Having spent some time training people for the Module One Test, it's become clear that it is producing better and more confident novice riders.
By having to push themselves a little in order to achieve the standard of riding required, new riders are able to understand their limits and the limits of their motorcycles in a safe and controlled environment. This cannot be a bad thing.
As a motorcyclist I admit I was a little sceptical of this new test, but as an instructor I now see the benefits to new riders.
Though the current Module One test fee is quite low, to pass it a novice needs training. The techniques needed for the various exercises are more advanced than Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) can provide. As a result without getting some additional training a candidate is much more likely to fail.
We recently had a perfect example of this;
A husband and wife bought a motorcycle each and then did their CBT. In order to ride their new motorbikes on the road they needed to take their tests.
The husband attempted the Module One test without training and failed repeatedly, his wife attended a day's training specifically for Module One and passed on her second attempt. The husband passed on his seventh attempt - after he'd had an hours or two's training on the exercise that he kept failing on.
Sure the total cost for his wife was more as she'd paid for a days training, but because of the training her standard of riding is higher, not only did she take less tests but she's starting her motorcycling with a higher skill level in a shorter time.
With the introduction of the two module motorcycle test the DSA are encouraging novice riders to get more training for a test that requires specific skills. By being taught these skills the novice is gaining more insight into how to ride a motorcycle safely.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
About Two Hundred Miles a Day
On average two hundred miles a day is what suits most people while they are on a touring holiday on their motorbike. OK, I'll explain how I came to this figure and let you apply my simple formula to you and your motorbike so you can get your ideal distance.
How long can you remain comfortable on your motorbike? This time determines the riding time between comfort stops. In order to be safe and to enjoy your riding you have to be comfortable. Aching joints or other discomforts like nicotine withdrawal or hunger will distract you from the road and make riding at worst dangerous and at minimum a chore instead of a pleasure.
Say for example you're OK for about an hour and a half before needing a break or a cigarette then, this number is ninety. Halve this number. This halving of the figure is based on an average of forty miles an hour and an allowance for a few minutes rest. I use forty as an average miles per hour figure, because it is a sensible average speed when travelling on a wide variety of roads.
It may be that for you and your bike how long you can ride for isn't known as you have to stop for fuel before you feel uncomfortable if this is the case the comfort distance is replaced by half your tank range, this allows for the time it takes to fill up, stretch your legs or anything else you may do at a petrol station.
To get the mileage per day that you can reasonably ride you need to multiply your comfort distance by the number of hours you can ride for. Be realistic, eight hours a day on your bike every day for a week is not going to be fun for anyone. I'd suggest perhaps five hours riding time, remember you're planning a holiday not an endurance test. This time has to be carefully considered particularly if you have a pillion passenger as it's likely they'll have had enough before you have.
Five hours riding a day with a comfort figure of forty five would give a daily mileage two hundred and twenty five miles a day.
To extend this figure you can calculate a maximum figure. Something you could perhaps achieve for a couple of days in order to extend your range if you need to. You could do this by extending your on-bike hours or perhaps by by-passing your nicotine cravings by chewing gum instead. Whatever method you choose your bike's fuel range will ultimately set the maximum distance between stops.
Two hundred miles a day may not seem much. I'm sure you've done more than that in a day at least once. But, remember this is every day for perhaps a week. It is not the same as a Sunday ride out then the whole week off your bike.
How long can you remain comfortable on your motorbike? This time determines the riding time between comfort stops. In order to be safe and to enjoy your riding you have to be comfortable. Aching joints or other discomforts like nicotine withdrawal or hunger will distract you from the road and make riding at worst dangerous and at minimum a chore instead of a pleasure.
Say for example you're OK for about an hour and a half before needing a break or a cigarette then, this number is ninety. Halve this number. This halving of the figure is based on an average of forty miles an hour and an allowance for a few minutes rest. I use forty as an average miles per hour figure, because it is a sensible average speed when travelling on a wide variety of roads.
