Club News and Views

This is my first “From the Saddle” article since being elected as Chief Observer by the membership at the AGM. […]

Well, here I am with a new job – TVAM Chair! (gulp). As I write this, it’s only my second […]

Happy New Year everyone! Is it just me or did 2023 simply shoot by? It seems fitting that my last […]

I’m writing my piece this month having just returned from Wokingham where I have been moving our stored items from […]

October is a significant month for TVAM. It marks the end of our financial year, so a time to reflect […]

Autumn has officially arrived although with the amount of rain we’ve had over the last couple of months it’s getting […]

After a blistering June, July has not been much to write home about. Nonetheless, I hope that you’ve managed to […]

As I start writing this piece, I’m checking the weather forecast for the weekend ahead. The BBC weather app is […]

Finally, a spell of summer sunshine. I hope you’ve all been out on your motorcycles making the most of it. […]

Having read Nick Tasker’s  review of the triumph Tiger 900 GTPro I thought it might be useful to respond from […]

7Ws through the eyes of some participants An Observer – Carl Flint I could not help overhearing a conversation at […]

I’m writing this piece at a really busy time for the Club, with the riding season really getting off to […]

While the big 1200cc Tiger is Triumph’s bike of the moment, the brand’s smaller 900cc adventure bike continues to get […]

As I write this the first shoots of Spring seem to be struggling with a chill wind blowing down from […]

I had the great pleasure of taking part in the Castle Combe track/road skills day in September 2022. I was […]

I finally committed myself into taking up biking 10 years ago knowing that it was now or never. Some 30 […]

I always find the start of the year strange, in that it seems to take us forever to get through […]

The big Tiger is back, with the GS in its sights… Ever convince yourself that a bike is perfect, even […]

Thanks to TVAM training. Like many of us at TVAM, I stopped biking in my twenties as family and work […]

This is my first “From the Saddle” article. It’s a great privileged to have been elected as Chief Observer at […]

The BMW R1250GS. On paper, and according to sales figures, the ultimate do-it-all motorcycle. So loyal is its following that […]

A few tales from those that attended our Associate training weekend I joined TVAM in November ‘21 and started working […]

I’d like to start my piece this month by wishing you all a Happy New Year and I do hope […]

Adventures on a Norton Commando Part 2: Continental Tour – the hard way round Story so far: Back in the […]

All the Ukrainian names have been changed. I deliberated about keeping original names. The Ukrainians I met deserve to be […]

This will be my last “From the Saddle” article for Slipstream, as I’ll be standing down as Chief Observer at […]

Adventures on a Norton Commando Part 1: Lessons Learned? One morning in the summer of 1970 I was head-down at […]

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and chatting to members from TVAM in one place that was not just for the morning […]

Following trips to the Sahara and through the countries at the side of the Adriatic to Athens, where could we […]

It’s hard to believe that we have arrived at October already. The year just seems to have flown by and […]

Well anyone under 5’6” will probably recognise this – you sit on a prospective new bike and it feels great […]

The Training Team recently placed an article in Slipstream offering TVAM members the opportunity to have an Advanced Plus Ride […]

Keith’s Isle of Wight Annual Run 24th July 2022. 24 bikes and riders, (should have been 25 but one illness […]

I woke up bright and enthusiastic to a sunny day – Castle Combe Skills day…. yippee! I’d opted to stay […]

Well, we announced the return of the Look Lean Roll course at our new venue at RAF Benson, and within […]

A couple of years ago (thanks to lockdown) I came back to biking after an absence of about 35 years, […]

Speaking to fellow bikers, mine is not an unusual tale, but I hope it will bear telling all the same. […]

The Why There are so many motorcycle riders out there, and there are also as many different mixed reasons as […]

As an Associate, you will have heard your Observer say ‘ride for yourself’ on many occasions and always before you […]

Aardvark – What on earth can that possibly be? Well having just completed my 5th Aardvark, I still can’t get […]

Breathtaking Scotland In April this year and after much planning, Kimberley and I spent ten fantastic days in Scotland, riding […]

Friday 22nd April 07:30 Jez leaves the house (in Woking) trying not to wake his wife. He does not succeed. […]

So here I am at stupid o’clock in the morning – couldn’t sleep in following my return from the Isle […]

I’m writing this just prior to the Observer Weekend where, as well as riding some great roads in Wales, we’re […]

It occurred to me that I had never been to Wales in all these years without “working” in some way; […]

FEELING BLESSED 3Rs – a pared down version of 7Ws in name only. I can’t actually remember what any of […]

The BMW S1000XR was a bit of a Marmite machine when it was first launched back in 2014. The first […]

I’m writing this having just returned from an amazing weekend away in Wales with the Club. We re-launched 3Rs as […]

