How Much Are Motorcycle Lessons?

At RideTo we often hear the question “How much are motorcycle lessons?” Thats a bit like asking “How long is a piece of string”.

In reality the answer to the first question isn’t particularly complex, there are just a lot of variables involved, so let’s take a look at them;

Compulsory Basic Training - The ‘CBT’ is a requirement for everybody (with one exception) who wants to ride a motorcycle. That exception is a person who holds a full driving licence, and only wants to ride a 50cc moped on that licence. Outside of this one ‘anomaly’ all motorcyclists must complete the CBT. Its is a one day course, but not a test per se. Your instructor will determine if you have reached the required standard, and usually work with you to ensure you reach that standard within the day. Very occasionally a student may be required to return a second day to complete the training. But generally if you can ride a bicycle, you can complete a CBT! Prices vary, some schools offer CBT’s from as little as £85, but we would be wary of these schools as the ‘return rate’ to complete the training is often high. You are much better tracking down a school that will offer top class tuition, leaving you with as much confidence to take to the road as possible. Thats why RideTo exist, to help you find the smoothest most efficient route onto two wheels. The average cost for a CBT is around £120 to £130. When you consider the level of training you receive, it’s incredibly good value.

The next stage is a full licence and regardless of if you are going for an A1, A2 or unrestricted A licence, the training is basically the same, its just the power of the motorcycle that differentiates them. In terms of cost, this level is where you can see quite a variance in pricing and that’s because schools can offer different training packages.

If you have been on the road on a small capacity bike (or off-road for that matter) and have a good level of experience and control, you will usually require less training than some one who is coming to it fresh. In this scenario schools usually offer a tailored package which may consist of one day training for the module 1 test and two days training for the Module 2 test. The price will include use of a bike, clothing, insurance and test fees. We see an average price of about £600 for this kind of package. You can find more about what involved in each part of the test here.

If you are a novice rider going from 125cc to A2 or A licence, the course will usually add one extra day for the conversion training. Subsequently the prices are usually about £100 more than the experienced rider packages. As a complete novice, a standard CBT will need to be completed, and quite often the training school will add an extra day to help you transition from the 125cc onto the bigger bike (usually a 650/700cc machine)

The Direct Access course for a complete novice usually cost from £1000 upwards, depending on the requirements. Usually you can go from never having ridden a bike, to taking your full unrestricted A licence in around 5 days. Given the level of intensity and expert training you receive, plus the loan of a motorcycle, clothing if necessary, fuel and test fees etc this is a very reasonable cost.

But the training doesn’t have to, and maybe shouldn’t, stop there. Once you are on the road you have a multitude of possibilities for learning further skills. A good place to start is the Bike Safe course run by Police Forces around the country. The courses are free (although usually there is a small admin fee to cover bookings etc) and it is an invaluable day of road riding with highly trained Police Officers. The insight you receive around the subjects of positioning, observation, cornering and hazard perception is far greater than you cover in your lessons. If you live in the South East of the UK, the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service offer a similar day called Fire Bike.

Many of the RideTo Partner schools also offer advanced training sessions including everything from Advanced Cornering, Wet Weather skills, Emergency braking and of course the ever popular knee down!