Getting your motorcycle licence: Choosing an instructor

The training school you choose and your instructor is one of the most important decisions you can make when starting your two-wheeled journey. You may just think it’s a case of googling which is your closest school, ringing them up and getting booked in – it can be that simple if you want it to be, but we think it’s well worth spending time researching different schools in your area and making sure you pick the right one for you. Here are some of our do’s and don’t’s:

DO

• look at a company’s pass rate – but DON’T become hung up on it
• consider looking for discounted courses and special offers – but DON’T be short changed by getting a poor quality of tuition
• ask your friends and see where they learnt
• consider heading into your local motorcycle dealership and seeing if they know of any local schools
• check if they are an ‘Approved Training Body’ (ATB) – these are regulated by the Driving Standards Agency and have to undergo rigorous training and assessments before achieving ‘approved’ status
• call them to find out more. Ring up and ask them about the format of the course – maybe ask if you can go and watch others doing their training – but DON’T be pressured into making a booking there and then

DON’T

• be swayed just because a training school has brand new bikes to learn on – often it can be great to learn on a brand new machine, but just because a school has older ones, doesn’t mean the quality of teaching is less
• think that one-man band schools aren’t as good as big ones. The size of a school can sometimes have an implication on the teaching styles. Sometimes larger schools can be quite corporate, whereas smaller ones are more laid back – it depends on your learning style as to which you would prefer
• be scared to ask questions. Ask them about insurance – are you covered fully comprehensive? What happens if you fail – would there be further costs? Do they offer bike hire? What riding kit will you need or do they provide it? These are all questions that you should be asking before parting with your money and turning up for your training

What about the instructor?

Your instructor plays a huge part in your getting your licence – it’s their job to get you a pass – and some teach in different ways to others. Try and meet your instructor face to face before booking – for a l ot of riders, getting on with their instructor is an important part in their learning and if they don’t ‘gel’ personality-wise, then it can make a difference.