IAM straight after DAS?

Riding tips, guides, safety gear, IAM, ROSPA and anything related to keeping riders alive longer !
Northernchap
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IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Northernchap »

Hi all,
New here so be gentle :P

Passed my DAS over Xmas and I’m wanting to continue to learn. Just need to get the bike purchased.

Good or bad idea to join IAM straight away and do the motorcycle course?

Driving 30 odd years and off-road/ Enduro for about past 8 years.

Not looking to be faster and make progress so much this early on- more about safety really.

Good or bad idea?

Thanks

S
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weeksy
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by weeksy »

Welcome in... i'll let one of the intelligent ones reply :)
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Horse »

weeksy wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:50 am Welcome in... i'll let one of the intelligent ones reply :)
DAS will (should) have given you a good grasp of the basics. IAM should develop on from that.

Alternative options could be to take a day with a commercial trainer. Particularly if you are aware of any points you want to improve.

Or there's RoSPA too, similar format to IAM observed rides.

But whatever, sooner is better.
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Rockburner »

Just remember that the IAM is mostly"guidance", you're equipping yourself with options, you don't HAVE to ride like some of them do.....
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Northernchap
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Northernchap »

Day out with the Police has been mentioned by friends that ride also. Seem to get booked up quickly those. Especially North Wales.
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Yorick »

Your enduro skills will be a good start.
How northern are you BTW?
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Horse »

Northernchap wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:06 am Day out with the Police has been mentioned by friends that ride also. Seem to get booked up quickly those. Especially North Wales.
AKA Bikesafe

Should be a good basic introduction to the next steps.
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Northernchap »

Yorick wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:14 am Your enduro skills will be a good start.
How northern are you BTW?
NorthWest/Greater Manchester
Came in useful doing MOD2 in this freezing weather! lol.
Last edited by Northernchap on Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Yorick »

Northernchap wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:36 am
Yorick wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:14 am Your enduro skills will be a good start.
How northern are you BTW?
NorthWest/Greater Manchester
Came in useful doing MOD2 in this freezing weather! lol.
Oops. Wrong side of the Pennines ;)
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by wheelnut »

IAM or RoSPA have a similar style and syllabus. RoSPA less commercial and probably a bit better these days tbh.

Bikesafe will be a good day out if you can get booked on one.
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Count Steer »

Horse wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:34 am
Northernchap wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 11:06 am Day out with the Police has been mentioned by friends that ride also. Seem to get booked up quickly those. Especially North Wales.
AKA Bikesafe

Should be a good basic introduction to the next steps.
TBH I wouldn't recommend Bikesafe at this stage. I'd say it's more for the competent rider with a good few miles under their belt that wants to do a check on whether they've developed any bad habits. It's more of an assessment than instruction.

I enjoyed my day but our (it was one Police rider + me and a mate) Police chap on his full-dress Pan said 'On the next stage I expect you to crack on and ride as you would normally. I won't book you...unless you go wild on anything that's not NSL'. We had what he called 'a spirited ride'. :D

Very much in favour of the one-to-one further training. I did a couple of days with an outfit called Rapid (mainly ex-police riders/trainers) and a day with Spin Doctor. All money well spent. :thumbup:
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Bigyin »

As well as all those already mentioned some riding schools will have instructors on the advanced/enhanced register to help develop riders beyond the DAS syllabus. When it comes to IAM/Rospa they are volunteers who carry out observed rides and give you pointers and guidance on how to improve to their system but are not permitted/qualified to give direct instruction while riding whereas a bike instructor on the advanced register or the professional companies are able to do that.

Companies such as Rapid or Survival Skills run by Spin Doctor of this parish can be more one to one based and tailored to whay you need rather than a specified course
Last edited by Bigyin on Mon Jan 23, 2023 4:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Cousin Jack »

No info about ROSPA, but IAM are IMO a mixed bag. Riding that observer praised as being 'almost ready for test' was ripped to shreds by another, mostly for (again IMO) no good reason.

