may_2012

SAM SOLENT ADVANCED MOTORCYCLISTS MAY 2012

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sam SOLENT ADVANCED MOTORCYCLISTS

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MAKING May 2012

The IAM Aims

To Improve the Standard of Driving and Riding The Advancement of Road Safety The Administration of an Advanced Test

INSIDE

Registered Charity 1097558 Celebrating success, page8.

Do not become another

statistic, Page 7.

P5 Touring with your bike essential check list.

P6 Slow Riding Course.

P9 Any reason is a good reason to take up bik-ing.



Over and out Since I last sat down to write, we seem to have had winter, spring, summer and back to spring again – and all since late February. Lots of bikes have been ‘resting’ in garages across the region over winter and the sudden appearance of good weather was accompanied by the usual increase in reports of biking acci-dents (none within SAM I am glad to re-port) as unprepared riders jumped onto unprepared bikes and took to Hampshire’s unsuspecting roads. We know that bikers fall victim to more than 20% of all road fatalities, despite accounting for just 1% of road users. But the combination of ‘rusty riders’ and blissfully unaware drivers accounts for almost 14 of those 20 percentage points. So I was delighted to see that Bennetts, the bike insur-ance broker, has started an online petition to make bike-related questions compulsory on the new driver theory test. They point out that: "With questions currently se-lected at random, there is no guarantee that a question relating to motorcyclists will arise in the current driving test format, so our petition is set to challenge that. With the casualty rate of motorcyclists currently a staggering 61 times greater than that of motorists, something must be done to increase awareness of bikers on our roads.” So I urge you to visit https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/26272 and sign the petition. By the way, has anyone seen the Road safety GB ad-

vert? The campaign aims to educate all road users about the need for mutual respect and awareness. This consists of a huge image of a motorcyclist printed on the back of buses with the caption: ‘See me now? Take longer to look for bikes’. Hampshire’s road safety manager, said: “We want car and truck drivers to re-member they are sharing the roads with motor-cycles which are obviously smaller, often faster and not always easy to spot in one quick glance, so you have to learn to look twice.” This campaign had a big Press launch, but sad-

ly I for one haven’t seen a single one of these bus ad-verts. This is a great pity because awareness is very much the key message in keeping the road space safe for all users. This will be my last Chairman’s chat article as I will be stepping down at the AGM on 8th May. I am very sad to say that this decision has been rather forced on me by changes in my work circumstances, and I won’t be locat-ed in Hampshire for quite a while. But I am very happy to step down with a very strong Committee in place (with whom it has been my pleasure to work over the last two years), and undoubtedly the best bunch of Ob-servers in the IAM, who provide advanced training for associates, and on-going training for members. We also have a healthy social calendar full of rides, activities and outings. So the Group is looking very strong. I wish it, and you, all the very best. Stay safe, and I look forward to riding with you again

soon.

Chairman’s chat, May 2012



As we approach the AGM, I've been

thinking of how best to sum up all

that's been good about observing in

SAM in the last year and the theme

that comes to mind is one of team-

building. It is the strength and

depth of the present Observer team

that has enabled us to achieve the results we've had,

but that's not just what I mean by "team".

Firstly, those results:

Since the last AGM we have had:

• 46 Associates pass their IAM Advanced Motorcycle

Test, up from 31 in the previous year;

• 8 candidates have passed the SAM Advanced Plus

Test, up 2 on last year.

• 3 Observers passed their Senior Observer tests

with Jon Taylor; and another Senior has joined us

from TVAM.

• 10 Members became Group Qualified Observers

Secondly, besides the excellent results, the aggre-

gate effects on SAM of building a stronger Observ-

er team:

• We now have 4 Observer Cells, led by experi-

enced Senior Observers, with at least 1 current-

or ex-police advanced rider in each of them.

• Support within the cells for all Observers, howev-

er long they have been doing it, is strong and

readily available.

• SAM now has a dedicated Training Officer to

deliver Theory Sessions and administer the

Slow Riding Training.

• Feedback on all Associates' training experience is

collected and collated (either at the point of their

Check Test or when they ask for a pause in their

training) by the Associate Coordinator. This

enables us to deal promptly with any issues

(thankfully, there are few) that may arise.

