Hi Spicy. I have passed my CBT last week on a scooter but decided that I wanted a bike. I’ve literally just got back home from my first solo ride out on my CB125F and I’d like to thank you for the videos that you make as they have been a great help. Hope you are fully recovered soon. Big love
When I did my direct access 6 years ago I paid £850 all in and that included, cbt, theory, mod1, mod 2, 5 days training, bike hire was free as mod 1 and 2 was done during training hours and extra damage cover.
£1300-1400 I'd say is pretty bang on for your assumptions there Spicy. I'll put some info on my costs for never having sat on a bike before to full A licence below, caveats of prices in my part of the country and these are 2023 prices. I wasn't exactly the quickest at picking up the physically riding side of things, but I did have the advantage of being a car driver for ~8 years at that point, so I was comfortable being on the road, just not riding a bike if that makes sense. Overall, for all training and tests, I paid out £1678.50. For that I got probably close to two days of CBT/125 training (more info later), and 8 days of 'big bike' training/test days. I had 5 hours of training/lessons on a 125 prior to doing the CBT, one of which was a free assessment/taster hour, the rest at £25 each. In most cases I would say these aren't necessary, but in my case I'm glad I did them, for various personal reasons I needed them to get comfortable on the bike, and it was a more cost effective (and less pressure/embarrassing) way than doing two CBT days. CBT was £140. Big bike training, I initially booked for 6 days training, which including mod1 and (what would have been) mod2 test fees was £990.50 (so £150/day). The school gave me the option of booking the mod1 and mod2 for separate days, which I did - if you're confident about the mod1 you could do them both in a day. As it happens, I stuffed the mod1...twice. Which left me needing to get some more test fees etc. I paid £50 for a mod1 and to hire the test centres mod1 compound for an hour - meant I was able to practice the thing I'd stuffed up in the place I had to do it, get out of my head about it for attempt number 3 😅. Finally, because by this point my plan of 'learn in the winter, it's easier to book tests etc *and* it should make you a better rider' had run out, it ended up being a bit over a month before there was a mod2 slot. I could've just gone for 1 day/morning of training on test day, decided to do 2 instead because a) that gave me more time to get reacquainted with riding after not touching a bike for a month and b) it gave me a day of being able to ride a bike in summer that I wouldn't have had otherwise (no bike/money to acquire it at this point). £375 for two days training and a mod 2. So, in my part of the world, zero-to-"hero" for £1300-1400 seems perfectly reasonable (with 5/6 days of training). More expensive than a car? Probably not...A friends son is currently about £700-800 in on formal lessons to learn to drive, hasn't done their theory yet, and will probably be *at least* another £400 in before they're test ready. That's not counting the insurance/fuel costs for informal 'lessons' with friends/family.
Thanks for sharing this journey! Can relate to the -pessimism- realism for the CBT, my first day on a bike was paired with two people who were there just for the paperwork renewing/coming from experience abroad! I had no chance starting from scratch. About to start on my journey for the big bikes!
I am in a weird position! Got my CBT in October 2022. Didn't get my bike until October 2023. (Stupid, I know, but there were reasons). Started riding it properly in late March 2024 (Winter got in the way...and the MoT was due late March, so it had to be done). Now it's September 2024 I find myself with a choice to make! Book another CBT, book a DAS, arrange the tests individually...with all the costs involved.......OR leave it until Spring 2025 and then make a choice (Winter getting in the way again). I must point out that the bike is purely for pleasure. I will be 70 in 3 months time! I am retired with very little income and no savings of any note! Paying almost a grand at any stage is nigh on impossible. Would have cost me a fiver if I had only done my test when I was a 16 year old teenager on my Lambretta GP200. Looks like I will have to stick with the 125.
You can move on two wheels on a 125cc just the same as a super bike (Tortoise and the hare springs to mind). Re-doing the CBT is a no brainer, cheap, gain more experience and confidence. Enjoy the ride buddy, stay safe out there.
@steveaga4683 I used to ride all year round when I 1st started out on a Motorbike 🏍 in 1975 and it continued until I passed my full licence in 1980. Back then there was less incentive to get a full licence because I could ride a 250cc on L plates and the only benefits were being allowed to carry a pillion and access to bigger bikes 🏍. Hail rain 🌧 Snow ❄️ and Ice 🧊 nothing stopped me riding my 250cc 😊. Unfortunately now 66 I'd probably freeze to death as I feel the cold 🥶 a lot more, but they do make heated grips,gloves and leather Jackets now. 😊 😂
@@stephenjones9153 Similarly, I had a Lambretta GP200 when I was at school. Didn't bother with doing the test as I couldn't see the point. I had to sell it in order to leave home and study for my degree. It had all the extras and trim you could think of! Brilliant scooter...sold it for £90. Boy, do I regret not doing my test then!
What I would say Spicy, is that you were one of the main reasons I got into biking in the first place. I was watching you back in 2017 before my CBT, in 2020 before my A2 tests, and earlier this year before I got my full A licence. Thank you for making the information/advice accessible and easy to understand, I wouldn’t have had a clue when starting out without your videos.
Have a work colleague in the process of getting his full A licence from nothing at the moment. I’ve helped him get sorted with all his gear and advising him about training and his licences etc. I can confirm these prices are pretty spot on. Finding NEW gear THAT cheap is a challenge, as you have to walk past all the sexy branded gear to find the bargain basement stuff, but now is the perfect time to pick up good condition second hand gear as we approach the end of the season and retailers also try to clear their shelves. Keep up the good work bud. 👍🏻
Did my CBT in 2019 £69 through groupon Full license mod 1 and mod 2 course £749 First bike 2000 Honda Hornet 600 £1300 Insurance £280 Tax £60 ( I think) First helmet HJC £100 RST jacket £50 ( sale Sportsbikeshop) Textile Trousers £80 ( sale sportsbike shop) Gloves £25 Boots Course Shorties £49 ( half price sale). I believe that comes to £2762. From no license to on the road.
I would say you're pretty much spot on cost wise. I got my first CBT with Mark around the time you passed your full test, and had been on CBTs ever since until I took the plunge this year and did an A2 (struggled to find an A I could get on!), with 1st Gear in Farnborough, top notch training, and with an already valid CBT, cost me around £1200 (one Mod 2 Re-test and £50 in damage, woops). I should say I am a seasonal rider so was not the best, particularly at low speed stuff (your videos helped a great deal though!), so needed a little extra training than someone that always rides. I was quite good in the car right from the off however, as I already had a CBT and road experience a year prior, and passed first time so even adjusted for todays lesson prices, in my particular case the car license was cheaper to obtain, but of course the ongoing costs of car ownership, and particularly insurance, are far greater. Great video as always, hope your leg gets better soon!
Hey Spicy, I think you're missing a route to a cheaper full licence. I know you weren't talking specifically about the A1, but I have recently - a few years back - witnessed the benefits of my son getting his A1... Bear with me; Most new riders (that I have known) have a bike lined up for when they get their CBT. Whether it's second hand or new, they generally have a bike ready. If biking is what they want to do long term, they'd probably be ready for the full A1 tests within a few weeks/months. For which they already have the bike and insurance. They can also transport the bike by themselves to the test centre, so no need for an instructor chaperone. The other benefits include not having to do your CBT again, and your insurance tumbling eg; My son's insurance halved at the first renewal after completing his Mod. 2.. [and I may be wrong here but: I think this may be the bottom of the 'not having to redo your Theory test' ladder]. Also, another important thing. If you turn up with a bike on a trailer for a Mod 1, then it must be insured to ride on the road. You are made to ride it from the car park to the test enclosure. And you must declare as such when registering with the examiner. Writing this on a phone smashed screen, so I've put a lot of trust in spellcheck. Oh shit yeah, almost forgot. It cost my son £90 to do his A1 practical tests. Everything else (bike + kit) was kind of in place, through a life long love of biking and hand-me-downs. He spent £200 on his first bike and did it up, like in the movies. My son is continually financially rewarded in his insurance premium for taking the test as soon as he could. He's 20 years old and bashing around on an old Kawasaki 500 for £300 a year TPFT. From a High Viz Wanker! 😉 😁
I agree, I did A1 myself after 1 year CBT and 7000 miles, even though I was late 40's. I was going to full A within a year of passing A1 before then COVID hit, then theory expired and lost interest (with long booking times etc). But I have full A1 licence, so no CBT's etc. I believe, as you do (the wise man of high viz), if you have a 125, do the A1 regardless of time. A good experience for the A tests, and I bet more people would continue biking if they didn't have to start again with CBT later in life. Cost me under £300 for A1 for life all told, and ready for full A when schools get quieter, and maybe cheaper?
