Thinking of becoming a motorcycle instructor - Anyone on here done it, or is one?

DeanoBeano

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I've seen an advert on Gumtree (local to me) advertising training become a motorcycle instructor. It seems ideal. Anyone on here got any advice, good or bad please?

I'm seriously considering it so any advice appreciated.
 
I think if you do that on a regular basis - you will no longer go out on a motorcycle - recreationally .

Al
 
i did it for a few years and as said...the last thing i wanted to do in my spare time was ride....
i did it full time and couldnt earn enough money...went part time and also did my day job which was a better option....
its a rewarding job so try it if you want but you need to find a balance between teaching and riding for fun...
good luck
 
Beware of courses that claim to get you ready for your DSA Cardington assessment, trust me you cannot hope to pass without having first become a "down trained" instructor within a school and had experience of doing CBTs on your own for a number of months before. Rather than pay for a course of this nature your best bet is to learn within a training school where you will be given lessons and also have the chance to shadow qualified instructors, write lesson plans, and be eased into the role by helping instructors to give lessons under supervision. If you PM me I will give you the details of a school to contact and to have a proper informed chat before making your decision.

As has already been stated - do not expect to earn a king's ransom but it is very rewarding.
 
i worked as a downtrained instructor of a few months then went and did cardington....
you earn while you learn...once youve passed then your qualified to run your own school...
you can earn fairly good money with your own school but you need lots of bikes...premisis...and instructors to help...
takes a long time and money to be able to earn a decent wage....and by the time you do youll not want to ride another bike again...
 
Yes I know. I'll give them a call tomorrow if they're open and see where I go from there.

I do appreciate all the comments and advice though so thanks for that.
 
Beware of courses that claim to get you ready for your DSA Cardington assessment, trust me you cannot hope to pass without having first become a "down trained" instructor within a school and had experience of doing CBTs on your own for a number of months before. Rather than pay for a course of this nature your best bet is to learn within a training school where you will be given lessons and also have the chance to shadow qualified instructors, write lesson plans, and be eased into the role by helping instructors to give lessons under supervision. If you PM me I will give you the details of a school to contact and to have a proper informed chat before making your decision.


As has already been stated - do not expect to earn a king's ransom but it is very rewarding.

This is exactly what I'm doing currently. While I'm job hunting I'm able to give a fair bit of time to it and I'm starting to deliver most of the CBT under the supervision of a qualified instructor, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Once they decide I'm ready I'll be actually delivering full CBT training and get paid for it, and I'll fit that around work for a fair period of time until I'm ready to go to Cardington. The owner of the school where I'm training was very open about the job - it's not all year round, you'll not get rich doing it, all of his instructors do it on a part time basis and fit it around their full time work, and this way, they maintain their enthusiasm for it, it's fantastic being a part of a group of folks who really enjoy what they do and have a real laugh while passing on their passion for bikes - I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday at the moment!
 
Some very good advice above. ;)
I only do it Very Part Time!
But, it is the most rewarding 'work' I've ever done. :nod
 
Underpaid, draining and ruins the desire to ride on the road for fun but get it right and as Og says, can be rewarding.
 
Slightly off topic but something to think about, i did my training with a voluntary group. The DAS instructor Geoff was a cantankerous git but under the facade was someone who genuinely cared and wanted the people he taught to be safe and enjoyed what he did. So that aligns with what others have said do it part time and keep it so it's fun for you.

I used to teach skiing voluntary, the best lessons for both me and the student were the ones where everyone enjoyed it there were some Sundays and weekday evenings when quite frankly I just couldn't be arsed with it and I had no enthusiasm so it wasn't fun for anyone.

Loose your passion for motorcycling and you loose that spark that helps student and teacher to gel and the pupil get the best from the lesson.
 
I think things have changed somewhat since I was a Star Rider 'instructor' - I detest the word instructor. Times have changed and as a current Level 2 coach, I much prefer the word 'coach', it has a less regimental ring to it. An instructor is 'teachercentric' a coach is 'studentcentric' and understands HOW different people learn or assimilate information and adjusts delivery accordingly - instructors in my experience across a range of subjects are monotone, boring and of limited or fixed imagination.

An 'instructor' tells how it must be done - thou shalt do this....

A coach describes what the desired end result is and maybe one or two pitfalls to avoid and one or two useful tips to achieve the aim and then provided the required result is achieved, all good.


That is a very simplied example in my current state. I enjoyed the weekend training / coaching / preparing for test sessions and it was useful secondary income (as is - was - the kayaking and kayak fishing coaching and safety courses I delivered and Heroes On the Water sessions, should be doing another this weekend, but has had to be rescheduled).

If you will get satisfaction out of seeing others progress and can inject some fun and humour into the session, you will thoroughly enjoy it, get great satisfaction from it and maybe come out a little financially ahead. I firmly believe that you need to want to do it for anthropological reasons rather than financial ones to get the most out of it, otherwise it will soon become a chore that you start to question the financial wisdom of....
 
It really makes no difference what you title yourself - to the service provided.

It's all just "branding"...........
 
King Rat you've used your definitions to further your own argument which imo is utter bollocks :D

Do you really think labelling someone as coach, intructor, facilitator etc. has any bearing on the quality, fun and outcome of anyone learning to ride a motorbike? :D

What does make a difference is how well the two interact with enthusiasm from both parties. Surely you understand a good 'instructor' is also coach, mentor, demonstrator, teacher.....labels only change with fashion but the means by which people learn is constantly evolving :)
 
King Rat you've used your definitions to further your own argument which imo is utter bollocks :D

Do you really think labelling someone as coach, intructor, facilitator etc. has any bearing on the quality, fun and outcome of anyone learning to ride a motorbike? :D

What does make a difference is how well the two interact with enthusiasm from both parties. Surely you understand a good 'instructor' is also coach, mentor, demonstrator, teacher.....labels only change with fashion but the means by which people learn is constantly evolving :)


I thought I tried to explain what I meant - obviously badly. :blast

Instructor = issues instructions, hence my 'thou shalt do this...learning parrot fashion by repetition.

Coach = getting the best out of people according to their ability.

Does that dig a bigger hole? Or go some way to clarifying what I was trying to portray? Not arguing with eiether of your statements, trying to improve mine.
 
No its all clear except you don't think and instructor can or does coach :D
 
No its all clear except you don't think and instructor can or does coach :D

I agree with you Tim.

Coaching is a sub-function under the larger 'instructor' umberella.

A good instructor will use coaching techniques when necessary...a bad one just gives out instructions with no consideration of anything else....I think it's the latter your getting at Simon.

I dont see how you can instruct (sucessfully) without coaching.
 


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