ginger]

Dont know if there is a "set" amount of training but i' agree with the others that the more training she gets the better, provided they are not overcharging her.
My Das course, absolute noobie, no biking experience.
Sat CBT, 125, 2 hrs in carpark in the morning, 1 hr in carpark and 1.5hrs on roads in afternoon
Mon 2 hrs on 500 on roads am, 2 road hrs pm
Tue 2 road hrs am, 2 road hrs pm
Wed 2 road hrs am. home
Thur 30 mins on road (ride to test centre) Test, 30 mins back to shop.
£540 all inc, bikes, gear, test fee, insurance.

The only proviso was that if they did not feel you were ready for the test there was an option for an additional 2 hrs on the wed pm (which you would have to pay for) and if still not ready you could do evenings the following week for as long as required which you had to pay for and sit the test at a later date.

So 4.5hrs cbt and 10 hrs on das from never been on a bike to go and ride what ever you want. Like I said, the more training she gets the better.

[Duck-man]

I did mine at two wheels, and unfortunately failed the first time! :( was ready for it just made a silly mistake!

But i am the same as the other posts here:

No experience on a bike
did my CBT on a separate day at another centre
did my theory
then joined a DAS on the Tuesday and then out on a 500 on the Wednesday :D

sat test on Friday

I missed a "flashing" 20mph zone so he failed me on it for speeding, so I didnt even have my license and i was done for speeding!! hahaha!

Has she already done the DAS and requires an additional 20 hrs?

It may just be a recommendation by the instructors so that she passed first time

[thor]

Isn't just you take your test on 35bhp or more and that's it? You could f all training if you thought it was a good idea...

[northwind]

Yup, Thor's spot on. You could do it with no training at all, if you wanted.

I did the 4 day course, since my CBT had been such a nightmare, but in the event they said I could have gone to test after 2 days- I ended up going out solo since i was wasting my time in the bigger group (and probably not helping them either) and spent most of the last 2 days just riding around. So, not the best use of time or money, but it did help with my confidence- I'd really have had to screw up to fail.

At the end of the day, I don't think you really know how you're going to get on till you do it. MY CBT was like running at a brick wall for 3 attempts, then suddenly I could just do it, and walked it. Some schools will do you a pre-DAS assessment to help judge what you need, though.

[Anonymous]

i was ripped off with my das. i did the guaranteed pass course which cost £800. I pinched my husbands (now ex) credit card while he was out on the bike for the day (he refused to take me with him so serves him right).

did one weekend for cbt and day on road with 125

next weekend 2 days on er5

test monday - fail.

i then mentioned more training and it was not covered. i said i was told it was a guaranteed course and they said it is, we will give you the bike as often as you need it but you need to pay if you want more tuition and you need to pay for test fee.

passed 10 days later and this was 5.5 years ago so very expensive

[Quedos]

I done a 5 day residential course.

Mon CBT 9-6 1hr lunch approx yard and roads
Tues 9-4ish 1hr lunch approx Were in both Buckie and Elgin
wed 9-3 in Elgin 45 mins lunch doing all the stuff and going round the two test routes
Thurs 9-3 same as above
Frid 9-1ish - Test for me at 1.30 passed first time but restricted.

All in inc B&B £500 - in 2005.

You can work out how many hours we done yourself.

As i was on the 125 I got more hours than Garry as I got to take the bike to and from Buckie!! :wink:

[T45]

Did my DAS at Ride-on, booked the 20 hours recommended.
I was a new rider same as the rest but they told me older guys like me [ I was 45 FFS :lol: ] should spread it about as doing consectutive days was harder to learn at my age.
Give them their due, they were probably right. I did it over 6 weeks [mainly cos I fell off and couldn't ride for 4 weeks] but I did two 2 hour lessons a day roughly .
We had 10 hours on the 125 then 10 on the 600 Yamahas. Tuition was good and I had a ball.
Cost I think was about £480 not including test fees or CBT.This was Dec/Jan 05.
At the end of the day I would say make sure you get good tuition and it's not a lot of money when you consider your health and what you will spend on motorcycling over the years.

[T45]

Also forgot to mention, passed 1st time :D unlike my mate who had 3 goes :o