Lightning Motorcycle Training Reviews 

Unprofessional company — avoid Reading branch!
They cancelled my 2-hour 1-2-1 lesson in Reading via SMS just 30 minutes before it was due to start because the instructor was sick. I missed university for this and had a 1-hour drive, but they simply promised a manager would call me back to reschedule.
No one called. I was ignored for 4 days until I had to follow up myself. Their communication is terribly slow, taking a full day to reply to emails. They tried to push a 1-hour session on me (completely pointless for a 2-hour round trip) and refused a refund.
After a formal complaint, they suddenly offered a slot with only 3 hours' notice, completely ignoring my university schedule. When I demanded a refund, they finally agreed but had the audacity to lecture me about my "tone" because I called out their awful service. Days later, the money is still not returned. Shambolic management. I have now opened a dispute with my bank.

UPDATE:
Note how their response conveniently ignores the key details. They didn't "attempt to help" right away — they went completely silent and ignored me for days until I had to follow up myself. The "same-day replacement" was offered with just 3 hours' notice after days of radio silence, expecting me to drop my university commitments instantly.
Furthermore, the refund was only issued right after I posted this public review and raised a dispute with my bank, not out of good customer service. Customers should not have to spend a week fighting and posting negative reviews just to get back money for a service the business cancelled.

Look no further!
Top shelf training, excellent crew.
From CBT to full motorcycle license.
They have a selection of bikes to train on that are all in neat condition. They have helmets and jackets for those of us who need riding kit.
The admin team was very quick to help me when I needed to make date changes because of my changing work schedule. I can highly recommend using Lightning Motorcycle training.

Can not recommend these guys enough. Big massive thank you to Jerry and Stuart from Swindon branch. I passed my Cbt to my full license within 1 month. 100% recommended.

I recently completed my MOD 2 training and test in Swindon, and I would like to give special thanks to my instructor, Jace. He is genuinely a lovely person and without doubt the best instructor I have met from the whole team.

Jace was professional, supportive, and very patient throughout the training, which made the experience much more enjoyable and helped build my confidence. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for an excellent instructor.

My sincere thanks and regards to him for all his hard work and dedication.

Did my CBT with Reading branch and Marcus. Absolutely top notch experience.

I was a bit worried when I turned up - car park, two big green shipping containers and a rugby club toilet. No, this is not a training course like a corporate one you’ve experienced.

However bikes are well taken care of, full of petrol and everything is clearly structured. Emails are sent with all information and it includes a what 3 words as Google maps stops you before you get there.

The quality of the instruction was superb and that’s why I was there. Marcus was approachable, clear in his instructions and demonstrations, easily able to identify our failings and what to do to correct them, never put us under pressure or got annoyed and knew when to suggest you take a little 2 min breather to re-centre yourself.

This calm, kind, thoughtful man was reassuring and unperturbed by anything. On the road he carried this on, his voice at the start telling you to slow down or speed up or cancel indicators in a calm manner that helped build your confidence until something started to click and it became a really enjoyable experience. I’ll be returning in a couple of months to do my DAS with these people and I hope I get Marcus again.

I hope I got his name right, but Simon at Lightning Motorcycle Training was an excellent instructor. He was patient, calm, professional, and explained everything clearly throughout my CBT, which really helped build my confidence on the bike. He made sure I understood things properly instead of just rushing through the training, and created a relaxed environment even when I was nervous.

I’d definitely recommend Lightning Motorcycle Training to anyone looking to do their CBT or full bike licence training. Don’t let some of the 1-star reviews put you off, a lot of them seem to come from people frustrated after failing or not listening to instructions properly. My experience was genuinely positive from start to finish.

Thanks again to Simon and the team at Lightning Motorcycle Training Wembley.

It is a great riding school with excellent instructors. They work very hard to teach their students and help them succeed while focusing on riding skills and safety.

I would like to thank everyone at Lightning Motorcycle Training, especially the instructors Dave, Marcos, and Keith. I learned many good riding techniques and valuable skills from them.

A special thank you to Dave for the Module 2 training session. Dave worked very hard that day and taught me the riding techniques perfectly.

