Ever wished that traffic lights go green just as you arrive, or that gaps in roundabouts appear at the right time so you can effortlessly slip in? Ever wished that you could always spot the best stream of traffic leading up to a junction? How about overtaking; ever wished you were best placed to take advantage of opportunities?
Advanced training can teach you the skills to make all of the above not only possible but a routine part of your riding.
I got further training as a result of a number of runs where I was with very experienced riders in the motorcycle industry. How I survived I'll never know. I was riding well beyond my limits all the time and had a few "s**t, that was close" moments.
What I couldn't understand was how people on less powerful and older bikes were making so much better progress. By progress, I don't just mean speed; no matter what I did they always just seemed to be effortlessly way ahead of me and they never seemed to misjudge corners etc.
So I booked up a days one to one training with a police rider, organized through Dobles Motorcycles in Coulsden. His assessment was that I had good basic skills but no observation skills (or at least I wasn't using the information I was receiving to best effect); I was basically missing all the opportunities to make safe progress including:
1) overtake opportunities - in particular leaving roundabouts, exiting right hand bends, using other peoples eyes to see if the road ahead was clear (care!), using central white line road markings, signs and scenery to tell me I was about to reach a piece of potentially clear road round the bend.
2) slow on corners - I wasn't positioning on bends to get maximum vision (and hence was going slower to make up for lack of vision) or maximum grip (eg through a wide arc) and I didn't know the racers trick of "slow in, fast out". I also wasn't aware of the vanishing point or limit point which gives invaluable information about the maximum speed for a corner and I wasn't using the benefits of countersteer.
3) awareness of conditions ahead - I wasn't aware of what was happening way ahead and therefore didn't have an early plan to avoid hazards or slow lanes of traffic. I was reacting to conditions rather than planning the ride. I was safe enough but with earlier information I could take early action to position myself to avoid getting involved with slower traffic.
You can't learn much in a day but it's enough to give you a flavour of how much better a well trained rider is. He suggested that I contact the local branch of the Institute of Advanced Motorcyclists. Old fuddy duddies on BMW's I thought to myself but I'll have a go, I thought.
I joined Wey Valley Advanced Motorcyclist club in Ripley near Guildford. Old fuddy duddies on BMW's; they may have BMW's and they may be old, but boy can they ride!! They have Observed rides on the first Sunday of every month and a trained observer, sometimes a Police Class One rider, will take you out for an hour or so. After several months of training (I had three observed rides and lots of practice between) I was put forward to do the Advanced Test, which is always done by a Police rider.
Interestingly, I started this to learn to rider "faster" but actually now prefer to ride slower than I used to (though making more progress!!). They often describe advanced riders as people you go whistling past in 30 mph limits but who then go whistling past you when the going gets quicker. When you realise that 75% of accidents are in built up areas and that you are travelling at about 14 metres per second at 30 mph, it makes you realise why care is needed in 30mph areas. (NB the average person takes about 0.7 seconds to react - at 30mph you've travelled about 9 metres before you've even touched the brakes - that's a good two car lengths!!!!).
One observer early on said to me that the training would give me at least one second extra in everything I did. At the time I thought so what, but at 30 mph it means I could pull up 14 metres (ie at least 3 car lengths earlier) ahead of a normal rider. At 60mph, it would give almost 7 car lengths extra. Worth having if a car pulls out!!
Whilst on the subject of distance per second; another interesting (or not) point - many new bikes have LED lights rather than bulbs. Apart from the fact they look trendy, they illuminate about 0.2 of a second quicker than a bulb. So what you might think (as did I) until you realise you travel about 15 feet in that time at 60mph. Every extra bit of notice counts.
Fancy learning some advanced riding skills? Neville has mentioned that a previous member is a Police rider (how did he slip through membership vetting procedures?) and he has offered to take a group out at some point. Likewise, if anyone fancies coming to Wey Valley Advanced Motorcyclists for an observed ride give me a ring (01306 882575).
In the meantime, some things to consider:
1) If you are blinded at night by an oncoming vehicle's lights, either look away to your left (ok, that's obvious) or try closing one eye - when the vehicle has passed open the eye and you'll be able to see ok (kind of - well better anyway).
2) A car driver with his brakes lights on at a junction will usually have his right foot on the brake (unless the car looks like a rally/racing car, who often use left foot braking). If the brake lights go out it probably means he's moved his right foot across to the throttle - he's likely to pull out on you - you've had your split second warning!! Remember to eyeball the driver; has he seen you? Watch for that puff of smoke from the exhaust as he revs to go or the front wheels creeping - which way are the wheels facing?. And through all of this have you planned where you are in the road to give you more time and where you will go if he moves out!!!!
3) Where in the road do you get the most information and are you the safest, without inconveniencing or endangering others - coz that's where you should be. Sometimes, that may mean riding wide on corners (eg to the far left on right hand bends or towards the centre on left hand bends - care; always sacrifice position for safety)
4) Try to make sure you have entered a bend at the correct speed (ie that you're still not slowing down on the bend) - go through the bend either at constant speed or under modest acceleration and you will find that the bike is more stable and you will travel quicker through the bend and accelerate harder out.
5) Get into the habit of always knowing what's going on around you - check behind regularly (typically around ever 6 seconds) and make a conscious note of the make/type of vehicle, age, type of driver of vehicles behind and ahead - it's all information that will give you a clue what the driver is going to do. Ahead you see three lanes leading into a roundabout, one has a small capacity driving school car with just the driver in, a new 7 series BMW with active young kids in the back and a local taxi with passengers leaning forward. Who will be the first away? Is the BMW driver distracted by the kids? Are the taxi passengers explaining where they want to go and therefore will the taxi driver be hesitant? Is the driving school car likely to be the first away as the sole occupant is likely to be an instructor?
6) Do you know your Highway code? Knowing it can help you make progress and can save points on your license. When can you cross a solid white line in the middle of the road? When can you and when mustn't you go into hatched markings on the road to overtake? What central white lines on the road give a clue that a clear bit of road may be round the corner - you'll be planning your overtake and your mates won't even be aware there's an opportunity round the bend!!
Safe (and progressive) riding.