My confidence and cornering skill increased significantly once I learnt how to trail break. Not something you need to do for everyday road use but extremely helpful if you get it wrong and need to turn tighter then expected or avoid obstacles. Being taught never to break in a corner is flat out wrong and dangerous. Bikes turn quicker and have more grip when breaking, fact. If you don’t know how to trail break, go practice on a track day then practice on the road. You will find the bike is more balanced then when it’s just coasting
Blimey - Reg has really helped me with my IAM National Observer training with these videos. There are so many hints and tips that I can shamelessly plagiarise. Thank you Sir. I shall of course refer my associates to your channel as you are able to both articulate and demonstrate the process and system perfectly. I anticipate just being able to go for a nice ride and have the associate tell me that they say Reg do this, did it do it right… Perhaps you could do a summary of key tips and hints as an aide? If not I might have to actually do some work and do it myself… Thanks again for the videos.
These really are excellent teaching videos. My instructor back in the day, Sgt Ward, always used to say, "Ride like a COP" (Concentration, Observation, Planning). Keep up the good work, Reg!
This is one of my favourite roads in the north east from Alston to Hayden Bridge, Northumberland. I actually prefer to ride the road in the opposite direction and then after Alston continue over Hartside Pass and down to Melmerby and Langwathby. Very popular road for bikers, especially before the cafe at Hartside Pass burned down. Great video, actually learned a lot of useful information. Subscribed!!!
Just come across your videos and have to say you have helped in understanding safer riding. I am just back in to riding after 10+ years away from it. Thank you 👍
Your videos are a great resource Reg. I've just signed up for IAM RoadSmart after passing my full bike licence last month. It's many years since I last rode and things have moved on so much - especially the availability of high-level resources and info from the likes of your channel. I was taught limit point during some car-based training I did with the IAM years ago. This video explains it brilliantly from the perspective of advanced riding, and I'm looking forward to getting out with my observer and learning to apply this knowledge to make safe progress.
A lot of comments about being or moving on or towards the centre line which some years ago meant position 5 as being very close and almost on that centre line but nowadays the furthest that is recommended and trained by Roadcraft is the new position 3 which is inside of that old position 5 and perhaps one could say on or about the offside tyre line of a car. This means that we are no longer putting ourselves out there near to oncoming traffic and then perhaps needing to sacrifice that position on left hand bends etc. Now because we can or should no longer move as close to that centre line we are losing some of our forward vision for left hand bends etc and as such we should perhaps then consider slowing slightly to compensate for the loss of forward vision. Indeed on some very tight and perhaps blind left hand bends some trainers advise the approach use of position no 1, closer to the kerb and apex and of taking the bend much slower and with greater distance given to anything coming the other way., Left hand bends are definitely more dangerous than right hand ones. More accidents occur on them than right hand ones. They are tighter and should be taken slower than right hand bends. Perhaps this is because we can actually see more of the wrong side of the road and the tarmac that we should not use, giving us a false impression of the the visual distance on such bends, and thus we read the safe stopping distances wrong and then as a result we end up mistaking the speed that we can take that bend in. Then we fail to consider or anticipate what might be around that bend. The possibility that their is an obstruction on the other side of the bend or that it tightens up its radius unexpectedly and thus our speed is no longer safe.
Hi mate. I've just started advanced rider training and find your videos very useful. Also I was wondering what mount you use for you helmet? Many thanks
Doesn't Roadcraft advise us about being on left hand bends and that its only to the mid line on the tarmac that one can take into account in respect of our speed around a left hand bend or corner of curve. That's because when we brake, if we need to, we cannot take into account any area over that white line on any bend. So on left hand bends its not actually where the limit is for our vison but closer to where the nearside verge or kerb meets the middle of the road line. Therefore,depending on he severity of that bend, curve etc we could be setting ourselves up for going in too fast is we don't realise that some maybe 30 or 40 ft of the tarmac that we can see is no longer on our side of the road and therefore not available to us to stop in. .
1st 😁 Nice one Reg. Some fantastic roads there with loads of forward visibility. Late positioning for bends is common, and then also not holding it for the correct amount of time. Too long and they end up struggling to gain position for the next bend. Too short and they cut the corner and don't gain the benefit of extra forward view.
Going back nearly 30 years my original riding instructor (a current police rider by trade) used to tell me to imagine that a full sized fridge/freezer had fallen off the back of a lorry just beyond your limit point. Could you still stop?
Hi Reg, I have been watching your videos with great interest, and find them very helpful, although I have struggled with limit point reading for some time. I heard you say that you were the same.can you help please. I am a biker, by the way. Much appreciated.
Again great advice Reg which I’m benefiting from. I’m at 4 sessions now and my Observer says I’m test ready 😱 so too more sessions to go then put in for test. I’m aiming for a First so any more tips would be appreciated 👍🏻
Best piece of advice is to relax and enjoy the ride. Also, don’t set your heart on a first - a pass is a fantastic achievement, but we don’t give many firsts out & there is nothing worse than a candidate who is disappointed with a pass!