Who has done any advanced rider training - either IAM or ROSPA or Bike Safe maybe . What made you decide to do it (or why did you decide NOT to) and how was the training - did you get anything out of it ? : )                                                                                                                                                                             

 i did the bike safe course and it was brilliant had a right laugh although to be fair they did say that i really dont need any extra training lol but any extra training for a newby is a good thing.cos to be totally you dont get taught how to ride you get taught to pass a test.then when your on the road thats when you learn how to ride.but i have been told by many people that the a.i.m course is rubbish and rospa is much much better  so personally from all ive been told i would go with rospa and not aim!!!! but a 2 day bike safe course is also very very good !!!                                                                                                                                                                             

I sent No1 son on the bike safe course..... just after his speed awareness course. He had a great time and learned an awfull lot on road positioning and speed for conditions. Whether it did him any good is another matter but he's a far better rider than I'll ever be He has no problem telling me off for being a dick Peter and Phill did the IAM and both are better riders as a result (or so they tell me) On the other hand I took my test in 1981 by riding round the block till someone stepped out... I shouldn't be allowed out on a bike! So many lads I used to hang with are no longer here                                                                                                                                                                             

As Debs says above, there are a lot of instructors who will teach you to just pass.   There are also a lot that will teach you to ride.   I looked into the schools near me and chose the one that would teach me to ride as well as pass.   I had a fantastic instructor.   

That said, any improvements I can make, anything I can learn, that will keep me safer and make me a better rider is something I will do, so I will be doing a Rospa when I can get the dosh together and definitely do a bike safe when they run one near me.  

                                                                                                                                                                             

 hey rb they do them near you all time hun if you go on bikesafe.co.uk theres a course about 23mls from you at winsford and one at south yorks police headquaters which is about 35mls from you i would deffo recomend them theyre real good fun and get lots of advice and help                                                                                                                                                                              

ooh cool, ta babe.   will look into that.   the Greater Manchester Police as of yet don't do one.   

                                                                                                                                                                             

I did west Mids Police bikesafe..... I still use stuff I was taught now...some things just stay with you. Good starting point
 
http://www.bikesafe.co.uk/                                                                                                                                                                             

Some instructors may only teach to pass the test, a lot teach you to ride.   With just passing your test you need to develop your riding skills before doing any more training (say six months).   With any of these groups that do the advanced training, it's only as good as the trainer.   RoSPA and IAM you tend to pay more for but most people tend to go for Bikesafe because it's cheap.   Get yourself some reading material like 'Motorcycle Roadcraft' and 'Pass Your Advanced Motorcycling Test' this will help with the theory behind the riding                                                                                                                                                                             

Cheers folks ! Yeah - I think I am lucky because I have had a bike 18mths and gone out on rides on my bike with Tospa and Iams instructors and been given good instruction. It IS interesting that some stuff that you learn to pass your DAS is different to what IAMS and ROSPA tell you.... onwards and upwards !

I did a better biking session a couple of weeks ago and learned loads..... Definitely improved my cornering confidence. I have now signed up to do the whole course with Northants Advance Motorcyclists and looking forward to it.

I agree with ZZR..... You are taught to pass your test and then it's up to you to learn to ride.

Good luck and enjoy xx

I did an Rac/Acu course back in 1981 with Police riders, it tought me quite a lot, it also Taught me that the best Instructors in the Country are still Vulnerable. R.I.P :(                                                                                                                                                                             

I've been sniffing around doing some volunteering for Blood Bikes, and was told that you had to have an advanced riding qualification to use their Honda Pans. Informally I was also told they they preferred RoSPA to IAM.

                                                                                                                                                                             

Yeah - the deal is that with Rospa you have to re-take your test every three years I think - but with IAMS you just do it once ! I have been delivering my First Aid for Bikers Courses to IAMS and Blood Bikes over this neck of the woods ..... Wills if your Blood Bikes guys think its an idea - lemme know ! Cheers : ) 

You know my thoughts on IAMS so I shall say quiet                                                                                                                                                                               

I did the Enhanced Rider Scheme and BikeSafe. The first was just a day of riding so I knew I was riding safely - it wasn't advanced riding in any way, just a day to let me know I was safe and what I needed improving on.

The BikeSafe I did in Lincoln as it was half the price of the Leeds course and a day longer too! Was a very good course. The second day was an introduction to IAM. Still worth doing.

There's no point looking at doing advanced training as an insurance reduction - MCE said don't bother it won't reduce it! Thanks....but as a way of knowing you are ride to a good standard - worth doing without doubt.

After doing advanced driving for work I am seriously considering it for the bike. I learnt sooooo much which I do use on the bike too. Well worth it. But IAM or Rospa? No idea which!

I took and passed the IAM test in 2000 i do think its helps me to stay a bit safer on the road.
I no longer subscribe to the IAM or any advanced groups as i found to many of the members had a superiority complex once they had passed the test and were not fun to ride or socialize with, normal everyday BMers are much more fun.

I agree with jay buzz I,ve had a few rides with Iam and the observers are up there own arses. I ,ve paid my money now so will carry on till I past the test then it,s Ariosto amigo. And why do they all ride bmw's. Must be the badge cus the bikes are crap. They keep breaking down

My X partners dad was a driving instructor also had the testers ticket but as he owned his own driving school could not take tests. He also had an OBE for his contrbution to road safety and was Warwickshire area organizer for the IAM. These are his words,
IAM are a bunch of self appointed nobody's,  Most of which are not fit to be on the road.

Rospa it is then, after bikesafe next year, hopefully with a nice sexy police biker as my instructor!! Pass me the bromide! Lol                                                                                                                                                                              

This link may be relevant;   http://www.bikermatch.co.uk/sites/bm/forum/posts.asp?to...c_id=13368