The Associate – by Joey Buttfield It’s Friday 8th April and the 8am breakfast rendezvous point is The Wandering Kitchen […]

The improvement in weather over the last month or two has seen a welcome increase in our riding activities – […]

You might have seen the post in groups.io back in late August “For sale Kawasaki 650 Versys one careful owner.” […]

I’m sorry that I was not able to be at St Crispin’s in March. Hev and I were in the […]

The “perfect” motorcycle does not exist. This is largely because every rider is different, as is every ride. Break things […]

I’m writing this at the end of February, when the formal restrictions around Covid-19 have just been relaxed. Of course, […]

Most people think that a motorcycle trip requires time, planning, and the right bike. Most people think it requires warm, […]

I’m writing this after arriving home from leading Barrie’s Bimble to the Haven Café, Salisbury. I found out on Monday […]

1320 motorcycles and 339 pillions (clicked by Richard Clauson at Shute End Wokingham. >160 marshals under the direction of Corinne […]

Until Covid-19 put paid to the expo season last year I hadn’t missed a single Motorcycle Live since I first […]

And Happy New Year to everyone. Firstly, I’d like to remind everyone that our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be […]

Hi everyone With the recent change in government guidelines to ‘Plan B’, the increasing concern over the rising number of […]

Do you, like us, love motorcycling and, equally, want to help tackle climate change? How would it feel to know […]

As the world focuses on COP26, we now have two member-led initiatives to help Club members offset the carbon footprint […]

05:40, Sunday 26th September 2021. Not exactly the best time for an alarm to go off. But it did and […]

In 2009 Nathan Millward spent nine months riding a Honda CT110 all the way from Sydney, Australia to London, England. […]

It was great to see the photographs, the article by Brian Walmsley and the quotes from the attendees of the […]

… following our Editor I had booked this cottage during lockdown, planning on joining a walking holiday around the North […]

…and what a weekend it was. Starburst Ride Saturday Associates – Brian Walmsley & Pierre Louw Observers – Chris Brownlee […]

This was the first of two TVAM exclusive trail riding weekends in mid-Wales with Steph Jeavon’s off-road school “Moto Junkies” […]

Many of you will know Rapid Training as a provider of advanced motorcycle riding and that we have had a […]

Part Seven – Close and I’m having the cigar anyway! I can’t believe that 3 months have gone by. Apologies […]

Part two of the tale of my trip around the renowned North Coast 500 on a Burgman with a mate […]

As a new member from end of last year, I’m in my fourth life on two wheels after some fairly […]

It all started when I bought a KTM RC8R a few weeks ago. I’d owned one years ago and always […]

Wow, is it September already? Summer appeared short-lived, and it does seem that when going out for a ride I […]

Some of the longer in the tooth members may remember me, probably most of you have no idea of who […]

I first presented my thoughts to the TVAM committee at the end of 2020 on how we as motorcyclists could […]

I may have retired, but I refuse to lay down and expire. It seems I am also lucky enough to […]

Well, the Covid-19 government restrictions have been lifted in England, for the time being at least. We are, therefore, planning […]

Throughout the day we had seven 10-minute sessions on the Castle Combe track; three pre-lunch and four post the one […]

After eight years, my 40,000-mile Triumph Street Triple R has gone to a new home. The pandemic didn’t help, but […]

Until a couple of weeks ago, I had been looking forward to welcoming you all back to St Crispin’s this […]

Part Six – It’s Starting to look like a Motorbike! Last we spoke the bike was slowly starting to come […]

I’ve owned and ridden several motorcycles over my 30 years of riding, and like many of us have not had […]

Are you taking the piste? The following morning it was cold but dry so after plenty of coffee and a […]

As I write this, at the beginning of June, social rides and outdoor team meetings are being organised for groups […]

Part Five – Two Steps Forward, One Step Back If anyone ever tells you that restoring a classic motorbike is […]

How it all came about As explained in the February issue 2021 our ultimate plan was a big trip to […]

The last 12 months have been incredibly difficult for all of us, with most of us unable to meet with […]

Part Four- Things Start to Come Together Blimey, has another month gone already? Time flies when you’re having fun. I […]

As long-time readers of mine will know, I have…opinions…about motorcycle dealerships. I like to think that they are informed and […]

I’m writing this just as we take the first step on the government ‘route map’ out of lockdown. Step 1, […]

What could go wrong indeed… Dave had spotted us riding through Idilevo, straight past the entrance to MotoCamp and turn […]

With the light at the end of the tunnel looking more like it is daylight, rather than something else coming […]

Part Three – The Expensive Bit First things first – I’m still here to carry on. I was in the […]

Welcome to my first ‘From The Chair’ piece. As I take over the reins from Andy Slater, I’d like to […]

It was dusk when we rode into Idilevo after a long day’s ride which had started in Romania. There were […]