Interesting idea! It completely strips out the cost of renting their bike which is too big for you to ride on your own, and the instructor to accompany you. Ideal practice for the tests too, for a very cheap price (mod 1 especially). Something to consider
@@PrinceRules64 I think if you want to be a biker never retake the CBT. Plenty of time to learn on your L plates and do the A1. Or take DAS!! That is what causes different views!!! I was amazed that less than 1000 people take the A1 a year, and 55,000 A and A2. (from some government paper!!) As I have said for a number of years, spend half the money, learn (no bad habits!!!!) and get an A1. Full licence, so 2 year time thingy clicks down.
@@PrinceRules64 Good point! When my son took the A2 practical tests, he knew exactly what he was in for and prepared accordingly. Funnily enough, the only minor he got in the Mod. 1 was not having the space to get his bike up to speed for the emergency brake test.
I took my bike test in 1974. It was a one part test with the examiner observing on foot, and entitled me to move straight onto unlimited (provisional was restricted to 250cc). I bought a Norton 850 Commando. There was no instruction and the test fee was £3.25 (to put it into context, that was about 1/8th of my weekly wage as a 19 year old). I still ride almost every day, all year round, as my daily transport. I think I've had my money's worth. It was much simpler (and cheaper) in those days, so my advice would be to use a time machine.
In the midlands from CBT to full A it can be done for under 1000, my advice is go with a big established motorcycle school, they will be slightly more expensive than smaller or self employed instructors, but they pre book batches of tests months in advance so your test slots will be much faster, It’s not good for the self employed instructors because they struggle to get your tests booked Quickly, but a proper school will have better mod 1 practice and much more organised,
My full A license cost me about £1400 back in 2019-20, aged 49 and definitely mid life crisis, did my CBT in September 2019 then took one two hour lesson a week, just treated learning as a hobby so was in no rush, failed my first attempt at Mod 2 which bumps the cost up (another test fee and at least another lesson), passed Mod 2 on Feb 6th 2020, have three bikes now but mainly ride a 2006 Gen1 Hayabusa, absolutely love it, learning to ride is one of the best things i've done.
I passed my Mod 2 last week and I now have my full A License. The DAS cost me £650 for 2 days of Training and the Mod 1 and 2 tests (taken on different days). I did fail the first attempt at Mod 2 and it cost me £185 for a retest (as you've mentioned, a lot of this money is for the Bike hire, insurance and instructors time). This was the cheapest school in my area, others were looking for between £850 - £1200, but I'm not sure if any of them included a "free" resit :P Just happy that I now have my license :D
I’ve just had my calculator out and totalled up how much it cost me for my direct access, £995.50 including learning material for my theory test. I went from not being on a bike for over 30 years to passing my mod2 on September 5th this year at Gateshead.
Did my CBT/test this year. CBT 185, 5 day intensive A 855. During my CBT era, I also purchased the DVLA's essential riding skills (very good book). Of course, theory. It still is quite an outlay when you consider the gear and bike. But, the licence is done and the gear should last (if you buy decent quality) and the bike, well, up to you... EDIT: Totally 'effing worth it, though! Actually, to add, the book mentioned is good because it gives information of riding that your examiner will look for. So, reading and acting on this information during your CBT time will (hopefully) get you riding without creating bad habits. Also, I spent weekend mornings in supermarket carparks practising slow-speed manoeuvres - don't skimp on this! On a 125, but bear in mind on your A training a big bike is a different beast (I dropped the MT07 in the first 20mins of riding it - haha).
A local school to me is doing DAS based on 3x3 hours tuition for each module, bike hire for tests and test fees for £930. A CBT would be on top of that though for someone completely new to riding. Seems a pretty reasonable cost to me.
The CBT price seems reasonable. In Ireland, we have IBT and this is mandatory and costs about €600 so very expensive for what it is and only lasts 2 years.
I did a back to biking course recently (kept off due to gluten induced balance issues) and I will second the new helmet. The diffference is night and day, and I bought a budget one and previously had premium! Here's a question I saw recently online that I had not thought of. Should people who ride for a living be compelled to have a full licence? Having never considered it my thoughts were that they should be on a full licence within , say, 12 months of the CBT. Thoughts?
Holy PooBiscuits, am I glad I ain’t learning now. My dear Mum talked me into getting a bike when I was 16 , taught myself how to ride, at 18 I past my test on a 250 , I would seriously have to want a bike today and I mean seriously want one to have to do all this to get on one and having to wait till I was about 24 to get a full powered bike. At 19 I was on a CB900 going nuts. It was awesome in the 80’s. Great video explaining,. How times have changed.
You can get the full A at 21 if you pass the A2 at 19. Times have changed indeed, there is a hell of a lot more cars and yet deaths now are lower than back then.
@@michaelmarris-xr8cp but if you passed back pre 1983, you can ride anything now, you say you had a 900cc, back then. With granny rights you still can. But why you need anything more than 47 hp ,beats me.
Here in Michigan the msf at local vocational center was 150$ usd and 2 classes on weekend 8 hours each. But you need helmet and boots for test. The secretary of state is 7$ for cycle endorsement.
I did my test 1 year ago I spent around £1600 on training,as I did not have a bike for many years, prices do go up each year, but the next hurdle is insurance my friend sons was priced 2k insurance 400_500 cc I'm mature rider I'm priced £700 _£1500 insurance (my van £350)
I got my full a licence in July with a DAS course about 4 full days of training and unfortunately I failed each mod test once which kicked the price up mod 1 I ballsed up the hazard avoidance exercise and the mod 2 I just didn't look far enough ahead and went around a line of parked cars and had a car stop to give way about 30ft down the road, the main cost was the bike hire and all in all it cost me about 1600. Sadly that was the cheapest I could find in Oxfordshire
Cbt £28 = 2 years riding. Full motorcycle license £62.50 job done. All prices estimated as old and it was 30+ year's ago. Lived the peak of motorcycles 90's onwards. Still have GSX-R 2010 750. Can't help feel bit sorry for new riders. But two wheels is two wheels regardless. ✌
Bloody hell, even adjusting for inflation that's way more than I payed back in the day (1994) for my full bike licence, gear etc. I was 18 and got my car licence the same year too and was only working a factory job. Absolutely gutted for the youth of today having to pay so much.
My Daughter who is 22 has just past her CBT it was £175, she has a full car license which she has had for nearly 5 years. She got a Kawasaki z125 and the insurance was £800 Fully comp. She plans to ride the z125 for two years on the CBT and when she turns 24 do the full A license, skipping A2. She may just upgrade to a z500 which is an A2 bike after that, but once she does that or decides she want a more powerful bike late, she will be good to go and no need to do the test again.
The lovely couple who work next to my workplace are motorbike training centre, they did my CBT back in may and I was quoted £1260 for the full licence minus the theory test and a few days training and I own all my own gear. In regards to the recommendation to get a 125, I understand why you say that and I agree, but from a personal standpoint, I can't ride 125's, they are not built for a person of my size, poor bike could barely go up minor incline haha. On the topic of gear, I'm glad at least one person on social media who rides is telling people to wear correct gear. I now work as part of an Ambulance crew and if I have to stop for someone who comes off their bike and is wearing shorts, and sandals -I've seen this far too much lately- You can be sure as your road rash I'm going to rip into you after your all treated for not wearing protective gear. The Law needs to change to include all gear not just a helmet
I done my cbt nearly 2 years ago for £150 brought a Suzuki VanVan 125 for £2000 done the theory test shortly after £23 Sold the VanVan for £1800 brought a Suzuki Bandit 600 for £800 and iv just booked for training mod1 and mod2 for £830 Insurance £160 same for both bikes
As long as you pass the thearory test first time .I know of people who failed 4 or more times. And yes they do practice hard. But on the day always fail by a small amount of point .
