Author: Paul Beattie
Spring Newsletter Published!
Our latest newsletter contains exciting news about:
- The launch of our Online Shop
- Our new relationship with Kawasaki and their “Kawasaki Rider Training Services”
- Our partnership with Robinsons of Rochdale
- Our Best of Wales Training Tour
- Basic Bike Maintenance Evening Classes
- Easter Monday Ride Out
and also has a discount code offering 10% off products in our Online Shop until the end of April!
To read it see here.
To sign up for future newsletters, use the form at the bottom of the side-menu on any page!
Inner Circle Training partners with Kawasaki KRTS and Robinsons of Rochdale!
|
Starting the year at the Double!
Here at Inner Circle Training 2017 has started where 2016 left off, with yet more people taking and passing their motorcycle tests FIRST TIME!
Despite the recent rain and cold weather resulting in a couple of tests being cancelled, our first 2 module-2 tests of the year saw excellent first time passes for both Mark and Jamie.
First up was Mark, who’s been riding trials for a long time but hadn’t ridden on the road for a great many years – since back in the days before CBT when it was possible to ride a 250cc bike on L-plates! He soon got back in the groove, though, and despite a lot of rain during his training and his module-1 test (the following test was cancelled due to standing water!) sailed (!) through the exercises to obtain his module-1 test pass certificate at his first attempt. Unfortunately the weather then changed from rain to snow for his module-2 test on the Friday but we were able to squeeze him in the following week due to a last-minute cancellation. With the weather now the best it’s been all year (not saying much!), he rode very well to get his full motorcycle licence and of course, the coveted “DAS course completion” certificate!
Following Mark in taking his module-2 test was Jamie. He’d previously undertaken some training with another training school and had a bad experience, so came to us to restore his confidence and improve his riding ready for the tests. He too sailed through both his module-1 and module-2 tests, getting a clean-sheet (zero faults) on his mod-1 and only picking up a couple of minor riding faults in the last 1/2 mile of his mod-2! With a Suzuki GSXR-600 waiting to be MOT’d at home, it’s not surprising that he was delighted with his experience with us!
Well done to both of them and let’s see how long we can maintain our 100% test pass record for the year!
Over 100 motorcycle test passes!
It’s been quite a week at Inner Circle Training this week as we helped our 100th new rider obtain their full motorcycle licence by passing their motorcycle test!
We are very proud of this milestone as we only opened for business on 11th May 2014 and since then have been busy establishing our reputation for the highest quality motorcycle instruction. Our base in Stockport, Greater Manchester, has evolved over that period to include a smart and warm(er!) classroom within the large warehouse building we occupy. Our dedicated training yard is available exclusively to us 7 days a week for CBTs as well as practicing the module-1 exercises if necessary. Our Direct Access courses – which are responsible for our excellent motorcycle test pass rate – include use of the Motorcycle Manoeuvring Area (MMA) at Bredbury Test Centre, which is less than 5 miles from our base. It is this test centre that we use most, meaning riders are riding on the roads that they are likely to encounter during their module-2 test from the minute we head out on the road. It is therefore little surprise that we have seen so many pass with us first time (over 75% of our mod-1 and mod-2 tests are passed first time!).
But this week wasn’t just about breaking the ton, it was how this was achieved that’s interesting!
First up, and our 99th test pass, was Andreas.
All the way from Singapore to pass his motorcycle test!
His story is familiar in part – he’d contacted a number of training schools to try and obtain his full UK motorcycle licence but found their level of customer service lacking. That’s the only familiar part of his story, though, as he lives and works as an airline pilot in Singapore! What this meant is that his time in the UK for training and tests was restricted due to his roster and it was Tracy who stepped up to sort out the logistics – something anyone who’s dealt with her knows she excels at! So he flew in to Manchester Airport on Sunday, was out training for a couple of hours with Paul on Monday afternoon, took and passed his module-1 motorcycle test on Tuesday morning before some more road-based training and then took and passed his module-2 motorcycle test on Wednesday (another first time pass!). After a quick stop back at base for a brew and to be presented with his Inner Circle Training DAS course completion certificate (to go with his official DVSA Practical Test Pass Certificate that means he can now ride any bike!) it was off to the airport again to catch his flight to Hong-Kong!
An early start for James as he passes his motorcycle test!