This month Nick Tasker reviews the other Italian bikes that warrant some page space, along with the rest of the […]

Part Two – The Stripdown So, where did we leave it last month? Oh yes, me standing in front of […]

Hi everyone Well, we’re still in lockdown but the success of the vaccination programme is a brightening light on the […]

Part One – How it all Began Firstly, let’s get the introductions out of the way. My name is Jon […]

During the national lockdown and with the various regional tier restrictions that followed, it has given us all a bit […]

The Round Britain Rally is an annual event that normally runs from the beginning of April to the end of […]

How long does a website last? In the case of TVAM’s nearly 10 years! Though continuously developed and tweaked, even […]

So, 2020 is finally over. I don’t think there has ever been a year that so many people all over […]

Welcome to 2021 and let’s hope we get more riding in during the coming season than we did last year! […]

It goes without saying that 2020 has not exactly been the year for international travel, with or without a motorcycle. […]

Are motorcycles finally ready to embrace electric motors? 2020 will be remembered for a lot of (mostly terrible) things, but […]

I’m writing this as we’ve just moved out of our lockdown status and into the current Tier arrangement. Most of […]

New look for an established name. Triumph’s middleweight for Spring 2021. This is the first look at the full features […]

We all know that 2020 has been a very different year and the AGM is no different. As TVAM’s financial […]

I’d had my Suzuki SV650N for 8 years and it was time for a change. I now own a KTM […]

On 12th September 2020, Stef Bellon, Hev & Barrie Smith (me ) took part in the National Road Rally (NRR). Stef […]

For some, November signals the last few weeks of the biking season.  However, putting the clocks back at the end […]

The official TVAM discussion group for women members. In September we finally started to get some runs going that I […]

An absolute winner on paper; can the reality live up to my expectations? Now here is a bike I’ve been […]

Can Kawasaki’s updated Sports-Touring stalwart win over a V-Strom fanboy? Kawasaki’s Z1000SX has been a best-seller for the brand ever […]

Hi everyone I guess we ought to get the latest Covid-19 government guideline/rule update out of the way! The most […]

I suspect the answer to that question is different for every new associate that signs up. Some need the qualification […]

Wednesday 13th – Sunday 17th October 2021 The Diamond Races is an all-new motorcycle road racing festival, featuring some of […]

How much does a modern motorcycle cost? As with perennial questions regarding the length of a piece of string, the […]

Hi everyone This year has probably been the most challenging for the Club since our foundation 22 years ago. The […]

ccidents – Those things that only happen to other people – hopefully. But if you do come across one be aware […]

Hi everyone, and welcome to another Covid-19-government-guideline-friendly Slipstream! Whilst there have been some adjustments to the government guidelines for Covid-19, […]

With the global economy about to swan-dive into depths not seen for more than a century and many European governments […]

There are a lot of motorcycles that, on paper, look perfect. Ride enough bikes and apply a little critical thinking […]

Looked but FAILED TO SEE! Last time out I began explaining how in around one-third of all collisions, the bike […]

What does the ‘New Normal’ look like as lockdown restrictions are relaxed? Well, as a biker you’d think our PPE […]

Looked but FAILED TO SEE! The most common collision between a motorcycle and another vehicle happens at a junction, when […]

Well, at least this month we can accurately call this piece ‘from the saddle’ once more. I hope that you’ve […]

Impractical, too small, no wind protection…a perfect all-round motorcycle? Has it really been six years? My RoadTrip report reckons so. […]

I’m not so sure how many of you read the small print at the back of Slipstream, but you may […]

The next morning our departure was delayed due to lots of local families wanting to speak English and have their […]

‘RIDE BRIGHT’ or ‘THINK BIKE’ success? I’ve made a start on what the Science Of Being Seen – both the […]

In the March edition of Slipstream I wrote “It’s always dangerous, …to look forward to the start of the new […]

Having spent a lazy summer swanning around the Cotswolds, John Stevenson was getting bored. Patrick White, who was recovering from […]

How many of you have ever actually looked at the section of your bike’s owner’s manual titled “Service schedule”? At […]

SMIDSY – there’s more than one driver error Thanks to decades of ‘Think Bike’ style campaigns which in essence tell drivers […]

Quite a milestone in our history. We are very glad to welcome Keith to our club and know that he […]

Although this article from me every other month is titled ‘From the Saddle,’ it appears that it may be some […]

It was with great sadness that we learnt over the Easter weekend that Sir Stirling Moss, President of our Club […]

  Looked but Could Not See In the moments leading up to a SMIDSY, we can usually see the car. […]

A family relative recently advised me that they would be cancelling their subscription to a mainstream motorcycle magazine, commenting that […]

Turns out an oversized scooter makes an excellent two-up touring bike. While I ride some motorcycles purely out of a […]

