IAM Masters

The requirement is for the rider (or driver) to make safe progress within the posted speed limits and where safe to do so travel at that limit. If there are slower moving vehicles preventing you from doing this you are required where it is safe to do so to overtake them, but again within the posted limit. This in itself is a skill and is probably one of the most difficult things to master which I'm finding out. The IAM and indeed ROSPA set the criteria for what they deem to be the standard expected to pass their test. If you don't want to ride at that pace that's up to you, but it's their standard, not yours. That said IMO any extra training bikers take which make them safer can only be a good thing and there are plenty of private accredited advanced riders that will provide bespoke training to improve your riding without the advanced test being the end goal.

How does all this "making progress at all costs" gel with the dogma that demands that "thou shalt not ever exceed the speed limit"?

How on earth am I gonna minimise the time spent on the RHS of the road while passing a dawdling Sunday driver doing 53mph without squirting past in the minimum time? There is a very high probability I'll touch 60+ for a moment :)

And BTW, a wee squirt now and again is one reason I ride a bike for fun :)

As for the Brake Light nonsense . . .

I don't know where to turn with these Advanced Groups.
 
To be honest pal that is why the masters test is so difficult. You are supposed to make maximum progress but still stay at the speed limit.

But it's only a test/qualification. For me, after riding round race tracks, doing trials, enduros for the last 40 years I wanted to do some advanced tests to endure I was expert on the roads too. Or as near as I could get.


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How does all this "making progress at all costs" gel with the dogma that demands that "thou shalt not ever exceed the speed limit"?

How on earth am I gonna minimise the time spent on the RHS of the road while passing a dawdling Sunday driver doing 53mph without squirting past in the minimum time? There is a very high probability I'll touch 60+ for a moment :)

And BTW, a wee squirt now and again is one reason I ride a bike for fun :)

As for the Brake Light nonsense . . .

I don't know where to turn with these Advanced Groups.

As you've quoted my post ? I've said you are required to make safe progress within the posted limits, not progress at any costs. I'm not saying I totally agree with what they want, just saying what I've been told is expected on their test and what they are looking for. Once you've passed the test what you do then is up to you :D but as an organisation they can't be seen to be encouraging or condoning breaking the road traffic laws and if you do you risk failure unless you can justify why you did what you did to the examiner.

Who doesn't like the odd squirt? I certainly do.....

I know what you mean about the dawdler and outside of the test conditions that's what everyone would do as it makes sense to get past and get back in again. Again what I've been told by my observer is that your overtakes need to be done within the limit-if you have to exceed it to make the overtake to get back in before the next hazard/avoid oncoming traffic then the examiner may consider it poor planning on your part and you shouldn't have attempted it.

They do like you to use acceleration sense rather than the brakes to moderate your speed (all hail the twin) where you can and with some on here saying they need rear pads changing at the 6000 mile service at trouser down prices perhaps that's not a bad idea!

They are after a thinking rider and for you to demonstrate this to the examiner but I wonder if I'll strike the right balance when I finally do my test.
 
I totally agree with Micky. Whilst I'm a great advocate of advanced training, and an ex IAM observer, the IAM are on the point of taking the mick with their fees. You can't be a member of your local group without being a member of the national group, and they give absolutely nothing of the test fees to the local group who's volunteers do all the work.

Log onto the IAM website and have a look at their finances. You will not believe how many of their officers are paid over 100k per year, bearing in mind the IAM is a registered charity.

As an aside. One of the things that really frustrated me, both locally and nationally during my time with the IAM, was their fixation with braking.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see someone overusing their brakes, but when they need to slow I want to see them on their brakes, not slamming down the gearbox or backing off much earlier than necessary.

I always felt it was one of the big failings of many observers that they didn't really understand braking and saw breaking as some sort of failing.


I could ride the majority of many of my journey's without using my brakes, but it wouldn't necessarily make it a good ride.

This has changed to a much more realistic expectation, whereby whether you brake or not depends upon the conditions and circumstances at the time (and on the bike you are riding), not on a fixed idea about not showing brake lights and always using acceleration sense. This is what examiners are now looking for during test. If there is any question about a situation that arises on test then the examiner will discuss it during the debrief.
 
