Bikesafe 1 day course experience

[Val]

Hi All,
 
on 5th Aug I have done 1 day Bikesafe safety course in Ashford and keen to share the experience. I have to say it is much safer to ride with police biker. Fact 
 
 Everybody are moving away how cool is that LOL
 
 Seriously the course was great, met nice bunch of different people with different bikes starting from BMW1200, going through classic Ducati GT1000, my Fazer and ending with CBR125, 500cc scooter and one of those new 3 wheelers with 2 wheels in front.

The venue has been provided by Jack Lilly Triumph - good place and great guys there. I have few friends with Triumphs they use Jack Lilly and are very happy.
 
 The course was 2 parts some debriefing and morning ride in town around Ashford and Feltham. Plus free lunch at Frankie and Bennys Feltham.
 
 The most fun part was afternoon 2 hours ride around south east going to Twyford, Five and roads around Windsor, Ascot and Staines.
 
 The observers (police bikers) were very nice guys and gave us detailed report for each of us personally at the end about your ride:

Junctions
Cornering
Filtering
Overtaking
Hazard Awareness
Correct use of speed
Correct use of brakes, gear, clutch
Signs and signals
Attitudinal Factors

We have been grouped with 1 police biker observer and 2 bikes. I was teamed with the Ducati GT1000. Although bigger cc and roughly the same power I have to say the Ducati was struggling to keep with the Fazer. In all fairness this was mostly due to the fact the roads we have done are my local roads and I know most of the potholes, where is the gravel on the road etc. The police biker was keeping up fine with me.

I also managed to do some London filtering. Done it by the book, but here the police biker was struggling a bit  :
Got the marks: confident but apparently no need to rush so much there.
 
 Nevertheles it was good fun 
 
 All riders including me got C rating. Obviously A and B are for the guys who are better riders. D rating was if you fail miserably. I am happy with C for now though. My police observer has given me oficial plus points in Hazard section for doing emergency stop when in town a kid with scateboard decided to run across the road in front of me. Although he also has said if I was riding slower that would have not been a need for emergency stop. My feeling was that it was not actual emergency the Fazer brakes have lot more ability. It was raining but was more of fast controlled stop with slight rear wheel lock because of the wet. The Ducati guy said it was cool the rear tire was actually smoking LOL
 
 In the report in speed section was basically one word of deserved advice - slow down. According to the observer I keep the limits mostly, but build up to the speed too fast.
 
 I hope my wife will not read this post 
 
 Anyway the bikesafe course was great and it is highly recomended.
 
 About riding with police bike. Funny enough we have gone via my favorite tight spot when regulary some trucks are giving me hard time here: https://goo.gl/maps/K832b
 
 Guess what this time with the big shiny police bike leading in front the big truck actually has stopped and let us go. Without going ahead completely blocking my lane, as they usually do there.
 
 Anyhow have you got any experience with bikesafe to share?

[mickvp]

I wanted to do bikesafe when i looked into these types of course before, but they dont run any in Scotland now, and the closest one in carlisle also seems to be run very sporadically. shame as they do seem to offer a lot for the amount of time you spend on it.

[Grahamm]

I've not actually done BikeSafe myself, but I've chatted with people who have as I'm part of the Solent Advanced Motorcyclists IAM Group and we have a deal with the Hampshire BikeSafe Coppers that once they've finished at Loomies Cafe and done their debrief with the participants, they pass them over to us and we suggest that they get the IAM Skills for Life package (we get a pretty good sign-up rate).

[darrsi]

I paid £150 in 1997 to do some course every Sunday before doing my bike test, even though i'd been riding for 10 years.
I thought they might rid me of a few bad habits so i'd have a better chance of passing.
After a few hours i was virtually assisting the instructor rather than being taught.


The decider was when about 7 of us had to do a "slow race", where you were only allowed to use the clutch or rear brake, and the last person to finish in about a 100 foot "race" won, plus you weren't allowed to put your feet on the floor either.


After everyone else had hit the finish line and i was less than half way the instructor claimed my brake light wasn't working.


So i asked him how he knew, 'cos i hadn't actually touched it yet? 

[Punkstig]

Biker down course should be your next training day then, preferably the one held by Kent fire brigade at brands Hatch, Facebook and Google search them.

I much preferred that day to the bike safe one!

[midden]

Biker down course should be your next training day then, preferably the one held by Kent fire brigade at brands Hatch, Facebook and Google search them.

I much preferred that day to the bike safe one!

Only for the cheap track day element