A MOTORCYCLE group is inviting bikers to learn new ‘skills for life’ after a spate of deaths on Dorset’s roads.

The Dorchester and West Dorset Advanced Motor-cyclists Group is affiliated with the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and provides advanced courses for bikers from across the county.

The group offers free lectures to riders about safety issues and regularly organises ride outs.

The main focus of the group is preparing motorcyclists for the ‘Skills for Life’ advanced motorcycling test.

Riders do one-to-one organised rides with observer instructors to teach them advanced riding techniques to keep them safe on the roads.

Techniques including looking at speed and riding position, cornering and anticipating future hazards.

Most riders undertake six to eight rides with an observer to bring them up to test standard and each ride covers 20 to 30 miles on various different roads in town and country conditions.

Group secretary Brian Purnell, who has been riding bikes for 32 years, said that safety was the top priority for the group and their main aim was to make people better bikers.

He said: “The roads can be absolutely perfect but if you don’t ride properly, it won’t help you.

“The good rider will compensate for potholes and adjust speed and position accordingly.

“It’s about being aware of your surroundings 100 per cent of the time. There’s no room for complacency when riding a bike.”

He added: “It’s about the ability to ride to the national speed limit safely, to be able to ride on country roads at 50 miles per hour and to react accordingly to hazards coming towards you. These are the things we are teaching bikers.”

Dorset’s roads are some of the most dangerous in the country for bikers, with 15 deaths last year.

The most recent casualty was 26-year-old Neil Carter, from Charminster, who died last month near Shillingstone in north Dorset.

For more information contact the Dorchester and West Dorset Advanced Motorcyclists Group on 08000 481828 or visit the website at www.dwdam.org.uk