It may be that for you and your bike how long you can ride for isn't known as you have to stop for fuel before you feel uncomfortable if this is the case the comfort distance is replaced by half your tank range, this allows for the time it takes to fill up, stretch your legs or anything else you may do at a petrol station.
To get the mileage per day that you can reasonably ride you need to multiply your comfort distance by the number of hours you can ride for. Be realistic, eight hours a day on your bike every day for a week is not going to be fun for anyone. I'd suggest perhaps five hours riding time, remember you're planning a holiday not an endurance test. This time has to be carefully considered particularly if you have a pillion passenger as it's likely they'll have had enough before you have.
Five hours riding a day with a comfort figure of forty five would give a daily mileage two hundred and twenty five miles a day.
To extend this figure you can calculate a maximum figure. Something you could perhaps achieve for a couple of days in order to extend your range if you need to. You could do this by extending your on-bike hours or perhaps by by-passing your nicotine cravings by chewing gum instead. Whatever method you choose your bike's fuel range will ultimately set the maximum distance between stops.
Two hundred miles a day may not seem much. I'm sure you've done more than that in a day at least once. But, remember this is every day for perhaps a week. It is not the same as a Sunday ride out then the whole week off your bike.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Visibility
As a motorcycle instructor I'm always conscious that I should practice what I preach.
Telling new riders to increase their visibility carries no weight if I ride wearing black clothing on a dirty bike, with my lights off. So I always run with my headlight on, I always wear a hi-vis vest and my bike is kept clean.
I'm giving myself the best chance to be seen by other road users. So, how is it that they still don't see me?
Well after three separate incidents yesterday I have now got the answer.
SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T LOOK!
All the efforts to make yourself more visible on the road are wasted if the car driver doesn't even glance in the mirror. Buying the hi-vis jacket was a waste of money if the van driver doesn't even turn his head and if the driver of the four by four just drives straight out of the pub car park without even slowing then he's not looked at my nice bright headlight.
Surely all road users; pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers of all the other vehicles on the road share the same common aim?
To get to where we want to go without colliding with other road users.
We all need to take our responsibility seriously and check that the space we are moving into isn't going to be occupied by the time we get there!
Telling new riders to increase their visibility carries no weight if I ride wearing black clothing on a dirty bike, with my lights off. So I always run with my headlight on, I always wear a hi-vis vest and my bike is kept clean.
I'm giving myself the best chance to be seen by other road users. So, how is it that they still don't see me?
Well after three separate incidents yesterday I have now got the answer.
SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T LOOK!
All the efforts to make yourself more visible on the road are wasted if the car driver doesn't even glance in the mirror. Buying the hi-vis jacket was a waste of money if the van driver doesn't even turn his head and if the driver of the four by four just drives straight out of the pub car park without even slowing then he's not looked at my nice bright headlight.
Surely all road users; pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers of all the other vehicles on the road share the same common aim?
To get to where we want to go without colliding with other road users.
We all need to take our responsibility seriously and check that the space we are moving into isn't going to be occupied by the time we get there!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Only On A Pan (Two)
When you have to catch a ferry from a port four hours ride from where you are you need to be sure you have set your alarm clock correctly.
My alarm clock was supposed to wake me so that I had an hour to get ready and then five and a half hours to do the four hour journey to the ferry port at Cherbourg. This would mean I would have got to Cherbourg early, a planned arrival about an hour before the ferry was due to depart.
Unfortunately I didn't set it correctly, as a result I woke up at five past seven and not five o'clock as I had planned. After a panic, I managed to be on the road within twenty minutes. Not bad as I had to tidy and secure the house, turn off the water and electricity, take rubbish to the bin, pack bike etc. Fortunately I had no guests with me this time. This trip was just for my enjoyment.
According to my Garmin Zumo, I was going to arrive at Cherbourg at eleven thirty five. Five minutes after the ferry had gone! It's OK, I can gain a few minutes and the GPS is often a bit pessimistic so I decided to try and get there on time.
I switched off my panic mode and concentrated on the journey. Only glancing at the estimated arrival time when I was stopped at junctions. As the ride progressed the estimated arrival time became more optimistic, settling at twenty past eleven. I could make it!
