Getting started

If you are interested but feel you would like to find out more before joining, come and meet up with us on one of our Training events and chat about it without any pressure.

If you want to find out how an Observed Ride works before enrolling in the IAM RoadSmart Advanced rider course, why not contact us and request a free Assessment Ride. You can also find out more about what to expect on the Observed Ride by taking a look at the videos at the bottom of this page. Observed rides usually take place at 09:00 on the first Saturday of the month starting from The Toby Carvery - Denham.

Alternatively, if you are ready to go ahead you can enroll in IAM RoadSmart Advanced rider course the link below. 

By enrolling in the IAM RoadSmart Advanced rider course you will:

• Receive a copy of the IAM RoadSmart Advanced Rider Logbook. 
• Receive Advanced Driving, the IAM's four-monthly magazine for members.
• Be entered into the IAM Advanced Motorcycling Test.
• Become an Associate of the IAM for one year, upgrading to Full Member on passing the IAM Advanced rider Test within 12 months.
• Become an Associate of MAM for one year, upgrading to Full Member on passing the IAM Advanced rider Test within 12 months.

Structured Training

The structured training provided by MAM consists of one theory session and observed rides.

Theory session

The Theory session involves a presentation and discussion on the approach to, and techniques involved in Advanced Motorcycling. The theory sessions take place on the First Saturday of the month (March - November). As an Associate of MAM, the cost of the theory session is included in the IAM RoadSmart Advanced rider course fee.

Location: The Toby Carvery - Denham

Starting time: 09:00.

Observed Rides

Practical training is carried out using Observed Rides. The Observed Rides are intended to allow you to put what you have learned in the theory session  into practice on the road. These are where you, the Associate, ride out with one of our experienced Observers, usually on a one-to-one basis. You use your own bike. The last Observed Ride is arranged as a simulated Advanced Motorcycling Test.

This is how the training works. Your Observer will give you guidance on the aspects of your riding that would benefit from a change. If and when you agree that their assessment is accurate, you make the change yourself. As the ride progresses, and on future rides, your Observer will continue to monitor your ride and suggest further refinements. It is always your decision to make any changes.

When you set out, you will lead with your Observer close behind watching how you ride. They will stop you every so often to discuss what they have seen. As part of this, they will offer suggestions on aspects of your riding that could be improved. As the ride progresses you will have the opportunity to start to introduce, practice and consolidate these improvements.

At some point during the ride, your Observer will give you a break from doing all the hard work by giving you a demonstration ride. Your Observer will take the lead and show you the riding standard they are asking you to adopt.

Although much of this can sound rather unexciting, experience shows that once you try it you will get a real buzz and enjoy the challenge it involves. We aim to make sure you enjoy yourself so you get the maximum benefit and come back for more.

At the end of each Observed Ride, the observer will provide feedback and complete one of the Run sheets in your Rider logbook. This typically includes praise when you achieve the competency, a breakdown of how the ride went, your progress to date and an indication of competencies that would benefit from practice on your own. Finally, you will be given an indication of how much work you need to do to get up to the standard required to pass the IAM RoadSmart Advanced rider Test

We recognise that every Associate is unique, bringing different levels of experience and ability, and with different amounts of free time. We often find that we need to adapt or extend the course to suit an Associate's requirements. We see the challenge of helping you to get to "Test Ready" standard as being much more important than just getting you to attend a course. If you need some extra time or have restrictions on when you can attend Observed Rides, we will do our best to create a plan that will take your requirements into account. The last thing we want is for you to feel that you are being pushed into taking the Test before you are ready.

The component parts of a course are not very different from the other methods we offer to help you improve your riding. However, we normally find that the simple act of being in a group of other Associates, all focused on the same goal of passing the IAM Advanced rider Test, will make a huge difference to the quality and rate of your progress.

Additional Observed Rides

Sunday rides are extra observed ride sessions organised on one Sunday per month to provide further opportunities for the associate members to prepare for their IAM RoadSmart Advanced Rider Course.

These rides also enable full members to maintain a high level of riding skills by getting constructive feedback from experienced observers.

To encourage continuous learning and improvement MAM also offers a free observed ride to all full members every two years.

Booking rides On-Line enables associates and full members to book rides at date/time convenient to them. The ride is organised one-to-one with an observer who will provide the start venue.

The starting location, the starting time and the cost of each Sunday ride is 09:00 at The Toby Carvery - Denham.

Observed Rides Location

Observe ride start from The Toby Carvery - Denham. We meet up at 09:00.

Cost

Apart from the cost of IAM Advanced Rider Course, your only other cost will be when you go out on observed rides. Our observers use their own bikes and as volunteers pay their own expenses we, therefore, ask that you make a contribution of £15 per ride to your observer toward their running costs.

If you pass the IAM Advanced Motorcycling Test within the first year, your membership for the second year of MAM will be at a discount of 50% of the annual subscription. At the end of the year, you will be invited to renew your membership by payment of the member annual subscription. Note that as a condition of continuing as a member of MAM, you must also maintain your membership of the IAM RoadSmart by payment of the IAM RoadSmart annual subscription.

If you have not passed the IAM RoadSmart Advanced Motorcycling Test by the end of the first year, you will be invited to renew your membership of both IAM RoadSmart and also as an Associate of MAM for the following year by payment of the IAM RoadSmart membership fee and also MAM's Associate annual subscription.