Extra training???

Hey guys,

I was talking about cornering in my previous thread, im getting there.. but have any of you taken any courses to improve your riding?? Me taking one seems like a good idea as my insurance is rediculous and i want to get better quicker..

are you new to riding nick? come on a run to wales with us one of the weekends and i'm sure you'll learn alot, sometimes it helps to follow the lines of other riders.

Read the police motorycle roadcraft book. Did more for my riding than actually being observed/IAM has.

I'd recommend u get on a bike safe course mate.....cheap and you are in the safe hands of the rozzas

Ceri JC wrote:

Read the police motorycle roadcraft book. Did more for my riding than actually being observed/IAM has.

totally agree, is a well written book and easy to follow, have taken lots of advice from it to practice on runs

I'm doing then IAM course and i have to say it's been a revelation. Far from the boring stereotypes i was fearing. It has changed my riding and confidence in all weathers and i would highly recommend it, not too mention the insurance discount you get and if you've passed less than a year ago then it's half price (£40). The trouble with following your mates is that they can push you past your ability and you can get yourself sucked in. The Police Riders Roadcraft book is well worth a read.

That said in Herts i think we have one of the largest groups so i'm not sure what it's like elsewhere.

Dan

[fizzwheel]

Liz's brother is a police officer, he's sorting out some places on a course called edge 44. I think its a bikesafe type of course with an observed ride and then constructive feedback and assesment. I dont think it costs the earth.

I have considered IAM but I'm not sure about it now after watching the rigmarole that one instructor went through with his pupil on Saturday morning in the carpark at podimore whilst we were waiting for Jelster to eat his breakfast. He was droning on and on about what to keep under your seat and in your toolkit and it bored the hell out of me.

How does IAM work is it several sessions with an instructor or is it just a one off thing ?

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

How does IAM work is it several sessions with an instructor or is it just a one off thing ?

Varies from group to group, but it's usually several observed rides and they'll tell you when you're ready to put in for your test. Some groups offer intense courses, but not all. You're usually expected to pay a token amount towards observer's fuel/tyres/servicing costs.

I'd certainly say I've gained from it (doing an intense course of it over 6 weekends), but not as much as I'd hoped. Without wishing to appear big headed, they said there's nothing really wrong with my riding (speed excepted), so my lines, positioning, etc. haven't really improved. Perhaps my biggest gripe is the way the different instructors deviate from the handbook; not saying anything contrary to it, just things that aren't mentioned. I've had 3 different observers and things one trained me to do were the only things I got told off for by the other observer.

I also don't think it has made me faster (although that was never my goal), with the exception of 30 limit roads. Whereas I'm quite happy doing 25mph through a busy street, I was repeatedly pulled up on this. They like you do do 30 through it if possible, which is an odd sensation with pedestrians etc. about. Feels "faster"/scarier than a ton on the open road. I also got told off for doing 45 in a single lane NSL (60). Before you laugh at my dawdling, this was round a blind bend on a hill, with snow on the ground Likewise, in a real downpour, with water sitting on the road, I got told off for 'only' doing 55 in an NSL and not overtaking cars.

My big safety criticism of the whole system is they really don't seem bothered about the "stop in the distance you can see to be clear" rule, which I think is paramount. They seem to want you to go quicker than this in NSL, (blind bends, cresting hills, etc) which I think is pretty dangerous/irresponsible. Filtering is a bit of a no-no too, which seems odd to me as:
a) It's the main practical purpose of having a bike for commuting
and
b) How dangerous it is.
Seems to be one of those taboo, "look, we all do it, just not whilst we're on IAM rides" things like speeding.

As an aside, it's quite entertaining realising quite how much further ahead I can get (without speeding) in the twisties than the instructors with their powerful, but unwieldy pans. Sort of "bend, bend, bend, check mirrors, where is he?" 20 seconds later, "oh here he is!"

In short, I would recommend it to people, but I certainly wouldn't gush about it, IE "You definately have to do it, it has made me faster/safer/more confident" as the main feedback seems to be. As I've said, reading the roadcraft book made more of an impact on my riding, but I must concede I had done that before I started IAM, so admittedly the big changes/improvements had already been gained.

I would say advanced lessons with an actual instructor would be far more beneficial. Some of these IAM guys seem to think they are the bee's knees but I've heard some have not passed any advanced riding. One guy was sat in a workshop once whiel I was waiting to have some tyres fitted and he was talking like a right ****. I haven't taken part in IAM but I saw a demonstration and have witnessed 'observed' rides and the pressure seemed to be on 'progressing' or overtaking cars all the time. I could be wrong. I like to judge when I think it is safe to overtake not to be pressured into doing something if I felt it wasn't safe. But I'm sure not all IAM guys are the same just a few bad one's I've heard of and seen.

Hi Guys

Interesting views. I think that maybe like most other regional large organisations things unfortunately vary from region to region. There are of course those that i am convinced like to think that they are Police Motorcyclists and dress accordingly, but they are few and far between. My Observer has a blade with chewed up tyres from the track days that they organise so like i said maybe it's down to the person and personal experience. I do agree with the progression thing and that it does sometimes feel as if i am supposed to push beyond my ability, but then when we have a debrief (stopping every 30 mins or so) i just say that i didn't feel safe and that's the end of it. Always ride within your own ability. I can only speak from my own experience which is very positive, but as i said they are a particularly large and well organised group with an active social set up. Hope this helps.

Dan