Thirdly, we are able to contribute to the wider

community road safety team:

• SAM is being joined by motorcyclists of increas-

ingly varying ages and types of riding style, and

from a widening geographical area, which means

news about our friendliness and quality of training

travels!

• We now have use of the Hants Fire & Rescue

Road Safety section base at Winchester for

group training purposes.

• Observers are ready for the likely increase in the

provision of assessed rides and recruitment that

should result from deployment of the new MDU,

particularly at Ower for the first time.

• Members of the Observer team have attended

IAM training events for Observers and Senior Ob-

servers, in participatory and mentoring roles, con-

tributing to the overall IAM team.

Finally, recognition of what it takes to be part of

this team:

I had an enquiry from a Member recently about becom-

ing an Observer. He was a bit surprised with the stand-

ard reply I sent out emphasising the degree of commit-

ment Observers have volunteered for. He thought I was

trying to put him off. No, I wasn’t, but I never want an-

yone to be under any illusion about what being an Ob-

server takes – TIME and EFFORT. We can’t escape that

reality because the IAM wants membership to grow and

we want to improve on present retention rates

(although SAM’s are much better than the national aver-

age).

Getting people ready to pass the IAM test is our prime

purpose and everything else is a bonus. Our achieve-

ments have been possible because we have the full sup-

port of the SAM Committee. Together, we are a unified

and united team SAM, and long may it remain that

way!

Chief Observer’s Report – May 2012

Words of Wisdom, courtesy of Rapid Training (via www.motorcyclenews.com)

• When in doubt, open the throttle. It will either solve the problem or remove the suspense.

• Motorcycle Racing makes heroin addiction seem like a vague wish for something a little salty.

• Experience is a hard teacher, because the test is first, and the lesson afterwards.

• Cars lie to us. They tell us we are safe, powerful and in control. Motorcycles tell us the truth - that we are small, vulnerable and probably going too fast for our own good.

• Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three rights do make a left.

• If a hammer doesn’t fix it, it’s an electrical problem.

• Carburettor is Italian for ‘Just leave the f**ing thing alone’.



William Anderson

Alan Ashton

Steven Paul Beaumont

Matthew Beresford

Mark Britton

Matt Broad

Andrew Browning

Simon Cambridge

Alan Clark

Darren Clark

William Cooper

Jamie Davies

Leon Driver

Mike Duncan

Mike Feltwell

Steven Fry

Steven Hill

Andy Hocking

Craig Lamble

Alistair MacCallum

Graham MacClean

Tony Markham

Steven Morton

Matthew Munday

Mark Palmer

Alan Rawlinson

Trevor Smith

Nigel Sullivan-Tailyour

Michael Trickey

Darren Way

Colin Wheeler

SAM WelcomesSAM WelcomesSAM WelcomesSAM Welcomes

New MembersNew MembersNew MembersNew Members

Some of you may think that this edition of the SAM newsletter is late as you were expecting to receive it in April. You are right, and I apologise for that, but we moved it back a month to make it available at the AGM. Following on from the AGM all editions will move back a month to bring future issues out in August, November, February and May. This year I plan to take the motorcycling trip to Italy that I have been dreaming of for many a year. Being an Italian bike fan, it gives me the chance to visit the birth place of my favourite marques in Mandello Del Lario and Bologna (that’s Moto Guzzi and Ducati if you didn’t know). In addition my accomplice, Julian, and I intend to take in some of the twisty mountain roads on the way. As you can imagine, a great deal of preparation has been put into that the trip, including, on my part, learning enough Italian to get by comfortably. But be-fore the Italian trip there is the gathering in Northern Spain (MC Piston Cantabrian rally) to attend to, which is always fun, as it is so well organised and provides the opportunity to really test your skills. I had planned to go to Italy on my old Moto Guzzi and to Spain on my 750 Ducati, but decided to swap. The Guzzi would prob-ably be a little more comfortable on the long trip to Ita-ly, but Julian is taking his Le Mans, and it will be a struggle to keep up (it’s only a 500 after all). I say old Guzzi, because I have had it for 24 years now, a very long time. For much of that time the old bike lan-guished in the back of sheds and garages slowly gath-ering dust, rust and other forms of corrosion, until I got the motivation and facilities to do it up to look the part. Now that it looks good I am a little apprehensive about throwing it around the twisties in Cantabria and Asturi-as in case I spoil its good looks by taking a tumble. But motorbikes are functional things, not pieces of art and are best when used, so used this one is going to be,