It cost me about £1,500 to do my full licence. That was with passing my mod 1 second time and passing mod 2 first time. But I had quite a few training sessions and I don't own a bike to train with. I did my training and tests on a Honda Hornet CB750 '24.
@@PrinceRules64 yeah it's alright, I enjoyed it. It has a few riding modes like rain mode, ABS and a few other things. The speedometer thing is all on an LED screen, so there's no analog dials. The bike revs up to 9.5k rpm and sounds good even with the stock exhaust.
Hey spicy. Hope your doing well buddy since what happend to you when you fell off and have to deal with hospital. When you do have the time and get well for it. Would it be possible. Since you do videos for beginners for new riders. Like what type of gear you should wear. How to learm. But i would suggest doing for new people what is the best locks for your bije since alot of people in there teenage years always just use the stirring lock on. Which is always more likely for it to be stolen. But it would help new riders to become more security safe.
Up North 😊, it depends where you live or where you are at the time of the discussion 😉 😊. I'm in Liverpool and up north is Scotland or the Lake District 😂😂but when I'm daarrn sarrrff it's anywhere north of Coventry or the Midlands 😊😂😂
I nod to learner bikers. Fair play for sticking with it. When I got my licence in (checks licence) 1997 I took the test for "A" 10 days after I first rode a motorbike for the CBT, and bought an old CBR600F. I do not recommend this route!
Hi Spicy110, I watched some of your videos and they helped my mod 1, thank you I paid in 2024: CBT £195, £23 (I think!) for theory, DAS (3 days) £620 for mod1+2, including bike hire and DVSA test fees which I think is pretty reasonable. Kit was around £500 (good brands like Richa, HJC, Falco, Bullitt) Hope your injury gets better soon!
I recently had my cbt , failed it though. Instructor didnt help me learn just expected me to know it all. I also selected an automatic bike as you can get cbt for manual with an automatic bike. When i got there i was given a manual, i told them i selected automatic but the instructor continued with me on a manual. Ive never used a clutch so it was really difficult to get right but he failed be because of that. Im gonna wait 2 more years till im 19 and go for the bmw cbt, a1 and a2 and just get a proper bike. still thats 200 quid down the drain from that fail which is 26 hours or working for me.
Kinda man prices compared to what i saw in Europe. Full A veing some £500 top, bike, exam and a few hours worth of lessons included. They also just skip the CBT step, and in a way they're correct, why do the same exam twice?
I paid 1200 for a DAS but I did 4 days of training on that with then a days worth of tests basically this year. Probably paid more then I needed too as I was on a cbt for nearly 9 years, too. But was paranoid
I'm not sure you can do it all on your own bike, unless it's the A1 because that would be on a bike you're already licenced and insured to ride. For the other licences you'd need to find an insurance company willing to insure you on a bike you don't even have a licence for, I doubt many would be willing to do that (or for a reasonable price) if they even can legally. The main thing that keeps putting me off getting my full licence (been riding on Ls for 5 years now) is the cost and the time it takes Not that I can't afford it or take the time off work but if I fail anything it feels like a waste of time and money and it's demoralising. I went to do my theory years ago and failed after riding about an hour there and back and I just felt like shit after, no idea what went wrong but I got a terrible score on the hazard perception (I didn't miss them or click too much). I'm a decent rider but I just know with my luck I'll fail on something stupid and have to pay hundreds of pounds to try again and get luckier.
Hey, hang in there! I don't know if this will cheer you up at all but the "Official DVSA Theory Test Kit" app has an interactive hazard perception part which is just like the tests, has tons of them to practice on (I only used half), and a truly superb way to get prepared for it. The whole app (which includes highway code if you need it) costs about a fiver IIRC as a one-off payment (damn those subscription models!) p.s. it's made for car theory but for the hazard perception part I'm quite sure they're exactly the same.
My test costs including CBT were £960 passing both tests 1st time, bike thrown in, CB650R with 4 mornings of training equating to between 8-10 hours in reality My safety gear costs were £670 so a total of £1630 and I passed recently on 8th Aug at age 54yrs. My bike now is a 2003 ZX6R which I ride with care as it has no ABS, no gear indicator, no fuel gauge, no fuel warning light, no rider modes, no nothing actually 😅😂and I'm new to this so I treat it with fair respect. I rode around on a new 2023 125 CB125F for 13 mths after I took my CBT last year which I traded up for the Kawasaki from Kawaski desler which now has car carburettor problems I think so I can't ride it at the moment..lol. Moral.of the story don't buy an old bike no matter where you get it from beacuse it probably will be as crxp as you feared 😅
South east Kent. I was quoted £880 to do a DAS course with mod1 and 2 included and that’s the only option because how will I get a big enough bike to test centre without the DAS people to let me use their bike. It’s stupidly expensive
I would go along with what you say there Spice boy, but a CBT only valid for 2 years, which you have to retake when that expires, so an additional cost of £175 per CBT, should you delay taking the theory ,CBT & MoD 1 or 2,also the tests ,and MoD 1 has a expiry date too, if you pass the MoD 2 you have your licence, happy days!🥳
I was on CBT's for 7 years; this video is about how to get a licence. The cbt isn't a licence, this is about how much it costs to just get the license step by step. You repeat a step yes you pay again.
My mates just done his DAS. They made him top up and pay for fuel at the end of every day. I thought that was mental after dropping 700quid on the DAS...
Can I just point out a rider who had a cbt at 16 may want to do the A1 before they turn 18 if going onto bigger bikes in future as they will not have to be restricted to the l plates on a 125 for the same cost. Also means they will not have to renew a theory test
You can indeed but that is not what this video is about. This video is about people saying getting to a A2 or A costs £3k-£4k for the basic route, which is untrue.
I'm over twenty four but I've decided to go for the A1 licence because I can use my own bike and not worry about expensive lessons. I've done the theory and mod 1 already and spent just over a year running about on a 125. If I do pass the mod 2 and get my A1 licence does this fast track the lessons for the A licence or do the schools still want their 10-15 hours? Do I have any say in how many lessons I need or do they decide after assessment?
They should just give you as much as you need but they can not force you to do more, they will just say, you will fail and it will cost you more, your money at the end of the day.
@@Johnadler1234 I 'd say if you want the full A licence then ,just take the DAS route, you have done the MoD 1, you don't need to retake that unless it's 2 years since, just concentrate on the Full A licence, the skills are the same, and the school bike won't be any more than a 650cc, which entitles you to a full licence. The rules & regs are an ass! But they do make sense.
Another anomaly is that if you jave a car licence, you can ride a tricycle, , a motorcycle with 3 wheels such as a Mp3 or Tricity, on your car licence, no Bike test or CBT needed.
2002 a had ridden bikes over the park other peoples 😅then bought a bandit 600 and put a fake plate on it ,my thoughts were if the police do try n pull me a would loose them quick ,mind this is 22 years ago before cameras were everywhere a never got pulled but it was on my mind a needed to go legal so a booked a cbt ,cost £80 they saw the bike a drove in to sit my cbt so they skipped the 125 cc and a did my cbt on a Honda 500 when put on the road a was missing a few life savers etc and they let me know about it cbt finished they told me to go sit my theory test a did ,a went back had 2 lessons at £25 each then sat my test an hour practice then test failed left my indicator on rookie error two weeks later passed my test and insured my bandit legal ,it’s changed days now tho so a wouldn’t do it my way now ,to many anpr and cameras 🎥 ride safe
Yes, there have been many studies and papers proving it not only reduces accidents but also deaths. We have more people in the UK than ever before and a lot more cars and much worse roads yet fatalities and injuries fell when they changed the rules. Here is one of many www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-motorcyclist-factsheet-2022/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-motorcyclist-factsheet-2022
So you did 3 CBT tests to keep your 125 legal? So CBT should be three times the price really? I get you had all that experience under your belt, and needed less lessons. But that isn't the norm for a 24 year old who is going DAS? I agree that the cost of biking can be a huge outlay. Lessons, tests, gear, all adds up. I'm just about to sit my MOD1, I'm 40. Couldn't really afford it until now, it's not exactly needed the licence previously, was more of a want then need. Kids have now got a bit bigger so money isn't as tight. Not sure if this maths would work for the average new rider mind. love the information put forward. Brilliant stuff. £4k is absolute rubbish lol mind you, gotta be half that.