Then I had a real bonus. The French government had built a new section of road that my Zumo didn't know about, another twenty minutes knocked off the journey.
I arrived at Cherbourg at five past eleven, checked in and rode straight onto the ferry.
It sailed at eleven twenty two, according to my watch. Thank goodness for out of date map data!
I also need to add a correction to my impression of the fast craft sailings. Maybe it was a different crew, maybe they'd had a better night's sleep. This time they were brilliant. Added to the fact that the Channel was like a mill pond it was a great crossing. Thank you Brittany Ferries.
My alarm clock was supposed to wake me so that I had an hour to get ready and then five and a half hours to do the four hour journey to the ferry port at Cherbourg. This would mean I would have got to Cherbourg early, a planned arrival about an hour before the ferry was due to depart.
Unfortunately I didn't set it correctly, as a result I woke up at five past seven and not five o'clock as I had planned. After a panic, I managed to be on the road within twenty minutes. Not bad as I had to tidy and secure the house, turn off the water and electricity, take rubbish to the bin, pack bike etc. Fortunately I had no guests with me this time. This trip was just for my enjoyment.
According to my Garmin Zumo, I was going to arrive at Cherbourg at eleven thirty five. Five minutes after the ferry had gone! It's OK, I can gain a few minutes and the GPS is often a bit pessimistic so I decided to try and get there on time.
I switched off my panic mode and concentrated on the journey. Only glancing at the estimated arrival time when I was stopped at junctions. As the ride progressed the estimated arrival time became more optimistic, settling at twenty past eleven. I could make it!
Then I had a real bonus. The French government had built a new section of road that my Zumo didn't know about, another twenty minutes knocked off the journey.
I arrived at Cherbourg at five past eleven, checked in and rode straight onto the ferry.
It sailed at eleven twenty two, according to my watch. Thank goodness for out of date map data!
I also need to add a correction to my impression of the fast craft sailings. Maybe it was a different crew, maybe they'd had a better night's sleep. This time they were brilliant. Added to the fact that the Channel was like a mill pond it was a great crossing. Thank you Brittany Ferries.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Only on a Pan
Home to Brittany via Poole and Cherbourg with only three stops (2 Cigarette stops, and one fuel stop). Four hundred and fifty miles or there abouts. There was a fourth rest of course on the ferry.
I travelled on the Brittany Ferries fast crossing at 07:30. I was up at two am!
I'm not keen on the fast craft crossings as they seem to be less considerate with bikes. The normal crossings have more time for their turn around so they can be a little more customer focused as they load the vehicles. Plus the fast craft are so awkward to load. Imagine a floating multi-story car park with too few spaces. The cars seem to be packed in at strange angles. The ferry had a sort of roll on wheel clamp for bikes which held it up without it's stand. A little wobbly until it was strapped down, I felt I had to be quite careful unloading my top box.
The crossing took about two and a half hours. I slept through most of it despite the occasional whinging kid trying to wake me up. There was plenty of space and I soon abandoned my allocated seat for a place near a window.
On arrival in Cherbourg I found a super market petrol station and filled up. The price of fuel in France has gone up considerably. By my rough calculations at €1.30 it's more expensive than the UK now. There was a time not so long ago....
As always the French had been looking after their roads and the superb surface and slowing rain allowed me to make good time to Carhaix. There are a lot more speed cameras now too, but they are well signposted, so there's no excuse for having your photograph taken. Once you pass the sign, you have to keep a look out for the little grey box. They're not as obvious as UK cameras.
I unloaded the luggage and headed off to the supermarket to stock up on groceries.
For me, this sort of journey is only possible on a Pan.
I travelled on the Brittany Ferries fast crossing at 07:30. I was up at two am!
I'm not keen on the fast craft crossings as they seem to be less considerate with bikes. The normal crossings have more time for their turn around so they can be a little more customer focused as they load the vehicles. Plus the fast craft are so awkward to load. Imagine a floating multi-story car park with too few spaces. The cars seem to be packed in at strange angles. The ferry had a sort of roll on wheel clamp for bikes which held it up without it's stand. A little wobbly until it was strapped down, I felt I had to be quite careful unloading my top box.
