The entire South East Biker Magazine (yes all three of us) decided to try out one of the BikeSafe-London Rider Skills Days, run from The Warren at West Wickham
Nick - Experienced Rider
Well I just about made it on to the road! Our bikes are checked over for roadworthiness and my Tiger’s horn and brake lights weren’t working...oops. They were OK when I left home, honest officer. Luckily a bit of electrical fiddling prevented me from slinking home on the back of an RAC truck. I did have to put up with a day of dodgy Triumph jokes though.
I have been on the ERS course recently and a Honda MAC course some years ago and they were extremely useful. The BikeSafe day covered everything you are likely to encounter on a bike, I found the town section, covering filtering, particularly relevant. I have ridden a lot in London but had my eyes opened to some improved techniques and also the potential pitfalls. The whole day from introduction to summing up was well paced, informative and highly enjoyable.
All the officers were extremely friendly and approachable with plenty of banter knocking around. It was obvious they love the job as well, all being keen bikers. The on road riding section was tailored to your own experience and ability, so don’t be put off if you are a relative newcomer to biking. In the morning we tackled some busy suburbs before a debrief and an excellent lunch. It takes a few minutes to get used to having a liveried police bike constantly in your mirrors, but that soon wears off and you start to relax.
The afternoon was spent riding some of the south’s best B roads, a much overlooked source of motorcycling pleasure. I would say the day, for £30 including lunch, represents outstanding value. For the price of a new visor, you will come away with new and sharpened skills. Many thanks to all the team for their enthusiasm, humour, information and not impounding my dodgy Triumph.
Peter - Riding Instructor
I have always been in favour of the BikeSafe concept, so perhaps I’m biased in my view. Bearing this in mind, I tried to be objective and looked at the actual experience on the day.
Okay… I tried really hard to find fault - and couldn’t! The worst comment I can make is that I prefer chocolate Hob Nobs to custard cream biscuits, and as they were free anyway how could I complain!
The location for London BikeSafe is impressive, The Warren is the kind of sports and social club that could accommodate Royalty, with its landscaped gardens and grand manor house; so I was half expecting to see a “scruffy bikers & tradesmen” entrance around the back.
We were all made welcome by the team of serving officers and quickly assured that their purpose was very much about rider safety and awareness - not policing.
A large chunk of their funding comes from Transport for London, so the emphasis is on safe riding on busy roads and reducing accidents. I believe they achieved this in a well balanced mix of presentations, humorous anecdotes (some of these guys could be stand up comedians!) and practical on road assessments.
Even with a lot of years experience and a fair number of qualifications, I still learned a few things and improved my riding through a couple of well timed observations from PC Ian Burchell, who looked after my road ride session.
I really believe that BikeSafe is a must for anyone who wants to improve their riding in a real world environment.
Debbie - Novice Rider
I passed my DAS just over a year ago, recently bought a Suzuki SV650 sport and was still running it in when we went for our BikeSafe day. My poor little baby did not know what was to come and nor did I.
It was a beautiful morning as we rode into The Warren near Bromley, a warm sunny and fun day was to follow. The morning started with what normally happens when two or more riders gather in a car park, admiring nods, appreciative smiles, then talk turns to modifications and upgrades. The instructors check the bikes have working indicators, brake lights and horn. They do this in good humour and without a ticket book in hand. (Mind you, humour was needed when Nick’s Tiger had a nervous breakdown-no horn or brake lights, prompting numerous Triumph jokes!).
Everyone is divided into pairs due to ability, I was with Paul on his GSXR750. We were assigned an instructor, Ian H, he asked us what areas of our riding we would like to work on most.
I wanted to work on filtering, I have had a few unsettling moments in the past.
One incident involved a guy not liking me going in front of him and he tried to run me off the road. Since then I have hesitated before filtering and sometimes wouldn’t go at all.
The morning was spent around town, filtering whenever possible, with Ian riding in the middle and Paul and I regularly changing positions. I noticed Paul had no problems filtering, he lives in town, so it is an everyday aspect of his riding. Ian showed us how to use the space available and be confident with it.
After a great lunch at Frankie and Benny’s, we were off for an afternoon on fantastic country lanes. We followed Ian so we could watch the way he rode the bends. Paul and I took turns to lead again.
Paul seemed to grasp it pretty quickly, I had problems being able to completely drive through the corners. Ian was a superb instructor, he never at any point made you feel like you were learning, it was more like a great ride with a mate who gave you plenty of tips.
The afternoon came to an end far too soon as I was enjoying the day so much. Both Paul and I got off our bikes with huge grins and we agreed it was the best day’s riding we’d had for ages. Neither of us wanted it to end, we’d been riding around for three hours and it felt like one. Everyone should consider a BikeSafe day, if you’ve passed your DAS recently, give yourself some time on the roads before taking the course to get the most out of it. You’ll love it!
BikeSafe should be recognised by ALL insurance companies. Bikers that make the effort to improve their riding should benefit with reduced premiums. Currently, only a few companies offer a discount.
BikeSafe-London is subsidised by Transport for London and costs an incredible £30 for a day.
Other BikeSafe schemes operate from the counties and are still extremely good value at around £50. Scooter and moped courses are also run, very useful for new and younger riders.
Full details are on the website
www.bikesafe-london.co.uk or call 020 8284 8234
I want to go faster, I want to go faster..