@@spicy110 im a big boy too, 21stone plus. I really struggled with the 125. When i started big bike training it was loads easier. There was a problem i noticed. You can only train big bike on expensive lessons. Loads of folk were going out illegally (usually at night) to practise. Obviously no insurance etc. To save money on big bike lessons I would have loved a bit of private road i could have waved liability and just practised. (i didnt do anythillegal btw😊)
Its just money for me im not in position to shell out the money for the full test, beenriding 125s since 2016 had a break from riding borrowed some money instead of doing my test bought another 125 spent £3000 gulp now because of this i cant afford to do my test so i feel im stuck on my 125 for another 3 years, my advice dont be impatient, its my own fault 😂 i do enjoy riding though even though its so godamm slow.
I use Sena's, but that was more about my dislike of Cardo after what they appeared to try and do on my video. th-cam.com/video/mm3jLlSOAuk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=dXVy_KZt77a4pQpg
How could you ride your bike for 7yrs on a CBT?,I thought you had to pass your test within 2 years & if you didn't,you'd forfeit your licence for a year,then do your CBT again?🤔 Can you ride without a CBT?
You are partly right that the CBT lasts 2 years, but you can take it as many times as you like, so you retake the CBT before the current one runs out. I did the CBT 4 times over those 7 years. I'm not sure where you heard that having to wait a year between them, that is totally false.
That would depend on the licence you are going for. If it is the A1 yes you use a 125cc as that is a 125cc licence. For A2 you use a A2 category bike and an A category bike for A. So basically you use a bike that has a minimum power for each level.
@@spicy110 you ought to clarify that from age 24, you can train for a full A licence on the DAS scheme, but you still need the Theory and the CBT. This allows you to ride a 650cc and above bike of more than 47 bhp, or a restricted 650 cc bike, of no more than 47 hp. It makes sense to train and take a A2 licence or full A licence, should you want to ride something above 650cc, to mean it's pointless to take the A1 licence, then take the higher category
Remember, if you have a full car licence (CAT B), then just by completing the CBT course enabled a full category AM motorcycle on your driving licence. If all you want is two wheels without L plates, this is the cheapest way to get a full AM licencem you can then ride with no L plates can carry pillions.
On a cbt for 7 years is crazy. I personally don't feel you should be able to stay on cbt after 2 years I also feel like a theory test should be compulsory with cbt and that food delivery riders should have to have an a1 minimum Literally have these nobhead delivery riders spamming cbt and have no idea how to use the road. I say this as a person who took DAS with no experience and passed everything first time I literally took the cbt and didn't use it to gain experience,merely did because it was required straight away took the lessons required for mod1 and mod2 then took test and pass them all completed it all in 1 month and that's only because I had to work around my life and the slots the school had could've been done sooner. Then bought a bmw s1000r as my first bike
Regarding retaking CBTs, most people retake the CBT because they can not afford to move up. Also, they get regular retraining, so they are held to a standard.
@@spicy110 not really cbt is just cbt they learn nothing they ride ride around for the day.. Then given the cbt then back on the road for two years endangering everyone on the road with thier lack of skill and knowledge. As I said they don't even have a theory test. It's a dangerous loophole. I guarantee that all the people who retook the cbt multiple time wouldn't pass the mod1 at best. The cbt allows the people to be content with lack of skill and let's them stay there with no need to progress and that's dangerous
That is an issue with the school being crap and not teaching what is in the CBT fully, end results the same and yes theory should be added 100% I talked about this here th-cam.com/video/A-Vimm7vupg/w-d-xo.html
if somone says they spent thousands of pound on a bike licence wouldn't that mean they reeealy bad at riding and had to pay out for LOTS of lessons and failed tests???
As I put it, they are not up to standard. haha But the point is people saying it cost them 3k is putting people off who might pay half of that, as they do not tell people WHY is cost that much.
Ive just seen a Biker with Teashirt and Shorts riding a 600RR and you did some brilliant filtering in the School run congestion down the high street and not once did he look over any of his shoulders even tho he was swerving out into the next lane and the other side of the road 😮😢. He either has collision avoidance or 👀 eye's in the back of his head 🤔 😮😢. Please Please Please wear propper gear and check behind you and in your blind spots 😊. Ride safe everyone 🙏 ❤️
@@spicy110 i've been looking at 125, 600 seem a little cheaper but not by much... what happened to 125's being the cheap "bangers" of the bike world...
@@steve-harveyy cheap according to cost of living, bikes are ot cheap unless you can afford new because depreciation seems minimal... The majority live month to month, a privileged few consider 2k to be "cheap"... especially when 20 years ago bikes were cheap, especially 125's @ 300-500...
Hi Spicy. I have passed my CBT last week on a scooter but decided that I wanted a bike. I’ve literally just got back home from my first solo ride out on my CB125F and I’d like to thank you for the videos that you make as they have been a great help. Hope you are fully recovered soon. Big love
When I did my direct access 6 years ago I paid £850 all in and that included, cbt, theory, mod1, mod 2, 5 days training, bike hire was free as mod 1 and 2 was done during training hours and extra damage cover.
£1300-1400 I'd say is pretty bang on for your assumptions there Spicy. I'll put some info on my costs for never having sat on a bike before to full A licence below, caveats of prices in my part of the country and these are 2023 prices. I wasn't exactly the quickest at picking up the physically riding side of things, but I did have the advantage of being a car driver for ~8 years at that point, so I was comfortable being on the road, just not riding a bike if that makes sense.
Overall, for all training and tests, I paid out £1678.50. For that I got probably close to two days of CBT/125 training (more info later), and 8 days of 'big bike' training/test days.
I had 5 hours of training/lessons on a 125 prior to doing the CBT, one of which was a free assessment/taster hour, the rest at £25 each. In most cases I would say these aren't necessary, but in my case I'm glad I did them, for various personal reasons I needed them to get comfortable on the bike, and it was a more cost effective (and less pressure/embarrassing) way than doing two CBT days.
CBT was £140.
Big bike training, I initially booked for 6 days training, which including mod1 and (what would have been) mod2 test fees was £990.50 (so £150/day). The school gave me the option of booking the mod1 and mod2 for separate days, which I did - if you're confident about the mod1 you could do them both in a day. As it happens, I stuffed the mod1...twice. Which left me needing to get some more test fees etc.
I paid £50 for a mod1 and to hire the test centres mod1 compound for an hour - meant I was able to practice the thing I'd stuffed up in the place I had to do it, get out of my head about it for attempt number 3 😅.
Finally, because by this point my plan of 'learn in the winter, it's easier to book tests etc *and* it should make you a better rider' had run out, it ended up being a bit over a month before there was a mod2 slot. I could've just gone for 1 day/morning of training on test day, decided to do 2 instead because a) that gave me more time to get reacquainted with riding after not touching a bike for a month and b) it gave me a day of being able to ride a bike in summer that I wouldn't have had otherwise (no bike/money to acquire it at this point). £375 for two days training and a mod 2.
So, in my part of the world, zero-to-"hero" for £1300-1400 seems perfectly reasonable (with 5/6 days of training). More expensive than a car? Probably not...A friends son is currently about £700-800 in on formal lessons to learn to drive, hasn't done their theory yet, and will probably be *at least* another £400 in before they're test ready. That's not counting the insurance/fuel costs for informal 'lessons' with friends/family.