and hopefully there will be some good stories coming out of the two trips to share with you in future editions. As part of my preparation for

touring Europe I have put together a ‘Touring Essen-tials’ check list for any of you also considering taking your bikes abroad. By the way, if you are bored reading what I have to offer, then write something yourself and send it in, you never know it may get published. Looking back, I have had a long, off/on, motorcycling

career. It started when I was 17 as a necessity because

public transport was non-existent where we lived, I

could not afford a car and the bicycle just took too long

to get anywhere. In those days it was very much a

male dominated pastime, and women and girls were on

the whole relegated to the pillion seat. In fact, I can

only ever remember one female rider of a proper mo-

torcycle in my home town of Bury St Edmunds. But the

situation is changing, and female riders of motorcycles

and scooters are now the fastest growing sector on two

wheels. Although still a minority, they account for 20%

of licensed motorcyclists, according to a study by the

University of Huddersfield’s Motorcycle Consumer Re-

search unit. The motivation for taking it up is varied

and mainly put down to factors of economy and the

ease of commuting when compared to car ownership.

Since we recently had two of our female contingent

pass their IAM Advanced test I thought I would take the

opportunity and find out from them what motivated

them to ride a bike, so read Lesley’s piece in this edi-

tion. This also gives us the opportunity to celebrate the

success of our club’s ability to promote skilled riding: 3

cheers for SAM!

ed sed ed sed ed sed ed sed

Dates for your Diary: SAM has been asked to provide motorcycle marshals for the ‘Basingstoke Big Wheel’ (22nd July) and the ‘Round the Harbours’ (10th June) charity cycle rides, with-out marshals these events cannot take place. This is an excellent opportunity to promote the club and have some fun. To volunteer and for further information contact David by email at [email protected]



Taking your bike abroad can be either a fantastic experi-ence - one that you cannot wait to repeat - or an abso-lute nightmare which leaves you scarred for life. The dif-ference is normally a matter of preparation. This article will prove invaluable for the seasoned, as well as the novice, when biking abroad. Travel abroad checklist

Before you go create a checklist of the items you should take, which will be:

• Passport (it may seem obvious, but it needs to be

on there).

• Driving license, both parts (the original documents, photocopies will not do).

• Motor insurance certificate (again not a photocopy).

• MOT (if your bike is older than 3 years).

• V5 – certificate of ownership (again not a photocopy).

• Do not under-estimate the need for travel insurance, make sure that it will cover you for the pur-pose you intend, also make sure that it will cover you for repatria-tion should you be hospitalised.

• Credit card (not just for emergencies).

• Map of the countries you are visiting (even if you are taking a GPS).

• Mobile phone.

• E111, unless you enjoy paying high hospital bills.

Tell your credit card company and bank that you are travelling abroad and which countries you are visiting, the last thing you want is to be unable to pay that hotel bill or get cash. Check with your motorcycle insurance company regard-ing the level of service that they will give you should you have an accident, especially if they will bring your bike back and or supply you with a rental so that you can con-tinue with your holiday. If you are travelling alone, make sure that someone has your expected itinerary and how to contact you should you not arrive. Take some time to learn a few key phrases in the lan-guages of the countries you are visiting, or make sure you take a phrase book, phrases such as ‘do you speak English’ and ‘how far is the nearest petrol station’ will be worth their weight in gold should you need them. Just as important is being able to interpret the answers. For your bike it is compulsory in some countries to:

• Take a full set of spare bulbs.

• Carry a ‘Hi Vis’ bib and warning triangle. • Ride with your head light on (make sure your bat-

tery and generator are up to it).

• Blank out an area of the headlight as to not dazzle those coming the other way.

