Dates For Your Diary
Next meeting is on 9th February, From 7.30pm for a 7.45pm start .
Our very own Steve Tucker continues through the development of Roadcraft; setting the scene for more to come next year.
Please note: there is no group meeting in January.
SkillShare & Social
3 Janaury 2026 meeting at the REME Cafe, Lyneham. 9.30 am for 10 am start. See main section for more details.
Bike Ride-Outs on the 3rd Saturday of every even numbered month and the 3rd Sunday of every odd numbered Month. Email will be sent out to Bikers and added to the Forum.
Next ride out Sunday 18 January will be led by Winston Castle. Details will be forthcoming via email to all bike members.
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Do you have a topic you would like discussed, or know of an interesting speaker? Please contact speaker at speakers@wiltshireroadar.co.uk |
Congratulations
Congratulations to the following members who have passed their Advanced Tests recently:
Bob Fram - Advanced Tutor retest
Please welcome the following to the Group:
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Don’t forget that we have a range of clothing available to purchase. We also offer a range of books, such as Roadcraft, Motorcycle Roadcraft and the Highway Code, and these are available at discounted prices.
For more information visit the Merchandise page of our web site |
We are always looking for more articles, ideas and news for the newsletter. Have you been somewhere interesting recently that would make a good story? If you attend any group events then take a camera and send us your pictures!
Please forward all contributions to newsletter@wiltshireroadar.co.uk |
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I had my three yearly retest early this month which I attended with due anticipation and some nervousness. I think it is good we must retest every three years so at least we do regularly check our skills and knowledge has been maintained. I had a check ride with a tutor (thanks Peter G) and did mug up on my Roadcraft and Highway Code. I had not ridden my motorbike for a while, so I was a little rusty but thankfully I managed to achieve the required standard and am cleared for another three years. Regular readers will remember me moaning there is no provision in the RoADAR training to be validated above a gold standard (we are never “perfect” even at gold standard); I have gone elsewhere for some more training which pushed me a little further than RoADAR but still used the “system”. To steal a tagline – every little helps.
Why am I mentioning this? It is incumbent on us all to at least maintain our standards and I would suggest we strive to always improve them. When driving or riding we continue to learn and to develop our skills and experience as we adjust inter alia for differing weather conditions. I trust you also keep on top of Roadcraft (for which there is a new version – I am yet to read!) and the Highway Code; these contain essential information which provide the theory we apply as we travel.
For those bikers amongst you who do not ride in the winter please remember your skills will fade a little so when you next ride please do so with even more caution and application of the “system”. (Take a read of Sean Cain’s winter storage advice below). I commend us all to seek improvement at every opportunity and the Group tutors will be happy to help you if required.
I wish you all the best for 2026 and hope you manage to fulfil any targets you have set. Please remember to promote our Group whenever you can
Happy New Year
Stay Safe
Bob
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Winter Storage: How to Keep an Eye on Your Bike
If you want to keep an eye on your motorcycle over winter, you can absolutely do it without turning the whole thing into a chore. Here’s a clean, practical system that works well for long‑term storage and gives you peace of mind.
Battery Monitoring
- Use a smart trickle charger (like an OptiMate or Oxford Oximiser).
- Many have Bluetooth so you can check battery health from your phone without going to the garage.
- Keeps the battery conditioned and avoids springtime surprises.
Security & Remote Monitoring - If your bike is stored somewhere away from home or you just want reassurance:
- A small GPS tracker with motion alerts (Monimoto, Invoxia, etc.)
- A Wi‑Fi or 4G camera pointed at the storage area
- Smart sensors for door opening or movement
- This gives you instant notifications if anything changes.
Environmental Checks - Winter can be rough on metal and electronics.
- A cheap temperature/humidity sensor helps you spot damp conditions early.
- If humidity spikes, a small dehumidifier or moisture traps can prevent corrosion.
Physical Condition Checks - Every 2–4 weeks:
- Roll the bike a little to avoid flat spots on tyres
- Quick visual check for leaks, condensation, or rodent activity
- Make sure the cover isn’t trapping moisture
Fuel & Fluids
- Keep the tank full with stabiliser to prevent rust
- Check coolant level if stored somewhere cold
- If you’re storing it for many months, consider an oil change before storage
Covering the Bike
- Use a breathable indoor cover
- Avoid plastic tarps—they trap moisture
- If the garage is dusty or shared, double up with a soft sheet underneath
Look after your bike!