Great info thank you!
Thanks for sharing this journey! Can relate to the -pessimism- realism for the CBT, my first day on a bike was paired with two people who were there just for the paperwork renewing/coming from experience abroad! I had no chance starting from scratch.
About to start on my journey for the big bikes!
I am in a weird position! Got my CBT in October 2022. Didn't get my bike until October 2023. (Stupid, I know, but there were reasons). Started riding it properly in late March 2024 (Winter got in the way...and the MoT was due late March, so it had to be done). Now it's September 2024 I find myself with a choice to make! Book another CBT, book a DAS, arrange the tests individually...with all the costs involved.......OR leave it until Spring 2025 and then make a choice (Winter getting in the way again).
I must point out that the bike is purely for pleasure. I will be 70 in 3 months time! I am retired with very little income and no savings of any note! Paying almost a grand at any stage is nigh on impossible. Would have cost me a fiver if I had only done my test when I was a 16 year old teenager on my Lambretta GP200. Looks like I will have to stick with the 125.
You can move on two wheels on a 125cc just the same as a super bike (Tortoise and the hare springs to mind). Re-doing the CBT is a no brainer, cheap, gain more experience and confidence. Enjoy the ride buddy, stay safe out there.
@steveaga4683 I used to ride all year round when I 1st started out on a Motorbike 🏍 in 1975 and it continued until I passed my full licence in 1980. Back then there was less incentive to get a full licence because I could ride a 250cc on L plates and the only benefits were being allowed to carry a pillion and access to bigger bikes 🏍.
Hail rain 🌧 Snow ❄️ and Ice 🧊 nothing stopped me riding my 250cc 😊.
Unfortunately now 66 I'd probably freeze to death as I feel the cold 🥶 a lot more, but they do make heated grips,gloves and leather Jackets now. 😊 😂
@@stephenjones9153 Similarly, I had a Lambretta GP200 when I was at school. Didn't bother with doing the test as I couldn't see the point. I had to sell it in order to leave home and study for my degree. It had all the extras and trim you could think of! Brilliant scooter...sold it for £90. Boy, do I regret not doing my test then!
What I would say Spicy, is that you were one of the main reasons I got into biking in the first place.
I was watching you back in 2017 before my CBT, in 2020 before my A2 tests, and earlier this year before I got my full A licence.
Thank you for making the information/advice accessible and easy to understand, I wouldn’t have had a clue when starting out without your videos.
That is awesome! Thanks 😀
I also got into biking thanks to spicy and getting a sinnis apache xD
For me to get a DAS would be,
Cbt: £180
Theory: £23
Mod 1 & Mod 2: £995
So looking at £1198 without any resits or extra days training
Have a work colleague in the process of getting his full A licence from nothing at the moment. I’ve helped him get sorted with all his gear and advising him about training and his licences etc.
I can confirm these prices are pretty spot on. Finding NEW gear THAT cheap is a challenge, as you have to walk past all the sexy branded gear to find the bargain basement stuff, but now is the perfect time to pick up good condition second hand gear as we approach the end of the season and retailers also try to clear their shelves.
Keep up the good work bud. 👍🏻
Did my CBT in 2019 £69 through groupon
Full license mod 1 and mod 2 course £749
First bike 2000 Honda Hornet 600 £1300
Insurance £280
Tax £60 ( I think)
First helmet HJC £100
RST jacket £50 ( sale Sportsbikeshop)
Textile Trousers £80 ( sale sportsbike shop)
Gloves £25
Boots Course Shorties £49 ( half price sale).
I believe that comes to £2762. From no license to on the road.
I would say you're pretty much spot on cost wise. I got my first CBT with Mark around the time you passed your full test, and had been on CBTs ever since until I took the plunge this year and did an A2 (struggled to find an A I could get on!), with 1st Gear in Farnborough, top notch training, and with an already valid CBT, cost me around £1200 (one Mod 2 Re-test and £50 in damage, woops). I should say I am a seasonal rider so was not the best, particularly at low speed stuff (your videos helped a great deal though!), so needed a little extra training than someone that always rides.
I was quite good in the car right from the off however, as I already had a CBT and road experience a year prior, and passed first time so even adjusted for todays lesson prices, in my particular case the car license was cheaper to obtain, but of course the ongoing costs of car ownership, and particularly insurance, are far greater.
Great video as always, hope your leg gets better soon!
interesting , back in 1995 my CBT and full license with motorcycle hire was £260 , good comparison
Hey Spicy,
I think you're missing a route to a cheaper full licence. I know you weren't talking specifically about the A1, but I have recently - a few years back - witnessed the benefits of my son getting his A1...
Bear with me; Most new riders (that I have known) have a bike lined up for when they get their CBT. Whether it's second hand or new, they generally have a bike ready. If biking is what they want to do long term, they'd probably be ready for the full A1 tests within a few weeks/months. For which they already have the bike and insurance. They can also transport the bike by themselves to the test centre, so no need for an instructor chaperone. The other benefits include not having to do your CBT again, and your insurance tumbling eg; My son's insurance halved at the first renewal after completing his Mod. 2.. [and I may be wrong here but: I think this may be the bottom of the 'not having to redo your Theory test' ladder].
Also, another important thing. If you turn up with a bike on a trailer for a Mod 1, then it must be insured to ride on the road. You are made to ride it from the car park to the test enclosure. And you must declare as such when registering with the examiner.
Writing this on a phone smashed screen, so I've put a lot of trust in spellcheck.
Oh shit yeah, almost forgot. It cost my son £90 to do his A1 practical tests.
Everything else (bike + kit) was kind of in place, through a life long love of biking and hand-me-downs. He spent £200 on his first bike and did it up, like in the movies.
My son is continually financially rewarded in his insurance premium for taking the test as soon as he could. He's 20 years old and bashing around on an old Kawasaki 500 for £300 a year TPFT.
From a High Viz Wanker! 😉 😁
I agree, I did A1 myself after 1 year CBT and 7000 miles, even though I was late 40's. I was going to full A within a year of passing A1 before then COVID hit, then theory expired and lost interest (with long booking times etc). But I have full A1 licence, so no CBT's etc.
I believe, as you do (the wise man of high viz), if you have a 125, do the A1 regardless of time. A good experience for the A tests, and I bet more people would continue biking if they didn't have to start again with CBT later in life.
Cost me under £300 for A1 for life all told, and ready for full A when schools get quieter, and maybe cheaper?
Interesting idea! It completely strips out the cost of renting their bike which is too big for you to ride on your own, and the instructor to accompany you. Ideal practice for the tests too, for a very cheap price (mod 1 especially). Something to consider
@@PrinceRules64 I think if you want to be a biker never retake the CBT. Plenty of time to learn on your L plates and do the A1.
Or take DAS!! That is what causes different views!!!
I was amazed that less than 1000 people take the A1 a year, and 55,000 A and A2. (from some government paper!!)
As I have said for a number of years, spend half the money, learn (no bad habits!!!!) and get an A1. Full licence, so 2 year time thingy clicks down.
@@PrinceRules64 Good point! When my son took the A2 practical tests, he knew exactly what he was in for and prepared accordingly. Funnily enough, the only minor he got in the Mod. 1 was not having the space to get his bike up to speed for the emergency brake test.
I took my bike test in 1974. It was a one part test with the examiner observing on foot, and entitled me to move straight onto unlimited (provisional was restricted to 250cc). I bought a Norton 850 Commando.
There was no instruction and the test fee was £3.25 (to put it into context, that was about 1/8th of my weekly wage as a 19 year old). I still ride almost every day, all year round, as my daily transport. I think I've had my money's worth.
It was much simpler (and cheaper) in those days, so my advice would be to use a time machine.