In addition; have your bike serviced before you go and make sure your cables, chain, tyres and sprockets will make the distance you intend. Take some tools, but only those that you are comfortable using. Most garages can replace an inner tube if you have one (so take a spare if you use them) or fix a puncture in the tyre. Spare fuses, spark plugs, short lengths of electrical wire, a roll of insu-lation tape, a small assortment of nuts and bolts, these

are the sort of things that will allow you to fix your bike at the roadside and get on with your journey. Stating the obvious

Remember if you have not driven abroad that they drive on the other side of the road (the right side) in most countries, make sure to go around roundabouts the other way (anti-clockwise, so when ap-proaching give way to the left). Riding a bike on the continent is much easier and far more natural than driving a car abroad as the controls don’t move, your position on the road just has to be ad-

justed, but saying that you need to keep your wits about you at junctions as some, especially in France, have right of way when joining the road you are on, so check out the white lines at junctions: they have right of way if there isn’t one. Make sure you have a GB sticker or the equivalent on the back of your bike and check the regula-tions for the country you are travelling through in terms of legal requirements on number plates, etc. It will cer-tainly spoil your trip if your bike is confiscated. Check the local speed limits, they are generally compara-ble to UK speed limits but are in kph:

• Towns and villages: 30 (20mph) or 50 (30mph).

• Country side 80 (50mph), 90 (55) or 100 (60mph).

• Motorways and dual carriage ways 130(80mph).

• Most European countries have variable limits that are lower in bad weather.

There is a toll charge on many motorways even for bikes. The cost of tolls can be a significant factor if you intend to do a lot of motorway miles so make sure you budget for it. Most toll booths will take payment by card, but have cash handy just in case. Don’t assume that because local riders are doing some-thing, it must be safe and legal. In many countries, speeding or breaking other traffic rules can get you an on-the-spot fine or even lead to your motorcycle being con-fiscated. Police everywhere have no sense of humour, but remem-ber, unlike your normal British traffic cop armed with sar-casm, theirs are armed with guns.

Touring with your bikeTouring with your bike



Not much wrig-gle room for the GSXR, are you sure these cones are three and a half meters apart?

Slow Riding course 21 members and associates attended the slow riding course held at the NATS car park in Whiteley on the 21st April, and with almost as many instructors and observers, the car park appeared very full. All had a good time and many learnt some invaluable skills that will enhance their riding.

The weather was very kind to us and no one fell off. There was a range of exercis-es including stopping and putting your foot down every 2 or 3 meters, slalom through the cones, tight manoeuvring which includes stopping and putting your foot down, the ‘how slow can you go’ corri-dor, and the ‘ever decreasing circles’ and ‘figure of eight’ section.

The perfect picture of concentration

Julian leads the guys in ever decreasing circles.

42 seconds!, some people just have too much time on their hands.

A big thank you goes out to Alec, Julian, Nigel, John and all the other instructors for providing a fantastic course, and to NATS for the use of their car park.



I was recently intrigued to read in the local Ports-

mouth free newspaper that 80% of Hampshire

drivers thought that the standard of their driving

was very good or excellent. Maybe that 80% live

somewhere in the county, but certainly not in south

Hampshire.

Have you ever seen a van driver try to take a left at a junction while steering with his knees because he had a large store-bought coffee in one hand and a mobile phone in the other? I have. In fact, from the seat of a bike you can see the most extraordi-nary behaviour by car, van and truck drivers. Ok, a little more difficult with the trucks, but you can certainly see when they are reading the newspaper as they are creep-ing along with the traffic trav-elling north on the A2030 out of Portsmouth. Texting on a mobile phone while travelling at 75 or 80mph on the M27, seems to be a favourite for young women, whereas a lot of men like to talk on theirs, I am not sure which is worse. As bad as that may seem, is not the reason why I decided to write this article. The most worrying increasing trend amongst drivers of cars and vans in particular, is the ignoring of traffic lights. And I am not talking about ‘amber gambling’, I encounter drivers going through red lights every day, and not the ones that are ‘just turned red’ either. For example, one evening recently on my way home from work, I was on the roundabout at the junction of the M27 and the A2030. My traffic light had turned red/amber, I checked the road, and at green I set off… just then a van driver came flying through the red light to the right in front of me, he must have been a least 100 meters from the junction when I checked before pulling off and had obvi-ously not bothered with any attempt to slow down or stop for the lights. In that instance I was just lucky, if I had accelerated away from the lights a little harder, or he had been 5 meters further down the road, I would have been a statistic. And it is not the first time either. Anoth-er black spot for ‘red gamblers’ is at the junction 9 lights on the M27: most people coming up the east-bound ramp will not even try to stop if they are within 50 meters of the lights when they turn amber. Instead, they often ac-celerate into the junction and straight through the lights. That is definitely a spot where a motorcyclist should take a long hard look to check the traffic coming up the ramp is slowing or stopped before pulling away. I am absolute-ly sure that many of you could add far more places where