Sean Caine
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December Group Meeting - A Trip down memory lane
We revisited some of the basics of Roadcraft and started with a potted history of Roadcraft itself. Started in 1934 in Hendon as part of the police training, the first Roadcraft (for cars) was published in 1955 with a follow up in 1960. The first motorcyle Roadcraft was published in 1965. Both versions have been updated signficanly since then.
A lively discussion took place with Steve reminiscing about his training in the 1970s with the Metropolitan Police, and what he considers to be the best edition of Roadcraft from around that time too. The key piece of information to take away from this, for me at least, was that Roadcraft is “Advice” and when we train/coach etc, we should remember that.
Steve Tucker
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SCOTLAND DITCH SPEED LIMIT REDUCTION
Good news for anyone travelling to Scotland later this year – I’m thinking of this year’s May trip!
Transport Scotland has announced that plans to reduce the speed limit on single carriageway roads in Scotland from 60mph to 50mph will not be taken forward.
Between November 2024 and March 2025, Transport Scotland held a public consultation as part of its National Speed Management Review (NSMR). Over 19,000 responses were received, with most respondents (77%) feeling that the current national speed limit of 60mph on single carriageway roads ‘was about right’.
Additionally, 90% of respondents did not think that a reduction in the national speed limit on single carriageway roads would address national casualty reduction targets.
However further work will be done to analyse further the impact on road casualties and journey times of a speed limit change on different standards of single carriageways.
In relation to Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) speed limits, work will be undertaken to progress steps to increase speed limits on single and dual carriageways for this vehicle type. This change aims to reduce the speed differential between HGVs and other vehicles, helping to reduce driver frustration and improve journey time reliability.
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Saturday Social
Due to popular demand, we’ve decided to change venue for our monthly Saturday Social. We are now meeting at the REME Museum Café in Lyneham.
Bring a friend and join us on the first Saturday of the month at the Wiltshire RoADAR Saturday Social.
Come and meet your fellow members; exchange notes with other associates; meet some of our tutors and pick their brains.
We usually stay chatting eating cake and drinking tea until 11 ish.
The first Saturday of the month - 09:30 - REME Museum, Calne Rd, Lyneham, Chippenham SN15 4XX
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Have you been up to anything to do with Riding or Driving lately? If so, then please let us know as we would love to include it here; photos would be great too!
Group rideout - for the Greater Good!
Bob Fram led the group ride to the Quick Shifter café, Wells – for the Greater good! (If you know, you know!)
We managed to plan this month’s ride out in a break in the very wet weather which was a bit of a relief. Normally on the December rides there is a few hardy individuals who are happy to brave the cold and wet just for an excuse to have some cake and a warming drink (insert preference here). Imagine my surprise when we left the first RV with 10 Bikes including a guest who is hoping to start their training in the new year.
We included a second RV near Devizes for those who live in the South of the county and we collected another 3 bikers here. This made the application of the drop off system essential if we were to stay together as a group and not interfere with other road users; more to follow on this!!
I was following a route on a Satnav (Beeline Moto2 for those who are asking) which took me on some roads I had not been on before (nor was I expecting to as when I previewed the route, I thought I knew where I was going). This was fine as they were nice roads with only a little winter detritus on them; then we went into Trowbridge. There was a series of roundabouts the middle of which was devoid of a safe spot to drop a marker and the Group split in two. I had five bikes with me and the other eight were on a separate route. Fortunately, I had handed out details of the destination and there were sufficient satnavs amongst the others to ensure we all arrived at the Coffee stop within a few minutes of each other.
Fine coffee and a variety of tasty treats were imbibed by all of us and there was much chat about bikes and weather! After an hour of warming up we set off on our return route (some left us for some retail therapy and a more direct route home to Salisbury) and others dropped off the back of the Group as they reached a suitable spot close to home. This meant six of us remained at the Greggs in Devizes for another brew and chat (I have to admit the coffee was not as good as Quickshifter).
A good day out and thank you all for joining me. I will rehearse my marking of routes in the future to try and keep the Group together. – continuous improvement always!