The crossing took about two and a half hours. I slept through most of it despite the occasional whinging kid trying to wake me up. There was plenty of space and I soon abandoned my allocated seat for a place near a window.
On arrival in Cherbourg I found a super market petrol station and filled up. The price of fuel in France has gone up considerably. By my rough calculations at €1.30 it's more expensive than the UK now. There was a time not so long ago....
As always the French had been looking after their roads and the superb surface and slowing rain allowed me to make good time to Carhaix. There are a lot more speed cameras now too, but they are well signposted, so there's no excuse for having your photograph taken. Once you pass the sign, you have to keep a look out for the little grey box. They're not as obvious as UK cameras.
I unloaded the luggage and headed off to the supermarket to stock up on groceries.
For me, this sort of journey is only possible on a Pan.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
New Motorcycle Test - Module One
Last Monday the new style motorcycle tests started. As I'm training to be a motorcycle instructor, last Tuesday, the second day of these new tests I was able to watch three test being conducted, two out of three failed because of the swerve avoidance test.
I'm not an expert, I'm still training to be an instructor. But, this part does seem to go against the DSA's own policy of developing hazard awareness in test candidates.
The theory test has the hazard awareness aspect, where candidates are required to respond to developing hazards. Hazards that during practical training they are encouraged to respond to in the real world by reducing their speed for example.
In Module One of the practical test they are required to accelerate towards a hazard and then swerve round it.
Surely, if the candidate uses the correct hazard observations they would have seen the developing hazard and as a result they wouldn't be accelerating. On a 125cc machine there is no alternative but to accelerate hard from the bend or you cant achieve the minimum speed through the speed trap to pass the test.
Any theories as to what the DSA's ideas behind this section of the practical test are?
I'm not an expert, I'm still training to be an instructor. But, this part does seem to go against the DSA's own policy of developing hazard awareness in test candidates.
The theory test has the hazard awareness aspect, where candidates are required to respond to developing hazards. Hazards that during practical training they are encouraged to respond to in the real world by reducing their speed for example.
In Module One of the practical test they are required to accelerate towards a hazard and then swerve round it.
Surely, if the candidate uses the correct hazard observations they would have seen the developing hazard and as a result they wouldn't be accelerating. On a 125cc machine there is no alternative but to accelerate hard from the bend or you cant achieve the minimum speed through the speed trap to pass the test.
Any theories as to what the DSA's ideas behind this section of the practical test are?
Friday, April 3, 2009
Touratech Relay Unit
I have three additional electrical items on my Pan that are powered through this relay unit.
Heated grips. (Not Honda's but Oxford wrap around grips).
Plugs for Chilli heated jackets.
Power wiring for Garmin Zumo 550 GPS.
This little unit ensures all my extra wiring goes off with the ignition. The relay sits under the tail unit behind the rear seat. A much tidier solution than connecting all the wires to the battery terminals.
The unit has a main supply fuse (15 amp). There are five output terminal pairs, which means when I've decided how to mount my auxiliary socket wiring it will be easy as I have two spare connections available. I have fused the individual circuits as I previously did with their own in-line fuses. The output connections are all standard 'spade' connectors which makes connecting the wiring simple.
The trigger wire runs to the rear light. As my Pan turns it's lights on as soon as the ignition is on and I had to go in the rear light unit to connect the wiring for the the brake light repeater on my Givi top box. It was much easier to connect here than trying to trace an ignition controlled wire in the loom somewhere. If you have an earlier Pan who's lights are manually controlled you can use the supply to the auxiliary socket to switch on this relay unit. This is an easy wire to find too.
Heated grips. (Not Honda's but Oxford wrap around grips).
Plugs for Chilli heated jackets.
Power wiring for Garmin Zumo 550 GPS.
This little unit ensures all my extra wiring goes off with the ignition. The relay sits under the tail unit behind the rear seat. A much tidier solution than connecting all the wires to the battery terminals.