It’s always dangerous, when writing for the March Slipstream edition, to look forward to the start of the new riding […]

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ve probably heard of ‘Biker Down’. It’s an accident scene management and first aid […]

On the recommendation of Neil Kerr and others, and with some trepidation, we entered our 1934 Lion 600 outfit for […]

It’s only been a month since the Annual General Meeting in January. It was great to see so many of […]

Triumph has been around since 1902. In its heyday the company was one of the world’s most successful motorcycle brands, […]

Aragon MotoGP 2019 Tour About a year ago a few biker friends and I were kicking around ideas for a […]

As we reach the end of the decade and another season packed with motorcycle shows has wrapped up it’s worth […]

Happy New Year everyone As I sit here writing this just before Christmas it’s tempting to look forward to the […]

(Nobody said it would be a holiday!) by Dani Fiddaman and Steph Jeavons Hold My Beer! Two years ago, as […]

In my last “from the saddle” piece in September I mentioned that we were planning to trial a weekend of […]

and how about adding the wet! First Time Run Leader – Mark Melbourne The email arrived announcing the 39th 7Ws, and […]

  Many of us have spent time in the Picos Mountains in Northern Spain this summer – and you can […]

Motorcyclists, on average, own more than one motorcycle. Only truly hardcore automotive enthusiasts own more than one car, the financial […]

Roger was a regular at 7Ws   40 winks in the bar at the Commodore. We recently saw the loss […]

Until a few years ago, I had absolutely no interest in bikes. My only experience was riding my Dad’s old […]

Changing the framework of your mind! Elspeth Beard, you may have come to see her at the TVAM Seminar on […]

I’ve just got back from the last IAM Track Skills Day of the year which was held at Thruxton. It […]

Sausage Fest & Slow Riding 2019 A wet and windy morning at St. Crispin’s fortunately gave way to a warm […]

  So having dashed off a few lines about riding before, I wondered how hard it could be to write […]

Chasing the Sun, G310 Charity Fun for Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance The Saddlesore 1000 mile in 24 hour Challenge […]

The weekend of the 9-11th August saw 30 riders and 1 pillion head to Ross-on-Wye for a superb weekend, staying […]

Hi everyone One of the key activities of the club is the training we carry out to enable our Associates […]

One of the most rewarding moments of being an Observer is when, at the end of a ride, your Associate […]

We all have a motorbike story/journey to tell. Mine started in 1992 as an 11-year old going to secondary school […]

A few weeks back, while planning my 7Ws routes and uploading to my SatNav 6, the screen went black and […]

  A trip to the Norton factory meant arriving early at Beaconsfield Services for a full English – Norton’s surely […]

Top Tips for First-Time Travellers Since returning from a European motorcycling adventure last year, I’ve been trying to figure out […]

 Make sure all your helmet vents are open. The forehead is a major site of sweat glands (along with hands […]

Well, despite the discouraging forecast, 8 hardy souls set out from the H Café in the drizzle to brave the […]

I hope you’re all enjoying the summer weather and making the most of the runs and trips available. As I […]

Riding our bikes has to be fun and exciting. After all it gives us a sense of freedom, power, and […]

The Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum is probably “one of the premier bike museums in the country in terms of the […]

It seemed like a good idea at the time, volunteering to help man the TVAM stand at the MCN Festival […]

Say Cheese!  Maybe a little bit of Wensleydale?   Fantastic roads & scenery. Perfect amount of stops. The group I […]

It’s safe to say that Triumph and I have had our differences over the years. My 2013 Street Triple R […]

I have been riding Triumph Tigers of various descriptions for 25 years. I have covered many thousands of miles on […]

It’s been a little while since I test-rode any new motorcycles as part of my search for a comfortable, relaxing, […]

Well, the weather is certainly improving, the run calendar is filling up and we’re all able to take advantage of […]

BMW R1250GS Review Henry Ford is said to have opined that, should he have asked people what they wanted from […]

Those of you who have been following this mini-series will have discovered that while mid-capacity scooters tick a lot of […]

Last year the club ran the RideUP Scheme again. This is where we pay for young riders (under 30 years […]

For years I’ve been hearing New Zealand’s a wonderful place to ride, I’ve got a standing invite from an old […]

Feet-forward riding position? Low-speed comfort, lockable luggage and epic fuel range? Surely there can be but one solution – a […]

The record temperatures this February encouraged a lot of bikes out on to the road. At H Café on Sunday […]

Well it was January’s St Crispin’s and nearly 100 members had gathered in the lecture theatre for the Club’s AGM. For […]

Do expectations always deliver? And just what is the true potential of the new Yamaha Tracer 900GT? Keith Yallop reports […]

It may come as no surprise to many of you that not everyone wants to ride everywhere as fast as […]

