Lightning Motorcycle Training Reviews 216

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.5

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 41 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the staff for their exceptional patience, knowledge, and supportive approach throughout the training process. Many highlight the clear instructions and effective coaching that made learning both productive and enjoyable, leading to successful test passes for numerous individuals. The overall service is frequently described as professional, efficient, and genuinely invested in student success. However, some people were dissatisfied with their experience, citing issues with the user experience and service. These individuals mentioned feeling that training sessions were rushed or focused more on testing than teaching. Specific concerns included instructors being late, giving confusing or contradictory instructions, and in some cases, exhibiting unprofessional behavior, such as making inappropriate comments or neglecting students during training. Some customers also felt that their individual needs for more help were not met, with instructors prioritizing breaks or other learners.

What people talk about most

Staff

Customers had positive experiences with staff. Reviewers consistently praise the instructors for being... See more

Instructions

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of instructions. Many customers praise the clear explanations and... See more

User experience

Clients share ambiguous opinions on user experience. Many customers report genuinely positive experiences,... See more

Service

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about service. Many customers praise the training, highlighting... See more

Location

People report ambiguous experiences with location. While some customers found convenient test centers in... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Had to ģive 5 stars only because I couldn't give 7 stars!! Remarkable experience with lightning Wembley special thanks to Dave,Andrew and Keith!! Would very highly recommend lightning for motorcyc... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Just passed my Category A motorbike test and couldn't be happier! 🎉 A huge thank you to Lightning Pass Motorcycle Training in Reading, especially Adrian and Rob—you both were brilliant instruct... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Passed my Mod2 yesterday with lightning motorcycle training. They are truly the best motorcycle training company! A big thank you to Rob, whose patience and expertise got me through my MOD1, not an ea... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I attended Oxford’s Sandy lane sports ground to do my CBT, having pretty much no experience of riding a motorcycle, aged 53 and a 1/2! Carl, my trainer was fantastic, he tapped into my confidence... See more


Company details

  1. Motorcycle Driving School

Written by the company

Lightning Motorcycle Training is based in Abingdon, Oxford, Reading, Wembley and Stourbridge, covering Oxfordshire, Berkshire, London, Middlesex and the West Midlands. We do CBT to Full Licence (DAS, A1 & A2) providing motorcycle hire and equipment, as well post test training like the Enhanced Rider Scheme (ERS) and Back to Biking. Established in 2000 we have decades of experience. Excellent prices and availability with online booking. Everyone welcome.


Contact info

4.5

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

216 reviews

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1-star

Replied to 85% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 month

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Chris is a top instructor he has very…

Chris is a top instructor he has very good patience. I will definitely recommend this place for cbt training.

February 18, 2022
Unprompted review
Lightning Motorcycle Training logo

Reply from Lightning Motorcycle Training

We are glad that you have had a good experience! We have passed on your kind words to Chris :)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent place to start your biking journey!!

Having had one cbt before with another company that lasted barely 4hrs!!... I was pleased that not only was Lightening Pass cbg a full days training but I really enjoyed the day. I have been riding my 125cc for 2 years and so this was a renewal however I still managed to learn more in an hr than I did in the whole of my previous cbt. I really improved my slow bike control and technique and Chris our instructor was brilliant, patient and informative and occasionally funny.. If you are just starting out your biking life then start here!! 5*
Simon

February 10, 2022
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent training by friendly and…

Excellent training by friendly and helpful instructors. The course was set at a good pace, building on easy to grasp theory and off road riding. Wilfred (Oxford Instructor) made the day really enjoyable with his professional and easy going attitude. The whole day was really enjoyable and I would highly recommend Lightning Motorcycle Training.

January 26, 2022
Unprompted review
Lightning Motorcycle Training logo

Reply from Lightning Motorcycle Training

Thanks very much for the lovely review. We are very pleased that you enjoyed your training with us.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I had a fantastic time training with…

I had a fantastic time training with Lightning Motorcycle Training. I passed my Mod 1 & Mod 2, thanks to their superb training, genuine interest & support. All their team were brilliant & I can’t thank them enough.

January 24, 2022
Unprompted review
Lightning Motorcycle Training logo

Reply from Lightning Motorcycle Training

Hi Holly, thanks for the fantastic review! We have passed this on to your instructors :)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!! Highly recommend!!

I’ve had a great experience with this company, everyone I have dealt with has been really friendly, helpful and put me at ease. Any criticism given was given constructively which really helped. After failing 1 test they had an excellent turn around time getting me rebooked for the following week. I dealt with Kevin, Keith, Chris & Paul during my studying & tests, they were all spot on and all contributed to my pass. Thank you all.

January 4, 2022
Unprompted review
Lightning Motorcycle Training logo

Reply from Lightning Motorcycle Training

Thank you for spending the time to leave your feedback and kind words. We have passed them on to all involved.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Highly recommend!

I highly recommend Lightning Motorcycle training. My instructor, Andy, was fantastic and the training experience was very enjoyable.

December 17, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

From CBT to DAS: THANK YOU!

I cannot recommend them enough. I did from CBT to DAS with them and the staff in the offices are welcoming, always supportive, kind and understanding. They will always go to the extra mile to help you rearrange bookings or to accommodate any request. The instructors are just proper bikers that love riding and put your safety and learning experience at the first place. Special shout to Gary - a wonderful person and instructor that helped me immensely during the training for Mod1 and Mod2.

