For those what don't know, the basic idea is:

Take an experienced touring road rider, a city courier, and a track racer.  Each has two days to teach the other two the tricks of the trade, enough for them to be able to pass a simple "challenge" on the teaching rider's home turf.  So they spend two days ripping up some rural roads in winter, two days learning track skills at Thruxton, and two days hooning around London, courier-stylee.

The road rider is Bob MacMillan (ex-Head of Motorcycles for Honda), the racer is Chris Walker (The Stalker) of WSB fame and the courier was a guy called Steve Manning.  Each is quite a character in his own way, and the sessions are very entertaining (warnings throughout for strong language, i.e. lots of sweary bits).  The three are judged, both as riders and as mentors of the others, by three judges: James Toseland, journalist Mark Forsyth, and biker and traffic cop Mark Owen.

I found the whole thing pretty interesting and informative.  The road riding stuff was (to me) pretty obvious, although worth saying loud and clear.  The courier stuff was just plain scary (I have never ridden in London).  But the track sessions were the bit that I enjoyed the most.  Imagine going round Thruxton, being followed by a WSB racer telling you through your headset how fast to go, where to brake, when to gas it, what line to take.  Brilliant!  It's made me really want to do a track day.

I guess the whole point is that every rider will find something on the DVD that is obvious and worthy.  But they should also find a few insights and tips from other environments which they can usefully apply in their own riding.  Runners and cyclists routinely train in other disciplines (sprint, long-distance, off-road etc) to build endurance and also broaden their general ability at the sport.  I reckon bikers should do the same.

The makers of the DVD are http://www.stordvd.com/ and you can get it for £3 including P&P.  For the cost of postage, you can borrow mine.  Well worth a look.

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2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/

The Judges were a great help to the DVD as they pointed out where they should be riding. I noted a few times that the mentor for the road riding (Ex Honda cheif blokey) made a few mistakes. Watching it once you don't notice, but the police officer pointed out that over taking another motorcyclist around the outside on a blind bend, even if you stay on your side, is dangerous. Plus going past a junction, he noted that none of them moved to the center line in case some tinbox pilot pulled out.

It is a damn good watch and you'll probably pick up on a few bits and pieces... although if you're a courier driver in London, please for the love of god don't be that mad! There's filtering... and there's filtering courier style....

Yamaha FZS 600 Fazer ... in gold! 

Ride safe, and look out for the Rainbow of Death!

^{There're only 3 kinds of people in the world, those who can count, and those that can't.}

^{Roses are red, Violets are Blue, I'm a schizophrenic ..... and so am I!}

^{Take pity on the man who invented the drawing board, when he screwed up, he had nothing to fall back on.}

^{Stuff everything, I've always got my bike.}