Whiteknights blood bikes

[Feasty]

I was driving in to work this morning listening to Radio Sheffield, and a guy came on asking for volunteers for Whiteknight blood bikes.
That got me thinking, I'd love to do something like that - I'm sure it'd be hard work and long hours when required, but what a way to get back into biking whilst also giving something back to society - without having to buy my own bike!
My last bike was a Divvy 900 with all the luggage, so I'm already used to riding the big heavy bikes they use. It's been a few years but I'm sure it'd all come back to me again.

I'd need to do an IAM course, and get a helmet and the full gear again which would be the biggest outlay. Do any of you do anything like this, or have any experience of the 'Whiteknights'?
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[.....]

The name alone would put me off.

[rpsmith79]

I think they use their own bikes don't they

I had a chat last year to a Blood Bike outfit in Sheffield while they were at a local fundraising event (not sure if it was the same group as those mentioned above) but they were all volunteers and using their own bikes
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Current Bike: Honda CG125 ES4 // Honda CB600FS Hornet // Triumph Street Triple R

[M.C]

Can you ride like a nob on the premise of it being urgent?

[Snowdonia Rider]

Blood Bikes around my part provide bikes for Volunteers.
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I want your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.
Suzuki GP125 Suzuki GSX600F Suzuki SV650S KTM EXC250F SkyTeam Bongo 125
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SnowdoniaRider

[Freddyfruitba...]

[Feasty]

[Hawkeye1250FA]

[Rogerborg]

Entirely depends on the local group.

ScotsERVS ride bikes that are blessed by The Man as real no-joking emergency vehicles and can use blue lights to be all super-awesome-elite on the rate occasions that they're actually transporting emergency blood or organs.

On the other hand, my understanding is that most of what you'll be doing is screwing an Uber driver or Deliveroo rider over by ferrying patient notes around at ungodly hours and all weathers. You'll be a hero only inside your own helmet. Oh, and expected to spend your weekends chugging at any local event where you can rinse down the public to fund your jollies.

However, you might also get to do breastmilk pickups, so there's always the chance of being asked to assist with the production.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Hawkeye1250FA]

[SteveSmith]

I'm a member of Freewheelers, the blood bike group which operates around Bristol and Bath. I do weeknight shifts both riding and coordinating (i.e. taking the calls).

There are different groups working in different parts of the country and they all do things differently so I can only really speak for how we work. Our charity does have it's own bikes (RTs and FJRs), which are all liveried and have blues and twos. As someone has said we hardly ever use them in anger, but just having them there gives the bike huge road presence which means that people generally move over for you anyway.

The shifts that I do mean that I'm on call from 7pm through to 7am for four nights in a row (Monday to Thursday nights). Most nights though I'm home around midnight and don't get called out after that. In an average run of four nights there will probably be one late night call, although shifts vary a lot.

Most of what we transport is blood samples in test tubes rather than bags of the stuff for transfusion. It is generally going from smaller hospitals and clinics to the larger city hospitals that have pathology labs to test it. It is usually urgent in as much as it can't wait for the regular daytime delivery runs. The next biggest thing is medication where patients have been discharged without it and we end up taking it to them at home later in the evening.

There is the occasional notes / x-rays job, but they are pretty rare. The NHS seems to have discovered something called email to solve that problem.

Yes the NHS could pay for a taxi to do a lot of that work, but frankly as long as the public are willing to fund us and we're willing to give the time I'd rather the NHS spent it's money elsewhere.

It's not for everybody, but personally I enjoy riding around on nice bikes doing something useful.

Steve.

[Hawkeye1250FA]

Very interesting stuff Steve.
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1993 RF400R - 2002 Bandit 1200 - 2012 1250 FA

[Feasty]

Credit to you Steve, I think it's an noble way of volunteering.

As for the IAM's, as a confident but no longer regular biker with no bike of my own - do you think this'll make it more difficult for me to pass or to be accepted to do the volunteering?
____________________
Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[M.C]

What happened with the horse?

[Feasty]

[Rogerborg]

Thanks Steve, interesting stuff.

Just out of details-obsessed interest, since you're running fleet bikes on shifts, how do you organise handing them over to each other and then getting home again?

[M.C]

[Rogerborg]

Horses-are-dangerous discussions are always OK by me.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Feasty]

[Motorhate]

[NeverAgain]

I've done this in a previous life and did blue light runs for my local SERV, ironically nearly always in my car rather than bike. If it's needed quickly, car or bike makes virtually no difference in time.

[B Button]

[SteveSmith]

[SteveSmith]

[Rogerborg]