Training with the Police
Training with the Police
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welsh blackbird

Original Poster:

692 posts

275 months

Monday 3rd March 2008
quotequote all
This might be worth a look:-

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2...

Police bid to cut motorcycle injuries
Feb 29 2008 by Steve Bagnall, Daily Post

NORTH Wales Police Driving School is offering courses to the public to try and reduce motorcycle casualties.

The training will be provided by police advanced motorcycle instructors.

Courses will be designed to meet the needs of individual students.

One and two-day courses or a week’s course are being offered and are available on March 17-20, April 2-4 and April 28-May 2.

l CONTACT Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

If their Bikesafe courses are anything to go by, then they promise to be excellent!

bean455

674 posts

239 months

Monday 3rd March 2008
quotequote all
Go for it,I done the Honda MAC course,best thing i ever did,changed my riding totally.My trainer was a Police Motorcyclist,and we even went out in ice!After riding for over twenty years,it changed my riding totally.

Tripps

5,814 posts

303 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
quotequote all
I'm looking to to a BikeSafe course in the coming month, same kind of thing I guess, with the idea to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities.


mitzy

13,858 posts

228 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
quotequote all
I am still waiting to hear from the Met Bikesafe team re getting me on a course with another 125cc rider, still not heard from them!?


Hyperion

16,952 posts

231 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
quotequote all
mitzy said:
I am still waiting to hear from the Met Bikesafe team re getting me on a course with another 125cc rider, still not heard from them!?
Any reason why?
Just ask to be paired with a slower rider on the day. They're very accommodating.

anonymous-user

85 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
quotequote all
mitzy said:
I am still waiting to hear from the Met Bikesafe team re getting me on a course with another 125cc rider, still not heard from them!?
I'm still waiting but I believe many, like Dorset for me, do not organise the diary events till end of March.

Taita

8,016 posts

234 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
quotequote all
Anything like this around Liverpool area?


aeropilot

40,869 posts

258 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
quotequote all
Taita said:
Anything like this around Liverpool area?
See here....

http://www.bikesafe.co.uk/Bikesafe/Bikesafe2000/england/merseyside/merseyside.html 

Tripps

5,814 posts

303 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
quotequote all
mitzy said:
I am still waiting to hear from the Met Bikesafe team re getting me on a course with another 125cc rider, still not heard from them!?
I'm about to give them a phone to try and book something on a 125cc (pre-DAS), will see what they say...

Tripps

5,814 posts

303 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
quotequote all
Just spoke to a lovely chap at BikeSafe for quite a while about advanced training, bikes, DAS and life in general...

They don't allow 125s on the BikeSafe courses as they simply can't keep up, thus its not fair for the 125 rider or the others on the course - thus we'd have to do the ScooterSafe course instead, no dates for those as yet, but he advised to check the website as they'll become available at the end of April / beginning of May.

They have for those interested, got slots of bike courses from the end of this month.

Taita

8,016 posts

234 months

Tuesday 4th March 2008
quotequote all
aeropilot said:
Taita said:
Anything like this around Liverpool area?
See here....

http://www.bikesafe.co.uk/Bikesafe/Bikesafe2000/england/merseyside/merseyside.html 
Brill nice one, got my test of 11th (cancelled last time due to wind)

mitzy

13,858 posts

228 months

Wednesday 5th March 2008
quotequote all
Just phone the bikesafe guy.

Still hasn't got the dates for the 125CC, looks like May !

mitzy

13,858 posts

228 months

Wednesday 12th March 2008
quotequote all
Hurah!

Booked on the bikesafe with the Met on the 20th April.

With any luck it will be dry and with another 125cc machine.

m3psm

988 posts

252 months

Sunday 11th May 2008
quotequote all
I’ve just done the Bikesafe course today so thought I’d post up a brief review.

I’ve heard good things about the course from here and elsewhere so thought I’d give it a go. Wasn’t sure what I’d get out of it, but even as a critique of my riding it seemed worth it.

It’s run by the rozzers and advanced trainers and is intended to make you more alert of the dangers on the road and to teach you how to anticipate them by adjusting your position, speed and attitude accordingly.

My first worry was the fact that I would be spending a day with the enemy. That was soon dispelled though when they explained that they were there to advise, not arrest us. They even had an amnesty on black visors and loud exhausts (everyone had already changed them for the day though).

My other worry was that it’d be some holier than thou cops telling us the way it is. This was also dispelled. They made it clear that they were there to make the day enjoyable and to make us safer.

The day started with an hour or two in the classroom where hazards and positioning were discussed, then it was out on the road for a couple of hours. We were paired up two rider per instructor and took turns up front with the instructor/cop in the middle, then would stop every 20 minutes or so for a quick debrief.

We then stopped for lunch at a bikers café and discussed the mornings riding. We were told our weak points and strong ones, then went out for the afternoon to work on the weak points.

Unfortunately the other rider, when up front, came around a tight bend to find a stream of water running across it and panicked. He stayed on, but it knocked his confidence a lot, so the rest of the session was slow, but still useful as without speed, we only had our lines to concentrate on.

On the way back when in front, I went straight ahead when I should’ve turned right. My diversion took me onto a dual carriageway with a 5 mile round trip as the only way back. After a very fast 5 miles I was back. The cop was waiting and the slower rider had gone ahead back to base (as it was the end of the day).

This is where the days training came to fruition. Following a cop giving it some across some big smooth roundabouts and back roads was the fastest I’ve ridden my bike since I’ve had it, seeing the peg down and watching just how far a GS1200 can lean. Most entertaining.

Afterwards we had a classroom debrief and everyone discussed what they got out of the course as well as future training options.

What did I get out of it? Mainly an enthusiasm for riding which has been dulled by 20k+ miles a year of the daily commute. We rode on roads that I never knew existed and I loved it. I also learnt that I can position myself better than I already do my using more of the left hand part of the road that I generally avoided for dust, punctures and wildlife.

I’m not sure if I’ll go for more training. I’d like to, but my free time is very precious. I may look at a few hours a week if the dates work though, as training is always beneficial, even for old gits like me who have done hundreds of thousands of miles over many, many years.

As has been said on here many times before, everyone, no matter how experienced or how new would benefit from the course, so don’t wait. Do it.