By Mark Tredwen (CVAM) Aug2009
 

Advanced riding, its all about……..

Information – that’s a corner
Position - confirmed, corner, right in front of me
Speed – yep, got some of that
Gear – nice leathers and clean underpants (oooooh too much information)
Acceleraaaaagh

That’s the first corner of the first decent lap for me at the IAM rider skills day at Mallory Park on a nice sunny Thursday afternoon off work last April.

I jest (a bit), but it’s quite a new experience on a track for me. I went on a rider skills day (again at Mallory) last October - another nice sunny day - and enjoyed myself immensely. So much so that I was very keen and quick to sign up for another one when the invites came out. I also think I learnt quite a lot – about me and the bike's capabilities (but not the limit of them!)- on both days

What does it entail and what did I actually learn?
Well, it’s an IAM organised group session so plenty of beemers in evidence….. that’ll please a large part of the audience. The day is very well structured, the joining instructions clear and concise. Be there at a specific time for access to the centre of the track, full safety/track briefing and allocation/introduction to your instructor for the afternoon.

Riders are grouped into 4s according to their stated ability/experience on their applications, but an early set of gentle warm up laps slightly rebalances one or two groups. I was lucky in that on this occasion, we have an instructor and an observer (everything has an observer these days – have you noticed?), and our group of 4 splits quickly and easily in two faster, and two less fast riders. The instructors are all a combination of proper track instructors, Police class 1 riders/instructors or a combination of all of these. Most of all, they are keen enthusiastic, very friendly, and keen to show and help you understand and use your skills and machine to the best of the ability you want. That last bit is quite crucial, no pressure, you do as much pushing of your envelope – ma/woman and machine – as you want.

Using the IAM "System" as the basis, the instructors take you at whatever level of riding you currently are, and gently demonstrate and introduce that concept into some track tactics – it’s really very clear and obvious when it’s thought about that way. If you refer back to my opening paragraph, you see what I mean! Obviously there is some track protocol, to respect the other riders, and keep everything safe whilst allowing those that want to, to go as well (fast) as they and the track permit, but all within very controlled overtaking. This ensures no surprises, no shoving off the track, no diving underneath into the corners. You can concentrate on what you’re doing with confidence in others actions/behaviours being predictable.

So……..the afternoon's events consist of some instruction/observations then on to bike for a warm up lap or two, a few laps, maybe some follow my leader then back into pits for a brief break and some comments on your techniques. Maybe some static demonstrations of body position. This cycle is repeated throughout your half day. Gives you a chance to experiment, be observed, get feedback, watch/follow others, perhaps gradually try faster acceleration, harder braking or any other aspect of motorcycle control. However, most importantly the structure encourages/permits you to rest between the laps. Its surprising how hot you can get, thirsty, brain weary and how much hard work it actually is – there is a lot of concentration. By the end of the day my thigh muscles were so taut, I reckon I could have cracked walnuts.

The sessions are structured, but also very informal and presented according to what you aim to achieve/learn/explore.

As to what I learnt, well I went round Gerrards – the main corner- as fast as I felt I could, found it interesting to observe I felt and looked more comfortable than others going slower than me , but also bemused to find others going past me, casually looking round, and looking more comfortable than I. It’s all about riding for yourself, your ride, your machine and your decisions. Take, use and give information. Oh, and ‘give it some’ down the straights. In reality, and reflecting a couple of days later- the best realisation for me was precision. Not in the manual, not in the System (go on, someone correct me), but the confidence, benefits and joy of being precise in road positioning, and being able to do that subconsciously (nearly wrote unconscious there) all the time.

Focussing on precision seems to make all other aspects of the system so much smoother, more natural and a great fit. Also having widened my knowledge of the machine ( and my) limits, gives further confidence, not necessarily to actual go and find those limits on the road again – after all its not a race track – but confidence in that knowledge of what I had experie3nced without any problems or issues – retaining those Persil white underpants.

Mark

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