Plod assessment ride

Decided to go along today to see what they said. After all, any advice
is welcome. I was a bit concerned because my cans aren't stamped as
road legal <cough> and I was wearing my dark visor, but he said that
as most of them were bikers themselves, if I wasn't doing anything
dangerous or silly, I probably wouldn't get pulled for those at all!

Rather nice looking copper took me and a bloke out in a video car
first, looking at hazards on the roads. Very useful.

Then I was followed by a VERY nice policeman on his bike <sigh> who
couldn't fault my positions or observations. The only thing he
commented on was that I indicated to overtake cars and then indicated
to move back in again. He said that these were unneccessary signals as
drivers rarely saw bikers until they were level with their windows and
moving back in was going to happen anyway. I saw his point.

All in all, a very useful and helpful day...with men in uniforms
thrown in as well....can't be bad ;o)

 

I'd thought I might do one of these some time, but I can't say the
thought of 'very nice policemen' sway me any.

who

Interesting. I usually indicate for a couple of blinks before
overtaking, on the off-chance they are watching, but never when pulling
back in, except when I think of it on motorways and dual carriageways.

I think cars do see bikes, as evidenced by the numbers who pull in to
let you past, and the numbers who pull out to make it awkward..

--
John

SV650
Black it is
and naked

 

Plod's advice was not to bother. Said a couple of blinks might be
confusing. He certainly didn't indicate to overtake when I was
following him. I think I'll still indicate to pull out, but will use
judgement when pulling back in. I know what he meant, cos overtakes
happen faster on bikes than cars...blink and we've done it sort of
thing, but I do think that judgement is needed for like you say, John,
motorways and stuff.

Yes, know what you mean! ;o)

 

Charders wrote:

heh he couldn't fault your positions.

I normally don't, 'cept if i think there's a chance of a faster bike
behind me wanting to overtake.

What about indicating to leave a mini-roundabout? This is another one
which doesn't make any sense to me.

 

Was this a Bikesafe day or something else? Any details?

Paul

 

Depends how many times you've been around it.

Paul

 

Yes, a Bikesafe day run by our local plod. Humberside. I think there's
a website.....www.bikesafe.co.uk or something..maybe SWK can help
here?
Or you could try ringing your local plod station and asking.
Humberside have about 4 a year, so the VERY nice policeman said <sigh>

Apparently, they're not interested if the bikes got illegal cans etc,
just in making biking and bikers safer and more aware! That's what the
man told me. He was in uniform, so who was I to argue.....it was all I
could do to stop drooling ;o)

 

I've had one or two assessment rides but didn't stick around to hear
what they had to say.

 

I've got a 3 day curse with the plods later this month. I have heard
nothing but praise from other bikers as to how useful they are. I'm
looking forward to picking up a few hints.

 

I did this course. It was a good larf with decent people.

Didn't learn a whole lot but I did learn.

However, Bear, you'll be plesed to know there's a lot of pressure from
people like yourself (but with power) who want the bike safe rozzers
on the street issuing speeding tickets instead of educating.

Personally I'd rather have plod educating than sitting on motorway
bridges with the radar gun.

If a few people become safer/faster then that's a bonus.

 

Interesting review of Bikesafe Scotland here:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/cru/resfinds/eobs-01.asp

Couple of extracts:

"6. The vast majority of Bikesafe Scotland participants are male and 67%
fall into the 35-44 and 45-54 year-old age groups. Twenty-nine per cent
of respondents to the pre-course survey were aged 35 or older when they
obtained a full motorcycle licence"

"11. In relation to riding speed, however, while the proportion of
respondents saying they would normally ride below the speed limit in
roads in built-up areas increased after participation in Bikesafe, the
proportion saying they would ride at 10 or more miles above the speed
limit on faster roads in non-built up areas also increased. The proportion
of post-course participants who say they often exceed the speed limit on
motorways and on country roads is higher than the proportion of pre-course
participants, while a higher proportion of post-course participants say
they .never or hardly ever. exceed the speed limit in town. Although the
proportion of respondents indicating increased speed post-Bikesafe is
relatively small . for example, the proportion of respondents indicating
..normal. speeds above the speed limit on two faster roads increased
by 13% post-Bikesafe . Ggiven that the proportion of serious and fatal
motorcycle accidents is much higher in non-built up areas, the findings
relating to participants. speeds on these roads are cause for concern"

Paul

 

What a load of crap.

"They go faster in built rural areas after training but more accidents occur
in rural areas"

There isn't a connection, unless post-training people have been crashing,
which doesn't appear to be the case.

 

I received a call yesterday to inform me the local Bikekraft have
received a cancellation for this weekend so would I like to go along?
Paperwork confirming the booking arrived today. If it goes well, I'll
report back. If I get slated by the assessor, I'll keep quiet! ;0)

 

I was talking to my brother on the phone today - he recently went on a
plod assessment course. After the ride, he got this:

Plod "How long ago did you get your licence?"
Bruv "Err... 25 or 30 years ago. Why?"
Plod "If you did your test today, you'd fail."
Bruv "Why?"
Plod "You didn't use the back brake when you were stopping - your right
foot was off the peg before you stopped."
Bruv "I probably did use the back brake. This is a BMW R1150R with
computer-controlled servo-assisted linked ABS braking - I use the lever
on the bars or the pedal, and the bike makes up its own mind which
brakes it's going to use."
Plod "You should use the back brake - using the front brakes on their
own makes the bike dive and unsettles it."
Bruv "Come round the front of the bike here and look at the BMW
Telelever anti-dive suspension. Dive doesn't happen, no matter how hard
I brake."
Plod "You shouldn't get into bad habits blah blah blah..."

--
Platypus
VN800 Drifter, R80RT
DIAABTCOD#2 GPOTHUF#19
BOTAFOS#6 BOTAFOT#89
BOB#1 SBS#35 ANORAK#18 TWA#15

 

SNIP. Oh, sorry, a bit much there.


I was learning to fly last year and, again, the same thing. Why bother
with all the navigation stuff when the GPS says it all? Because one
day you could be without it.

HOWEVER, you weren't on a first test. And the answer you gave about
computer controlled brake thingy invalidated his next question about
fork diving. So what WAS his problem?

Fork diving has become very popular in New Zealand.

 

I read that as 'nodded loudly' which works quite well.

 

What do I do if he is wearing "shite kit" despite my intervention? ;0)

 

Like your brother, I tend to use the front brake on the RT for
"normal" braking. I use the back brake (*gently*) for low speed turns
and filtering and the front and back brake together for when I want
that "hitting a brick wall" sensation, without hitting a brick wall.
;0)

 

I use the back brake on my RT if I feel like doing something while I'm
waiting for the bike to stop...

--
Platypus
VN800 Drifter, R80RT
DIAABTCOD#2 GPOTHUF#19
BOTAFOS#6 BOTAFOT#89
BOB#1 SBS#35 ANORAK#18 TWA#15

 

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