I'm pretty keen to get down to Preston to complete the Lancashire Ambulance Services 'First Bike on the Scene' course. I've just got dates for this year.

Let me know if anyone fancies attending - it'll mean a ride down the M6 but I think it'll be worth doing. Cost is around £59 but it'll probably involve an overnight stay.

Last year they also ran a Group Riding course which was outsourced to Harley Davidson. This course covers the legalities of group riding, planning ride-outs, group control, safety etc. and I wondered if anyone on the forum has completed a course like this, or considered it

Harley call it a 'Group Captians' training course as they refer to their group organisers in Harley clubs as 'Captains' and the principal aim is so that anyone joining Harley clubs experience a safe, enjoyable group ride-out experience.

Lancashire don't seem to be running it this year and Harley only offer it to individuals placed when Harley groups book it (just to make up numbers really).

It sounds like something I'd like to do, principally just to see if it teaches any aspect of group riding that might not be immedietaly obvious but I wondered what anyone else thought about it.

From what I can gather about this course having spoken to the organisers it's not about control in the sense of presecriptive riding for group riders but much more about group leadership aimed at organisers being able to create a safety zone around group riders in a non patronising way and to ensure overall safety for everyone involved regardless of ability.

Apparently it's a very popular course amongst Harley clubs although doubtless part of the attraction is being an 'official' Captain within their infrastructure.

I know I'm sometimes reluctant about riding in large groups of people I don't know and know how disheartening it can be for novice or slower riders turning up for a group ride-out that puts them under uncecessary pressure.

With the current tightening of legilsation it might not be long before anyone organising group ride-outs might be subjected to having some sort of training before being allowed to take groups out on organised runs - I know already it's compulsory for motorcycle tour guides - not to mention possibly being subject to litigatious processes if things should go wrong

I wonder if PBF members see such training as simply more uneccessary restrictions on enjoying motorcycling or just best practice in orgnaising group ride-outs.

I can see the argument from both angles.

if every one sticks by the rules set at the start i see no props
rach put a nice wee post up about it

The reason that the IAM's observers are under the spotlight is the new DSA post test trainers register- because - surprise surprise , it cost another couple of hundred pound for each instructor to be registered.
This may also cause issues with bike safe as it is NOT a training course - it is an observed ride - subtle but important difference.