Has anyone joined IAM? Is it worth it?

[esullivan]

I'm looking at the Skills for Life course, which costs £140. That gets you several observed rides and then the test. However the London Advanced Motorcyclist group (the nearest one) seems to be based in Surrey, on the other side of the M25 from me. Not sure how often I'll get out there.

Also, if I do this, when? I've only just passed my test a couple of months ago. Is it something you do much later or immediately after passing?

I'm also planning the Bike Safe course. Is that redundant? They both teach the Roadcraft book.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[Fifteen15]

One of the best (bike related) things I've done. I passed my test, a few months later (3000 miles later) I did the BikeSafe with plans on doing the IAM after that. Luckily, I picked up a £35 voucher and £20 voucher (can't remember the exact amounts, but around that) at the BikeSafe course so I went ahead and started the IAM a few months later. I'm now half way through my IAM training and only been riding for a 1.5 years with 8000 miles.

The sooner the better imo, after you've got relatively confident on the bike. The BikeSafe course would be better to do first as an introduction into advanced riding.
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"Pain is weakness leaving the body, and blood makes the grass grow faster...but I'll wear my gear anyway"

[esullivan]

[G]

Bikesafe is a one day 'assessment' with added propaganda - you may get a lot of the same stuff on the first day of IAM (which was free at my local IAM place).

I believe IAM will try and match you up with a local instructor, so you shouldn't have to trek over London to go for a ride.

[0l0dom0l0]

I'm not personally a member of the IAM but I have looked into it.

I'd do it, and there is no reason to do it now so soon after you've passed your test, because you've got less bad habits to kill and more time to get into good ones.

Do bikesafe first, because then when you go to the IAM you'll know the type of thing they're after.
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CBT Passed: 30/08/2009, Theory Passed: 31/08/2010, Mod 1 Passed: 6/9/2010, Mod 2 Passed: 13/09/2010. Restriction ended 13/09/2012.

Bikes: 2007 Derbi GPR 50, 1998 Yamaha Fazer 600 (written off), 2002 Yamaha Fazer 600, 1994 CBR 600F, 2003 Triumph Daytona 600, Kawasaki ZX6R J1.....Current: 2006 Yamaha FZ6, 1998 Suzuki TL1000R and a Honda VFR 400 NC30.

[stuartt]

i joined & passed my iam test this yr .
best thing i ever did & it's saved loads of cash .
my car , bike & house insurance has gone down in price now .
i tend to stick to the limit most of the time now which pisses some people off .
i was out on my busa this morning & had a woman driving up my arse flashing her lights as she was pissed off i was doing 30

[G]

[Fifteen15]

[stuartt]

my clock said 30 so i was prob doing 27 ish , if someone wants to go faster there's nothing to stop them overtaking .

usually the only time i get overtook is if i'm at a school when kids are about when the speed changes to 20 .

[stuartt]

[goto10]

[stuartt]

30 doesn't mean you have to do 30 , so what if i'm a tiny bit under .

[G]

Because if you're doing 25 or even less in reality, which is quite possible considering how badly some busa clocks over-read; it's not surprising someone behind was getting frustrated.

IAM teaches the same as they use on bike safe which is only surpass the speed limit when safe to do so in a de-limited or 60mph.
Or; as they say "stick to 30s, 40s and 50s"; which doesn't sound so bad.

[Paulington]

I am a member of the IAM, both car and motorcycle.

I can say, as a few did above, it's a fantastic thing to do. Lots of small things that add up to make a big difference to your quality of riding/driving.

Also, you will probably find most of the people in your local IAM groups are really nice people, they are here.

Get the Skills for Life coupon thing and get going with it, you won't regret it. A lot of people think the IAM riders are dead boring but you'd be surprised. On IAM rides with the group I am in we really do hoon it about sometimes, when it's safe to do so, of course.

Oh, just to add, the insurance difference for me being 20 is negligible, when I was 19 it took about 10% off my insurance, less than the cost of taking the tests and training! However, I am sure it pays off eventually, the discounts are why you should be doing it, you should be doing it to improve yourself and your driving. .

Go for it, you'll love it, although doing the bike one in the summer is very advised.
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"Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul."
Current Vehicles: '89 Kawasaki KDX200, '99 Yamaha XV535, '00 Honda ST1100 Pan-European, '08 Suzuki GSX-R1000, '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GS4 2.0 TDCi, '15 BMW 1 Series 116d Sport Turbo.
CBT: 27/08/08. Theory: 04/09/09. Module 1: 16/09/09. Module 2: 01/10/09.

[Walloper]

[Ichy]

I passed my IAM exam a few years ago. Passing did not give any benefit to insurance but it did mean that I didn't have to spend another minute with the self righteous megalomaniacs that ran the club
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[Walloper]

[james1988]

I've done the car test. It's worth it to build your riding skills but don't expect much in the way of reduced premiums. Good luck if you do it.

I'm starting the RoSPA course in January.

James

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Ed Case]

Nice to see some well-balanced and considered replies everything from what a great bunch of guys to what a crowd of supercilious twats and yes it does make a difference to insurance costs and no it makes fuck-all difference............don't think I'll bother, just keep on wobbling along as normal.

[G]

Unlikely to be worth doing it for your insurance.

It is worth learning 'advanced riding' skills whatever, I'd say. You don't have to use them, but I think most people would find them helpful and oft' enjoyable to learn.

Different IAM groups work differently - the one I went to in Berkshire had an excellent reputation and I found was pretty accommodating (I turned up to the first day on crutches, for a start ).
Others are less so.

[Ichy]

I did the IAM about 5 years ago, things might have changed.

A cheaper and quicker way to get a discount is to do the Enhanced Rider Scheme. It is a day of observed riding and training as required with a cert at the end that will give you an insurance discount.

It cost about £30 in Staffordshire due to subsidies.
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[Walloper]

[andi]

The group that meet at Wokingham are good. I did this training and passed then drifted away. Most of what they teach is good stuff and some is a bit rule book imo. Take the good bits that suit you. They used to do a free trial.
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Before: Suzuki GT 185. Honda Superdream 250. Yamaha RD350LC. Suziki RG250. Yamaha FZS600. Honda CBR600F3
Now: Honda Fireblade 929

[andys675]

bloody GESTAPO!

holier than thou pricks on their BMW's / VFR's / Sprints

stuck up nob ends think they're better than everyone else because they've had training from other stuck up nob ends

(sorry, one of my pet hate's!)
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