ROSPA advanced driving

[Kwikasfuki]

A life saver all the time is overkill. I think I'll get my road craft out and polish up.

[patrick]

A life saver all the time is overkill. I think I'll get my road craft out and polish up.

The System (from Roadcraft..  the basis of both IAM ands RoSPA) states consider lifesaver, not do them all the time as if your doing a 125 test



P

[patrick]

OMG .. that typifies what I am talking about ... riding between letters in the road ... that's how anal some people are I'm afraid ! Nice to hear you passed though !

I cant agree that picking a course that avoids white paint is anal. Paint and metal are best avoided in the wet!

[patrick]

I decided to do some advacne training in 2007 when i moved from a 600 Hornet to a cbf1000.

I joined the local IAM group and passed the test and felt my riding had been transformed. However whilst doing IAM I met  a local RoSPA tutor who encouraged me to join his group as a next step. I asumed the training and test would be very similar but I was wrong.

The Rospa training was more detailed and aimed at getting the best grade possbile at test. I acheived Gold and felt that the test, including  a comprehensive de-brief was a more in depth exmaination of my riding. The IAM test had a minimal de-brief and is off course a pass or fail with no marking or grading.

I came out of the RoSPA training at a  "next level" and realising what I had missed out on i the 6 years on my Hornet

Having said all of the above  I'm sure that what a trainee will get out of either IAM or RoSPA come down in many ways to the people providing the training. In my case RoSPA was better and the three year re-test is a good incentive to keep up the standard.

I know that my advanced skills allowed me to get to grips with the GTR in safety.

After passing the Rospa test I then trained to be a tutor with my group and I get so much out of seeing other riders improve their skills, regardless of their test result.

P

[Winston Smith]

Any training is better than none.

I am a member of both IAM and RoSPA, and would recommend both.

Try BikeSafe as a taster  www.bikesafe.co.uk

Reading RoadCraft is a start, but it is better read then practiced with a tutor.

Bridge the Gap and get some advanced training - it may save your life

[Nygie]

OMG .. that typifies what I am talking about ... riding between letters in the road ... that's how anal some people are I'm afraid ! Nice to hear you passed though !

I cant agree that picking a course that avoids white paint is anal. Paint and metal are best avoided in the wet!

I can testify to the slippyness of paint. It was Spanish paint mind, put down by an idiot.
The picture bellow represents a 3 lane motorway. The dashed line are obviously the lane dividers!
The Red line is a concrete barrier.
Ok lets set the scene. Damp drizzly day that was very overcast. Buzzing down the motorway.
Oh no some road works, one lane is closing ..... slow down and prepare to merge.
The lane (left lane) merges into centre lane on a slight bend guided by said concrete barrier.
Next thing the front wheel tucks and me an the wife are sliding on our arses/ backs with an artic bearing down on us (we were going that slow).
I just aquaplaned on my waterproofs until my head came to rest on the barrier!
It was surreal, not a mark on the underlying leathers but the over-suit was in tatters!
WHAT HAPPENED YOU MAY ASK???
The road workers had painted out the lane dividers with what seemed like gloss paint in one continuous line, which I had to cross as the lanes merged.
It was like black ice.
I am always warey of painted lines on the road more so now than before, lines here do tend to have a little grip compared to that used abroad.
In France for example, Zebra crossings. Very similar glossyness to them. Had an arse clenching moment crossing one of those in the wet at no more than a brisk walking pace!

[Kwikasfuki]

Nygie, that sounds nasty. I'm very conscious of road markings since having a close encounter with the black markings you see on the motorway. I think another member on this forum had the same issue. Going around a sharp motorway bend in the rain, hit the black markings and the bike went into a tank slap. This is it, I thought. Luckily the bike corrected itself, but it was a cold sweat moment.

I will probably end up doing the ROSPA this year just to be more safe. I'm definitely sure I can plan better ahead and want to get rid of some of the unnecessary risk I take. That's why I do more track days. Speed and sensibility on the track, sensibility only on the roads

[Lonewolf]

Cattle grids are a pet hate of mine. Which is unfortunate really seeing as how I enjoy riding across moorland which is usually littered with..., yeah cattle grids.  ::)

[Nygie]

The thing is the bend in the road was only very slight, probably a 120 or so bend in the dry.
I had never come across anything so stupid in all my life. A waste of paint too, painting the areas where there was no white line to cover! If it was in UK I would have taken pictures and sued there asses! >:(
That bitumen shit is scary too, coming down a down hill twisty in the pouring rain. It was everywhere on this one French road. Only 6" - 2' in length but lots of them...... I think my arse was twitching at the same rate as my heart was beating!  ;D

[Winston Smith]

The thing is the bend in the road was only very slight, probably a 120 or so bend in the dry.
I had never come across anything so stupid in all my life. A waste of paint too, painting the areas where there was no white line to cover! If it was in UK I would have taken pictures and sued there asses! >:(
That bitumen shit is scary too, coming down a down hill twisty in the pouring rain. It was everywhere on this one French road. Only 6" - 2' in length but lots of them...... I think my arse was twitching at the same rate as my heart was beating!  ;D

French roads are great of the beaten track aint they!

[Nygie]

Still lots better than the main UK ones :o ;D

[Ziderman]

 

Yes yes ...we all know in the Wet it's a lot different. But in the dry with modern tyres theirs no problem.. With the amount of Tar Banding & white paint on the roads , if you tried to avoid it all, you would have to get off your Bike & push it. Be like bloody slalom course otherwies.