In the midlands from CBT to full A it can be done for under 1000, my advice is go with a big established motorcycle school, they will be slightly more expensive than smaller or self employed instructors, but they pre book batches of tests months in advance so your test slots will be much faster,
It’s not good for the self employed instructors because they struggle to get your tests booked Quickly, but a proper school will have better mod 1 practice and much more organised,
Thank you, Spicy! That was an incredibly helpful video 🐼
Between the price of car and bike licence it goes back to your point on if you already know how to drive/ride it gets cheaper with more experience
My full A license cost me about £1400 back in 2019-20, aged 49 and definitely mid life crisis, did my CBT in September 2019 then took one two hour lesson a week, just treated learning as a hobby so was in no rush, failed my first attempt at Mod 2 which bumps the cost up (another test fee and at least another lesson), passed Mod 2 on Feb 6th 2020, have three bikes now but mainly ride a 2006 Gen1 Hayabusa, absolutely love it, learning to ride is one of the best things i've done.
I passed my Mod 2 last week and I now have my full A License. The DAS cost me £650 for 2 days of Training and the Mod 1 and 2 tests (taken on different days). I did fail the first attempt at Mod 2 and it cost me £185 for a retest (as you've mentioned, a lot of this money is for the Bike hire, insurance and instructors time). This was the cheapest school in my area, others were looking for between £850 - £1200, but I'm not sure if any of them included a "free" resit :P
Just happy that I now have my license :D
Passed my a2 today, so far has cost me about 1400 quid with gear, CBT and training course. I think that’s a pretty realistic figure
Currently have a 3 day DAS booked in for £850, guess costs can soar if you fail a test and need to rebook and hiring a bike again
I’ve just had my calculator out and totalled up how much it cost me for my direct access, £995.50 including learning material for my theory test. I went from not being on a bike for over 30 years to passing my mod2 on September 5th this year at Gateshead.
Did my CBT/test this year. CBT 185, 5 day intensive A 855. During my CBT era, I also purchased the DVLA's essential riding skills (very good book). Of course, theory.
It still is quite an outlay when you consider the gear and bike. But, the licence is done and the gear should last (if you buy decent quality) and the bike, well, up to you...
EDIT: Totally 'effing worth it, though!
Actually, to add, the book mentioned is good because it gives information of riding that your examiner will look for. So, reading and acting on this information during your CBT time will (hopefully) get you riding without creating bad habits.
Also, I spent weekend mornings in supermarket carparks practising slow-speed manoeuvres - don't skimp on this! On a 125, but bear in mind on your A training a big bike is a different beast (I dropped the MT07 in the first 20mins of riding it - haha).
A local school to me is doing DAS based on 3x3 hours tuition for each module, bike hire for tests and test fees for £930. A CBT would be on top of that though for someone completely new to riding. Seems a pretty reasonable cost to me.
I passed my mod2 last week. From cbt to A licence training in London, it cost me £1.2k including an additional £125 for Mod1 retake.
The CBT price seems reasonable. In Ireland, we have IBT and this is mandatory and costs about €600 so very expensive for what it is and only lasts 2 years.
I did a back to biking course recently (kept off due to gluten induced balance issues) and I will second the new helmet. The diffference is night and day, and I bought a budget one and previously had premium! Here's a question I saw recently online that I had not thought of. Should people who ride for a living be compelled to have a full licence? Having never considered it my thoughts were that they should be on a full licence within , say, 12 months of the CBT. Thoughts?
Holy PooBiscuits, am I glad I ain’t learning now. My dear
Mum talked me into getting a bike when I was 16 , taught myself how to ride, at 18 I past my test on a 250 , I would seriously have to want a bike today and I mean seriously want one to have to do all this to get on one and having to wait till I was about 24 to get a full powered bike. At 19 I was on a CB900 going nuts. It was awesome in the 80’s. Great video explaining,. How times have changed.
You can get the full A at 21 if you pass the A2 at 19. Times have changed indeed, there is a hell of a lot more cars and yet deaths now are lower than back then.
@@michaelmarris-xr8cp but if you passed back pre 1983, you can ride anything now, you say you had a 900cc, back then.
With granny rights you still can.
But why you need anything more than 47 hp ,beats me.
Here in Michigan the msf at local vocational center was 150$ usd and 2 classes on weekend 8 hours each. But you need helmet and boots for test. The secretary of state is 7$ for cycle endorsement.
I did my test 1 year ago I spent around £1600 on training,as I did not have a bike for many years, prices do go up each year, but the next hurdle is insurance my friend sons was priced 2k insurance 400_500 cc I'm mature rider I'm priced £700 _£1500 insurance (my van £350)
I got my full a licence in July with a DAS course about 4 full days of training and unfortunately I failed each mod test once which kicked the price up mod 1 I ballsed up the hazard avoidance exercise and the mod 2 I just didn't look far enough ahead and went around a line of parked cars and had a car stop to give way about 30ft down the road, the main cost was the bike hire and all in all it cost me about 1600. Sadly that was the cheapest I could find in Oxfordshire
Cbt £28 = 2 years riding.
Full motorcycle license £62.50 job done.
All prices estimated as old and it was 30+ year's ago. Lived the peak of motorcycles 90's onwards. Still have GSX-R 2010 750. Can't help feel bit sorry for new riders. But two wheels is two wheels regardless. ✌
Bloody hell, even adjusting for inflation that's way more than I payed back in the day (1994) for my full bike licence, gear etc. I was 18 and got my car licence the same year too and was only working a factory job. Absolutely gutted for the youth of today having to pay so much.
My Daughter who is 22 has just past her CBT it was £175, she has a full car license which she has had for nearly 5 years. She got a Kawasaki z125 and the insurance was £800 Fully comp.
She plans to ride the z125 for two years on the CBT and when she turns 24 do the full A license, skipping A2. She may just upgrade to a z500 which is an A2 bike after that, but once she does that or decides she want a more powerful bike late, she will be good to go and no need to do the test again.
Perfect way to do it!
The lovely couple who work next to my workplace are motorbike training centre, they did my CBT back in may and I was quoted £1260 for the full licence minus the theory test and a few days training and I own all my own gear.
In regards to the recommendation to get a 125, I understand why you say that and I agree, but from a personal standpoint, I can't ride 125's, they are not built for a person of my size, poor bike could barely go up minor incline haha.
On the topic of gear, I'm glad at least one person on social media who rides is telling people to wear correct gear. I now work as part of an Ambulance crew and if I have to stop for someone who comes off their bike and is wearing shorts, and sandals -I've seen this far too much lately- You can be sure as your road rash I'm going to rip into you after your all treated for not wearing protective gear. The Law needs to change to include all gear not just a helmet
I done my cbt nearly 2 years ago for £150
brought a Suzuki VanVan 125 for £2000
done the theory test shortly after £23
Sold the VanVan for £1800
brought a Suzuki Bandit 600 for £800 and iv just booked for training mod1 and mod2 for £830
Insurance £160 same for both bikes
As long as you pass the thearory test first time .I know of people who failed 4 or more times. And yes they do practice hard. But on the day always fail by a small amount of point .
It cost me about £1,500 to do my full licence. That was with passing my mod 1 second time and passing mod 2 first time. But I had quite a few training sessions and I don't own a bike to train with. I did my training and tests on a Honda Hornet CB750 '24.
Ah the new Hornet! Did you like it?
@@PrinceRules64 yeah it's alright, I enjoyed it. It has a few riding modes like rain mode, ABS and a few other things. The speedometer thing is all on an LED screen, so there's no analog dials. The bike revs up to 9.5k rpm and sounds good even with the stock exhaust.
@@Hanx896 Nice to hear! Loving the improvements to bikes in this class in recent years!
I did my DAS this year. Theory, CBT, 5 days training, mod1/mod2 with training before going there, totalling £1120.
Additionally, gear totalled £900 but I was not trying too hard to save there.
Hey spicy. Hope your doing well buddy since what happend to you when you fell off and have to deal with hospital. When you do have the time and get well for it. Would it be possible. Since you do videos for beginners for new riders. Like what type of gear you should wear. How to learm. But i would suggest doing for new people what is the best locks for your bije since alot of people in there teenage years always just use the stirring lock on. Which is always more likely for it to be stolen. But it would help new riders to become more security safe.
I’m going from rookie to full licence at the moment. Paying £1530 that equates to at least 27 hours instruction and for CBT, Mods 1&2 test.