Next up was James, who doesn’t have quite as exotic a story! Whilst Andreas had had to deal with some very low temperatures and the threat of sleet and snow impacting on his tests (which fortunately they didn’t), James was greeted with slightly warmer temperatures for his early-morning module-2 test. An 8:20am test is the first of the day at the test centre and one we usually try to avoid as it means Paul has to get up very early to meet the candidate for their hour’s pre-test training ride! James didn’t seem phased by it, though, and sailed through the test with very few riding faults to become the 100th person to pass their motorcycle test with us!
Rob completes the hat-trick as he also passes his motorcycle test!
But that wasn’t the last motorcycle test we had booked this week as today (Friday) was Rob’s turn! Following an hour’s ride before the test when Paul helped him get “in the zone” and focused on what he needed to do to pass, Rob went out and aced the test to complete this week’s hat-trick of motorcycle test passes!
For more information on our Direct Access courses, please see http://www.innercircletraining.co.uk/getting-started/pass-motorcycle-practical-test-module-1-module-2/
Inner Circle Training raises another £200 for Blood Bikes Manchester!
Here at Inner Circle Training we are proud to be the official training partner for Blood Bikes Manchester, the charitable organisation that provides a highly-valuable service to the NHS, delivering blood, breast milk, tissue samples and other assorted medical things to NHS organisations across the Greater Manchester area (and beyond, in conjunction with other Blood Bikes goups).
We offer riders an Enhanced Rider Scheme course to ensure that their riding matches the high standards required of a Blood Bikes volunteer. This course, also available to the general public, is conducted by one of our qualified Advanced Riding Instructors (Paul or Nic), and includes a formal assessment on a wide variety of road conditions. Riders are required to attain an “A” grade in this assessment, indicating they are riding to a high standard – equivalent of an IAM or RoSPA Advanced Riding Test pass.
For each rider taking the ERS course in order to volunteer to ride for Blood Bikes Manchester, we donate £20 of the course fee to the charity and have just made our 2nd payment of £200 to help the charity continue their excellent work. This brings the total donated by Inner Circle to £400!
Movember – Paul as you’ve never seen him before!
This November, I’m going to be sacrificing the beard that has been part of my life for over 10 years. I first grew it when trekking in Nepal in 2003 – it seemed appropriate to try and look rugged and manly whilst wheezing up Kala Patthar for a view of Mt Everest!
When I returned sporting my new face fungus Tracy didn’t recognise me at the airport and horrified insisted I shave it off that very day. Which, being an obedient sort of chap, I duly did. Then when we were travelling round Europe in 2005 I grew it back, only to be further surprised when she complained when I shaved it off again (she said she’d got used to it and ‘quite like it’).
So when I said I wanted to join the Movember movement this year to raise awareness of men’s health issues and to try and raise money to help tackle issues such as Prostrate Cancer (which affects far too many men I care about) – and that this would involve losing the beard, she was horrified. But as always, she’s supporting me and has agreed to me shaving it off and growing a mustache as is the rules of Movember. She just won’t be kissing me for a month.
So please support us as we put ourselves through this difficult challenge. You can donate to my page using the link below:
https://uk.movember.com/donate/payment/member_id/13373655/
For those attending Inner Circle Training’s Bike Night on Halloween, you will get to see the beard removal operation as I will be removing it live that evening.
If you’d like to join me in raising money for, and awareness about, men’s health issues, then please get in touch!
More Motorcycle Test Passes and another Blood Bike rider trained!
It’s been a busy week (as is now the norm!) for Inner Circle Training as over the course of the last 3 days we had another rider obtain his Enhanced Rider Scheme band “A” grade to qualify him to ride for Blood Bikes Manchester, and 2 riders pass their motorcycle test to get their full licences!
First up was Alan, who has been riding for many years but hadn’t taken any training after he passed his test. He wanted to volunteer his spare time to help Blood Bikes Manchester in their quest to save the NHS a small fortune by offering a free out-of-hours delivery service for blood, breast milk and other essential supplies and so needed a qualification to prove he can ride to the high standard required. Alan took our 6-hour “ERS Training & Assessment” course and during the first 3-hours learnt a number of things that helped him further improve the smoothness of his riding prior to the final assessment. His comments at the end of the course that he’d learnt a lot more than he expected – and how much he’d enjoyed the experience – sentiments echoed by many who have taken advantage of this course!
