Community Policing - Ilse of Man TT Style

Some people enjoy their work, but this police officer on the Ilse of Man really enjoys his work - and provides entertainment for the crowd too!

Seen during TT week 2011.




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Training Downloads

A couple of free training downloads, written by US MSF rider coach Becky Tillman of the Riders Edge Harley Davidson Academy of Motorcycling.

Slow riding and turning at slow speed
http://www.provincewidehog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Chapter-Slow-Riding-HD-Info.pdf

Understanding traction ('grip') and the traction 'pie'
http://www.windwardhog.net/Safety/GRABBING_A_PIECE_OF_TRACTION_PIE.pdf



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Hi-Viz - The Meaning is Clear

Ultimate hi-viz, perhaps?

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The Stig - Allenminium?

A visit today, to a show at Highclere Castle, which included ride in the 'Stig' simulator, featuring two laps of the 'Top Gear' test track (in a Veyron and a Caterham open-top single-seater). But I was intrigued by the advertising blurb displayed on the side of the truck . . .

To be honest, I don't know - and can't decide - whether this is a 'translation error' in best 'Chinese Whispers' fashion, whether the blurb was written by someone with limited (or no) engineering knowledge, or whether it's a simple mistake where someone knew what they meant but just didn't know exactly what the tool is called.


Background reading:

Allen Key

Alum

BBC Top Gear Test Track

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Cornering - Smug :)

Having a few minutes to spare, I took a rare opportunity and wandered into the local WH Smith to browse the motorcycle magazines.  MCS&L . . . interesting, but not that interesting . . . Ah!  RiDE, a 'better riding' article.  Who's it by?  members of the Lincs. casualty reduction team, or similar organisation.

Content?  Hmmmm . . . some's based around the three-step cornering system of 'Look-Lean-Roll'.

This particular system is taught by the Thames Vale Advanced Motorcyclists group (IAM affiliated) during a one (or half?) day course.

It's been developed from principles used by the US Motorcycle Safety Foundation, and taught on their courses.  In the early to mid 1990s the US Air Force had several bases in the UK, and one USAF Master Sgt, Garth Leonard, managed to get about 80 UK civilians through the MSF's 'advanced' course, the Experienced RiderCourse.  That number included 25 members of TVAM.

When the USAF mostly moved out of the UK at the end of the Cold War, and access to the course was no longer available, TVAM picked up the gauntlet and developed their own machine control course concentrating on just the 'cornering control' aspect.

So, why the 'smug' title to this post?

Well, I initiated the link-up with the USAF, initially in 1992 attended both 'leaner' and 'advanced' courses as a trainee, then in 1994 qualified as an MSF instructor, bringing along TVAM members to come of the courses I taught.  It's interesting to see how far the 'system' has moved on - especially since the current RiDE article doesn't use the system as originally intended.

In a strange way this also goes through, if not a loop then a twist, in that several years ago RiDE organised a set of post-test instructors to put some RiDE readers through training.

Here's one of the trainees, putting the MSF system into practice during the RiDE training session with, particularly here the 'Look through the corner' head turn is very obvious:

And here's the group during the theory session, including instructors from other training organisations:

Far left is journalist Damon I'Anson.

Read more on Slow, Look/Lean/Roll - and how it can be improved and simplified as a cornering system, here:
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/p/cornering.html


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Cornering - Going Viral?

Ever wondered why some Youtube videos go 'viral' but others don't?

Well, at the time of posting (Sat. 11th June) this one has gathered 55,800 views since it was posted on Youtube on the 7th June!




Rather him than me!  Although it did amuse that, when you watch it on Youtube, there's a 'show more' option . . . :)


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Helibikes new web site

Latest news from Alf Gasparro of the Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance:
Further to my previous correspondence, I am writing to update you on the Heli
Bikes Initiative.

After launching the Helibikes Facebook Page & Group Page, which has proven to be a good vehicle to disseminate information relating to motorcycling safety.

I have now launched a website to achieve the same objectives;www.helibikes.co.uk and I consider training to be a key component in
improving safety.

I have established a contacts page for training operations on the facebook
pages and I will be creating an area on the website shortly.


The site includes several first aid videos:
http://www.helibikes.co.uk/videos.html

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