you gamble with your life if you set off as the moment the lights turn in your favour. Strangely enough it is not only drivers approaching traffic lights that are prepared to go through a red light. I have also witnessed someone who had been waiting while the light was against them, decide to go as soon as the traffic

had cleared from the other direction totally ignoring the red light. To top it if he had waiting another two seconds it would have changed as it was programmed to do so. This is not something that happens only during the rush hour, this particular instance occurred on my way home from a SAM meeting.

This is not just a recent phe-nomena either, in 1975, Mat-thew Taylor, a very good friend of mine, worked as a motorcycle courier in London. That career came to an end when he was broadsided by a Range Rover that had run a red light. Matthew was lucky in that the fact that he was hit by the large flat front end of a Range Rover rather than any other vehicle, as he ended up having only 10 compound fractures to his right leg. The

pins, and the fact that he was 19 at the time, meant that he was back on his feet and walking unaided again within 10 weeks. Unfortunately, the men-tal scars lasted for many more years. I know that this may seem like

a bit of a rant against four (or

more) wheel drivers, but in a

car versus motorcycle ‘accident’

it is rarely the car driver that

ends up in hospital and any-

thing you can do to avoid it, is

definitely worthwhile.

Finally, I firmly believe that if

the person, who broadsided

you, had no compunction in

driving through a red light, they

certainly won’t want to stop to

face the music after hitting you.

Gambling doesn’t pay Gambling doesn’t pay

Being in the right is no compensation and will not make it hurt less.

Stop and think, engage brain before engaging gear. At busy junctions check the approach before and while puling away.

By R Griffin



Celebrating Celebrating Celebrating Celebrating Celebrating Celebrating Celebrating Celebrating Celebrating Celebrating Celebrating Celebrating SuccessSuccessSuccessSuccessSuccessSuccessSuccessSuccessSuccessSuccessSuccessSuccess Virtually every week Alec sends out a SAM announce congratulating one of our associates or members who have passed their IAM Advanced or SAM Adv.+ tests. Which is testimony to our observer corps and the hard work and dedication that they give to the club. April was a partic-ularly good month as two of our female members gained their Green Badge, well done Nikki and Lesley Thorogood (front cover). Congratulations also go out to Mike Carter, Graham Marsden, Steve Nicholson, Glenn Miles, Graeme Brown, Gary Elston and Pete Maxwell (IAM Ad-vanced) and to Mark Sabin for passing his SAM Advanced plus. A particular “thank you” goes out to all the observers and examiners, you know who you are, without you it is not possible. Nikki Davey receiving her certificate from Logan at the April club night

The SAM Web Forum by Graham Marsden As many of you may be aware (or may not, given the limited number of subscribers we currently have!) SAM now has an online forum for advice, discussions and general chat as well as for keeping you informed of club events, ride-out opportunities and favourite routes etc. Just a few of the subjects which have been discussed include "What is your best bit of advice for Associates?", "How to deal with steamed up visors and low sunlight" and "How do you define 'Making Progress'?" So if you want to share any tips or ask questions of more experienced riders or even get into the knotty problem of "Should Hi Viz be compulsory?" do come and join us. Everyone is welcome, be they newbies thinking of joining SAM, Associates or Observers, and the forums can be found by following the link on the SAM site or by going to: http://www.solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk/forum/

Are you Appropriately

Dressed?