The usual winter time discussion over a beer: where can we go this year that would be memorable and that […]

Continuing Nick Tasker’s review of the Motorcycle Live event held last November at the NEC… Ducati We had all the […]

Happy New Year! It doesn’t seem as if it was a year ago that I was elected to the role […]

Remember when the Dacia Sandero launched in the UK? It made a big splash in the automotive press and even […]

Christmas cheer for the kids of Barnardo’s 1,528 motorcycles with 447 pillions attended the Reading Toy Run this year. The […]

This is one of a series of articles on advanced riding techniques that appears in the Club’s monthly magazine, Slipstream. […]

TVAM will again be supporting the Reading Toy Run this coming weekend with many of the Marshals being Club members. […]

As we approach the end of the year I thought I’d take a moment to look back over the highlights […]

One Year after joining TVAM, I find myself heading North with thirty-odd, like- minded souls for a 3Rs adventure in […]

Due to some unforeseen circumstances in my working life, I’m afraid that I need to step down as leader of […]

Continuing our Rider’s Rides! Each month we feature a TVAM member and their bike, talk about why they chose that […]

TVAM 3Rs – Up North Edition, October 2018 As summer began to fade into memory and autumn took hold, 30 […]

A short time ago, my husband returned from his first training trip to Wales. He raved about it so much, […]

Several Members of TVAM assisted in the running of the Slough Half Marathon on the 14th October. The race was […]

Intermot, the Cologne International Motorcycle Show, has one key difference when compared to the other European bike shows – it […]

The second trip for the 3Rs team took a group of 30 TVAM members to the Yorkshire Dales over the […]

I’m writing this having just returned from a weekend riding in Wales on the 7Ws trip. There’s something very different […]

The New Evolution Three wheels has always been an acquired taste, but I have never come across such a biased […]

Continuing our Rider’s Rides! Each month we feature a TVAM member and their bike, talk about why they chose that […]

The theme this year was “A Time to Remember”, in honour of those who lost their lives in the Great […]

During the very first NEC motorcycle show I attended after bringing home my shiny new Triumph Street Triple R, my […]

We have had no coffee and food stops for a while – so must be time to consult TVAM’s coffee […]

My dear wife Helen won a raffle prize at a fundraising dinner early this year – a pillion lap with […]

It really was a glorious 7Ws #37 over the weekend 28th – 30th September in sunny Wales. Much was learnt […]

August’s monthly meeting at St Crispin’s was followed by the Slow Riding and Sausage Fest in the afternoon. The sun […]

Most of us love a bit of Facebook scrolling and Brian is no exception so, when he said he’d found […]

I’d been looking forward to my Welsh trip (led by Dave Parsons) since I’d booked it and, as with most […]

Sausage Fest & Slow Riding 2018 And what an enjoyable afternoon – great food and many excellent examples of controlled […]

You don’t see many wheelchairs at TVAM. “Thank goodness,” I hear you say. However, there was a very visible one […]

When do motorcycle riders have to take an MOT? Well, never. Unless you reach a certain age or have a […]

For those who ventured forth it was a superb few days of fun, good company, perfect hosting by Landhaus Müllenborn, […]

Each month we’re going to feature a TVAM member and their bike, talk about why they chose that model, what […]

I visited The Bike Experience yesterday. They’re a charity that helps to get disabled riders back on a bike again. […]

TVAM held their Sizzling Sausage Slow Riding Social afternoon on August 19th in blazing sunshine after the regular St Crispin’s […]

Continuing with our Rider’s Rides feature after a break. Here we feature a TVAM member and their bike, talk about […]

I think many of us have pushed beyond our borders to explore Europe. Out there await wide, open stretches of […]

As I write this, the sun is streaming down with the forecast set to be fine for the next week, […]

I hope that you’re all making the most of this much better weather, after such a poor start to the […]

As an Observer you know when your Associates have really ‘graduated’ to become Advanced Riders when they start doing things […]

Who said January and February were the quietest months for bikers? It seems the mild weather has made riding a […]

It with great sadness that Thames Vale Advanced Motorcyclists have to report that David Jacobi, Chairman of TVAM until last […]

Steve Parrish, ex motorcycle and truck racer, former team mate to Barry Sheene and now TV presenter has agreed to […]

The Summer of ’17 How subtle the change in weather is. Through balmy June, July and August we get used […]

Many of us have breakdown cover to deal with those situations when things don’t go quite as planned. Most of […]

That was the month that was, which is a vague reference to the political satire programme of the 60’s hosted […]

By tradition, the summer months are the busiest in the riding calendar. Trips to the coast, ferries to far-off places […]

Chair of TVAM, Andy Slater, was a guest on the Anne Diamond morning show this morning. He spoke about the differences of riding a bike in the UK from on the continent and about how we teach advanced riding skills to keep bikers safe, particularly on rural roads.

