Observed Ride - Learning Points | Advanced Motorcycle Riding Hints & Tips

A collection of clips highlighting learning points and good examples from a recent observed ride. These are mainly from when in town and on dual carriageways as these areas are not as prolific as videos depicting B roads. Thanks again to the rider who gave his permission for me to do this, having found my other videos useful while preparing for his advanced motorcycle test.
#IPSGA #ridingtips #motorcycle #test #advancedriding #iamroadsmart

[@chriswool7738]

big thank you to the rider for allowing this to be shown, well done on the editing kept it to the learning points and nicely done bits, thank you

[@mikeroberts]

Thanks. A lot of editing, but helps concentrate the points so people don't have to search for them.

[@raycollington4310]

Love this initiative and what a great development tool for the associate. I'm surprised the IAM don't promote this. I guess there's a jobs worth view of using a camera. We all have dash-cams in our cars. If I was offered this training aid, I would jump at the chance. Only caveat is that it might show far too much work is needed. Thanks Mike.

[@mikeroberts]

Several of my group's observers do use cameras from time to time. I do this in the later stages of the Associate's course. I also do it for all x-checks that I conduct of other Observers' Associates. It's a lot of extra work on top of report writing, so I save it for the final tuning of their rides or if there is a glaring fault they are just not 'getting'.

[@aeror115]

Cheers and enjoy the bike life with your triumph

[@mikeroberts]

Thx.

[@RevvedUpBiker]

That's very calm for an instructor. When I was doing my lessons I used to get swore at when I messed up, he was an ex-soldier. 🤣 I did the Safe Rider course at Martlesham a few years ago now, always thought of doing some more advanced riding but never had the time to do it. Always good to keep your skills tip-top. 👍

[@mikeroberts]

Ha ha. Not on this ride, but you can't hear in my head. 😂 If you want to do some more advanced riding look up 'Suffolk Advanced Motorcyclists' (SAM) we'd be happy to see you.

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

Observations... Generally a good, safe ride. Three main things to work on.. 1/stopping too close to vehicles.. 2/work on slow speed stability/braking, maybe also relax grip on bars too.. 3/ in town, equalise danger with oncoming vehicles a little more instead of being in p3. Also, made me laugh, his left turn onto the D/C position, was just about to start commenting then you undertook him 😂 I like how similar we are on these things. Yes, I watched it all! 😉 Edit.. Forgot to say, sometimes on smaller roundabouts, if forward planning obs were on the ball and you know what's around there's not always need to be doing lifesavers for the sake of it.

[@mikeroberts]

Yes, no need to do them robotically. The toning down P3 in town ... my camera being on the left of the bike can makes it look worse due to the viewing angle. It's not something I'd noticed him doing viewing directly. "Yes, I watched it all!" 🤣

[@RoadcraftNottingham]

@@mikeroberts cam angle explanation would make sense actually, yes. You should feel honoured I gave my precious time up, 😂 Actually, someone at the coffee shop recognised my voice today and asked if I was "Roadcraft on KZbin" and shook my hand lol. Famous at last. ☺

[@chrisowens3781]

Belting vid mike thank you

[@mikeroberts]

Glad you liked it.

[@LANKY123]

Thanks for the video, some great learning for people like me, thinking of doing IAM, can I ask for my own understanding, at 6:50 when turning left and before setting off should shoulder checks (left and right) have been done (I know they checked right once moving into the carriageway). It was always drilled into us to do this every time on cbt etc. Kudos to the rider for permission as well.

[@mikeroberts]

Thanks for the question. Yes you need to know what is going on around you. This doesn't always require a full shoulder check (but you should do what your instructor is telling you if still on L plates ... I think you mentioned you were in another comment). If you watch the rider is watching his mirrors while stationary and does a final check to the danger side (for cycles) before pulling away, followed by a check to the right to ensure no vehicle is coming through the red.

[@martinwilkinson2344]

I like the complete lack of ego & pomposity shown during the ride.

[@mikeroberts]

Thanks Martin. I try to keep all calm and relaxed, offering advice and things to think about.

[@Grahamvfr]

Nice one Mike, at 20.30, what was the discussion afterwards, what was his reason for that position, I couldn't work out if its something that is advocated but you were showing caveats, or it was just incorrect. Its not something I would normally do.

[@mikeroberts]

The discussion was around why he'd positioned so wide and waited so long to join. I think he was trying to do, as many do there, and join straight into lane 2. By positioning so wide, it leaves the door open for pushy drivers/riders to do what I did (to highlight the point). A more central dominant position in the lane would prevent that, just as it does in town being closer, but not right up to, the kerb when turning left.

[@Grahamvfr]

@@mikeroberts Cheers Mike, it also highlights IMO, Rd planners again, leaving junctions/ roads, wide enough to suggest to the lay person that there are 2 positions (large vehicles accepted) when clearly there often isn't.

[@neilanderson2374]

Great video. I’m just starting my motorcycle journey at the young age of 50. Currently doing DAS, but plan on going straight into and advanced course. I was considering buying a 500cc as my first bike, would this be ok for an advanced course?

