Training courses: First aid, survival, motorcycle maintenance
 

I've been wanting to educate myself on skills that might come in handy in a long trip...

1. Motorbike Maintenance - an example course (in London, UK) is: Hammersmith And Fulham Adult Education Service http://london.floodlight.co.uk/londo...urse-info.html or http://tinyurl.com/p7q3ut but unfortunately there are no classes scheduled for anytime soon.
   
2. First aid - an example, for which I've signed up already, is St. John Ambulance's "Emergency aid for motorcyclists": http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/training-c...rcyclists.aspx
   
3. A wilderness survival course that teaches one how to build shelter, find water in the wild etc
   
4. An off-road riding course (for heavy bikes). Sure, I once roamed the mountains with a KDX 200 but that was unbreakable and light. My Vstrom enjoys neither of these two virtues.

So, what experiences have people had with training courses (preferably in the UK) for the above skills? I'd like to see a list with training providers and their offerings.

In case this is already covered somewhere in HU, please point me to the right direction.

Thanks

Alexandros

Motorcycle maintenance - I drew a blank on this when I was in the UK.
An online alternative - Motorcycle Repair Course

Off road - Off Road Skills

Can't help on the other things I'm afraid.

Thanks Hustler

The Off Road Skills people also do an "adventure maintenance" course: http://www.offroadskills.com/courses...re-maintenance

Hope it's not BMW-only, will check it out and let you know.

First Aid and Survival
 

For a survival course I cant recommend survival bushcraft enough. I did a weekend course in South Wales last year and found it really useful, the guy are friendly and experienced and have loads of stories. They have a few sites across england and do some expeditions abroad. I went to Bardufoss in Northern Norway for a winter expedition with them in January. It gives you a lot more confidence when your out and about.

I did a standard certificated course with the British Red Cross, its quite long at 4 days but only costs £80. I found the instructors flexible and as i had brought my motorbike helmet we did a few exercises on removing helmets and moving people with suspected spinal injuries as well as all the normal bleeding, heart attacks etc.

Cant help on the others I'm afraid.

Unfortunately it is... called them today and they (quite reasonably, to be honest) said they do all maintenance training on BMWs and no, I could not bring my own bike.

I did book an off-road riding skills course though. Not cheap at all (£450), but two days of professional training with a heavy enduro (F800 GS) should save me a lot of agony/grief in the near future.

@fb133: A 4-day course! Wow - the St. John Ambulance "Emergency aid for motorcyclists" is hardly 4 hours! (and costs £48)

Thanks for the bushcraft link, will check it out.

Unfortunately I just got a phonecall from St. John Ambulance to say the "First Aid for Motorcyclists" course of July has been cancelled. Too few takers... To be precise, I was the only one registered! :(

Any other ideas on first aid training courses for motorcycle travellers in the UK?

I can't recommend the motorcycle mechanics course at Merton enough

Merton College | Course Information |

Absolutely fantastic course - a few of us have done it - both on here and on londonbikers.com and come out of it much more knowledgeable than when we started.

Read this:

http://londonbikers.com/article.aspx...6038&rewrite=1

from one of the guys I did the course with.

m

+1 for the Merton course. I'm just coming to the end of the 20 week 'practical motorcycle mechanics' course. It's a 2 hour class one evening per week, and has really been helpful. I'm now able to most of the things i'd ever need to do if i had any of the more common problems, and also have the confidence to do bigger jobs with a manual.

Merton also do an advanced course but i think you can only do it once you've completed the basic course.

I've got a mate doing an evening course at Lambeth college but it's alot more intensive (twice a week) and runs over the year at the end of which you're qualified bike mechanic (NVQ i think).

As for the survival course, I'm not sure how necessary it is (take a tent and carry plent of water), but there are plenty of books available on the subject.

Good luck!

trail quest off-road and expedition training
 

I have just booked a day training with trail quest.(http://www.trailquest.org.uk/)/ I will do one day in september and probably 1 or 2 days with my travel bike, next year, before I go on my next big trip.

They can design the course in function of your requirements.

I will post a review here once I've done the 1st course.

By the way I also recommend Merton college Mechanics courses. Good teachers & fantastitic facilities...


Cheers,

NVQ is ONLY by on-the-job assessment by an qualified NVQ assessor, therefore you must be in suitable full-time employment to get it.

The highest level you can do without a job in the trade is C&G L2 which is the VRQ Technical Certicate only and is typically 6 hours x 3 days a week for a year, nearly as many hours in a week as Merton's "advanced" course does in a year. L2 is generally considered the absolute minimum you need to START an apprenticeship but you will still struggle to find employment with that alone. Assuming you can find employment and it's effectively closed shop anyway, that qualification would enable you to do C&G L3 Technical Certificate on day release which you'll combine with NVQ 2 & 3 which must be assessed at your workplace. After completion and if your employer is a franchised dealer, only then will they send you on model specific training courses.

The evening courses being discussed here aren't even recognised VRQ level and are the basics for owner/riders. Merton and others run IMI/C&G recognised courses in addition for a reason. I've been watching some of these discussions on bike maintenance and to be honest, it's insulting that certain people here think they are dealer technician level, just by doing a couple of 20 hour courses. I've done evening classes in vehicle paint & body, included so-called advanced level, but I'm not naive enough to suggest my skills are anywhere near good enough to compare with a time-served painter.

In case you're wondering, I'm a mechanic for a dealer/rider training school. I have discussed with my employers, the possibility of running an entry-level maintenance course. Unfortunately, the public liability issues means it's something they don't want to take on.

intensive courses
 

i've been looking into motorbike maintainance courses and can only find evening classes at the moment.. but does anyone know of an intensive weekend or couple of days course anywhere in the UK? i'm living in berlin at the moment and not speaking much of the lingo so far easier to nip home at some point and take one of these. i'm quite new to biking so looking to start from the basics.

all tips appreciated and repaid with beer if you're passing thru germany

The one at Merton College is excellent as previously mentioned by others. Its now called South London College Merton Campus (or something similar) but its at the same place. Very good basics upwards, good facilities, I learned heaps but if I were to do it again, I would have got hold of something to practice on as my Fazer was then still under warranty and not for fiddling with. But I now have a stable of broken bikes, all in need of fixing!

Belle :thumbup1:

thanks a lot belle it looks like a great place.. wish i could do that 10 week course.. aaah.. one day eh

i found this one on the net today, 9-4 saturday and sunday for 96 quid, has anyone done it..? i sent them a mail to ask about dates. could be perfect although possibly problematical to bring my own bike back to work on.

Motorcycle Maintenance Information, suggestions and course information | Bike Smart Sussex