Restricted licence

[HEsch]

I'm tossing up booking my CTBA for Restricted licence one of two ways.
1) do a training course + the CBTA assessment. About $400 no matter which provider I book with, for 2-4 hours training and assessment. One-stop shop.
2) repeat the Ride Forever Bronze course then book in the CBTA R assessment only. $20 plus ?$150? for 8 hours plus ~1 hr for the assessment. A little more time consuming to book and complete two different things.

It's not solely about the cost, I'd like to maximise my learning and skills consolidation. I have done one Bronze course and found it hugely beneficial. The other guy on the course was doing it as a prep for sitting his Restricted the non-CBTA way the following day, and got great feedback. I would like input/reassurance that my skills are suitable/sufficient (I think they are, but I'm just me, I'm not an assessor).
I can do another Ride Forever course after I get my Restricted, if I don't do it before.

Have you done one, or the other, and got any helpful gems of advice?

[Jeeper]

I did RideForever Bronze in mid April. Used it as a base to practice for a month. Then booked training plus test session mid May for my Restricted. Worked really well as the instructor told me things that I needed to keep an eye on just before the actual test. Also I got familiar with the area and idea of someone following me and giving me directions to follow. My cost for training plus test was around $300. Bronze course was part of me buying the bike from Red Barron.

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[rambaldi]

My personal experience was to just do the traditional restricted test, and not fuss too much about more training (at that point, don't over think it and start worrying too much). I had been riding for about a year, commuting pretty much every day so I had experience with both low speed and motorway riding. There was also a little back road riding in the test (think 80km rural type stuff). I had recently gotten around to doing my car full (maybe in the year or two prior) so was fairly confident in testing situations. Also generally I am a fairly relaxed driver/rider not being too aggressive and fast so I didn't have to curtail those instincts for the test like some riders.

Like you I had done a bronze course, but I didn't find it as useful as you did. Perhaps it was my instructor, or the fact that it was a class of three rather than two, but I found that for the time invested it wasn't worth my while. Now that I am coming up on being able to go for my full I am intending to get some one on one time with an instructor, and then take the test with them. I feel like even though it will be fewer hours, they will be better spent in improving my riding.

[Jeeper]

If you are in Auckland, have a look at: http://www.ridertraining.co.nz/cbta-...nd-testing.php

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[Jeeper]

I went with extra training simply because I had minimal experience on bikes as I only started riding this year. Although I have been driving for many many years now with my last driving test being a long ways in the past.

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[caspernz]

If you can handle the investment (time and $$ wise) then go with the training course approach.

Nothing wrong with the Rideforever series, it's just you could end up with the situation of being the most competent rider on a course and end up learning very little over what you learned first time out on Bronze. A one-on-one course works better that way, taking you from your level and build you up from there.

Once you've got your Restricted you'll be ready for the Silver RF course before long, then the Gold a year or so after that.

Then after a couple of years on your Full, come and talk to one of us IAM chaps and we can work with you to finesse those skills even further

[HEsch]

Thanks all, that's really helpful. It felt like a silly question but I knew there would be things I hadn't considered.
My last "test" situ was BHS for the class 6 L, prior to that was my Full class 1, which was a long time ago (14 years).

I'd like to get my R before I bring the bike to Auckland to be my daily commuter. At the moment most of my riding is on rural roads, not much traffic. I need to spend a bit more time in the 'burbs.... Though the windy hilly back roads are a lot of fun

[HEsch]

Interesting. Got an email from ProRider this morning advertising their courses, incl complete packages (http://www.prorider.co.nz/wp-content...cence-pack.pdf). Big brother is watching? Or I hit some arbitrary point since the Ride Forever course I did and deserve more advertising guff

[Euro2018]

I did a 4 hour session with an instructor in Pirongia. Cost $400.
He even provided a bike.
Went well, 3 hours of one on one tuition then a 1 hour assessment.
Passed ok, now have restricted.
I hadn't ridden a bike for several years, so was quite good doing it this way

[rastuscat]

I'm tossing up booking my CTBA for Restricted licence one of two ways.
1) do a training course + the CBTA assessment. About $400 no matter which provider I book with, for 2-4 hours training and assessment. One-stop shop.
2) repeat the Ride Forever Bronze course then book in the CBTA R assessment only. $20 plus ?$150? for 8 hours plus ~1 hr for the assessment. A little more time consuming to book and complete two different things.

It's not solely about the cost, I'd like to maximise my learning and skills consolidation. I have done one Bronze course and found it hugely beneficial. The other guy on the course was doing it as a prep for sitting his Restricted the non-CBTA way the following day, and got great feedback. I would like input/reassurance that my skills are suitable/sufficient (I think they are, but I'm just me, I'm not an assessor).
I can do another Ride Forever course after I get my Restricted, if I don't do it before.

Have you done one, or the other, and got any helpful gems of advice?

Repeating a Bronze. Have you ingrained all the stuff covered in the first course?

When I deliver Bronze I make it very focussed on the CBTA requirements. Not just because you want to pass, but because the stuff it takes to pass a CBTA test is just plain good riding.

The whole point of CBTA assessments are to check if you have good motorcycling habits and confidence. That's what you should have got from the Bronze you did.

If you're going to repeat a Bronze, do it with a different instructor. You'll get a different aspect on the same themes.

[rastuscat]

Further, if someone has done a Bronze with me, I like them to do a Silver with someone else. They get a more rounded training experience by having a different instructor.

[JimO]

i know its not the same but when i got my licence i turned up on my TS185 Suzuki trail bike the cop said ride down the road do a u turn then come back and do a skid...hay presto full licence time for a Kawasaki 900

[flashg]

i know its not the same but when i got my licence i turned up on my TS185 Suzuki trail bike the cop said ride down the road do a u turn then come back and do a skid...hay presto full licence time for a Kawasaki 900

Almost ditto on my TS125 suzuki, He said do a figure 8 in their car park = full license. Trouble was I couldn't afford a better more powerful bike.

[rastuscat]

Almost ditto on my TS125 suzuki, He said do a figure 8 in their car park = full license. Trouble was I couldn't afford a better more powerful bike.

The good old days weren't always good. We killed 843 people on the roads in 1973. When each family had one car, and there were lots more bikes on the road.

It was cool to get my licence by riding around the block, but I think today's system produces better skills.

[flashg]

That's a lot of deaths, considering there were way less vehicles on the road in 1973
Myself and a few friends did all our training and learning in the hills at secret places we knew. The traffic cop that passed me was a bike cop, he said they were trained on TS125 suzuki's
I don't remember any training available to us at the time.
If a 15 year old got a full license today. They could easily afford a powerful bike and kill themselves, so the system we have today is what's needed for the sake of preventing accidents and/or deaths in new riders. The training available is also great for anyone who wants to freshen up their skills.