Next up was Cory, who wins the award for the biggest smile after passing his module-2 motorcycle test which allowed him to remove the L-plates from his lovely Yamaha MT01! It also allows him to head to the dealer to buy his dream bike, a Yamaha MT07, which we look forward to seeing at a future bike night! A member of the “Hefty Hamptons Motorcycle Club” he is perhaps most delighted that the banter about his “L-ooser Plates” will now cease!
Finally, today saw Peter “Brad” Bradley step up to the plate to take his motorcycle test. He performed very well indeed, obtaining a coveted “Double First” after passing this test at the first attempt to match his first-time module-1 test pass from last week. Another rider with his own 125, he is now on the hunt for something that can “pull the skin off a rice-pudding” as he put it! We look forward to seeing what he chooses!
Congratulations everyone!
Neil completes the double by passing both bike tests first time!
Another of our customers, Neil, has joined the not-so-exclusive “Double-First” club by passing both his module-1 and module-2 motorcycle tests at the first attempt.
Neil came to us having completed his CBT with another local school, choosing to take our 2.5-day “Experienced Rider” course as he rides his Derby 125cc bike regularly, has a full car licence and was confident handling a larger bike having previously ridden one on private land. One of his main reasons for choosing us to help him get his full licence is our excellent record of first-time passes – and now he’s joined that group having passed both tests at the first attempt.
On Monday he passed his module-1 test with a clean sheet (zero faults), demonstrating excellent machine control throughout. This morning he had to deal with drizzle and Stockport traffic but rode well enough to secure another first time pass and gain his full bike licence.
Congratulations, Neil!
“Back brake? … never use it!”
“Back brake? Never use it…”
That’s a comment I heard recently when taking an experienced rider out for an Enhanced Rider Scheme assessment, and it got me thinking. So many riders learnt to ride before the introduction of the current 2-part practical test with the separate module-1 and its focus on slow-speed riding control, that many have never been taught how to use the back brake effectively.
As someone who spends most of his time watching other riders, I can’t help but notice the number of riders who, when trying to ride slowly, dangle both legs, almost dragging their feet on the floor. Invariably they wobble about and then when they do come to a stop almost lose their balance as they over-use the front brake and suffer “fork bounce”.
So perhaps it’s time to look at that mysterious lever under where we rest our right foot in more detail and explore what it is for.
But before we do, let’s get one thing really clear. The front brake is the one we need to use when trying to shed a lot of speed quickly. The energy from forward motion, combined with deceleration as the bike slows down about the tyre contact patches, will compress the front forks pushing the front tyre into the ground and increasing its grip. That means we can use the more powerful front brakes to slow the bike down – by squeezing the front brake lever harder as they front tyre is pushed into the road. Using the back brake under these circumstances is likely to result in a rear-wheel lock-up and consequential skid, as the rear suspension is unloaded and the rear becomes lighter (so has less grip).
But here we are not talking about going quickly, we are discussing riding slowly – down towards a walking pace. Under these circumstances the front brake is too powerful and the compression of the forks and subsequent “bounce back” will only unsettle the bike and cause us to lose balance. It’s here the back brake becomes really useful.
Most riders know that to ride slowly they keep the throttle open slightly whilst slipping or feathering the clutch to reduce the drive to the back wheel – using the clutch as a “dimmer switch” if you like. But this only reduces drive, it doesn’t slow the bike down, and furthermore, it relies on the rider’s balance to keep the bike upright as the speed drops and the gyroscopic effect of the rotating wheels reduces. This is why many dangle their feet as they are worried about dropping the bike.
By gently dragging the back brake, though, the bike can be slowed against the forward drive – holding it back – and this will increase the bike’s stability significantly. It will, in effect, “stand up” and become less likely to wobble or fall over. This in turn will increase the rider’s confidence as he/she is no longer trying to balance the bike – it’s balancing itself!
Using the back brake in this way – to slow the bike down when riding slowly – increases the bike’s stability and that in turn enables the rider to turn the bike in a smaller space. A gentle application of the back brake during a U-turn, or when negotiating a tight turn such as a mini-roundabout or hairpin bend, will help the bike turn.
So don’t neglect that back brake lever – at slow speeds, the back brake is your best friend as applying it correctly can get you out of difficulty.
To try this for yourself, find a quiet road or car park and practice riding slowly in a straight line using just the clutch and then when using the back brake as well. Aim for about 3-4mph and see which method works best.
Soon you’ll be singing the praises of the back brake.
And no longer dangling your feet and looking like you don’t have control over your bike…