Hi all, it’s been a busy month at TVAM with the annual Observer Weekend in Wales where we had 57 […]

Chair of TVAM, Andy Slater, was a guest on the Anne Diamond morning show this morning. He spoke about the differences of riding a bike in the UK from on the continent and about how we teach advanced riding skills to keep bikers safe, particularly on rural roads.

I’ve been really lucky this last three weeks having been on a road trip around the western region of the […]

I would like to open this month by thanking those of you that attended the March AGM and gave me […]

Well, I guess it wasn’t really a surprise that I found myself appointed Chairman at the end of the AGM […]

Lois came to speak to TVAM on Wednesday 12th April in her usual ebullient manner and gave us a very […]

This month we have Oliver King, one of our RideUp candidates, and his shiny red Yamaha. So Oliver, what make […]

January can be bleak in England, so in pursuit of fun and sun I flew to southern Spain. I have […]

With Spring just around the corner, TVAM is gearing up for another busy biking season. 7Ws is already oversubscribed, so […]

It’s a Sunday morning in early November when everything’s suddenly tinged sharp white and it’s official – summer’s gone. The […]

Welcome to Rider’s Rides! Each month we’ll feature a TVAM member and their bike, talk about why they chose that […]

The London Motorcycle Show is the one I almost never think I’ll attend. Coming just a couple of short months […]

The sun was (nearly) shining on Sunday for the February St. Crispin’s meeting but the warmer weather brought members out, […]

Introducing a new feature here in Slipstream: Rider’s Rides! Each month we’re going to feature a TVAM member and their […]

A few years ago I found myself commuting about an hour each way through the winter and, as the weather […]

Last November I sat down with my Associate for a run debrief over a cup of tea in the Fox […]

It seems that the world is changing faster than we think. With technology in electric vehicles constantly getting better, owning […]

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all enjoyed the festive season and are looking forward to a new biking […]

On Wednesday evening, over 70 Associates, Full Members, TOb’s, Observers and even a prospective member, crammed into a small meeting […]

Published: 27 November 2016 in MCN By Alison Silcox Office manager and centre of the MCN universe What a cracking […]

Some time ago, I had the pleasure of joining a Mark Spittles’ group run through the New Forest. It was […]

Another year, another Motorcycle Live – the final of the big three European winter bike shows, and the one most […]

  Alison Silcox claims to be the centre of the MCN universe as she’s the office manager and also a regular […]

I just wanted to officially thank all 140 marshals who gave up their day to volunteer with the many various […]

Saturday 29th April – Monday 1st May 2017 Depart 10.00am Pear Tree Services car park to arrive at The Brook […]

A total of 10 RideUP awards out of the 25 places have been announced so far. The lucky recipients are: Nick from […]

In 2009, Yamaha broke from accepted form by equipping their range-topping litre bike with a cross-plane crank, delivering the sound […]

The first five RideUP awards have just been announced. The lucky recipients are: Nick from Farnborough; Oliver from Oxford; Luke […]

In many ways, the development and subsequent announcement of this motorcycle was an inevitability. More and more manufacturers are embracing […]

It is with a feeling of deep sadness that I open my regular Slipstream column with a tribute and goodbye […]

Today saw the launch of the new TVAM young rider scheme – RideUP We’re offering 25 selected riders bike training […]

I started riding powered bikes on my 16th birthday – well, mopeds as that’s all we were allowed back in […]

What a trip! It all started with an email earlier in the year from Alan Mossman, informing us of an […]

Trying to achieve 400mph on two wheels was never going to be easy. Racing the Isle of Man TT or […]

I rode this bike’s predecessor, the NC700X, back when it first launched in the UK in 2012. There have been […]

TVAM members have been in the news of late with an article in the magazine ‘My Weekly’ about women bikers […]

As has been the tradition for many years, we held the TVAM Observer Weekend in Llandrindod Wells recently. This weekend, […]

As we had so much fun last time we have provisionally booked the circuit again. Come and join us for […]

Get in touch with your local team to see what they are planning and buy your ticket from the web […]

Courses for 2016 Wednesday 29th June at 7.30pm Held at Marlow Fire Station Please contact Keith Wheeler, Road Safety Officer, 01296 744431 […]

Sold Out. Watch out for an announcement on September dates! For further information contact Dave Hepworth at tracktraining@tvam.org     […]

What do other road users think of us? I was riding into London on the M4 on a weekday recently. […]

It may not feel like it today, but Spring is just around the corner and the green shoots of a […]

Course dates for 2016 now booking. Sun 24th April Sun 17th July Sun 18th September Held at RAF Odiham Cost […]

Course dates for 2016 now booking. Sat 16th April Sat 14th May Held at Thatcham Football Club Cost is £10 […]

Course dates for 2016 now booking. Sat 2nd April 2016 Sat 26th November 2016 Held at St. Crispin’s, 09:00 – […]

This will be my last column for 2015 and where has the year gone? You may have noticed that the […]

Firstly this month, my congratulations go to Clive Marsden and Chris Brownlee, Clive achieved a Masters Pass with Jon Taylor […]

Courtesy of Bryan Symons and Rick Watson, we now have a brand new, interactive Cafe & Stopover Map based on […]

Many thanks to all who donated.   £165.82 in the first 6 months of 2015.