I highly recommend this riding school to anyone who wants to learn how to ride safely and confidently.

I’d like to give a huge thank you to Lightning Motorcycle in Wembley and their entire team. From the instructors to all the backroom staff, they made every step of this journey seamless, efficient, and comfortable. I want to give a special mention to David, who guided me throughout my entire motorcycle journey. He took me through my CBT, Module 1, and all the way to my MOD2 so I was lucky enough to have him by my side the entire time. In under a month, he helped me go from a complete novice to passing my tests. Most importantly, he helped me fulfill a dream of mineto ride alongside my father. His dedication, time, and vast experience gave me a confidence I never knew I had. I can’t praise him enough he’s an exceptional instructor and a huge asset to Lightning Motorcycle. I truly couldn’t have done this without him. This pass is a testament to David’s character and his incredible ability to teach someone like me, who was brand new to motorcycles. Thank you!

Just had a great 45min intro lesson with Jim, he couldn't have been more patient! Really clear explanations on how the bike works and how to ride safely. What a confidence boost!Definitely booking in for the CBT. Thank you!

I took my cbt at the Abbey rugby club and the instructors there were brilliant with me.
They were kind, funny and made you feel at ease.
The instructor I had was ( paul). thank you so much for helping me to overcome my nerves on my whole journey of becoming a biker.
Highly recommend!

Completely amazing team at Oxford, both instructors got me through my full A license, inspiring and engaging instructors that put you at ease and expertly help you navigate your way through the skills and knowledge you need to ride competently and safely. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to learn to ride a motorcycle..

Did my CBT today at Stourbridge , passed ok all good , really great staff with great knowledge , Jim was very informative excellent teacher and made it a fun experience as well , very good indeed , would recommend lightning motorcycle training to anyone wanting bike training ,,, I’m now looking forward to progressing to a full licence with them

Amazing training school , very friendly and kind instructors especially Dave . He’s an amazing instructor I had him for my mod 1 and 2 training and I passed both with only 1 minor total . Ask him to speak to you kindly and he will 😉he’s a sweetheart 😂

Rude people on your phone i have a accident and don't want to give me back my money

I passed my Mod 2 recently, and I wanted to leave a proper thank you to the team at Lightning Pass Wembley.

David was outstanding: patient, focused, and genuinely invested in my results. He tailored the training to the way I learn, and what really worked for me was the practical approach in our sessions.

If I was getting something wrong on the road, he had me do it again and again until it felt natural and correct, rather than just going over the same explanations.

I also had a session with Marcus, who was brilliant too. Calm, clear, and really helpful.

One extra thing I appreciated is the resources on their website. I actually came across Lightning Pass when I was googling roundabout rules, and the guidance they share is genuinely useful.

I’d recommend the instructors at Wembley to anyone looking for quality training. They’re punctual, efficient, and very professional.

I found Lightning Motorcycle training quite by accident, having failed my first Mod 2 in Swansea, I wanted to attempt my second test at the earliest opportunity, and found the quickest route would be via Swindon test centre. I booked a three hour session, prior to the big day, and the difference in quality of training (and administration) was a huge improvement from my initial training provider. I cannot recommend this company enough. For anyone considering their ‘A’ licence, you will be in very capable hands.

Outstanding Motorcycle Training – Highly Recommend Lightning Motorcycle Training Reading

I completed my CBT renewal along with Mod 1 and Mod 2 training with Lightning Motorcycle Training in Reading and had an excellent experience from start to finish.

My CBT renewal was with Cole, who was very cool, kind, and respectful, but also extremely informative and professional. He is a great teacher and did an excellent job walking both me and another student through the course. What really stood out was his patience and support towards the other student, who wasn’t very strong with English – he made sure they fully understood everything and felt comfortable throughout. Cole also went the extra mile by giving me additional training and guidance towards my A2 restricted licence while we were doing the CBT, which I really appreciated.

I then completed my Mod 1 & Mod 2 training with Barry, who also had a great energy and was very easy to get along with. He provided helpful tips and guidance for the Mod 1 exam and made the session both productive and enjoyable. He gave clear, concise instructions and easy-to-follow steps throughout the training. He took us out on the road and explained every detail of the course through the headset, covering positioning, observations, and overall road awareness. His approach was very comprehensive and really helped build confidence and prepare me for the future Mod 2 test.

