Advanced Motorcycle Training

Enhanced Rider Scheme assessments can only be carried out by registered DVSA instructors.

This is the first step toward gaining an ‘Advanced Rider Award’ and involves an assessment of your skills. Unlike most advanced motorcycle training, there is no test. If you pass the initial assessment, you’ll get a certificate without the need for further training. If necessary, you’ll get support and training to improve your riding skills. All of this training is based on the findings of the assessment, after which you’ll be reassessed.

Fully licenced motorcyclists can take the enhanced rider scheme after passing their test. The scheme is suitable if you:

• have just passed your test
• are returning to riding after a break
• are upgrading to a more powerful motorcycle
• want to check your riding standard

There are 7 core modules:

• Structured planned approach to riding
• Defensive riding and hazard awareness
• Progress and use of speed
• Overtaking – filtering
• Bends and corners
• Slow control
• Developing the correct rider attitude

Once you get your Enhanced Rider Scheme certificate, you may qualify for a reduced insurance premium with some insurance companies.

Rider Plus courses offer motorcyclists lessons that will improve your overall skills.

These courses are perfect for sharpening your skills before you sit the test for a full licence. They’re also great for experienced motorcyclists who want to become better riders. Whichever category you fall into, you’ll find this course is right for developing your skills further with helpful advice and expert tuition.

You’ll enhance your observation, planning, machine control and hazard perception skills. In turn, this helps to reduce errors and the likelihood of causing an accident or getting into one.

All of our Rider Plus courses are delivered by DVSA-approved instructors. These motorcycle trainers apply their years of experience and knowledge to help improve your motorcycle riding skills.

This advanced motorcycle training covers two essential skills required for all riders. It’s perfect for riders who want to move on from their CBT or gain skills for a higher-level motorcycle licence.

Carrying pillion passengers

This section covers:

• The correct level of protective clothing for you and your passenger
• The minimum age and size of pillion passengers
• The correct seating and security for a pillion passenger
• The correct foot pegs and handrails for your pillion to use
• What to do if you breakdown or have an accident when carrying a pillion passenger
• Using rider to passenger communication equipment
• Mounting and dismounting correctly
• Correct seating positions and holding on
• Actions of rider and pillion passenger when accelerating, braking, cornering, riding in slow traffic and filtering

Using Motorways

This section covers:

• Joining and leaving motorway
• Normal motorway riding and filtering
• Motorways and road markings
• First Aid
• Using emergency telephones

Bridging the gap to a safer ride

BikeSafe is a national police-run motorcycle initiative. It works with motorcycle riders in a relaxed environment and raises awareness of the importance and value of progressing to accredited post-test training. BikeSafe workshops involve an observed ride with a police-graded motorcyclist or approved BikeSafe observer. With some local variation, BikeSafe workshops aim to cover: attitude, observation, cornering, overtaking, filtering, junctions, group riding, hazard awareness and the system of motorcycle control.

More details at bikesafe.co.uk

All diamond advanced motorcycle training courses are perfect for motorcyclists who wish to develop their skills.

Our Diamond advanced motorcycle training course:

• Has a particular focus on defensive and eco riding techniques
• Is for motorcyclists who ride for work and need an occupational road risk assessment
• Is for motorcyclists who want become instructors or motorcycle commuters
• Is for motorcyclists who want to develop their skills further.

The course starts with a theory session and then moves on to practical sessions. The practical sessions have smaller sections to make it easier for you to focus on building specific skills. You can book these sections on the same day, or over multiple days and at times that are convenient for the student and instructor. Once students reach the required standard, they’ll take a test.

Testing

Diamond Advanced training tests take around 1 hour to complete and cover a route of around 16 – 24 miles in which the student will need to demonstrate their skills in a variety of road and traffic conditions, including motorways where possible. Assessment is based on machine control throughout several manoeuvres relevant to the vehicle used in the test, and eco-safe driving techniques.

Motorbike lessons with the Diamond Elite Training spans a day and a half, beginning with a short theory and discussion session that covers the various techniques you will practice. The rest of the day will be taken up with assessments and demonstration rides covering around 150 – 180 miles. There will be numerous stops for road debriefs.

We break the day down into sections, each following on from the previous in a logical manner.

Finish times are dependent on the progress you make over the course of the day, weather conditions and your own enthusiasm for riding.

Depending on the standard you reach throughout the advanced motorcycle training, your test will take place the next day, or as soon as possible after you have completed the training.

Blue Riband Advanced Rider Training from the British Motorcyclist Federation (BMF) is endorsed by the DVSA. This course helps experienced motorcyclists improve their skills and technique, furthering their enjoyment of motorcycling. Blue Riband Advanced Rider training is a one-to-one course and only BMF-certified instructors train riders.

Blue Riband advanced rider training courses offer:

• Enhanced safety to improve motorcycle riding enjoyment.
• A new perspective, allowing riders to think about what they are doing when they are riding. This approach helps riders to develop healthy self-criticism that enables them to recognise their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to motorcycle riding.

Motorcycles used for the courses must be capable of coping with the speed and distances travelled. We strongly recommend a minimum power output of 33bhp so students can maintain progress at the national speed limit for both A roads and motorways. This level of power (or higher) also enables students to overtake quickly when required.

Students must have held a full a motorcycle licence for a minimum of 6 months and preferably taken a rider plus or Enhanced Rider Scheme course before enrolling for one of the Blue Riband Advanced Rider courses.

This advanced motorcycle training course covers a day and a half starting with a theory session that includes a discussion about the range of techniques you will practice in the practical elements.

Practical elements include demonstration and assessment rides. Each element will include stops throughout for road debriefs. The finish time is dependent on your progress through the day, the weather, and your enthusiasm over the course of the day.

Assessments are carried out by a different instructor/examiner and last for around one hour. Once completed, a comprehensive report on your performance covering machine control, information gathering, judgment, and road craft elements of your motorcycle riding skills will be given to you. A copy of this report is also sent to the BMF who will issue your certificate, along with a pin badge, bike sticker, wallet card and full 12-month membership to the BMF. Your certification is valid for three years.

This advanced motorcycle training course starts with a theory session, similar to the concentrated Blue Riband Advanced Rider training course.

Practical sessions have the same content as concentrated training; however, we hold these at times convenient to the student and instructor. Once you reach the required skill level, an assessment is carried out. We hold this as close to the completion of the advanced motorcycle training as possible in the same way as detailed for the Concentrated Blue Riband training course.

Standard Blue Riband Advanced Rider training course fees depend on how quickly students’ progress through each element. However, costs are generally around the same as our concentrated courses.