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IAM
Rider Skills Days at 15th
April and |
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Steve Pearce writes - I
understand that there are some associates and members interested in an IAM
Rider Skills Day at The
instructors basically are superb! Race instructors, Police riders, and
examiners the list is endless. I have always enjoyed the part when you
meet your instructor and he/she shares their wealth of motorcycling
experience with you. The
format of the rider skills day has changed for 2010 I guess because of
riders like myself that have done it three times now and would still like
to go and improve my riding skills. Next year it will be an all day event
with three groups, novice, intermediate and advanced. If you have never
been on a track before the novice group will be for you. The intermediate
and advanced groups I would imagine will have other criteria depending on
experience. The
core skills are basically motorcycle riding skills that we use out on the
road such as positioning, use of gears, throttle control, braking,
cornering and riding position. These are basic riding skills but you will
be amazed how a small change to any of these elements improves your riding
skill and confidence. I must say at this point the circuit is a race track
and the road surface isn’t quite the same as a road surface we use every
day, it does has an incredible amount of grip even in the wet, you have to
try it to believe it. A
typical rider skills day,
bike checked over, tyre pressures and every thing in order prior to the
event, arrive at the circuit with a full tank of fuel, meet and
chat to some of the other IAM members. Go
to the paddock offices Sign in and sign the usual disclaimer, John Lickley
/ Roy Aston will give a presentation about the rider skills day and the
format. Usually you pay £1 tea,
coffee and water is available all day, you
will need plenty of fluids, but food is not supplied so you may need
to take a packed lunch. You will be allocated your instructor for the day,
bib colour and finally is the safety briefing, basically information about
the circuit, safety flags and how the sessions will operate. You
will then make your way to an allocated area to meet your instructor and
riders in your group; this could be the pits or paddock area. The
instructor will introduce him self to you and again brief how the sessions
will run. When
out on the circuit normally you will ride in a line initially with your
instructor at the front, he will do a few sighting laps to let you settle
in and also to demonstrate the skill that you are learning. The group will
after a few laps then change around on the main straight so that the
instructor will observe each member of the group and then return to the
paddock / pits for a debrief. Then you go out on track again for the next
session for the next element which could be braking. The
rider skills days are very flexible, you can ask the instructor anything
you want about riding a motorcycle, they will answer any worries,
questions that you may have. IMPORTANT
NOTE: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RIDE OUTSIDE OF YOUR OWN COMFORT ZONE,
ride at speeds you feel comfortable with. The new format of three group
levels should put riders into groups of similar ability, so the speeds of
the novice group will be a slower pace than the advanced group. You will
have a great time and will leave
You
may be lucky and find yourself in this position, this was me following
closely behind one of our IAM
examiners……………………………… not for long though!! I
will be going to the April event so if you are interested let me know and
maybe we could arrange to meet up and go as a group, especially if it’s
your first time. I have been keeping in touch with John Lickley for
information as the new IAM website may not have advertised it yet.
Although I have been informed it should be in the next IAM newsletter, if
you need any more information or if you would like to go: contact
me stevepearce9@talktalk.net
or you can contact the IAM
Skillsday@iam.org.uk |
