The UK motorcycle test keeps getting more complicated, more expensive and, some would argue, more irrelevant to a lot of riders. Over the years, I?ve spoken to a lot of people who have called for inclusion of a section of off-road riding in the UK Motorcycle test, or even a bit of track riding, and plenty of them have made a fairly strong case. Here?s what I think?

This is something I?ve put a lot of thought into, over the years, and the more thought I put into it, the more benefits I tend to see. At the time of writing, the UK motorcycle test consists of four main parts. First you do your CBT (Compulsory Basic Training), which is mainly just riding round cones. Then your theory test where you answer 50 questions on a screen followed by a hazard perception test. Then Module 1 and Module 2. Module 1 is more riding round cones. Module 2 is where you?re let loose on the street, with an examiner following you and scrutinising every move you make.
You could argue that the CBT is a bit of a waste of time; it?s not actually a test, rather a bit of very simple training. And if you ask me, it can?t be used as evidence that someone can ride a bike (a chimp could complete the CBT). It can only really be used to prove someone can?t ride a bike. It means kids can get on two wheels at 16 though, and grownups can dip their toe into the two-wheeled world without shelling out for a full bike test.

I’m not saying we should scrap the CBT, I just think it should be tweaked. ...