High quality black polo shirt

sporting the club logo, only £17.

SAM Hi-viz vest sport-

ing the club logo (with pockets for

phone, loose change and ID Badge) £11.

Do you go out on your bike dressed inappropriately? Then make sure you wear the SAM black polo shirt and new SAM Hi-viz vest. Available on SAM Sunday and SAM Club Nights. To ensure that you get the size and item you want, contact Ian and pre-order your item by email at [email protected]

Be proud of SAM and let other bike riders know that we exist!



I haven’t been riding long so I'm absolutely thrilled to have achieved my Green Badge. My first experience of riding a bike was on the Island of Paxos in 2009 when I was travelling on a small sailing yacht with my husband from Portugal to Turkey.

We were encouraged by our Dutch friends to hire mopeds to see the Greek Islands in more detail and to assist in victualling the boats. At first I didn't fancy taking a bike out by myself, I had heard horror stories of people com-ing to grief, the Greeks are renowned for their crazy driving and on several islands stopping at a red light is only a suggestion. The result is many a tourist ends up in the local hospital. Well, after a few days I decided to brave it and had a fantastic time going up and down the mountain sides with the smell of Cypress sap filling my head and the warmth of the sun brush-ing my skin. We visited many a remote village and witnessed some very spectacular scenery. Unlike a car, with a bike you can stop almost any where. Looking back, riding a bike with only a helmet was foolish but we were naive. Whilst riding pillion we had a small spill on a very sharp and steep bend. Due to a steel storm drain crossing the entire width of the road, and our naivety of braking in a bend, we slid over sedately. Luckily we only grazed our knees and for the following two weeks we resembled and felt like a couple of naughty schools kids. We were the lucky ones, the next few months sailing around the islands we witnessed a significant number of tourists sporting their new Scooter battle banners of bandages and lobster red sun burn. On our return that winter we decided to do a DAS course. Riding around on a 500 Suzuki in the midst of winter was so far re-moved from the warmth of summer in Greece and Turkey. On a few occasions we actually had the shovel the snow off of the

school’s practise area so we could ride a bike around the cones. The weather was so bad that our CBT theory tests were cancelled. Things continued to get worse as the bike my husband was riding broke down consistently and bump starting in the snow makes for some interesting moments. We finally moved to a more professional training provider

and were supplied with a couple of CBF500s with heated grips, luxury! Thankfully I passed the off-road session, I didn't get too excited as my husband was yet to pass and I just managed to contain my excitement until he passed the following week. Hav-ing successfully passed the DAS, we were looking at ways to increase our biking knowledge and skills, primarily for our own safety. We purchased an old BMW F650 Funduro that was a little tall for me. I tried to get on with it but for a first bike on reflection it was the wrong choice for me. We ac-quired various self help books but these only go so far. One day when surfing the net for ride-out opportunities we came across the SAM website. One meeting later we joined SAM and splashed out on a three year old Fazer 600 with only 500 miles on the clock. I call her Cinderella as she had been very much forgotten for 3 years, covered in dust and relegated to the shed by the previous female owner. My first observer was Richard Furgerson, who started me off with the core points of IPSGA. I hope it wasn't my riding that sent him into retirement. Nigel Grace took over the “handle bars” and with various comments coming down the intercom such as “Get on with it!” I slowly came up to the speed re-quired standards. Nigel, persevered with my blank looks until everything fell into place, he has the patience of a saint. My sense of direction still needs working on. Reflecting back I vividly remember the days when I said I didn't want to ride a bike. I have so many people to thank for their encouragement. I was full of self doubt and at times

didn't believe I could do it but with their continued help I carried on. The face to face debriefs and the written reports gave me a better understanding of the level I needed to achieve; I prac-

tised at every op-portunity and soon my confidence grew. The mentoring I received from the observers, the mock examiner, Colin, and the final examining officer, Phil, was exten-sive. I cannot thank them enough for the time and commit-ment given to me . Being award-ed the Green badge has been a fantastic experi-ence I'm so proud to wear it. Every

time I think of the examiner saying “You have passed”, a grin breaks out over my face. I still can't believe it. I am due to go on the slow riding course soon, I can't wait as there is still much to learn. I will let you know how I get on.

