the IAM

[lazarus]

I'm a member and both the annual accounts and my local group record slowly falling IAM bike membership. Yet the IAM bike groups work just like any other bike club with rideouts and events and trips, and the rideouts are "brisk" to say the least. So I'm a bit puzzled by the membership fall and I would appreciate comments from the forum

here are the questions that puzzle me:

1/ are you a member of a bike club? if not what puts you off joining one?
2/ if you are a member of a club why did you chose the one you joined?
3/ what is your image of the IAM as a club?
4/ what could the IAM do to attract you?

[jonnie_r]

I would join my local IAM which I think is TVAM but they only do it on the third Sunday in each month I think, and I have my kids every weekend on with alternate Sundays, so it makes it a real pain in the arse to sort out as I have two weekend days free every month to fit everything in.

[Paulh]

Was a member about 10 years ago, and learned a lot in doing the test. Main reason I left was the superior and blinkered attitude I found a lot of the members had to anything not in the roadcraft book unfortunately.

[HisNibbs]

1. Member of the VMCC
2. Mallory festival, the club magazine and the British Historic Motorcycle Racing Club
3. Not really considered it but if asked would say possibly "holier than thou"
4. A good magazine or electronic equivalent and local events. Insurance or similar discounts.

[Kwackerz]

1. REMBC, AFSC
2. I wanted to
3. Cliquey. Ride fast. Think theyre the bees knees.
4. Nothing. See 3.

[flatlander]

1/ are you a member of a bike club? if not what puts you off joining one?
I'm antisocial sorry that's squid... I treat this forum as the only club that would have me

2/ if you are a member of a club why did you chose the one you joined?


3/ what is your image of the IAM as a club?
didn't know it was one

4/ what could the IAM do to attract you?
make me aware its a club

[BikerGran]

I know I'm no longer riding 2 wheels but answering from my experience of the local IAM group when I was on bike....

1/ are you a member of a bike club? if not what puts you off joining one? - yes, I'm very involved with a local riding club.

2/ if you are a member of a club why did you chose the one you joined? - it was local and welcomed all sorts and ages of bike and rider.

3/ what is your image of the IAM as a club? - bloody rude!

4/ what could the IAM do to attract you? - nothing!

[D-Rider]

I'm a member and both the annual accounts and my local group record slowly falling IAM bike membership. Yet the IAM bike groups work just like any other bike club with rideouts and events and trips, and the rideouts are "brisk" to say the least. So I'm a bit puzzled by the membership fall and I would appreciate comments from the forum

here are the questions that puzzle me:

1/ are you a member of a bike club? if not what puts you off joining one?

• VJMC
  Club Aprilia
  Both of these are not typical "local" clubs but have a distributed membership

2/ if you are a member of a club why did you chose the one you joined?

• VJMC - because they are a valuable resource for when I get round to working on my 400/4
  Club Aprilia - Because they were the UK Aprilia club and they did once offer useful discounts - but now they are almost defunct
  TBH Ridersite works more like a club than the bike clubs I belong to

3/ what is your image of the IAM as a club?

• Don't really have one

4/ what could the IAM do to attract you?

• Free Bikes! - TBH, being serious, probably very little as I don't have time for doing things that "real" bike clubs do such as meeting up and having rideouts. This is especially true with the local IAM that have a large number of events on a Sunday - which clashes with church

[bert]

1/ are you a member of a bike club? if not what puts you off joining one?---- Nothing puts me off just that nothing grips me about a club.
2/ if you are a member of a club why did you chose the one you joined?---- see above
3/ what is your image of the IAM as a club? -----I always treated it as a training group to improve my riding rather then a club.
4/ what could the IAM do to attract you? ------Better advertising of the bentifits of membership not just the skills & insurance drop but any events/ track days.

[Dalemac]

http://youtu.be/I3WKChM-Wj0?t=1m50s

[lazarus]

Thanks for the replies. Lots of different points but there seems to be a theme of "visibility" ie people not knowing what tha IAM do. Maybe I can clarify a bit.

There really are two sides to the IAM for bikers. One is the training side based on the Roadcraft police manual. The other is a simple bike club much the same as any other. I'm a born again and when I returned to biking after the layoff when I raised a family, I thought it sense to get some re-training and picked on the IAM. I had an image of fluorescent sam browne belts and old guys on BMWs and thats not totally unrepresentative. What I didnt expect was both the fun and the challenge of the training. We all think we are gods gift when it comes to riding skill but I found that I enjoyed my riding way more after the training and test and whats more was faster A to B . There was no piousness or preaching in my group - it was all focussed on skill to ride safely and "make progress".

The second part is the club. Yes all the normal things of bike clubs with perhaps the exception of rallies. Discounts on insurance, bike kit, holidays etc. Group rides both weekday evening and weekend, winter talks, group tours etc. The other members are all life long bikers often with 3 or 4 machines, some vintage / classic stuff, loyts of BMWs but also Honda, Triumph , Guzzi and even Harley. All the usual laughter, pi55 taking that you would expect. A number of ex plod bikers and as you can imagione they dont hang about.

I admit to being an inveterate club joiner - member of three different yacht clubs for example. But my IAM group doesnt seem to be subject to the same politicking that goes on in the sailing clubs. A very friendly bunch.

Why not give your local branch a ring and maybe join them for a ride to see what you think. you dont have to take it any further but you might. http://www.iam.org.uk/iam-groups/iam-gr ... ory/search

[Paulh]

Thanks for the replies. Lots of different points but there seems to be a theme of "visibility" ie people not knowing what tha IAM do.

The main theme I'm seeing is one of their attitude - either percieved or experienced

[lazarus]

maybe. but you arent going to change the minds of people who have already decided against, be it experience or prejudice. for the open minded ones, there is a visibility issue.

[bigun]

I'd thought about joining my local club and doing the test (more experience and to say I'd done it) but the thing putting me off is the up front £120 ish I think it was. I could join a local club for free if I wanted to ride in groups (I don't these days to be honest) and if I wanted training, I can do it with my local BikeWise (run by Lincolnshire Police) for £40 which as well as being cheaper is arguably better. It used to be IAM was good for the insurance discount but BikeWise attracts the same these days I believe.

That's my experience, I don't care about the clique (what is the clique, mid 50's rider, greying slightly riding a BMW tourer which apparently is just as fast as anything else (bollocks)?)I know I can ride competently enough, its cost that put me off.

Paul

[Aladinsaneuk]

The police book is excellent

The iam members I have met have been good chaps in the main

Tbh ridersite ticks most of the club needs I have

(I even tried to get us into 1000 bikes festival as a club... )