Bill's bimble around the block....

13 bikes took part in Bill's end of season ride out, ending up at the Grey Horse in Middridge for a pleasant curry.


The bimble route took in Tow Law, Wolsingham & Hamsterley.


Thanks to Bill for leading the ride and arranging the end of season treat for us!


Remember that from September our monthly meetings become social events at the Bowburn Hall Hotel, Tuesday 27th event is a presentation from Malcolm Lonsdale, our regional group co-ordinator.

Vanishing Points

It may seem very obvious, but when we ride in the dark the limit of our view tends to be the limit of the headlight illumination.


So, no matter how well you know a route, always ride to the limit of your vision - you never know what could be hiding just out of the pool of your headlight!


My bike (BMW 1150GS) has fairly poor lights, the photos show the dipped and main beam illumination difference when approaching a well signed 90 degree left turn.


Even though the chevrons are visible (particularly with main beam) there is still a dead zone of visibility between the bend and the illumination, that is the vanishing point for this bend.


If I did more night riding, I'd be tempted to improve the lighting!

Motorcycle Monthly Ed Signs up for Skill for Life.

Click on the images for the full sized image.

Rideout Report - 14th August

Rideout report from Paul Dowson from Sunday 14th August:
 On arriving at Bowburn to find 12 members waiting for a leader, I volunteer myself if nobody else wanted to take the ride for the day, when I announced to go to the Lakes, there were no complaints!

From Bowburn to Brough [A66] then to Penrith stopping at 'Rheged' for lunch. 


We continued on the A66 to Keswick turn of Portinscale [B5292] then onto the[B5289] which took us passed Crummock Water, Buttermere onto Honister Pass, through Burrowdale back to Keswick, from Keswick [A591] to Ambleside, turning left up Struggle Pass to meet the [A592] where we had a short stay at the top of Kirkstone Pass . 

Down the pass to Patterdale, Ullswater, Poole Bridge to Penrith joining the [A66] to Brough for a short break, then onto Mickleton [B6276], Eggleston ,Staindrop to Bishop Auckland

13 riders, tail end of a shower going towards Appleby on the morning, a good day, hope all got home safely.

Thank you from Mike Cope

DAM Secretary, Bill McReady, has received a thank you card from Mike Cope in response to the presentation at the recent BikeWise show.

Click on the image below to read Mike's comments to DAM:

DAM says thanks to two founding members.

BikeWise 2011 was the venue for two founding members of DAM to receive a token of thanks from the club in recognition of their hard work in helping to form DAM and making it such a successful club that we know today.

Bob Brown and Mick Alder of BikeWise Training were kind enough to make the presentation on behalf of the DAM Committee.

Bob presents Mike with his gift.

Bob Brown, Mike Cope, John Cudden, Mick Alder

I AM, HE IS...

Along with Dave Coates' FZ-1 bike on the DAM BikeWise stand, we also commissioned some special publicity material featuring Dave's skills combined with the current "IAM" theme.

Here's Dave with banner at BikeWise.

BikeWise 2011 Photos on line.

Click the link to access the many photos from the BikeWise 2011 show:-


BikeWise 2011 Galleries


DAM had a very successful show, our stand featured 3 bikes loaned from:
  Dave Coates (http://www.davecoates.co.uk/) : his red FZ1 which is for sale - one careful owner!
  PC Ali Bonar's new Ducati Multistrada
  KTM RC8 kindly loaned from M&S Motorcycles (http://www.mandsmotorcycles.co.uk/)

The bikes are there to catch the attention of potential new associates and also help in dispelling the myth that all IAM members ride BMWs! (Not that there's anything wrong with BMWs)

Learning the Noble Art - Rupert Paul

In the Sept 2011 issue of Bike magazine, Rupert Paul has written an interesting article relating to his study of the opinion of new riders to the suitability of the current CBT and training.  He invited Bike readers to relate their feelings of how the CBT prepares them for riding in the real world.

Of the 106 people who responded to Rupert's request, 105 agreed that the training they had received for their CBT did not prepare them for the reality of riding on the road.

The training new riders receive in preparation for the current test focuses on urban riding and enabling the candidates to meet the specific needs to satisfy the examiners during the test.

Once on the open road after their test, the skills required to handle cornering and braking at 60-80mph, reading bends & knowing what the main causes of accidents are do not come naturally.  All of these skills are not needed to pass a motorcycle test today.

The specific suggested by the respondants can be represented by the graph below:

Extracts of 2 of the responses:

My point is entirely supportive of Rupert’s; here I was, fully qualified to ride but unable to handle the simplest of every day situations as my training had focused almost exclusively on urban riding.

Between DAS and buying the YZF I ran wide, into the path of a car coming the other way. Thankfully, the car saw me in enough time to brake, I braked, and we didn’t collide. The truth is I had NO IDEA how the bike got round a corner. Why would I? No one had ever taught me.

The overiding conclusion?
If you know anyone entering, or re-enterning, biking through the current CBT/DAS system please encourage them to take their training further and not rely on CBT/DAS to equip them with all of the skills needed.