The unit has a main supply fuse (15 amp). There are five output terminal pairs, which means when I've decided how to mount my auxiliary socket wiring it will be easy as I have two spare connections available. I have fused the individual circuits as I previously did with their own in-line fuses. The output connections are all standard 'spade' connectors which makes connecting the wiring simple. The trigger wire runs to the rear light. As my Pan turns it's lights on as soon as the ignition is on and I had to go in the rear light unit to connect the wiring for the the brake light repeater on my Givi top box. It was much easier to connect here than trying to trace an ignition controlled wire in the loom somewhere. If you have an earlier Pan who's lights are manually controlled you can use the supply to the auxiliary socket to switch on this relay unit. This is an easy wire to find too.
Music on the Move
Yesterday I tried the mp3 function of my Garmin Zumo. Music as I ride, I thought it would be fun.
I turned it off after about ten miles. I really tried to enjoy the experience, but it was just too distracting. The music directly into my ears seemed to affect my balance, maybe it was the stereo effect or just the 'inside my head feeling'. I can cope with brief mobile phone calls and instructions from the GPS, but music, no.
For me it seems my brain hasn't the capacity to deal with music and riding my bike.
How come I can't drive a car without music?
I turned it off after about ten miles. I really tried to enjoy the experience, but it was just too distracting. The music directly into my ears seemed to affect my balance, maybe it was the stereo effect or just the 'inside my head feeling'. I can cope with brief mobile phone calls and instructions from the GPS, but music, no.
For me it seems my brain hasn't the capacity to deal with music and riding my bike.
How come I can't drive a car without music?
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Improvements
As far as I'm concerned the Honda Pan European (ST1300) is the perfect bike for me, however it is not 'The perfect bike'. Here are a few of my observations and comparisons.
First and most obviously the Pan is a heavy bike.
Even before you fill the tank with fuel or load the panniers and fit a top box it's heavy, but the weight is low so not as bad as the Kawasaki 1400GTR which has it's weight much higher. I'm 5'10" and found the Kawasaki tricky to keep upright when stationary compared to my Pan.
I can lift a Pan off the floor. I forgot to remove the disk lock and over it went! Maybe it was adrenaline, but I did lift it up on my own. The bike wasn't loaded though, just my sandwich box in one of the panniers. I was leaving work after a long night shift. The way the Pan is designed really minimised the damage, just a little scuff on the fairing protection wing and the near side foot peg. I doubt I could lift it up if it was loaded with a weekend's touring stuff though.
On the subject of weight. Heavy bikes react more slowly when cornering, the Pan is no exception. Compared to the BMW R1200GS I had, I have to plan my cornering much more. The GS was much more forgiving if I needed to change my path mid-corner. The Pan handles really well, but it's no sports bike.
The panniers are a 'funny' shape. As a result if I want to take my lap-top with me I have to use my top box. The shape looks good on the outside but the lap-top issue can be a real nuisance. To help with packing I have the Honda pannier inner bags. These ensure that our stuff will fit in the panniers and make transporting luggage into a hotel etc. much easier.
The ignition key is very long and vunerable to getting bent. Maybe it makes the bike more secure, but I'm always aware of the risk of bending such a long key. Someone suggested getting a shorter key cut to use when opening the panniers, a good idea as replacement keys are expensive.
Finally, the rear indicators. They are rather close together which I think may cause confusion for following vehicles. I'm sure they are the legal distance apart and I've no idea how to improve this without a major change to the rear of the bike. I hope when Honda make the next version of the Pan they consider this along with the other things I've mentioned.
I've yet to find 'The perfect bike', let me know if you find it first!
First and most obviously the Pan is a heavy bike.
Even before you fill the tank with fuel or load the panniers and fit a top box it's heavy, but the weight is low so not as bad as the Kawasaki 1400GTR which has it's weight much higher. I'm 5'10" and found the Kawasaki tricky to keep upright when stationary compared to my Pan.
