Rattling around the garage Testing times
It’s been 20-plus years since I passed my test and since then I’ve watched it get progressively more difficult and confusing to get a full licence…
I’ve watched large parts of an ageing scooterist population steadfastly refusing to take their test, preferring instead to take their CBT over and over again, constantly complaining about the cost of this self-imposed tax.
Now, I know training courses aren’t cheap – often about half of my monthly income – and that they’re pushed as being the only way to guarantee to pass your test. I appreciate that’s a lot of cash to be forking out just to get rid of your L-plates and be legally allowed to ride a scooter that’s over 125cc and on the motorway. I get that. But what if I told you that there was a cheaper way? One that would cost maybe a quarter of a course. Would that interest you?
Well, there is. You’ve been a scooter rider for a long time; you’ve got the miles in and the hours of riding in all sorts of conditions. Wet, dry, town, city and countryside. In the light and in the dark. You know about the hazards that face you, and you’ve probably made enough mistakes to learn to avoid most of them next time. You know every other road user doesn’t care about you.
In short, you have experience. What you don’t need is someone 10 years your junior treating you like a novice every day for a few days, but perhaps the odd bad habit has crept in that needs correcting. We all have them if we’re honest.
Talk to your local training centre. There are usually a few in any area, and this gives you a chance to play one off against another. Bargain with them. Tell them the situation. You’ll not be the first, and I’m certain that you’ll come away with a much more pocket friendly and less time consuming compromise. Okay, given the way the law is at the moment, you’ll have to pass it on a bike (unless you want to be limited to a 125cc auto afterwards), and a lot of us don’t have a huge experience with foot change and a higher centre of balance, but that can’t be avoided. So, sadly, we’ll have to live with that. I don’t see the Government making a new set of rules to accommodate us in particular as it would open the floodgates, so let’s move on from there and accept it as it is.
So you’ve booked a couple of hours of training. Google tells me that this is perhaps £60. The total test costs are about £115, a little more if you want to do it in an evening or weekend. Let’s call it £200 all-in, including the celebratory beer afterwards. That’s considerably less than the £750 I’ve often seen quoted. To balance this cost, consider that the CBT is now over £100 and up to £150 in some places. In two years’ time, you’ll be (at worst) breaking even on costs, or (at best) maybe £100 ahead. Add in the reduction in insurance premiums – it would cost me more to insure a P125 without a licence than a P200 with one, and you’re a mile ahead very quickly. Remember that it also means you can ride any scooter you want legally (yes, I know, we’ve all done it, but insurance companies are more clued up these days) and on motorways if you should so wish.
Of course, if the bottom line is you don’t think you can actually pass your test, then perhaps you should consider whether you should be riding at all. The riding test is to check your competence. If you don’t think you’re up to that level then you’re admitting you’re not safe. Give that a thought and think about it in relation to how it could affect your family. In this case, I think I’d rather you dug deeper into your pocket and got some training before you hurt yourself. It’s not an easy thing to admit to, but perhaps it’s for the best. Should you take my sage advice to heart and act upon it, good luck – you can do this. And then I’ll see you at the bar, hopefully celebrating your test pass.
If the bottom line is that you don’t think you can actually pass your test, then perhaps you should consider whether you should be riding at all.