Hi everyone, I would like to start this month with a big thank you to all for dealing with the […]

Skills Day at Thruxton There are still have some spaces available if anyone is interested in joining in the fun. A […]

What’s happening? The paper part (headed Counterpart Driving Licence, D740) of your 2-part licence ceases to have any legal meaning […]

Hello All This is my first column as Chief Observer so I just wanted to thank everyone who voted at […]

It was April 2010 when I first stood up, slightly nervous, in front of the assembled masses as Chief Observer. […]

The 2015 Observer Weekend will be held on 5th – 7th June at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells. This year […]

The Advanced Braking course schedule for 2105 has been published by the ABC Team. Courses are available on the following […]

We have just installed a new application that displays Slipstream as a flipbook. Some of you may be familiar with […]

Hi everyone, It’s been a busy month at TVAM. The Training Team rolled out a new Trainee Observer (TOb) process […]

The Look Lean Roll course schedule for 2105 has been published by the LLR Team. Courses are available on the […]

As we had so much fun last time we have provisionally booked the circuit again. Come and join us for […]

We’d like to say “Hello” and “Thanks” to four new sponsors for 2015. Look out for their advertisements in Slipstream:

This article has been copied in its entirety from The Reading Toy Run blog written by Rev. Sean Stillman (he’s […]

Early information on next year’s NRR – put it in your diary. Thanks to Si Rawlins for the info.

Hi everyone, this is the last bit from me this year (no Slipstream in December) so I’ll keep it brief. […]

Good to see that the IAM Chairman, Alistair Cheyne OBE is checking out his member groups’ websites (or at least […]

Hi everyone, So we’ve had fabulous weather for biking. Now what are you going to do? Are you going to […]

Yes, the next 7Ws will be held in the Spring from 10th to 12th April, and will be the 30th […]

Many, many thanks to all those of you who made a donation to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance fund and […]

Latest is that Loomies has been saved with new owners taking over. Long live Loomies!

The video  is part one of the Department for Transport’s latest “Think!” campaign. World Superbike Rider, Chaz Davies, joined comedian […]

Hi everyone, Having agreed to write something as Deputy Chief Observer, the first challenge was the title. Charon does “From […]

The video  is the trailer for the Department for Transport’s new “Think!” campaign. World Superbike Rider, Chaz Davies, joined comedian Alan Davies […]

Our indefatigable trio of Village Idiots once again took the Team Trophy for the National Rally. Well done Craggy, Chris […]

Hi everyone Leading a ride? With the help of Charlie Nelson, we have updated the Run Leaders’ pack available in […]

DANCE OF THE SEVEN VALES (including Ebbw and others)   After 28 previous attempts you would think they could get […]

Hi everyone. This month I am pleased to announce that TVAM has a new Run Report Form (RRF). The old […]

Hi everyone Andy Wedge and I represented TVAM in the IAM Region 2 meeting last month. There was an in-depth […]

  Saturday June 21st Join the BOTTYs for their mid-summer bbq. Starting with a B run from Nelson’s Diner on […]

7Ws #28 SPRING (ALLEGEDLY) After a round of meetings (a.k.a. tea drinking marathons) the usual suspects had arranged room allocations, […]

Hi everyone. First off, I’d like to thank all those who attended this year’s AGM, and for giving me the […]

Welcome to March! Hopefully we’ve finished with the flooding, and you and yours haven’t suffered too much. Now we can […]

Come and join us for a TVAM exclusive track and training day at the fabulous Castle Combe circuit on Tuesday […]

Hi everyone. Where is the time going? Already we are into February and it only seems like yesterday that we […]

Thursday 6th February at Bahnstormers Maidenhead showroom Bahnstormer are holding an ‘Evening with Charley Boorman’ on Thursday 6th February at […]

Happy New Year to all our club members. The majority of club members join TVAM with the aim of learning […]

I wanted to officially thank all 130+ people who volunteered to undertake the various marshalling duties on the 28th annual […]

The Slipstream team have created a festive Slipstream Xmas Xtra edition for you this month and it’s available on the website […]

Hi everyone. At a recent St. Crispin’s Sunday, I talked about the IAM’s F1RST grade and the standard required to […]