By Lesley Thorogood

Having a good idea of what motivates most men to ride motorbikes, I was intrigued to find out what motivates women. Seeing that two of our female members were awarded their Green Badge in April, it gave me the opportunity to find out. ed

The Isle of Samos, knobbly tyres are needed on these surfaces

Lefkas, scooters are the order of the day.

From Tourist to Enthusiast,

Lesley’s story



SAM ASSOCIATE CHARTER (Revised)

Purpose

This Charter sets out the basis of the relationship between Observers and Associates.

Observers

Observers give their time freely to Associates. They also invest considerable time, energy and personal expense in their personal training so that they can provide Associates with a “Skill for Life”.

Associates

In exchange for Observers’ time and commitment, a reciprocal commitment is required from Associ-ates:

• Regular practice between Observed rides in order to put into practice what they have been shown

and to apply `The System of Motorcycle Control`.

• A commitment to study the Highway Code, How to be a Better Motorcyclist, Know Your Signs and,

preferably, Roadcraft, in-between observed rides.

• A voluntary contribution towards the Observer’s motorcycle running costs, as set down by the

Group and varied from time to time. This is currently £10 for rides up to 40 miles and £15 for rides in excess of 40 miles.

• To keep in contact with their Observer at reasonable intervals to arrange subsequent rides.

The Process

1. The Observer allocated to an Associate will make contact to arrange the first observed ride.

2. When an Observer feels that an Associate is test-ready, he/she will recommend a Check Test with a Senior Observer to verify the Associate’s progress.

3. Any Associate who wishes a second opinion on their progress is welcome to come along to a SAM Sunday and request an observed ride with an Observer, other than their own.

4. Some riders achieve the necessary skills with 6 runs, while others require more. Every rider is dif-ferent: If, after 10 runs, the Observer or Associate feel they are unable to make further progress, the Associate may be handed back to the Chief Observer for advice or re allocation to another Ob-server.

5. Associates are normally expected to pass the IAM Advanced Test within 2 years.

6. Associates are encouraged to ride in bad weather, as this is an essential skill for life. Cancellation of an observed run due to bad weather will be a joint decision by the Observer and the Associate.

7. If the Observer feels that insufficient progress is being achieved by an Associate over a three month period due to a lack of practice, lack of studying or the Associate not keeping in contact, the Associate will be "pooled" and await reallocation to another Observer.

8. In the event that an Associate feels that, for whatever reason, e.g. a clash of personality, differ-ence in style etc. he/she is not making the progress with their Observer that they had hoped for, they should firstly talk this through with their Observer and agree a plan and, if this is not satisfac-tory, contact the Chief Observer to request reallocation to another Observer, at the Chief Observ-er's discretion.

Ready for your Test ……. "The IAM has told all examiners that candidates’ driving licence photo cards must be valid, otherwise the test will not take place. Previously the test would have gone ahead and the candidate would have been advised to get it sorted."

This is IMPORTANT



SAM Event Other Events

May

6th, SAM Sunday 8th, AGM Club night

5th-7th, BSB, Oulton Park

19th, Slow riding part 2, NATS, Parkway, Whiteley 11th-13th, WSB, Donington Park

19th-20th, BMF Show, East of England showground Peterbor-ough

20th, SAM Group Ride, Thames Valley (SM) WKA, 09:30, (RL) Alec Gore (AG), Level (L)3

25th-27th, BSB, Snetterton 27th, Queen Elizabeth Country park, Classic cars and bikes

June

3rd, SAM Sunday

1st-3rd Diesel Motorcycle Rally, The Bat & Ball, Billingshurst, RH14 0EH

10th, ‘Round the Harbours’ charity cycle ride 10th, Linton & Lynmouth N Devon, (SM) WKA, TBA, (RL) John Goodson, L1 12th, Club Night

8th-10th, Chase the Ace rally, Horns Corner, Catsfield, Battle, East Sussex. See http://www.norsemen-mcc.co.uk

17th, SAM Group Ride, Wantage (SM) WKA, 10:00, (RL) AG, L3

15th-17th, MotoGP Silverstone 16th-17th, HMS Sultan Summer Show, Gosport

24th, SAM Group Ride, TBA (RL) Simon Dickenson 22nd-24th, BSB, Knockhill 24th Chichester College, Charity Bike show

30th, Hampshire & IOW Air Ambulance 5th birthday event, Popham Airfield.

