15-12-11, 03:05 AM
(14-12-11, 01:35 AM)Aegis Bearing Mel link Wrote: as a charity of volunteers it won't carry as much clout for me as advanced instruction from DSA certified instructors will as the quality assurance procedures won't be as robust.
To become an Observer you first of all have to be able to ride to a high standard, then you have to show that you can you can demonstrate that standard to an Associate. Remember, also, that an Observer is exactly that, they're not an Instructor nor are they expected to be.
As for "quality assurance", when I was doing my Direct Access, my Instructor had a visit from a DSA Inspector and got picked up for 1) His tax disc was on the left side of the fairing/ screen rather than down by the rear wheel 2) He was instructing on the bike he had his side lights on instead of the headlight (the side-lights on his BMW were bright enough to make him clearly visible) and 3) when he wasn't on the bike, he was wearing sandals instead of bike boots (because he didn't want to wear out the soles on an expensive pair of boots which aren't designed for lots of walking around)!
So not much wrong there with his instruction...!!
Quote:To step up onto the pontification step now, I believe mindset and experience are the key points here.
The IAM give you the ability to tap the experience of others, as well as providing the chance to gain experience.
Back to the putting miles in thing.
As I said, practicing the *right* things. There's nothing the IAM or anyone else can do to *stop* you trying to get your knee down if you want, but at least they can show you what you should be doing. Whether you choose to do it or not is your own business.
(Oh, and I've put in more miles in the last year or so since I joined the IAM and have been practicing for the test and going on ride-outs with them than I'd done in the previous three years!
)