Further/Advanced Rider Training
Rider training is something that most people think about when they are wanting to first take up motorcycling and obtain their motorcycle licence. Beyond that, relatively few riders undertake further or advanced rider training.
Riders may spend considerable sums of money on bolt-on performance parts for their bikes, but very few opt to spend money on improving their skills through further / advanced training.
Advanced rider training is something every rider should consider and it is positively encouraged by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. Indeed, all our FireBike riders are qualified to a minimum of RoSPA Gold Advanced Motorcyclist Standard, which is recognised as the highest riding award available to the public.
Even at such a high standard however our FireBike riders are constantly learning on the roads, and undertake annual riding assessments themselves to keep their skills at the highest level.
Whenever we ride our bikes, we give little consideration to the fact that it may be the single most dangerous thing we do on that particular day.
Undertaking an advanced riding course will help you be a better rider. It will improve the skill and safety of your riding so that you can make the best use of road and traffic conditions. Advanced training will help you ride defensively and avoid preventable accidents. As a result, you will be better able to anticipate dangers, control situations and reduce your risk exposure.
It will help you further improve your skills by increasing the awareness of the range of factors that affect your riding – your own capabilities, the characteristics of your machine, and the road and traffic conditions.
In short, it will help you be a better rider, no matter what kind of bike you ride and regardless of how long you've been riding.
As a consequence, you will get far more out of your riding experience and, above all, be safer on the road. There is also a financial benefit as many insurance companies will offer discounts for motorcyclists with advanced rider qualifications.
We would ask you to consider the benefits of undertaking some advanced rider training. In doing so, ask yourself the following:
When riding, do you ever find yourself:
- Having to brake sharply?
- Misjudging bends/corners?
- Riding too close to the vehicle ahead?
- Having near misses?
- Feeling anxious, tense or intimidated?
- Regretting what you’ve just done?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, maybe you could benefit from advanced training.
It is not just for people who travel particularly high mileages or who ride large, powerful sports bikes. It is also relevant to people buying their first big bike or those returning to riding after a prolonged gap. It will be of considerable benefit to any rider who is motivated to improve their riding and safety on the road.
Advanced rider training can take many forms, from single day ride assessments by advanced instructors to formal courses of study and instruction leading to a formally recognised advanced riding qualification.
Details of the rider training courses available through the FireBike team and the Safer Essex Roads Partnership are set out below and in the pages which follow.
In addition, further information on advanced rider training can be found at the following links:
RoSPA Advanced Riders www.roada.org.uk
Essex RoSPA Advanced Motorcyclists www.rospariders.co.uk
Chelmsford & District Advanced Motorcyclists www.cadam.org
Institute of Advanced Motorists www.iam.org
Essex Hugger Challenge
The ‘Essex Hugger Challenge’ is a Safer Essex Roads Partnership initiative designed to encourage motorcyclists to undertake additional training and to improve their on road riding skills and also their machine control skills.
The Essex Hugger Challenge encourages riders to undertake:
- A FireBike Better Biking Course or an Essex Police Bikesafe Workshop, on the successful completion of which riders are entitled to attend:
- A FireBike Advanced Machine Skills Course
- A full day’s rider training with one of our commercial advanced riding instructor partners
Details on these courses are set out on the pages which follow.