I can lift a Pan off the floor. I forgot to remove the disk lock and over it went! Maybe it was adrenaline, but I did lift it up on my own. The bike wasn't loaded though, just my sandwich box in one of the panniers. I was leaving work after a long night shift. The way the Pan is designed really minimised the damage, just a little scuff on the fairing protection wing and the near side foot peg. I doubt I could lift it up if it was loaded with a weekend's touring stuff though.
On the subject of weight. Heavy bikes react more slowly when cornering, the Pan is no exception. Compared to the BMW R1200GS I had, I have to plan my cornering much more. The GS was much more forgiving if I needed to change my path mid-corner. The Pan handles really well, but it's no sports bike.
The panniers are a 'funny' shape. As a result if I want to take my lap-top with me I have to use my top box. The shape looks good on the outside but the lap-top issue can be a real nuisance. To help with packing I have the Honda pannier inner bags. These ensure that our stuff will fit in the panniers and make transporting luggage into a hotel etc. much easier.
The ignition key is very long and vunerable to getting bent. Maybe it makes the bike more secure, but I'm always aware of the risk of bending such a long key. Someone suggested getting a shorter key cut to use when opening the panniers, a good idea as replacement keys are expensive.
Finally, the rear indicators. They are rather close together which I think may cause confusion for following vehicles. I'm sure they are the legal distance apart and I've no idea how to improve this without a major change to the rear of the bike. I hope when Honda make the next version of the Pan they consider this along with the other things I've mentioned.
I've yet to find 'The perfect bike', let me know if you find it first!
Pan-Weave
I have ridden my Pans in all sorts of conditions and with all levels of luggage and loads and occasionally at speeds that are only legal on certain sections of German motorways and race tracks. I always ensure the tyre pressures are correct (42 psi, front and rear) and the rear pre-load is adjusted to suit the weight my bike is carrying, but that's not a Pan only thing to do everyone should check these whatever they ride. I've never adjusted anything else on the suspension.
The issue of Honda Pan European 1300's weaving at high speed has been widely reported, but I've never experienced it nor has anyone I've spoken to had this problem either. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but I will say that it is a very, very rare problem.
Please dont let this rare problem put you off buying a Pan.
The issue of Honda Pan European 1300's weaving at high speed has been widely reported, but I've never experienced it nor has anyone I've spoken to had this problem either. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but I will say that it is a very, very rare problem.
Please dont let this rare problem put you off buying a Pan.
History
A while back I contributed to another blog about the Honda Pan European motorbike. That blog still appears on Google searches for Honda Pan European, but it hasn't been updated for ages. Unfortunately, I have lost the password details to allow me to use that blog, so I created a this one to continue sharing my Pan-experiences.
I'm on my third Pan now. All of them have been the 1300cc model. I've never ridden the 1100cc version so I can't comment on the differences.
Pan one was a late 2003 base model, no ABS no electric screen in silver.
Pan two was a 2004 model this time with the electric screen but no ABS. Fire engine red!
Pan three is a 2008 with ABS and electric screen, but no auxiliary socket (a step backward Mr Honda). Honda say it's black, but depending on the light it can be green, blue, silver or dark grey, but not black (except perhaps in pitch darkness, but then everything is black).
This blog isn't going to be exclusively about my Pan. My Pan is the core element, but this blog will also discuss motorcycling in general, road safety and anything else that links to me riding my Pan.
I'm on my third Pan now. All of them have been the 1300cc model. I've never ridden the 1100cc version so I can't comment on the differences.
Pan one was a late 2003 base model, no ABS no electric screen in silver.
Pan two was a 2004 model this time with the electric screen but no ABS. Fire engine red!
Pan three is a 2008 with ABS and electric screen, but no auxiliary socket (a step backward Mr Honda). Honda say it's black, but depending on the light it can be green, blue, silver or dark grey, but not black (except perhaps in pitch darkness, but then everything is black).
This blog isn't going to be exclusively about my Pan. My Pan is the core element, but this blog will also discuss motorcycling in general, road safety and anything else that links to me riding my Pan.
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