Ride your bike with pride

A day at the Ron Haslam Race School provides much-needed motorbike guidance

When I was living in Milan six years ago I went into a scooter dealership and asked what size scooter I could buy with my British driving licence. The reply was a large grin and the words “anything you want”. Slightly bemused, and with the knowledge that I’d never ridden a bike before, I bought a Honda CBR600. Of course, I scared myself rigid within five miles. There’s nothing like an autostrada in rush hour and a 160mph motorbike to dent your confidence.

When I came back to Britain I immediately took my test, but was still way over-powered. It was only the other day when I went to Silverstone for the Ron Haslam Race School that finally it all made sense.

There are 20 ‘school’ days a year, and taking the average of 180 bikers on each, that means 3600 people a year experience some of the best one-to-one two-wheeled instruction anywhere in Europe. The race school is now in its 15th year and if you want to sort out your bike riding I cannot recommend it enough. Especially for those who began their biking careers on a 600cc Honda on a packed autostrada…

Ed Foster