Get yourselfs Booked on one !!!!!!!   I have just compleated mine on merseyside. Probably the best thing I have done this year (appart from meeting my lady).   I am not the worlds best biker or so I thought but the two assesed rides pointed out areas for improvement and also my overall level of saftey on the roads.   It is not a do as we say but rather there is an attitude of there is no once correct way of riding but this is concidered the safest.   One of the key things they taught us on out course was effective braking as most of the guy on our course were sports bike riders who only use the front brake. i was a back brake fan myself unless i was needing ro roll off a lot of speed.   We were shown the front brake, back brake, front brake method. this was not taught on my bike lessons 2 years ago. i was taught front brake, back brake to ballance the bike then back brake only below 15mph.   I am finding that front brake back brake front brake works a lot better for me i feel more confident braking at speed and i am stopping in a shorter distance.   Well worth the £80 i paid.                                                                                                                                                                             

was recommended that as well when i passed my test, its run by the police isn't it??                                                                                                                                                                             

I did the bike safe with the Gwent police 2 years ago and learnt so much from the course. I have been riding for over twenty years but the skills they teach you are for life and can save your life one day. My group was small so I was lucky to have one to one supervision by the bike cop. I would recommend it highly.

Has anybody done or doing Advance Riding course ?                                                                                                                                                                             

Hi busa70,Im riding with the Devon Advanced Motorcyclist,havent done my test yet but been on loads of rides.I think a lot of people have a pipe and slippers BMW image of the IAM-there is a minority like that but you'll come across every kind of bike-ZX6R,Blackbirds,Sprints,Tigers,etc.The riding style on a run is fast and fluent with a overiding philosophy of not dieing horribly!Every time I go out I come home thinking jeez that was a ride! Maybe 200 miles of swervery.All in all a great crowd,great rides and a steady improvement in riding skills.

thanks iggypup, have been looking up on the net for local IAM groups. Will try one in Gloucester as it is nearer.