Up north you're looking at about 1200 quid for an unlimited course with unlimited retests, few hundred quid on gear if you want something less sweaty.
Up North 😊, it depends where you live or where you are at the time of the discussion 😉 😊.
I'm in Liverpool and up north is Scotland or the Lake District 😂😂but when I'm daarrn sarrrff it's anywhere north of Coventry or the Midlands 😊😂😂
If you only wanted to ride a 125cc, what difference do you think it would make to the cost of insurance if you had A1, A2 or A licence vs CBT?
I nod to learner bikers. Fair play for sticking with it. When I got my licence in (checks licence) 1997 I took the test for "A" 10 days after I first rode a motorbike for the CBT, and bought an old CBR600F. I do not recommend this route!
Ayyyyy thanks man thinking of doing this after my car licence
I’ve just done my a2 and cbt passed all July down south it was around £1,250 not with gear purchased but rented with the corse
Hi Spicy110, I watched some of your videos and they helped my mod 1, thank you I paid in 2024: CBT £195, £23 (I think!) for theory, DAS (3 days) £620 for mod1+2, including bike hire and DVSA test fees which I think is pretty reasonable.
Kit was around £500 (good brands like Richa, HJC, Falco, Bullitt)
Hope your injury gets better soon!
I've been quoted 800 for my a2 from my cbt instructor. Passed my theory the first time so the time is ticking for me to get my licence.
in Denmark it is about 1k £ for the basic packet, beside that maybe about 200£ for the two test.
I recently had my cbt , failed it though. Instructor didnt help me learn just expected me to know it all. I also selected an automatic bike as you can get cbt for manual with an automatic bike. When i got there i was given a manual, i told them i selected automatic but the instructor continued with me on a manual. Ive never used a clutch so it was really difficult to get right but he failed be because of that. Im gonna wait 2 more years till im 19 and go for the bmw cbt, a1 and a2 and just get a proper bike. still thats 200 quid down the drain from that fail which is 26 hours or working for me.
They love failing people, more money for them
Kinda man prices compared to what i saw in Europe. Full A veing some £500 top, bike, exam and a few hours worth of lessons included. They also just skip the CBT step, and in a way they're correct, why do the same exam twice?
I paid 1200 for a DAS but I did 4 days of training on that with then a days worth of tests basically this year. Probably paid more then I needed too as I was on a cbt for nearly 9 years, too. But was paranoid
I'm not sure you can do it all on your own bike, unless it's the A1 because that would be on a bike you're already licenced and insured to ride. For the other licences you'd need to find an insurance company willing to insure you on a bike you don't even have a licence for, I doubt many would be willing to do that (or for a reasonable price) if they even can legally.
The main thing that keeps putting me off getting my full licence (been riding on Ls for 5 years now) is the cost and the time it takes Not that I can't afford it or take the time off work but if I fail anything it feels like a waste of time and money and it's demoralising. I went to do my theory years ago and failed after riding about an hour there and back and I just felt like shit after, no idea what went wrong but I got a terrible score on the hazard perception (I didn't miss them or click too much). I'm a decent rider but I just know with my luck I'll fail on something stupid and have to pay hundreds of pounds to try again and get luckier.
Hey, hang in there! I don't know if this will cheer you up at all but the "Official DVSA Theory Test Kit" app has an interactive hazard perception part which is just like the tests, has tons of them to practice on (I only used half), and a truly superb way to get prepared for it. The whole app (which includes highway code if you need it) costs about a fiver IIRC as a one-off payment (damn those subscription models!)
p.s. it's made for car theory but for the hazard perception part I'm quite sure they're exactly the same.
My test costs including CBT were £960 passing both tests 1st time, bike thrown in, CB650R with 4 mornings of training equating to between 8-10 hours in reality My safety gear costs were £670 so a total of £1630 and I passed recently on 8th Aug at age 54yrs. My bike now is a 2003 ZX6R which I ride with care as it has no ABS, no gear indicator, no fuel gauge, no fuel warning light, no rider modes, no nothing actually 😅😂and I'm new to this so I treat it with fair respect. I rode around on a new 2023 125 CB125F for 13 mths after I took my CBT last year which I traded up for the Kawasaki from Kawaski desler which now has car carburettor problems I think so I can't ride it at the moment..lol. Moral.of the story don't buy an old bike no matter where you get it from beacuse it probably will be as crxp as you feared 😅
Cost me 1200 but had to do mod 2 again due to 1 serious fault not stopping at at stop
Returning after a few years break. Priced CBT today,£250-280 in Northern Ireland 🤦🏻♂️.
WTF that is way too much, are they all the same cost in the area?
@wispa3309 I've just posted a link for Northern Ireland that's says it's £130 for CBT test including bike and gear.
South east Kent. I was quoted £880 to do a DAS course with mod1 and 2 included and that’s the only option because how will I get a big enough bike to test centre without the DAS people to let me use their bike. It’s stupidly expensive
Iirc I paid £175 + £525 for a CBT renewal on a geard bike and then 5 days training and the A test including theory.
Everything together it's cheaper to buy a 1000cc car, which you can use all year around, then if you have spare cash try on biking.
Its cost me as a new (D A S) rider no bike experience currently training for mod1 & 2. cbt £200 + 9 - 3 hr lessons £1350 test prices included
I would go along with what you say there Spice boy, but a CBT only valid for 2 years, which you have to retake when that expires, so an additional cost of £175 per CBT, should you delay taking the theory ,CBT & MoD 1 or 2,also the tests ,and MoD 1 has a expiry date too, if you pass the MoD 2 you have your licence, happy days!🥳
I was on CBT's for 7 years; this video is about how to get a licence. The cbt isn't a licence, this is about how much it costs to just get the license step by step. You repeat a step yes you pay again.
My mates just done his DAS. They made him top up and pay for fuel at the end of every day. I thought that was mental after dropping 700quid on the DAS...
Never heard of that before!
Got my mod 2 booked and so far 1100 for myself. Would have been less but had to do mod 1 twice.
My local bike shop quoted me £495 In 2020. I'd already done my CBT and theory.
Would have been a pretty good deal if I didn't fail both first time 😂
Can I just point out a rider who had a cbt at 16 may want to do the A1 before they turn 18 if going onto bigger bikes in future as they will not have to be restricted to the l plates on a 125 for the same cost. Also means they will not have to renew a theory test
You can indeed but that is not what this video is about. This video is about people saying getting to a A2 or A costs £3k-£4k for the basic route, which is untrue.
I'm over twenty four but I've decided to go for the A1 licence because I can use my own bike and not worry about expensive lessons. I've done the theory and mod 1 already and spent just over a year running about on a 125. If I do pass the mod 2 and get my A1 licence does this fast track the lessons for the A licence or do the schools still want their 10-15 hours? Do I have any say in how many lessons I need or do they decide after assessment?
They should just give you as much as you need but they can not force you to do more, they will just say, you will fail and it will cost you more, your money at the end of the day.
@@Johnadler1234 I 'd say if you want the full A licence then ,just take the DAS route, you have done the MoD 1, you don't need to retake that unless it's 2 years since, just concentrate on the Full A licence, the skills are the same, and the school bike won't be any more than a 650cc, which entitles you to a full licence.
The rules & regs are an ass! But they do make sense.
I used to ride a little 50cc off my car license (I am old). Can you still do that without a CBT?
No that rule went out years ago, however if you pass your car test and cbt within 2 years you get the AM license.
Another anomaly is that if you jave a car licence, you can ride a tricycle, , a motorcycle with 3 wheels such as a Mp3 or Tricity, on your car licence, no Bike test or CBT needed.
Yes that is the 79(3) ristriction i have made videos on.