This has changed to a much more realistic expectation, whereby whether you brake or not depends upon the conditions and circumstances at the time (and on the bike you are riding), not on a fixed idea about not showing brake lights and always using acceleration sense. This is what examiners are now looking for during test. If there is any question about a situation that arises on test then the examiner will discuss it during the debrief.

Magnet ... Masters with Distinction :thumb

Good on ya gal ... but in the eternal plan of things nothing changes, only the IAM re-inventing itself :blast

There's no substitute for riding it like you stole it, not hurting anyone else, not inconveniencing anyone else ... and enjoying it along the way, plus staying alive while your do so :D

Nothing else matters :kissy2

:beerjug:
 
Isn't that by Metallica ?

We all have our own comfort zone and "happy" speed. This varies with lots of external factors, weather etc; and also within ourselves.

I can and do show how to lock up your front end in the wet (sv650) and not come off. Am I a riding god ? Not really, I just practiced a lot until I was comfortable with what was happening. What about emergency braking whilst cranked over, you can explain it until the cows come home, show someone (in a controlled environment) and they get it.

The point is if you're not happy with it don't do it.

Always finish the journey with the same vehicle you started with is a good mind set to start from !
 
IAM teaching very much encourages braking nowadays. Brakes to slow gears to go.
 
IAM teaching very much encourages braking nowadays. Brakes to slow gears to go.

You will most probably find that each Observer will have their own idea about this, some are frankly very stuck to the old ideas, and do not like change. Some people that have just come into advanced riding will take their Observers riding styles as what they should do, which again is wrong. Dont get me onto positioning either!!

I know the iAM have tried to make what is taught more consistent overall but some people take what it says in the How To Be a Better Rider book far too literally( This instruction manual was described to me by an Observer as "The Bible"- what an idiot! ).

Still, there is good and bad in each large organisation, and I do think that they do good things, and their objectives are to be respected.
 
Brakes are for stopping,
Gears are for Going,
Throttle for controlling the speed!

As for "when it's OK for going "beyond" the posted speed particularly when overtaking ask yourself this would you do if it was a Police car or being followed by one?


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There's no substitute for riding it like you stole it, not hurting anyone else, not inconveniencing anyone else ... and enjoying it along the way, plus staying alive while your do so :D ..



Through my teaching with Rapid I see a whole bunch of motorcyclists that really cover the whole spectrum. And it's very clear and obvious looking at that broad spectrum that the riders that have invested in training are way better that those that haven't. (Rapid train a lot of the RoSPA observers who get a deal). It's very unusual to come across a really talented rider who has just worked it all out by himself and never done any training. so the IAM and RoSPA riders that we see, are generally, much better.

However :)D)

What I also see, is a constant theme with the riding clubs, and it's what I'd call a 'paint by numbers' or a 'dot to dot' style. Its very frustrating sometimes! I want to shout at them 'now you can ride, rip the fucking rule book up and just .... ride ... ' ! Just let yer feckin' hair down will yer .. ??!!

The handful of really good riders that I see (people that I think - you'd slot straight into my team at work) seem to have moved on a stage further than advanced club level. And a lot of them have been and done the club stuff, learned their craft, thanked the club for their time, and now they sort of do their own thing. It's still disciplined, but they've broken free of the shackles of 'club riding' and they've learned how to cane a bike ... sensibly. They're safe, quick, relaxed (relaxed about club crap and 'rules') but still disciplined if that makes sense.

So I'm with Micky here. Quiet b roads, ride it like you stole it in the nationals, enjoy it, be safe and disciplined, and don't be a twat in the posted limits.

Did I mention discipline? Discipline keeps you alive.

:thumb2
 
Ha ha ... you can still do go to jail speeds down the lanes, great well worked out overtakes, loft yer front off that rise in the road .... but discipline in the foundations (reading limit points, getting all that power down before the turn, seeing the council signs and logging them in the back of your brain, etc etc .... ) is really important .. :thumb2
 


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