Advanced Training - Which to choose?

[GTR1400]

Hey guys,

I'm looking into the idea of doing some advanced training, and toying with when to go for it and which course/training scheme I want to go for.

There's the Enhanced Rider Scheme, but I'm not sure as to whether or not this can really be skipped?

Obviously there's BikeSafe too, which I've been interested in for a while.

I'm likely to pick up a copy of Road Craft, but I've heard that BikeSafe and Road Craft teach some things differently.. so is it worth doing BikeSafe first followed by reading Road Craft, or the other way around?

Any experiences that people have had on different training schemes that they wish to share would be much appreciated. I've had my license for around 7 months now and covered roughly 4k miles, with around 4k miles on my 125 as well (started riding on a CBT in May 2011), just to give an idea on experience.

Any comments on advanced training would be really helpful

[The999Kid]

I did my ERS a couple of years after getting my full license, you need to have confidence in the bike and on the road and had a fair few miles under your belt to properly benefit from this. i passed mine with a B grade and am currently doing my IAM advanced cert and hoping to come out with an 'IAM first' qualification.

any advanced training is good advanced training, dont be put off by the IAM vs RoSPA debates, they both teach good stuff with only a few minor differences.
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NDB 19/10/1989 - 1/11/2010 |Nowhere.Elyseum wrote: I get the distinct feeling that Tim should be our secret weapon for future trolling. I don't know many people that can rip the piss in Iambic pentameter

[esullivan]

I did BikeSafe in North London last weekend. It's not a "course", per se, but an assessment. They point you towards RoSPA or IAM, at the end of it. Still, I found it helpful. They give you basic pointers on how to be safe and you get very useful feedback on any bad habits you've picked up.

BikeSafe no longer pushes the "blue book" (Road Craft), except as a sleep aid. They now give out the IAM "How to be a Better Rider" book, which covers the same ground and is a lot less boring.

I'm considering doing RoSPA. I'll have an assessment ride with them in a couple of weeks and then see. I'm trying RoSPA before IAM only because I've heard IAM focuses too much on "making progress" and/or their own very specific methods, while RoSPA has a more holistic, roadcraft approach, but that could be totally wrong. I'll find out soon.

I also did a private, post-test lesson with a guy named Kevin Williams (at https://www.survivalskills.co.uk/) right before I went on a week-long holiday with my wife in Yorkshire and the Lakes District in May. He spent a day with me north of Oxford going over bends and how to ride safely in country roads. (I'm a city boy and have very little experience out in the countryside.) I found that training to be extremely helpful and the instructor very good. I'll probably use him again. He's normally based in the Kent area.

When I passed my test, I told myself I'd do some sort of advanced training (road, track or off road) roughly twice a year for the first three years, to make sure I learn the skill as best as I can. I've known too many people who have died on bikes, and owe it to my wife (who's often riding pillion) and five kids to keep as safe as reasonably possible.

The advice I got from one of my pre-test instructors was to wait six months or so after you pass your test before getting advanced training. That's about right. It takes you that long to start really riding, I think.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[Rogerborg]

If you're that interested, then get yourself a copy of Roadcraft and read it. Have a think about it, apply the bits that you like, and then constantly assess your own riding.

Because having a bit of paper doesn't make you a better road user, even if it has a gold star on it. Some of the worst road abuse comes from "trained" coppers getting the red mist on, or just being prats. Knowing isn't sufficient, you have to actually do it.

The local IAM were nice folks, but did seem to be about cracking on faster on back roads, and while they talked a good game about "being able to stop safely on your own side of the road in the distance that you can see to be clear", like f​uck did they ride the talk, unless they had X-ray eyes that could see around blind bends and through hill crests.

Each group will be different though, so why not go on an assessed ride with both your local IAM and RoSPA and then see which (if either) you prefer.
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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

[Walloper]