December 8, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

CBT in Reading

CBT in Reading

Little bit more expensive than other places but in my view it's worth every penny. Excellent training and really good set up. I switched groups while in the course so 2 different instructors and both were very informative and patient. They take the time to give feedback individually after each manoeuvre so you know what to work on and how. Their main goal quite rightly is safety and ensuring you are ready to be on the road and there is no pressure, you take things at your pace. I did my first CBT with another company and had a bad experience of the instructor being quite agressive in how he taught and frustrated if you didn't pick it up at the speed expected. I was never going to pass my CBT in 1 day, I needed longer but the guys at Lightning Motorcycle Training don't criticise, they teach and manage very well having different ability levels in the class.

Big thank you, I enjoyed my day and will be back at some point to do my full license.

December 7, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Possibly the MOST unprofessional

Possibly the MOST unprofessional, uncaring , arrogant, dishonourable company I have ever had the displeasure to deal with. Tardy, rude, misogynistic trainers, unable to do their job due to lack of sleep or dependencies. William Rodwell MD, doesn't even extend the courtesy of a reply despite 3 emails to his personal email. As a fully qualified instructor and examiner myself, I would have never have behaved in this way, or delivered the kind of unprofessional service that was provided by Lightning. Avoid at all costs, especially if something goes wrong and you are expecting customer service. Appalling!

November 26, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Would not recommend

Would not recommend, for someone learning to ride a motorbike for the first time you spend most of the day off the bike instead of on, and have 3 chances at most at things like figure of 8/u-turns before they move on, not allowing you to get the hang of anything and tell you you can't pass. Second time I attempted my CBT with them they were literally taping up motorbikes to hold them together properly. Instructors can be nice people though but the way they do things and the equipment and bikes are terrible.

November 2, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Used them to get my CBT but wouldn't recommend.

Used them to get my CBT. I passed but the provided PPE equipment was wet, unhygenic, stinking, and badly maintained. They didn't tell us before that the site was at the end of a long footpath, so you have to walk the motorbike for 300m before you even ride it. It was made out to be part of the requirement to pass. Walking a bike maybe, but this is way outside that remit. They have access to a road but it's gated and locked and they refuse to open it. There are no facilities for water and the toilet is unlit and at the end of a tarmac path. Horrid in the dark of winter.

On a follow up enquiry on FB chat about A1 the staff didn't seem to give two hoots if you booked or not, and wouldn't forward questions but instead just told you to call someone else. Attitude readjustment needed.

I would recommend you find an alternate provider. Giving them money seems like they're doing you a favour to be ungrateful.

October 24, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

After putting of going for my full…

After putting of going for my full licence for many years I finally booked the DAS course with lightning.
From day one the instructors made me feel at ease & it was like I was being trained by friends I’d known for ages, the training was formal when needed yet fun.
All points of contact from the girls on the office to the instructors were extremely helpful & I wouldn’t hesitate recommending lightning to anyone

October 17, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The worst company ever

Light motorcycle training is one of the worst company you could deal with and i do not recommend you to do any training with them. They don't care about your safety and always changing dates with words, we are fully booked. also not all instructors are nice especially one !

It was a nightmare to deal with them and due lack of care i had an incident with them as well. They did not want to give me any refund, and just emailed me they will do anything about it. They haven't even checked up properly on me how things are !

BE AWARE ITS ONE OF THE WORST COMPANY AND YOU WILL BE FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR INJURIES ! they don't care !

October 14, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Many thanks to Lightning motorcycle…

Many thanks to Lightning motorcycle training wembley instructors for giving me all the training to pass my mod 1 and mod 2 test for A catagory and also very thankful to the office admins to provide me earlier test dates and trainings at right time. They are probably one of the cheapest and best training centres in london. Highly recommending to anyone wants to get full motorbike licence.

October 11, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 3 out of 5 stars

So so

I did my Cbt in Oxford. They gave me an old, broken scooter at first and changed it for a better one for my last hour on the road. The theory part was good, we were told about the rules and safety, etc. The practical part however wasn't that good, we didn't get enough rounds to practice manoeuvres. It would be OK for an experienced rider, but not for a beginner. One of the 'instructors' was being trained and took a lot of time to talk with the other instructor, whilst we were just standing and waiting. Considering that we booked training with "fully qualified instructors" according to the website, and that around 50% of our time was taken/wasted by the instructors talking to each other, I think we should have been offered a partial refund for wasted time.

September 18, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Friendly professional staff

Friendly professional staff , helpful with lending helmets etc. Up to date bikes . Parking was easy and free . Glad I booked with them. Thankyou lightning.

September 1, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Excellent, the cordial treatment all the instructors, from the main office of Wembley all the very friendly ladies on the phone well I have no words to describe how satisfied and happy I feel when I pass my Mod 1 and Mod 2 in the first attempt

Thank you very much to all of you

July 29, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I can’t thank lightning enough for all…

I can’t thank lightning enough for all the support , it’s been a long road to getting my full licence but with the great instructors, their patience and encouragement I’ve done it 😊 and a massive thank you to Keith for not letting me give up, thank you 😊

July 20, 2021
Unprompted review

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