Can I Complete a CBT Test in Colwick?
While there isn’t a CBT test centre in Colwick itself, there are multiple training schools in the surrounding area of Nottinghamshire.
The closest option for you would be Shires Motorcycle Training at Gresham Sports Park, only a 10-minute drive from Colwick or a 45-minute journey on public transport.
Another of RideTo’s partner schools in close proximity of Colwick is Think Bike Training Nottingham. Their motorcycle training ground is located in Boulevard Retail Park a similar distance away from Colwick by car and actually slightly more convenient to get to by public transport depending on where you live in Colwick.
Do You Have to Display L Plates With a CBT Licence?
Yes, if you only have a CBT licence as opposed to a full licence (AM, A, A1 or A2 licence depending on your age) you will always need to have an L plate displayed clearly on your moped, scooter or motorbike even if you’ve been riding for a long time.
Because a CBT test only takes one day to complete, the L plates are required to make other road users aware that you’re perhaps slightly more nervous and potentially under-experienced. This should mean they give you extra room and more time to manoeuvre.
Even if you’ve been riding for a while, have previous experience of riding a motorbike or have since retaken your CBT after it expires (every 2 years) you will still legally have to display an L plate at all times.
The only exception to this is if you learnt to drive a car before February 1st 2001, as you can then legally ride a 50cc moped without ever taking a CBT and you aren’t required to display L plates.
What Can I Expect From My CBT Test?
Throughout the one day of training, you will learn everything you need to know about controlling and riding a motorbike or scooter.
The day consists of theory based work in a classroom where your instructor will explain how a motorbike works and how to control it using diagrams and talking about best practices in certain scenarios.
There is also lots of time spent out of the classroom, where you will ride a bike around the training ground. You will be given lots of time to practice what you’ve been taught, navigating the bike around cones and practicing stopping, starting, observations and parking.
There is also a large part of the training day (2 hours) which involves a road ride. This may seem daunting but don’t worry the instructor rides behind you and instructs you on where to ride through an earpiece.
They will take you on a mix of different roads so you get lots of experience. Once back from the road ride the training is complete and you should be awarded your CBT certificate if the instructor is happy with how you’ve progressed.
To learn more about the ins and outs of a CBT test, read our course guide.