[@mikeroberts]

The only requirement is the bike can maintain the National Speed Limit of 70. I've successfully worked with an Associate on a 300cc scooter.

[@anthonyhalifax1027]

Is it necessary to ride upto the speed limit on dual carriageways or other roads? Is it necessary to always be making progress?

[@mikeroberts]

Always a great discussion point! I'll use the usual catch all of "It depends". Well, what does it depend on? Firstly the purpose of the journey. Out for a leisurely ride, then no need to reach the posted limit BUT be aware that being significantly below can put you at risk from high speed vehicles arriving from behind. Out for an Advanced Test to demonstrate your abilities, then you'd be expected to reach the posted limit IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO, just as you are on a regular ministry DSA test. Hope that helps. The important thing is that people have the ability AND understand the pros and cons of all aspects of riding.

[@tenbear5]

Left foot down and duck feet is a concern.

[@mikeroberts]

The duck feet are only a problem if you don't move them when leaning significantly. As for left foot down, what's the issue? Either foot down is ok as long as it is controlled and safe.

[@steve00alt70]

Leans alot on roundabouts, what if someone pulls out while he is at a 45 degree angle and does emergency stop bike will fall over.

[@mikeroberts]

You have to lean to go round a roundabout or bend. I don't see him doing anything excessive. Even if you need to brake/stop you can bring the bike upright as you do. No need to fall over.

[@rcraven1013]

At 11/13 we move from a 50 mph speed limit to a National one of either 60 or 70 mph for the roundabout a head. It seems odd to me that we have basically a faster piece of road around a roundabout which in itself is dangerous enough but legal to be doing 60 or 70 mph around. Surely one should slow down for a roundabout and not speed up. I know that the other roads were National also which could be a 60 or 70 mph road but it seems absurd to me that National Highways do it that way and don't require any loss of speed from that other main road at all.

[@mikeroberts]

The signage is correct and what I would expect. We are leaving a B road that has a 50mph limit to join a RAB, one of several, on a dual carriageway. As we are leaving a non-NSL limited road the sign is required. It has only recently been put there since the B road was reduced from NSL to 50 mph.

[@rcraven1013]

@@mikeroberts Doesn't make it any safer but more dangerous to have a greater speed on a roundabout than the main road one was on. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5zZk5Wlqsqdp5I

[@brianthomas9098]

I think that rider needs som high viz on especially with that black box on

[@mikeroberts]

So as the topbox blocks us from seeing the rider (other than his helmet), how is him wearing a hi-viz going to make any difference to someone following him?

[@pinkyn0se]

20:45 I'm a new rider, but surely this is not good positioning?

[@pinkyn0se]

Ah, you pointed this out as you undertook him😅

[@mikeroberts]

@@pinkyn0se Yes, that wide position made him vulnerable to undertakers and like many he was looking to join direct to lane 2.

[@rcraven1013]

At 17.40 you mention the safe following distance which is the same as the safe stopping distance and say that if you fall into that distance you wont get any overtakes in. This is a concern of mine because whilst the stopping distance or being over the stopping distance is the only safe position to ride in. it begs the question as to how safe is following less than that distance. All riders and drivers are taught to move closer to the vehicle to be overtaken. This is apparently in order that one is on the wrong side of the road during the overtake for less time and that makes it therefore safer. However its just, if not more dangerous for a motorcyclist or car driver to follow too closely to the vehicle in front and for a much longer period of time. That's Tailgating. . In training the suggested or recommended distance is to be only one second behind and some training authorities suggests being the Thinking Distance only. That at 2/3rds of a second would mean that at 50 mph one should find oneself being only 50 ft behind the vehicle to be overtaken and at one second to be only 75ft behind whilst it would take us some 175 ft to emergency brake should we need to. Surely it doesn't take a genius to note that we are training all wrong. Particularly training overtakes on bends where its understood that a motorcyclist can easily accelerate and overtake a car that it is following too closely round a bend. First that it disregards the rule of being able to stop in the distance seen to be clear and on ones own side of the road. If the bend is such that we can see say 140 ft ahead but the car we want to overtake is now only 40 ft ahead and we are doing say 40 mph then we are doing several things wrong in the first place. By being only 40 f behind that vehicle if it emergency stops or becomes involved in an accident we have no room at all to stop in. As we cant stop in time we may swerve to the offside and that means we could collide with any oncoming vehicle. Also as we are on a bend and doing 40 mph and being leant over by say 40 deg.we are using about 40% of our full braking capacity. So as we can only use what we have left and that its only 60% then we would easily brake past that safe seeing distance of 140 ft in the first place.

[@mikeroberts]

We've discussed the 'overtaking position' before on other videos, but this is not what I was talking about this time. The rider's 'fault' is that he has very good forward observation but when seeing a vehicle a long way ahead his immediate plan is to follow it. So he adjusts his speed and takes ages to reach the following position. If there had been any chance of a momentum overtake, he has immediately killed it. To overtake, you need to first catch up with the vehicle to be overtaken. A subtle fault' but there all the same.

[@rcraven1013]

@@mikeroberts Unbelievable??????? If that's what it takes to be an Advanced rider then I can understand why a lot of riders wont want to.,