Survival Skills Newsletter
Friday 5 February 2021
First AN ANNOUNCEMENT – if you’re not a FB fan – and I can quite understand why not – you’ll be glad to know you can now read all the latest TIPS on TUESDAY and SKILLS on SATURDAY Facebook posts over on my Ko-fi page too – I’ll be publishing them simultaneously.
As part of my continuing commitment to provide high quality better biking content to all riders regardless of the depth of their pockets, you’ll be able to read them for nowt in both locations.
They’ll remain free on FB but after 60 days I’ll be moving them to the indexed SUPPORTER content. The index will make it far easier to find an old article or simply track down something interesting – far far easier than the poor search facility on FB.
https://ko-fi.com/Blog/Post/TIPS-on-TUESDAY-SKILLS-on-SATURDAY-2021–INDEX-O5O33H347
(And feel free to share it!)
As supporter content, the price for 30 days access is just £3 – the cost of a coffee – but frankly, sixty days should give you plenty of time to read them, as well as follow up earlier posts that you might have missed from a series of linked articles.
And if you do become a supporter, you get access to ALL supporter content. Right now, there are over 300 better biking articles originally published on FB on 2014 to 2016. More are going up all the time – I’ve made a start with 2017.
The Survival Skills ko-Fi page is probably the biggest and best value RIDER SKILLS RESOURCE on the internet!
What’s happened this week on Facebook?
*** 60 SECOND SAFETY *** Don’t bite off more than you can chew
60 Second Safety is a series of short ‘Better Biking’ videos from Survival Skills Rider Training.
Passing lanes like the one to the right have two lanes in one direction. …
*** ELEVENSES LIVE *** Wed 3 Feb Jan Elevenses 110
In today’s webcast… Survival Skills Better Biking articles to be posted concurrently on FB and Ko-Fi… RST launches affordable airbag jacket… Yamaha sells off Motori Minarelli to Fantic Motor… Zero offer free charge tank with new 2020 machines… Suzuki’s 2022 Hayabusa looks like… a Hayabusa… Bad Winner Thruxton 1200 – no eye candy… and today’s better biking question – should we allow 250cc on a CBT in the UK……
*** TIPS ON TUESDAY *** ‘Essential Skills’ and bends 1
Back on Tuesday 12 January, I suggested that we use lockdown to do some thinking ahead for the time we can get back out on the bikes. I also pointed out my belief that there’s no point in teaching ‘better’ or ‘advanced’ riding skills’ until we have some understanding of how things go wrong in the first place. So I’m taking a look at the three commonest motorcycle crashes; at junctions, on bends and during overtaking.
*** NEWS *** Latest Facebook posts now on Ko-Fi!
Although I think there’s been a bit of a bounce-back in the last couple of months, I’ve noticed that page views for my SKILLS on SATURDAY and TIPS on TUESDAY posts have dropped off quite significantly in the last ten months – instead of views in the thousands, some have only recorded views in the hundreds.
I suspect this is a reflection of ‘Facebook fatigue’ during the pandemic with some people are taking a temporary break. I am…
*** ELEVENSES LIVE *** Sun 31 Jan Elevenses 109
In today’s webcast… DVLA under fire for Swansea COVID outbreak… French filtering experiment led to more accidents… Kawasaki’s timeless KLR650 re-emerges Stateside… don’t get caught by unexpected charges when ordering from Europe… a ‘bargain’ Shido Li-Fe battery – how much… filtering and lane splitting – what’s the difference – today’s Better Biking Tip…
*** SKILLS ON SATURDAY *** Dual carriageways – when to move out
I was browsing another site with some rider advice on it and found this statement: “on a dual carriageway, change lane at the appropriate moment”. Of course, that leaves as much unsaid as it explains – what IS the ‘appropriate moment’?
As so often, the answer is “it depends”. …
*** FOCUS ON FRIDAY *** Planning ahead for the end of lockdown
As we reach the end of January, many of us will have been parked up since the beginning of November. It’s almost three months since I swung a leg over my bikes. Not surprisingly, there’s increasing concern that the enforced layoff might become a contributing factor in future crashes. There’s certainly evidence from the airline industry that flight crew have experienced problems maintaining proficiency.
Some anxiety…
WHAT’S THE POINT OF THE NEWSLETTER?
Missing my posts? Despite having well over 6000 followers, page views seem to have dropped right off in the last nine months.
‘Facebook fatigue’ during the pandemic probably accounts for some of that, but you probably know it’s Facebook’s algorithms that determine just what you see on your own timeline. Even regular followers don’t get all my latest updates.
So here is the e-mail newsletter – the long-awaited replacement to the weekly ‘digest’ I ran for several years. Sign up and it’ll be delivered straight to your inbox on Fridays. Follow the links and – FB member or not – you can pick and choose what you want to read. And if you’re already on the mailing list feel free to share the newsletter onto biking family and friends.
PS – I hate spam too – and will never sell, rent, or lease your email address.
Sign up (and read previous roundups) over at:
https://survivalskills.substack.com/
Sam Annual Photo Competition
Competition Rules
Yes, it’s here again and you need to get your entries in by 12mn 31st March 2021. Use the form below to upload your entries, or send entries to sam-editor@iam-sheffield.bike. The competition winner will be notified as soon as possible after the closing date. The winner will get a choice of frames. The photo will professionally framed so that you’ll by really pleased to hang it wherever it looks best. Good luck everyone.
IMPORTANT: ALL photos MUST be motorcycle related, i.e. they must contain a motorcycle or parts of a motorcycle in any background scene of your choosing. There are 2 categories: 1. Yesteryear bikes (sepia, black &white, hair/no-hair!), 2. Bikes of Today (colour images, black & white images)
Counting Down!!
53 Days 9 Hours 0 Minutes 28 Seconds
Upload Your Fabulous Pictures Here!
Finally, the SAM Committee sends our very best wishes to all our members, their families and friends. If there is any way in which you think that the SAM Club can help to make life a little happier, or your struggles a little easier, just let us know. If it’s possible, we’ll be happy to see what we can do.
Take care and stay safe
Paul Conway
(on behalf of the SAM Committee)
Sheffield Advanced Motorcyclists
Charity no. 1089671
IAM Group no. 4152
Extra bits:
- Next SAM Committee Meeting: TBA
- Next SAM Club Night: TBA
- Gift Aid Form: Gift Aid allows UK charities to claim back the basic rate tax already paid on donations. This means we can claim back from the government on your behalf 25p for every £1 donated, boosting the value of the donation by a quarter. Use this link to fill in the form on the SAM website and send it to treasurer@iam-sheffield.bike.
- Not getting your SAM emails? If any member is NOT getting SAM Club emails, first check your junk folder, then send a request to sam-editor@iam-sheffield.bike. Pass on this message to any members who are complaining about not getting their SAM Club emails.
- Changing your email address: If you change your email address then let me know so that we can keep you informed of all the exciting things happening in your club.
- IAM RoadSmart member discounts: SAM members, are you making the most of your IAM RoadSmart membership? There are lots of discount savings that can offset your IAM RoadSmart and SAM membership fees, so grab a bargain TODAY!
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