Hi everyone, time for our latest update. Our key objective is maintaining our club; listening to all the stories, seeing […]

MARSHALS REQUIRED 90 Marshals are needed for this event. So if you can spare a few hours on that day […]

Hi everyone, just a short piece from me this time as I’m busy trying to get ready for a trip […]

7 verses, 7Ws and many, many thanks Being somewhat deranged I stand often accused And as I mature I become […]

Welcome to the (slightly) newer TVAM website Wider pages There’s a change to the look in that the “industry standard” […]

Under Lock & Quay – a day of watery questions and tasks! One day, when Pooh bear was just walking […]

I was happy to be back from my job abroad, with the prospect of improving weather and at least the […]

If anyone is having trouble trying to persuade their mates, colleagues and random motorcyclists in the street to get a […]

A very different kettle of fish After a ropey start with Stalag 17 at Victoria Wells having gone bust, preparations […]

Hot summer days; I love them.  It must be five years since we had some repeatable dry, warm weather when we […]

Previously unpublished 7Ws – A Success Story The 25th iteration of the 7W’s had to be a cut above the […]

Hi Louise and the dedicated organisers of 7w’s, A special thanks for another great weekend, gorgeous weather, fabulous rides, great […]

I had a wonderful weekend. Thank you to you and your team. I had three fantastic rides all in the […]

The following are the extremely proud recipients of the Spring 2011 Wooden Spoon Awards: – Ray McGrath – Gnob Award […]

The following are the extremely proud recipients of the Autumn 2010 Wooden Spoon Awards: – Richard Mold – Gnob of […]

To get a little flavour of what this trip is about, what follows is the story of the September 2008 […]

Dear …… To all my friends that did not come, sadly, you were not missed. I awoke at 5 AM […]

It was probably the worst trip I have ever been on. At half-past ten on the first (Friday) evening, the […]

Congratulations to Ewan Hind and the Thame Village Idiots for winning at the National Rally!    

Hi everyone. I hope you’ve all been enjoying the lovely weather we’ve been having lately. These longer days and warm […]

New for 2013 is a second ‘stooge’ ride. It’s the last stage in our Pre-TOb training. I met up with […]

So two months into my role as your Chair, what’s happening? It’s the time of the year when many of […]

We have a provisional date booked of 4th November 2013 to run a TVAM members only Track Day. This event is […]

Sunday 23rd June from 10am to 4pm Very special deals for TVAM members will be available on this day only. […]

Long gone are the days when you could pass your IAM test one day, and be out as an Observer, […]

Tony Hamer and his wife Teresa take to the skies with TVAM balloonist Peter Dowlen, enjoying their auction winning trip […]

Having passed through all those theory tests, quizzes and questionnaires, it was now time to get back out on the […]

I recently returned to biking after a twenty-five year break, and I can’t begin to say how glad I am […]

A combination of the money raised at the New Year Ball (£1,746.50) and your loose change placed in the collecting […]

A huge thank you to all who donated prizes for the raffle at the New Year Ball on Saturday 26th […]

Being held on Wednesday 13th February. Rapid Training has been delivering advanced motorcycle training since 1997 and has a long […]

To All Volunteer Toy Run Marshals I just wanted to officially thank all 110 marshals who gave up their day […]

Thinking of joining our great biking club? – The Skills for Life package normally costs £139 including all the training, […]

The IAM are arranging a Skills Day at Thruxton Racing Circuit next year. Bike and Car Skills Day on Monday […]

New Year Ball tickets now available online in the TVAM webshop Please log into the website and go to SHOP […]

A great day was had by all, even with a damp start. Thirteen teams dashed around the countryside in an […]

Congratulations to the TVI’s (Thame Village Idiots) who came 2nd in the teams’ category of The National Rally, all achieving Platinum. […]

Some more goodies to entice you to the TVAM website to see what is going on and encouraging you to […]

 As the name suggests, better riding is not a one-time benefit but a real skill for life. Recognising that the majority […]

Another BAM (Basingstoke Advanced Motorcyclists) photo for you to ponder. This has come via Robin Crane: Click on the image […]

As the recently appointed “Club Historian” (OK, all I did was volunteer to gather and write up the history of […]

TVAM members Gemma Murphy and Adam Fuller will be riding round the coast of Great Britain over a period of […]

The first of a series of updates to the site took place today. This was mainly a “behind the scenes” […]

  Special thanks for another great weekend, gorgeous weather, fabulous rides, great company and a lot of laughs. My second 7’w’s, […]

Sunday April 22nd, 2012

April 4th 2012 at The Masonic Centre, 7 Reading Road, Wokingham, RG41 1ED. “I can’t quite remember how it all […]

held on Saturday 21st January 2012 at The Wellington, Stratfield Turgis We would like to thank all those who donated prizes for […]