EXTREMES OF WEATHER TEST THE ULTIMATE BIKER HOPEFULS ON DAYS THREE AND FOUR.
24 August 2005 - Dunlop

The competition for the three places in Dunlop Moto1 in October has become a very serious matter for many of the Ultimate Biker contestants.

Day Three

Day three in the module to find the best all-rounders in the world of motorcycling was run by an experienced team of motorcycle specialists from the Institute of Advanced Motorists.
Dave Shenton, head of the team, had come up with a varied day of high level activities designed to determine the degrees of skill in advanced road riding, observation, slow machine control and obstacle avoidance.
Competitors were also subjected to a fitness test and this caught many of the candidates unawares.
On the road section, a critical eye shadowed contestants along a pre-determined route to assess positioning, braking and cornering technique and general traffic behaviour.
Eight random machines were supplied by Biker''s Legal Defence (BLD) based in Ringwood. Brad Parry the MD is a big motorcycle race fan and a personal sponsor of the Dunlop supported Karl Harris factory Honda campaigned in The British Superbike Championship.
The day introduced many of the candidates to a different perspective of motorcycling and without exception they had nothing but good things to say about the experience.
Andy Carlisle emerged as day three winner and strengthened his overall position.

Day Four

In total contrast to the brilliant sunshine of Sunday, the Superbike instruction and test module took place at a very soggy Silverstone Stowe circuit.
The drenched but enthusiastic contestants eagerly put Andy Ibbott''s California Superbike School Yamaha R6''s to the sword.
All the Yamaha''s were shod with Dunlop''s D208 or D208 Race Replica rubber and gave competitors a real insight into the excellent wet weather performance of the tyres.
Again, cornering technique, wet braking, throttle and brake control in the wet were key elements of the day as well as laps covered using no brakes at all.
The classroom sessions were very instructive and even the most hardened biker came away having learned many good tips.
A new dimension to all was the ''brake rig'' R6 fitted with stabilisers designed to entice riders to brake hard to the point of locking the front wheel whilst retaining control.
The assessors spent the whole day in company with the competitors as did the Dunlop organisational team.
Despite appallingly wet conditions early on, the day was deemed an outstanding success with many candidates applauding the thoroughly professional and expert tuition by the California School Instructors.
Best on the day and eventual winner of the qualifying stages on the competition was Andy Carlisle. He, along with five others will now move forward to a final elimination programme to select the eventual three lucky bikers to compete in the Dunlop Moto1 competition later in the year.
This final segment will comprise a day with the ACU and more riding tests on Superbikes, Super Moto and trials bikes.

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