Doing a bike safe course on Sunday if it ain't peeing it down , hopefully will pick up some valuable stuff from experienced police riders. Great value at £10 fort day, although I'm told they run the courses in the hope of educating bikers to hopefully save a few lives. Apparently a death on the roads by the time everything is done costs £1,000,000 Quite hard to believe really. Will have to be on my best behaviour fort day.
A fatal crash is actually estimated at around £1.5million these days. Despite the fact that I was involved in helping my buddy Phil Curtis (RIP) write the original Bikesafe course in 2000, I ceased to be a fan or a supporter a few years ago when many forces stopped using advanced riders (because they no longer do advanced courses) just riders who are no better qualified than a normal member of the public, and when some forces started proclaiming that it is an advanced course, and the fact that riders are being told in some areas that they can ride at a three figure speed on NSL roads. It is not an advanced course, it is an introduction to the principals of advanced riding. How the hell someone can assess you at 100 MPH + when they have no idea what your standard of riding is like, and you can be assured that if it goes pear shaped they will deny ever telling you to step on the gas, and if they are not a qualified class 1, class 2 or instructor, then their credibility goes out the window straight away.. Quite a few forces have lost their accrditation now. Enjoy the day for what it is, I am sure you will pick up a few tips, but don't take too much store and come away thinking you are a trained advanced rider (as quite a few have done), it is an introduction.
I did one several years ago and enjoyed it. A bit of classroom stuff then was followed by a long serving motorcycle officer observing my bad habits We stopped and had a chat then I followed him a bit,had another little chat then he followed me back to the station. Turns out I corrected a couple of faults,picked up a few tips and was reminded about a few things As TC says it's not an advanced course of any kind but was worthwhile none the less.
It is designed to 'Bridge the Gap' between standard and advanced riders. Hopefully it'll give you the knowledge and confidence that advanced riding isn't for old crusty's wearing tartan zip up slippers, dribbling out of the corners of their mouths... Go with an open mind and enjoy it.
Enjoy.......and don't forget to fit those 3 Aldi cams to the repsol so you can review back to us Maybe even post a compilation of your ride for our delectation
I enjoyed my day on the BikeSafe course and picked up a couple of tips that have stuck. Worth £35. Although they struggled to get me to change my corner positioning to their preferred technique, and I drifted back into the way I'd always done it almost immediately afterwards. A friend of mine that lives across the road is a retired fed instructor for bike and car and was one of those that was involved in the original setting up of BikeSafe for Devon & Cornwall. He is adamant that its purpose has been skewed by its popularity. His hope for it was to attract more beginners, fresh to the road, but it quickly became something that attracted more people like us, experienced bikers, looking for insight from specialist trained riders. He concedes that any training is good training, but remains disheartened that it's not more popular amongst less experienced riders. I don't know. I like to see it as more of a dialogue. I've wasted more money listening to people from my own trade who haven't got a clue what's happening in the real world we work in, but these guys knew that a safe overtake might mean taking a temporary advantage of the posted speed limit, and snatching a few metres of double whites isn't the end of the world. I just suppose he had an ideal for the scheme that didn't pan out. I'd definitely do another one.
Glad you have had good things to say about the bike safe courses. I help do them and always get some good guys coming along. Well worth it as a new rider. A good lunch normally too.
Sp what qualifications do the instructors have to be able to run these courses? Are they all advanced riders/instructors or just experienced bike cops?
Simon, mostly they are advanced drivers and at least response bike riders, with plenty of service/experience. There is a small teaching course to help observe and provide riders with appropriate advice and riding technique where necessary, before they are allowed to go one-on-one.
Had a great day out , picked up a few tips . Well worth £10 very relaxed atmosphere . Bit nervous on the observed ride but settled down after a while . Got told I was a good safe rider at the end . A few small things for me to alter but nothing major . The guy was A.I.M who took me Got home just before the rain as well
Did you not get a Police Rider then Steve? I know that some forces are using IAM observers, and without being disrespectful to them, it was always aimed at being observed by a Police Class 1 rider. I think the use of IAM observers dilutes Bikesafe. The IAM observers role should follow your Bikesafe course if you choose to progress with either IAM or RoSPA. I declined to run pure Bikesafe on our team and tailored the rideout to people's individual requirements, be that country roads, motorways, or busy towns. We supported Bikesafe by covering key elements, but we wouldn't charge for doing it either. We all saw it as part of our role. Still, glad you got something out of it.
The police rider went out with 2 other people who were on the course , I had the A.I.M guy doing my observation ride