I'm not a fan of the IAM
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Bigyin »

Cousin Jack wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 4:33 pm No info about ROSPA, but IAM are IMO a mixed bag. Riding that observer praised as being 'almost ready for test' was ripped to shreds by another, mostly for (again IMO) no good reason.

I'm not a fan of the IAM
Apparently i can become a member with them without taking the test as my previous occupation qualifies me as an IAM advanced driver. Being a fully qualified motorcycle instructor isnt good enough to join as a member on the bikes though....If i pass the DVSA special test for instructors though i can join as an advanced motorcyclist without sitting the IAM advanced test :mrgreen:
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Count Steer »

Bigyin wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 4:10 pm Companies such as Rapid or Survival Skills run by Spin Doctor of this parish can be more one to one based and tailored to whay you need rather than a specified course
Just had a look at the Rapid offerings. Ouch! Of the package offerings the 'Roadmaster' is 2 days, 2:1 riders:instructor at £885* and the others are part track, part road.

You can go 'bespoke' at 1:1 and £495 for the day. It seems a lot more expensive than when I did it but 'inflation' I suppose. (Did a 1:1 + a 2:1 with a workmate with John Taylor but he seems to have hung up his bòots as he's not on the Rapid roster).

*£1770 for 2 days bike riding is nice work if you can get it. :lol:

Edited. Miscalculated the 2 day income based on £885 per day!!
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by The Spin Doctor »

Count Steer wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 5:34 pm
Bigyin wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 4:10 pm Companies such as Rapid or Survival Skills run by Spin Doctor of this parish can be more one to one based and tailored to whay you need rather than a specified course
Just had a look at the Rapid offerings. Ouch! Of the package offerings the 'Roadmaster' is 2 days, 2:1 riders:instructor at £885* and the others are part track, part road.

You can go 'bespoke' at 1:1 and £495 for the day. It seems a lot more expensive than when I did it but 'inflation' I suppose. (Did a 1:1 + a 2:1 with a workmate with John Taylor but he seems to have hung up his bòots as he's not on the Rapid roster).

*£3540 for 2 days bike riding is nice work if you can get it. :lol:
Their prices have gone through the roof in recent years... they've always been more expensive than my training but it used to be 15 / 20%... now it's 100+%. But I guess people pay it.
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by The Spin Doctor »

Northernchap wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:49 am Hi all,
New here so be gentle :P

Passed my DAS over Xmas and I’m wanting to continue to learn. Just need to get the bike purchased.

Good or bad idea to join IAM straight away and do the motorcycle course?

Driving 30 odd years and off-road/ Enduro for about past 8 years.

Not looking to be faster and make progress so much this early on- more about safety really.

Good or bad idea?

Thanks

S
Definitely good idea... much better than riding around 'picking up experience' since you might have a bad one that you weren't expecting.

No post-test training can offer all the answers, but done well what it will do is make you more aware of what you don't know, and how to go about finding the answers.

I'm based in the SE but several times a year I go 'on tour' - one of my regular visits is to the Peaks. I met a Mancunian there last spring... it was ruddy freezing lol
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by Horse »

Bigyin wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 4:10 pm... but are not permitted/qualified to give direct instruction while riding whereas a bike instructor on the advanced register or the professional companies are able to do that.
Not quite true. Acksherley ... unless things have changed, it's quite the opposite. The post-test instructor register (RPMT) isn't mandatory to be able to give all instruction. It used to that even a 'professional'* post-test 'instructor' didn't even need to have a full bike licence!

RPMT used to be required only DVSA enhanced rider scheme trainees.

Things might have changed since I stopped instructing?

* A trainee who asked me "How are you qualified to do training?" wasn't particularly impressed by the answer "people pay the course fees". But I did give an overview of my qualifications.
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by KungFooBob »

I think the DAS is more about learning to ride than enforcing any kind of sexuality.
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Re: IAM straight after DAS?

Post by MyLittleStudPony »

I still think there's a valid argument that all advanced training is just people seeking to indulge themselves at your expense. And on that basis I'd say forget about all that IAM bollocks and just gan it up on t'back wheel. :thumbup: