Bikesure @ BMF 2009
After a stunning April of hot weather and high pollen counts, it was soon May.......I had been hoping for much of the same as we packed the car up and headed to the Peterborough BMF. I was wrong
Rain.........all that was forecast was rain. I really shouldn't have got my hopes up as for the last 10 years the heavens have opened on the show on now less than 8 occasions!
We didn't really need the sat nav as being based in Kings Lynn the journey took less than an hour...including a quick stop at Tescos for "refreshments"....cough, cough!
Tagging along with the me in the Bikesure posse were Jon (quote clerk), Jemma (PA and flux babe ) and Laura ( renewals staff and flux babe ). Bringing glitz, glamour and muscle to the show (and that was just the girls)
Bikesure hoodies line up for their mugshot
A quick check in at the hotel and we all convened for a couple of beers and a chat, mainly about hair, make up and clothes.........we were soon joined by the girls ( these jokes don't get any better )
Saturday morning and me and Jon arrived at the showground with Bikesure tent in hand. After doing these shows for over a year now the setting up took all of 3 minutes.
Just before the heavens opened we were joined by the girls and with laptops in hand we were up and running with quotes!
We like red
Now I know what you readers of this blog like to see and its not pictures of us working. So to rush things along I will let you know that we had a blast, sold policy's and gave out loads of freebies.
I never knew you could spend £8.50 on pic n mix but I did!
We met loads of people over the weekend and a few familiar faces. Special mention to Mo from the Bandit Owners club (of which we are the official insurer ) who kept us going with tea and coffee. Also a shout out to that BMF man who lent us the use of the buggy.....good work!
As the company are getting bigger and better, we hope to keep attending this show as many years as possible. So be sure to pop into the red tent next time your down and come say hi
Here come the girls............
The girls about to be jumped by a crazy man in pink glasses
Bandits
The less said about the last photo the better.....but what a lovely white fence!!!
Grant
Labels: Adrian Flux, babes, bikesure, BMF, funny, girls, motorbike, motorcycle, trike insurance, wr250, young rider insurance
link | posted by Bikesure Grant at Friday, May 29, 20090 comments links to this post
Grant does his CBT
Another biking virgin gets a taste of two wheels, courtesy of Bikesure. Well, we think that as a bike insurer, all our staff should understand how bikes are different from cars, and, crucially, get some experience in the saddle, so we pay for their CBT training. Here's Grant's experience, in his own words:Now i was a little nervous going into it in the first place as the only time I have ever been on a bike was on the back of a Yamaha WR250 on a field doing 90mph ( all legal of course ) about 7 years ago, so my bike experience was about as relevant as Pat Sharp's Mullet!
I pulled up to the CBT place in my car and saw the mean machine of a Suzuki GS125 that i would soon mount. We went through the pre-match run of safety and laws and so on. Stuck a helmet on and one of those ear pieces that makes me look like a bouncer, yea all 5'9" of me and a protective jacket.
Now i always had assumed that we spend the first part of the test in a playground or car park getting to know that bike and how it handles...did we....did we bugger!
Right follow me says the instructor. I'm sorry!? Follow you? What...on the road??? "How does this bloody thing work?" I asked myself, but before I knew it we were off. It was brilliant, I felt awesome, I thought I was going so fast, wind blowing, engine screaming... all that at 30mph.
Then comes our first set of traffic lights. They go red... i wait... they go green... I STALL!!
"S**t!" I said, I'm turning the keys, pressing the horn, phoning the police - everything - and then my ear piece suddenly perks up and I hear "Just press the electric start." Oh yeah.
"Right!!" I said, "I'm not stalling this time." By now, the masses of cars are behind and then a bus pulls alongside and everyone is looking. I couldn't really hide with fluorescent yellow jacket. So now I had a crowd all waiting to watch me pull off with ease (ed: To watch you what?!) So the lights go green, I rev up and dump the clutch, I swear the front wheel was about 2cm off the ground. Oh yeah! My first wheelie and the crowd in the bus went wild!!!
Next we were taken to a car park and asked to do a figure of 8. I thought I was going to fall off, but managed OK and even did an emergency stop! I thought I was the bo^*ox right now!
Anyway, 2 stalls later, we were doing 50mph down country roads I was loving it, though I did get told off for leaning into bends with my shoulder. "Lean with your hips," I was told over the airwaves, little sinister laugh!
We did a lot of town riding and kept getting cut up by taxis. Those guys!!!! That started to get annoying but our instructor was already one step ahead. I finally realised one of the best things about bikes was the ability to overtake taxis in a traffic jam. It was the best feeling ever - sad I know - but just sailing past the cars kicked ass!!
So we pulled back into the CBT place and it was over. I loved it. I really wouldnt mind getting a bike - I mean £15 for tax and a much cheaper alternative to short little trips in a car. I only have to convince "the wife" that its a good idea, but it's opened my mind a little more to the world of bikers and I liked it.
So next time you see a learner stalling at traffic lights, when you have finished laughing, spare a thought!
Be Good
Grant "ring me for a quote", "cheese on toast" Varnham
Labels: bike insurance, biker, cbt, compulsory basic training, gs125, learner bikes, learner legal, learning to ride, suzuki, wr250, yamaha
link | posted by Dave Wilson at Monday, July 16, 20073 comments links to this post