I apologise for the lack of pictures but two things: 1 I forgot to take any and. 2. You see a collection of bikes and older people enjoying brews in most issues of the newsletter anyway
Bob Fram
If you would like to lead a ride, please contact me rideouts@wiltshireroadar.co.uk
Steven Hyde
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Taking both Car and Bike tests?
We have a handful of people who have passed both their car and bike tests. If you wish to do the same it can be confusing as we include the training in your memebrship of Wiltshire RoADAR but your membership of RoSPA only covers one free retest. My thanks to Ryan Jones who calrified the situation with RoSPA.
If you are a bike member,
you can just pay for an interim car test @ £55. My main membership would
be bike (first one to pass) so "free" retest would be bike. Car retest
would be same interim @ £55.
One hopes (by extrapolation) it is the same if your intial membership is for a car - please let us know if you find any difference. (Although we know the Bike test is more expensive than the car test.)
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Roadcraft updates
October 2025 sees introductions of new versions of Roadcraft.
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IRRITATING DRIVER BEHAVIOURS
A poll of 12,014 drivers, carried out by the AA, found that a fifth (19%) of drivers are hacked off by middle lane hoggers, while one in six (16%) get annoyed at drivers picking up and using a mobile phone when they are behind the wheel.
However more than a quarter (27%) of drivers say that tailgating is the most irritating behaviour carried out by other drivers. The survey also highlights dangerous behaviours such as not wearing a seatbelt, speeding and undertaking. Drivers also get irked by drivers being distracted with things in their car such as a mobile phone docked in a cradle and playing with the car’s infotainment system.
The AA’s most irritating driver behaviours 2025:
• Tailgating – 27%
• Middle lane hogging – 19%
• Using a hand-held mobile phone – 16%
• Swooping (cutting across lanes) – 8%
• Speeding – 8%
• Littering – 6%
• Driving slowly – 5%
• Undertaking – 5%
• Drivers playing with a phone docked in a cradle – 3%
• Drivers playing with the car infotainment system – 2%
• People not wearing a seatbelt – 1%
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Promotional activities
SkillShare - returns in the new year but if you know someone who wants to learn about the Group bring them to the Saturday Social on the first Saturday of the Month at Crown's Cafe at the REME Museum in Lyneham.
Wiltshire Police BikeSafe
Successfully supported by Wiltshire RoADAR motorcycle tutors and WABAM Observers. Dates for 2026 will be released in due course:
If you have any ideas for events, then please get in touch with the committee using the committee email address :
Look forward to hearing and discussing your ideas.
Presentation material
A generic set of slides has been created for use if you are asked about Wiltshire RoADAR and have the opportunity to present. This could be at a local club, workplace etc. Please send a mail to committee@wiltshireroadar.co.uk and the slides will be sent over to you.
We also have flyers and business cards so ask for these via the same means.
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Booking a Retest
Please be aware you need to book your 3 yearly retest directly with RoSPA via their website. Sadly we cannot book it for you as it is all done electronically. You may also need to check when your re-test is due if you have not been paying your subscriptions to RoADAR as they will not remind you.
Tutors will be happy to conduct a refresh should you wish one prior to a re test.
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Membership and GDPR
Due to GDPR we are required to remove an individual's details from our Group database when they are no longer required by us. We remove a lapsed member's details if they have not paid a subscription by the 31 Dec following the AGM (3 months after the subscriptions are due). If a member has forgotten to pay their subs and pays after 31 Dec we will require a joining form to be completed so we can replace them on the database.
It all seems a bit strange, but we do not want to get on the wrong side of the Government's Information Commissioner. We understand if members forget or are late with their subscriptions, but please help us to keep our database accurate and compliant.
This is, of course, separate to those of you who maintain a membership with RoADAR HQ.
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Committee minutes
These are available from the Group Secretary if any member wishes to see them. If you are interested in reading the minutes, then please send a mail to the Group Secretary whom will promptly forward them onto you.
Test results
Reminder to let the Membership Secretary and your tutor know when you have taken your Advanced Driving/Riding Test and result. This is so our database is kept up to date; there is no need or pressure at all to have the result published on the website or in this newsletter if you wish to keep your result confidential.
If you have read this far, thanks! If you have any feedback or suggestions about content for your newsletter, then drop us a line at newsletter@wiltshireroadar.co.uk If you can't leave constructive feedback though, then we don't want to hear from you!
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