These are what I believe are the common issues with ‘Advanced Training’ from the unqualified and unlicenced, and the charity sector observers and tutors exceeding their roles, trying to provide training not assessments, ignoring official riding advice and standards, thinking they know better.
The source is probably, at least in part, old police ‘pursuit’ and ’emergency response’ practises – usually on a marked bike but could also be unmarked surveillance:-
- You will probably not receive any training to brake from high speed, so you need to master this before you go.
- The key thing is not to snatch the front brake lever, so you need to continually practise so you automatically just squeeze it in an emergency with increasing pressure. Practice braking from higher speeds until it becomes automatic.
- Use both brakes and cover the front brake with your two inside fingers when you can. This should reduce your reaction time by around 1 second – 88 feet at 60 mph. The difference between stopping and a 40 mph, probably fatal impact. Use a phone App such as iAccel Lite with care. The standard is 0.67 g average. I went though all my training and trainer training without anyone ever checking I could stop from high speed.
- https://britishsuperbikeschool.com/2024/04/04/the-british-superbike-school-guide-to-emergency-braking-on-a-motorcycle/
- If you are presented with a two-way radio, walk away. This is in direct breach of DVSA standards. Radios should be one way only, for obvious safety reasons. The trainer would probably not have been trained in the correct instruction protocols to keep riders safe.
- If you are shown the ‘suicide swoop’, which I have by an ex-police rider – overtaking an HGV on a LH bend – forget it. Unnecessary and very dangerous.
- If you’re shown ‘off siding’ – taking a LH corner from the RH gutter – forget it as above. These are two old ‘pursuit’ techniques. Never cross the centre line except when overtaking, and don’t cut corners.
- Be aware if you move out near the offside kerb to get a better view, you may not see RHS hazards, and emerging vehicles from your right will not be expecting you. You could also be in the blind zone of the vehicle in front, which could pull out.
- If you’ve been pressurised into overtaking at every opportunity – don’t. You shouldn’t be in a hurry. Only overtake when you are absolutely certain there are no hazards.
- Be very careful filtering. It’s not necessary and it’s hazardous. You may well be encouraged to do it at every opportunity. The training is usually to look for a gap ahead so you can get back in, but there’s no guarantee it will still be there when you get there, and you could be ‘hung out to dry’. Also, if there is a gap it’s often for another road user. This could be for a pedestrian to cross, a car to emerge etc. The gap is very unlikely to have been left for you.
- When filtering, treat every vehicle you pass as a separate overtake, and make sure there is the space to slot back in, in front of them.
- Only filter past stationary vehicles or vehicles travelling < 10 mph.
- Don’t filter up the inside between the traffic and the kerb. Drivers and others won’t expect it, and gutters are often full of debris.
- When filtering in between two lines of traffic, or when using a bus lane, be aware of hazards appearing from the RHS as well as the LHS.
- Don’t filter right up to the front. If you’re in between two lanes the RH driver may not see you and you may get squeezed on take off. You might also get some competition at the ‘traffic light Grand Prix’ as you will probably need to get immediately ahead to stay safe. This can be very dangerous. Look out for sports cars and hot hatches – (and anyone with his cap on backwards). Stop in a space one car back from the front.
- Be very careful filtering down the outside, particularly on narrow roads.
- Don’t filter up front by using the RH turn lane unless you are sure that you can get back in. Don’t go straight ahead from the RH turn lane. Other road users will expect you to turn right, and if there’s a RH traffic light filter, you’ll be blocking the lane.
- I’ve been deliberately pushed into oncoming traffic when filtering, in one case over a double white line by an irate driver who thought I should stay behind him. Got very close to an HGV coming the other way. The drivers had all moved over to give me room. The driver in question did the same until I appeared. He then seemed to realise why everyone was doing it. He then pulled back out just as I was almost next to his car. Many years ago we had a driver opening his car door in front of a group of us, standing in the road trying to stop us passing him.
- The lesson is, even if you think a driver has moved over to let you past, you may be mistaken.
- Many police riders appear to have been taught ‘pursuit’, are hugely experienced, but they have one other big advantage over the rest of us – a marked bike. From my experience they still ride the same way on a civilian bike when training the public, although it’s usually white, and they often wear a police hi viz jacket with chequered stripes.
- Be very careful cornering. You may be following your trainer, and he could be going very quickly. He may be encouraging you to ride at the same pace, potentially taking you out of your comfort zone, leaving you very vulnerable to a panic induced crash.
- You may be encouraged to routinely trail brake into corners using the front or rear brakes. If you have to brake into a corner then you have entered it too fast. It makes very little difference to your journey times, but increases your entry speed and uses up some of your safety margin. DVSA and Roadcraft advice is to brake before the corners for obvious safety reason. There is currently a widely publicised MCN video promoting front wheel trail braking into every corner by an ex-police rider from a well known training company. Ignore it.
- If you have to brake into or mid corner, DVSA and Roadcraft advice is to carefully apply the rear brake only. This is difficult and risky to practise on the road. However, you can with care, and you can also make sure that your foot is ready. You can also make sure you are using the rear brake regularly as you are stopping normally. Some riders never use it.
- Police riders have also done far more riding than almost all civilians, being on a bike most days, so are hugely experienced and have been very well and continuously trained over many years. They are used to riding at high speeds well above the speed limits. I’ve had a couple of ex-police riders come on the DVSA Enhanced Riders Scheme. They didn’t say they were ex-police, and were both surprised when I asked them when they left. They are easy to spot from their attitude and the way they ride – usually at circa 85 mph when they get the chance.
- Passing on their knowledge tends to be difficult for many police riders and others. Most are handicapped as they’ve never been taught how to train and pass on their knowledge properly. We used to have a number of police track coaches at The School. Not now. They are trained to be unemotional, impersonal, remote and aloof, so have to overcome this. A large part of the DVSA post-test trainer’s course is how to train using a well-established modern teaching method known as ‘client centred learning’.
- The ex-police and some civilian trainers will often check where the speed cameras will likely be before they plan your route. This info is publicly available from some forces, so they would not be overly concerned of being caught speeding. You should adhere to speed limits, so don’t be encouraged to speed.
- You may be encouraged to ride on motorways and dual carriageways at 85mph next to the centre barrier. There are some good reasons for this, but be aware that cameras on motorways are far more common, some mobile sitting on the bridges. Stick to or close to the speed limit – probably an indicated 75. You are probably at least as safe on the inside lane at 60 mph with the hard shoulder as an escape route.
Never do anything that you feel is unsafe. Ever. Ride away.
British Superbike School 