Compulsory Basic Training, Crawley & East Grinstead West Sussex

We run CBT courses at our Crawley & East Grinstead sites, current prices HERE.

It’s a long and busy day, but we do our best to make it fun and whether your goal is to ride a moped, scooter or motorbike short or long term, the CBT will teach you the basic essentials before you go into the world of 2 wheels. Your safety is always paramount, luckily MTS Sussex has the largest training site in the area, so plenty of room to practice!

Please note: the CBT is designed for your safety, therefore you must have at least a basic knowledge of The Highway Code as you will be using the public highways.

For more information see our  CBT Frequently Asked Questions.

How the day works

Are you sitting comfortably? Let us begin: Time schedules during the day will vary dependent on the individuals we have, so we don’t clock watch, after all not everyone’s a natural! Throughout the day though, we will cover the CBT syllabus as follows:

08:15 - Start at MTS Sussex

You’ll be signed in and have chance for a cuppa & to meet the other CBT’ers for the day while we check your licences.

Element A - In the MTS classroom

An introduction to your MTS instructors and the day itself, including a chat about essential safety clothing & equipment.

Element B - Tally Ho to the bikes!

Now you get to know about the bike you’ll be using on the day. We won’t have time for a mechanics course I’m afraid but we will chat a bit about basic daily & weekly maintenance, and you’ll be shown how to safely use your bike stand. No muscle needed it’s all just technique!

Element C - Ride ‘em cowboy!

Here we go with the bit you’re all anxious about; learning to ride the bike. Once you’re pulling away and stopping safely, we will cover all types of riding skills necessary including slow speed, appropriate observations, maneuvering, junctions, using signals, gear change, and lots more. This is all within the safety of the MTS Sussex fenced off enclosure which is the largest of its kind in the area! So lots of room to practice as it’s a big part of the day, but you’ll be amazed how much fun you can have putting it all in place.

Element D - Back to the classroom folks

Here the emphasis is on road safety, so we’ll talk a bit about what to expect out on the road, we’ll cover some highway code, and general safety points as well as a quick re-cap on what we have practiced on the training pad.

Element E - What you’ve all been waiting for!

The CBT road ride lasts for at least 2 hours, during this time you will be in radio contact with your instructor. For safety reasons we have a maximum ratio of 1 instructor to 2 students, and we try to match students of equal ability. The road ride covers what we call a ‘nursery route’, which takes us around quiet side roads and housing areas just to get used to being on the road before we meet with any traffic situations. Once ready, we will continue to cover as many aspects of daily riding as possible.

Back for a de brief

Your MTS instructor will talk to you about your day and the road ride and offer any advice they may have. If they’re happy with your ability to ride safely you will be issued with a CBT certificate which will last for 2 years or until you pass your full bike test whichever comes first. If you have asked to be assessed during the road ride for further training, your instructor will now be able to advise you of your options.

What you need for your CBT

1. Your valid UK licence (provisional or full car) (or counterpart if non UK) with the correct entitlement: either category A, AM, F, K, P, Q,  or A1.  If you have an old style licence please also bring a valid passport for ID.
2. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, please be sure to have them with you (or be wearing them,) as your eyesight will be checked prior to starting the CBT, and unfortunately if you cannot see then we cannot complete your training on the day!
3. Suitable clothing and footwear is essential. Although MTS Sussex provide jackets, helmets, gloves and over trousers, for hygiene reasons we do not provide boots, so please wear sensible footwear (preferably not steel toe caps.) If when in a seated position, you have any bare skin showing between waist and knees we WILL NOT continue with your training for your own safety. You will not be refunded or rescheduled
4. Lunch..yes we will let you eat at some point! You’ll be working hard and hopefully learning lots, so you’ll most definitely have an appetite by lunch time. If you’re not big on packed lunch make sure you bring some money with you as there’s a shop & café just round the corner of our East Grinstead and a Subway next to our Crawley site, while at Burgess Hill there's an on site Costa café where you can buy your instructors lots of chocolate..oops, I mean you can grab a bite to eat!

At our Crawley and East Grinstead sites there’s always tea, coffee and water. In our kitchens there’s a fridge and microwave for your use too, and of course toilets at all sites!

Many people ask "what is a CBT course", "how much will a CBT test cost " "how to get a moped licence "and of course "can I ride a moped on a full car licence?" well hopefully the following information will answer all your questions about CBT bike training;

In 1990 the government introduced the CBT (compulsory basic training) which everyone has to complete to ride a moped or motorbike on the road unless they passed their car test prior to 1 February 2001. In this instance riding a moped up to 50kph/31mph without a CBT is legal albeit not recommended.

You must pass your full motorcycle test within 2 years or you’ll need to complete the CBT again.

You must be able to communicate in English and have at least basic knowledge of The Highway Code before completing a CBT

What You Will Learn with CBT Training

Motorcycle Compulsory basic training (CBT) has 5 elements:

• Introduction and Eyesight Check - An introduction to CBT, safety clothing and equipment
• Practical On-Site Training - basic safety checks, maintenance and manually moving the bike
• Practical On-Site Riding - Including safely pulling away and stopping, slow speed riding, observation, manoeuvring, junctions, signalling and gear changes
• Practical On-Road Training - The Highway Code, what to expect on the road and safety instructions
• Practical On-Road Riding - A road ride of at least two hours accompanied by an instructor in radio contact

Please note: You must bring your valid UK licence (counterpart & EU licence) For your safety you must be able to communicate in English & have a basic knowledge of the highway code to complete any training with MTS. You must also hold a UK drivers licence (or UK counterpart) and wear appropriate clothing and footwear and without this you will be sent away and forfeit your training and fees. The list is non exhaustive but includes a minimum of jeans without holes, rips, tears, not shorts, skirts or track suits, and you must have boots (non steel toe cap) for all training beyond CBT, and sturdy footwear (ideally boots non steel toe cap) not sandals, Crocs, deck shoes or similar for CBT. If when in a seated position, you have any bare skin showing between waist and knees we WILL NOT continue with your training for your own safety. You will not be refunded or rescheduled