Motorcycle Skills Improvements Resolutions

**98tls** · 2nd January 2014, 11:54

Originally Posted by Blackbird

Gremlin has given a good overview. The basis of assessment is the UK Police Roadcraft manual. Potential new IAM members are assessed against the criteria, simply to find out their current strengths and improvement areas. If they then wish to join IAM, they are allocated a qualified Observer (coach) to mentor them to the standard required to take the Advanced Test. It's hard to generalise but this typically takes anything between 6 months and 2 years based on a rider's initial level of skill.

On passing the Advanced Test, a rider may elect to train as an Observer, which can take up to another year to pass all the training modules and then pass the practical and theory tests. It's hugely demanding and when I joined nearly 3 years ago after over 40 years of riding experience, there was a fair bit of ego damage during the initial assessment.

However, the benefit has been enormous. Best thing I've ever done.

Demand for coaching from riders of all ages and all types of bike is strong and currently, the waiting lists have been closed in some regions until more Associates pass their Advanced Test and also increase the number of Observers.

Oh, and Gremlin was almost certainly right about me being older than you - I'm 66, proving you can teach an old dog new tricks

Fair call and good on the pair of you.I honestly had not heard of it before.

**SMOKEU** · 2nd January 2014, 12:01

I need to work on my cornering and braking skills. Some track time and professional rider training is what I really need, before I fuck myself up or other road users.

**Blackbird** · 2nd January 2014, 12:08

Originally Posted by 98tls

Fair call and good on the pair of you.I honestly had not heard of it before.

Really big in the UK and growing at a decent rate here. To give it a human dimension, this is my personal overview of the journey to passing the advanced roadcraft test: http://geoffjames.blogspot.co.nz/201...ills-some.html. It's made my riding so much more enjoyable but it isn't for everyone and I wouldn't presume to say it was.

**Samm** · 2nd January 2014, 12:13

Just got my old BMW on the road, which is heavy and a little awkward to ride just yet. Learning to filter and corner properly on such a different bike is definitely high on the list.

**slofox** · 2nd January 2014, 12:32

My resolution is to not allow road lunacy to encroach on my normal common sense whenever I ride for more than fifteen consecutive minutes...

**bluninja** · 2nd January 2014, 14:11

Originally Posted by Blackbird

Really big in the UK and growing at a decent rate here. To give it a human dimension, this is my personal overview of the journey to passing the advanced roadcraft test: http://geoffjames.blogspot.co.nz/201...ills-some.html. It's made my riding so much more enjoyable but it isn't for everyone and I wouldn't presume to say it was.

Yup, and like with all big things there are people who truly believe "I Am Magnificent" and think they should tell everyone how to ride and behave. Then there's others who follow the philosophy of "When the student is ready the teacher appears"...Very few of those that I met.

There was also a RoSPA scheme where serving motorcycle police officers took you out for an assessment ride. You receive observations, suggestions and some advice along with (if you are competent enough) a bronze, silver, or gold rating.

Just like safety gear and motorcycle maintenance, the amount of time and effort expended on skills improvement is always a personal decision. After one advanced weekend course I learned so much it took me 6 months to deconstruct my riding and add in the better skills.

**Blackbird** · 2nd January 2014, 14:45

Originally Posted by bluninja

Yup, and like with all big things there are people who truly believe "I Am Magnificent" and think they should tell everyone how to ride and behave. Then there's others who follow the philosophy of "When the student is ready the teacher appears"...Very few of those that I met.

There was also a RoSPA scheme where serving motorcycle police officers took you out for an assessment ride. You receive observations, suggestions and some advice along with (if you are competent enough) a bronze, silver, or gold rating.

Just like safety gear and motorcycle maintenance, the amount of time and effort expended on skills improvement is always a personal decision. After one advanced weekend course I learned so much it took me 6 months to deconstruct my riding and add in the better skills.

I'm sure that there are big-noters in most organisations but I have yet to meet an IAM Examiner or Observer in NZ with an oversized ego - people with an overinflated opinion of their abilities tend not to make it! Yep, RoSPA uses the same basics of IAM. I have no experience of their programme with the 3 level rating. My Examiner for the Advanced Test was a serving class 1 police officer on both cars and bikes who transferred to the NZ police and my mentor when first joining IAM was an ex-NZ police instructor from the Waikato. Those guys were seriously good, but very humble about their abilities.

For both IAM and RoSPA, one of the most important aspects of the programme is its on-going nature of assessment which largely prevents a deterioration in skills. One-off courses are valuable too but unless a rider backs it up with periodic refreshers, there's inevitably a slide in standards over time. (Which makes the average road user who has done nothing since passing their test a truly frightening prospect eh?)

**Motu** · 2nd January 2014, 18:12

This year I'll be trying not to act my age.

**Voltaire** · 2nd January 2014, 18:35

Originally Posted by cassina

I have a heavy BMW too and to get cornering right it involves shifting your body weight at the right time when entering the corner. The more you do it the easier it will become.

I've got a couple of 70's BMW's but they are quite light, are you referring the K series pigs?

**george formby** · 2nd January 2014, 19:18

Originally Posted by Blackbird

For both IAM and RoSPA, one of the most important aspects of the programme is its on-going nature of assessment which largely prevents a deterioration in skills. One-off courses are valuable too but unless a rider backs it up with periodic refreshers, there's inevitably a slide in standards over time. (Which makes the average road user who has done nothing since passing their test a truly frightening prospect eh?)

Yup, more practice, that's my resolution. We have only had the odd fang for the last few months & I know my skill level has deteriorated.
After a bajillion years on the road I have good road craft but riding less frequently my anticipation dulls. Spent some time practicing gymkhana skills & learned a huge amount but that has slipped back, too. More intentional riding for 2014.
Got a goal or two I would like to achieve.
Blackbird your right, never to old to learn. I think old starts when you decide to stop learning.

IAMS has huge appeal but also a big travel commitment to get anywhere with it.

Should just pull finger & drink less beer. I'm sure it's achievable with a bit of commitment & back bone.

Average road users? 5 yearly re test would be the most significant factor in reducing the toll, ever.

**Blackbird** · 2nd January 2014, 19:26

George,
Your nearest IAM examiner is Whangarei but he is fully committed at present until we get more people in the area. I appreciate your sentiments though as I do a 360 km round trip commute to Auckland , plus the observed ride distance on top of that. Worth it though, even if leaving Coro at 0630 in mid-winter is a bit trying!

**Katiepie** · 3rd January 2014, 11:22

Focussing on turning corners, done my dash of going in a straight line.

And very keen to improve on slow handling skills, 90 degree turns, u-turns. Attending my 4th rider training with the Wairarapa Police and Road Safe next month. Looking forward to it.

**Oakie** · 3rd January 2014, 11:36

Been struggling with how to answer this one. I'm comfortable with my skill level for the nana-style riding I do. Having said that though, I'm always very conscious of everything I do and am constantly evaluatiing what I've done if something strange happens. I play 'spot the hazard' out loud in my helmet quite often and i guess if I did have to pick something, it would be to relax a bit more (I find myself physically quite tense when I ride). I am still looking to corner perfectly but rarely hit the corner that I can say I did that perfectly all the way through.