2002 a had ridden bikes over the park other peoples 😅then bought a bandit 600 and put a fake plate on it ,my thoughts were if the police do try n pull me a would loose them quick ,mind this is 22 years ago before cameras were everywhere a never got pulled but it was on my mind a needed to go legal so a booked a cbt ,cost £80 they saw the bike a drove in to sit my cbt so they skipped the 125 cc and a did my cbt on a Honda 500 when put on the road a was missing a few life savers etc and they let me know about it cbt finished they told me to go sit my theory test a did ,a went back had 2 lessons at £25 each then sat my test an hour practice then test failed left my indicator on rookie error two weeks later passed my test and insured my bandit legal ,it’s changed days now tho so a wouldn’t do it my way now ,to many anpr and cameras 🎥 ride safe
i think my full license was about 720 mainly because I failed my first mod 2
Lol was considering going DAS next spring but insurance is going to nail me on a ninja 400. Think ill get an R3 now instead...
For my mod 1 and mod 2 combined I've paid £610 so £780 all in including cbt and theory
Last year my grandson took test after test to get his unlimited full motorcycle licence. Total cost, just over £1,400.
Please include cat AM, while not everyone's cup of tea it is very much still a valid category or motorcycle licence.
Is there any objective data that all of this has actually reduced accidents and injuries?
Yes, there have been many studies and papers proving it not only reduces accidents but also deaths. We have more people in the UK than ever before and a lot more cars and much worse roads yet fatalities and injuries fell when they changed the rules. Here is one of many www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-motorcyclist-factsheet-2022/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-motorcyclist-factsheet-2022
mine was £750 to £800 only passed last week
Cost me just under a grand from never sitting a bike to getting full licence.
So you did 3 CBT tests to keep your 125 legal? So CBT should be three times the price really? I get you had all that experience under your belt, and needed less lessons. But that isn't the norm for a 24 year old who is going DAS?
I agree that the cost of biking can be a huge outlay. Lessons, tests, gear, all adds up. I'm just about to sit my MOD1, I'm 40. Couldn't really afford it until now, it's not exactly needed the licence previously, was more of a want then need. Kids have now got a bit bigger so money isn't as tight. Not sure if this maths would work for the average new rider mind.
love the information put forward. Brilliant stuff. £4k is absolute rubbish lol mind you, gotta be half that.
The problem is insurance. A 600 cc in London for a 30-year-old will set you back £1200 a year.
If you're lucky
Costs me £250 fully comp a year in West Yorkshire.
@@lukescottguitar Wow, that is a friend's monthly costs for his 2024 CBR 600RR
Im 6ft5 so practicing on a 125 after cbt was very difficult.
I am 6ft4, why was height an issue?
@@spicy110 im a big boy too, 21stone plus. I really struggled with the 125. When i started big bike training it was loads easier.
There was a problem i noticed. You can only train big bike on expensive lessons. Loads of folk were going out illegally (usually at night) to practise. Obviously no insurance etc. To save money on big bike lessons
I would have loved a bit of private road i could have waved liability and just practised. (i didnt do anythillegal btw😊)
Its just money for me im not in position to shell out the money for the full test, beenriding 125s since 2016 had a break from riding borrowed some money instead of doing my test bought another 125 spent £3000 gulp now because of this i cant afford to do my test so i feel im stuck on my 125 for another 3 years, my advice dont be impatient, its my own fault 😂 i do enjoy riding though even though its so godamm slow.
Which is the best comm system? Cardo or sena?
I use Sena's, but that was more about my dislike of Cardo after what they appeared to try and do on my video. th-cam.com/video/mm3jLlSOAuk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=dXVy_KZt77a4pQpg
@@spicy110 WIll check it out, thanks!
How could you ride your bike for 7yrs on a CBT?,I thought you had to pass your test within 2 years & if you didn't,you'd forfeit your licence for a year,then do your CBT again?🤔
Can you ride without a CBT?
You are partly right that the CBT lasts 2 years, but you can take it as many times as you like, so you retake the CBT before the current one runs out. I did the CBT 4 times over those 7 years. I'm not sure where you heard that having to wait a year between them, that is totally false.
Hi Spicy I was wondering can you use a 125 fir mod2
That would depend on the licence you are going for. If it is the A1 yes you use a 125cc as that is a 125cc licence. For A2 you use a A2 category bike and an A category bike for A. So basically you use a bike that has a minimum power for each level.
@@spicy110 you ought to clarify that from age 24, you can train for a full A licence on the DAS scheme, but you still need the Theory and the CBT. This allows you to ride a 650cc and above bike of more than 47 bhp, or a restricted 650 cc bike, of no more than 47 hp.
It makes sense to train and take a A2 licence or full A licence, should you want to ride something above 650cc, to mean it's pointless to take the A1 licence, then take the higher category
@spicy110 I would be going for my A licence
Remember, if you have a full car licence (CAT B), then just by completing the CBT course enabled a full category AM motorcycle on your driving licence. If all you want is two wheels without L plates, this is the cheapest way to get a full AM licencem you can then ride with no L plates can carry pillions.
Sadly this only applies if you got your full car licence before 1st Feb 2001
@@shnibshady4940 Thankfully you're wrong. Before 2001 you get it automatically. You can check the gov website for it.
On a cbt for 7 years is crazy. I personally don't feel you should be able to stay on cbt after 2 years I also feel like a theory test should be compulsory with cbt and that food delivery riders should have to have an a1 minimum
Literally have these nobhead delivery riders spamming cbt and have no idea how to use the road.
I say this as a person who took DAS with no experience and passed everything first time
I literally took the cbt and didn't use it to gain experience,merely did because it was required straight away took the lessons required for mod1 and mod2 then took test and pass them all completed it all in 1 month and that's only because I had to work around my life and the slots the school had could've been done sooner.
Then bought a bmw s1000r as my first bike
Regarding retaking CBTs, most people retake the CBT because they can not afford to move up. Also, they get regular retraining, so they are held to a standard.
@@spicy110 not really cbt is just cbt they learn nothing they ride ride around for the day.. Then given the cbt then back on the road for two years endangering everyone on the road with thier lack of skill and knowledge. As I said they don't even have a theory test.
It's a dangerous loophole.
I guarantee that all the people who retook the cbt multiple time wouldn't pass the mod1 at best.
The cbt allows the people to be content with lack of skill and let's them stay there with no need to progress and that's dangerous
That is an issue with the school being crap and not teaching what is in the CBT fully, end results the same and yes theory should be added 100% I talked about this here th-cam.com/video/A-Vimm7vupg/w-d-xo.html
Cost my wife about £1100 in total
And yet eScooters and electric unicycles are STILL completely illegal on UK's public roads.
if somone says they spent thousands of pound on a bike licence wouldn't that mean they reeealy bad at riding and had to pay out for LOTS of lessons and failed tests???
As I put it, they are not up to standard. haha But the point is people saying it cost them 3k is putting people off who might pay half of that, as they do not tell people WHY is cost that much.
you missed cost to get your prov licence they are not free and you need that first ?
Oh, that's a point! Plus £34 then.
CB500f for full licence, plenty of power but not too much
You can’t do the full ‘A’ licence test on that bike.
@@tommy-mu2gf no mean its still a good bike very much underrated its like the underdog of the big bikes
Ive just seen a Biker with Teashirt and Shorts riding a 600RR and you did some brilliant filtering in the School run congestion down the high street and not once did he look over any of his shoulders even tho he was swerving out into the next lane and the other side of the road 😮😢. He either has collision avoidance or 👀 eye's in the back of his head 🤔 😮😢.
Please Please Please wear propper gear and check behind you and in your blind spots 😊. Ride safe everyone 🙏 ❤️
licence is cheap, finding a bike however is not... 2k will just about get you something... makes no sense...
What cc bike?
bought my first bike for £700…
@@spicy110 i've been looking at 125, 600 seem a little cheaper but not by much... what happened to 125's being the cheap "bangers" of the bike world...
Cheap compared to what? A bicycle, a car or an ebike?
In my opinion bikes are fairly cheap and more practical compared to the other options.
@@steve-harveyy cheap according to cost of living, bikes are ot cheap unless you can afford new because depreciation seems minimal...
The majority live month to month, a privileged few consider 2k to be "cheap"... especially when 20 years ago bikes were cheap, especially 125's @ 300-500...