Chief Instructor - Malcolm Palmer

Age: 43, perhaps 44, or even 45 now, soon to be 46, oh heck . . . heading for 48. . . 

Started riding:
1976. Remember the 'long hot summer of '76'? I started riding when it started raining and it felt like it didn't stop for three years . . .

Qualifications & Experience: 
Full car license Feb. 1977, full bike license Mar 1977;
Trainee instructor with RAC/ACU scheme from July1979, qualified as instructor April 1980;
BMF Proficiency Test Examiner from 1984;
Part One Test Examiner from 1984-1990;
CBT instructor 1991-1996 with NHMTS, Basingstoke and WBMT, Thatcham;
BMF Blue Riband Advanced instructor from 1988-2006;
BMF RTS Blue Riband Award National Coordinator 1989-1993;
Qualified as instructor for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (USA) 1994 (two-week course taken at a US Air Force base in the UK);
Edexcel Instructor Training as Lead Tutor 2000.

Car Skid Pan course, Thruxton
Car 'racing' experience session, Thruxton
Bike 'racing' experience session, Cadwell Park

First Prize & 'Best Instructor' at Newbury Safety Bike '84;
Second place Newbury Safety Bike '85;
Winner, 'Basingstoke Rider of the Year' 1987.

Hampshire County Council instructor training course, 11 x 2 hour evening sessions, 1980;
National Training Scheme 'Gold' course 1984;
Institute of Advanced Motorists motorcycle test 1988;
MSF Motorcycle RiderCourse 1992 (three-day 'learner' course);
MSF Experienced RiderCourse 1992 (one-day course), achieving full marks in final test ride;
Blue Riband Instructor National Assessment session, 1998;
Blue Riband Instructor riding assessment, 1998, 2002;
Edexcel/BTEC Level 3 Advanced Motorcycle Instructor qualification, 2000. Also Tutor & Assessor for the Award.

Represented the UK at the 1996 FIM Experienced Rider Training Symposium, Luxembourg; presented paper on the development of advanced rider training in the UK;

'First Aid At Work' certificate held since 1984;

Bike: BMW R850RT (following an R100RT, a K75RT, two K100RTs and a K100LT . . . boring, eh?)

Biking Philosophy:
Remember the Farmer Brown test: If it looks stupid it probably is – so don't do it.

Biking 'Pet Hate':
Sorry, but it's pizza delivery riders. I know they have a difficult job and don't get paid much – but how do they live so long?