I passed my Mod 1 test and had a brief training session with Rob who was friendly and approachable but also devilled a great training session despite having limited time. He also took us out on the pad for Mod 2 training which again was very helpful and informative.

Overall, the whole team at Lightning Motorcycle Training are professional, supportive, and genuinely invested in helping their students succeed. I couldn’t recommend them enough to anyone looking to complete their CBT, A2, or full motorcycle licence in the Reading area.

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 easy task! He was just brilliant and thank you to Carl yesterday, for getting rid of my pre test nerves with a great ride. It’s been a journey but these guys are just the very best!

I wanted to leave this review as I have never been more impressed with the level of commitment, dedication, patience and knowledge than this company showed me throughout.

I opted for the DAS course and started my motorcycle journey in late August 2025. My instructor Paul was wonderful and even though I got off to a shaky start I felt more and more confident as the day went on. In the afternoon he decided to take 3 of the 4 on the road which was correct the decision. The rider left behind I had to agree wasn’t confident enough to be road riding and the instructors have a duty of care.

Following my CBT I was booked into my mod 1 training and road riding sessions. Most of them took place in Reading and Mereoak but I was alway given the choice and I didn’t mind going a little further to give myself more flexibility on dates.

If it hadn’t been for Keith’s Mod 1 training approach - intense and direct - there’s no way I would have passed first time. He made sure I passed.

My Mod 2 I opted to do in Oxford as there was more availability. I had a variety of different instructors for the road riding sessions, all as professional as the next and consistent with their feedback. I wish I could remember all their names, I’m sorry.

I failed my first Mod 2 test and it was the right decision. I made a silly mistake at the junction of Sainsbury’s and paid the price for it, apparently it has caught a few of us out.

For my second mod 2 test, my instructor Rich was fantastic, he took me previously for one of my mod 2 road riding sessions and I learnt a lot from him. Very calm, measured and clear with his feedback, I responded really well to his method of teaching. I passed the Mod 2 second time round with only 1 road riding fault.

I cannot praise Lightning highly enough. From August to end of October I went from CBT to full unrestricted A license.

I wish I could remember all the instructors names, they were all brilliant but I must give a particular shout out to Paul and Rich. I hope I see you both on the road soon!

Thank you so much

Paul.

Absolutely awful experience. Got there at 7:30 am and the gate was closed so I called someone from head office. 10 minutes later a an instructor comes out and tells me to hurry up as he doesn’t have all day. Despite that I managed to carry on the CBT training and I was told to come back at 11:50 from a lunch break in order to complete the on the road module. After spending 40 minutes watching the instructor try to fix the radio to no avail, he left us and went to Watford to get new radio pieces from the head office. At this point myself and the other learners were literally left in the pouring brutal rain by ourselves. After a little while I decided to go sit in my car which was literally parked outside the training facility until the instructor came back and gave my number to one of my other classmates so he could give me a ring when the instructor came back. 30 minutes later I got the ring and not 3 whole minutes after that I was back at the training site to see the instructor come up to me on his motorbike, tell me I wasn’t here so he’s taking someone else. I went to respond and he drove off not caring for what I had to say. Since he had taken two other students at 13:30 for a 2 hour module, that means mine and my other classmates, given absolutely no further delays would’ve started at 15:30. I had called head office to explain that the delays caused by their own equipment through no fault of my own has made it so that I have to reschedule the last two hours as I had planned my day around the fact that I’d be finishing this course at 16:30 given the instructions provided by the company. Absolutely terrible experience will never show my face here again. They told me I’d have to either change my personal plans or pay to rebook the last module. I absolutely for the life of me dare you to contest anything I am saying as I took proof of everything and have the other riders preparing statements.

Oh and btw, Keith, your colleagues don’t seem to like you since the other two blokes (not David) were talking about how they don’t care it’s your birthday and that doesn’t mean you can take the ‘piss’ and leave all the cones out for them to collect.