July

1st, SAM Sunday 7th, Waterlooville Classic vehicles

8th, SAM Group Ride, Cheddar Gorge, (SM) OS, 09:30, (EA) OS, 16:30 (RL) Dave Duckett, L2

6th-8th, VMCC Festival of 1000 Bikes, Mallory Park. 6th-8th, BSB, Oulton Park

15th, SAM Group Ride, Mere (SM) OS, 10:00, (RL) AG, L2 15th, Bikes, Bands & Booty! The Royal Coach, Brighton Road, Shoreham, BN43 5LD. See http://www.brighton.mag-uk.org

22nd, SAM Group Ride, Cotswold Airport, (SM) WS, 09:00, (RL) Mark Sabin (MS), L2

20th-22nd, BSB, Brands Hatch

22nd, Basingstoke Big Wheel charity cycle ride 22nd, Cotswold Airport, (SM) WS, 09:00 (RL) MS

28th, Calne Motorcycle event

The Ace Cafe London run events every weekend, see www.acecafeevents.com for further details

Events Calendar May 2012– July 2012

Key: (SAM Events) RL (Run Leader), SM (Start Meet), EA (End At), WKA (Winchester King Alfred’s Statue), OS (Ower Services), WS (Wickham Square) (Other events) BSB—British Super Bikes, WBS –World Super Bikes

Note: Check the web site for the latest SAM Events programme.

Not found something of interest in the list above? There are a number of useful web sites to watch de-

pending upon your particular wants.

I have compiled the following short list:

• http://www.mag-uk.org/en/eventslist

• http://www.thebikerguide.co.uk/bikerrallies.html

• http://sump-publishing.co.uk/classic%20bike%20events.htm

• http://www.cernunnos-mcc.org/whatson

• http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/RidingEvents/

• http://www.acu.org.uk/events/

If you know of an event or show that may be of interest to other members in the months August to Oc-

tober 2012, drop a line to [email protected] with dates, contact details and

any other information that would be useful, and it will be added to the list.



YOUR COMMITTEE

DISCLAIMER Many of the views expressed in this SAM Newsletter are personal to the author and publication does not imply endorsement of any article, any author or any organisa-tion. Views expressed are not necessarily in accordance with the policies or the views of the IAM or SAM. Where articles are reproduced from other publications or authors, unreserved acknowledgement is given to the source. No responsibility is accepted by the Editor or SAM for any damage to intelligence or riding abilities, howsoever caused which might result from reading this publication.

Caption Competition. Suggestion to [email protected]

Advanced notice:

The next edition of ‘Making Progress’ is scheduled for August 2012, please ensure all contributions are submitted by 10th July.

Advice on submitting articles: send in your article in the form of a Microsoft Office Word document, plain text or in the body of the email. Images should be accompanied by a caption, i.e. file name - caption, if not I will apply my

own. So get busy, write and send them in to [email protected]

Chairman Kevin White

Club Secretary Logan Colbeck

Public Relations David Forster

Treasurer Sam Davis

Chief Observer Alec Gore

Membership Secretary Nigel Grace (temp)

MDU Co-ordinator Tim Bennett

Webmaster Rui De Castro

Club Night Organiser Mark Rowe / Martin Thomas

Magazine Editor Rod Griffin

Merchandise Ian Kennard

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Role Member Email Address

Associate Co-ordinator Logan Colbeck (temp) associate-coordinator@solent-advanced-

motorcyclists.co.uk

Caption Competition January 2012 “Bugger! That’s the last time I buy ‘quick release’ wheels” RG

And Finally... As I mature I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in. I've learned that 99% of the time when something isn't working in your house, one of your kids did it. I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others - they are more screwed up than you think.

Courtesy of www.brummieblogs.com

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