The Place

After a 30 year gap from racing on 3 wheels (hopefully back to it next season) apparently I have to start from scratch again with a racing license ? what's all this classroom and track day nonsense you have to attend also ? anyone else returned after a long, long gap ?

After 5 years I had to start from Clubman, still working to get back to my National.
As a passenger I didn't have to do the track day but did have to do the class room.

I'm in the same boat mate, got to start again as a novice. I'm looking at doing the BEMSEE classroom session and rider assessment at Brands in Feb

Nonsense !!

That's exactly what I thought when my wife had to go to ACU headquarters for a course to regain her passenger licence

However that's not how it turned out It was informative an !d very helpful to understand the rules and regulations of racing with the ACU there were things that I had never even considered

It's a requirement now to go racing it's not difficult to pass the test its based on common sense so don't worry about it

Incidentally she got she got the best score of the day

I did think it was good, very good for beginners and things have changed over the years.

Is there a list of venues to attend this classroom stuff or is it just at the ACU headquarters ? thanks for the replies by the way

something here

https://www.acu.org.uk/acu-events/compe ... ourse.aspx


note sidecar dates with double asterisk

There's an easy around this, keep your lience up to date, even if you don't race, renew it each year.
I know loads of people who do this.
That way you don't have to do the "courses", it will cost you though!

It really is cheaper and easier to do the course than renew club and licence for 30 years (or even 5 in my case)

Thanks for the info folks, don't want this to sound like a dumb question but I presume that if you are intending to race sidecars again then you do the rider assessment course on an outfit surely ? or is it on one of those 2 wheeled things ? .......... was all this brought in for the sake of modern day 'elf & safety' ?

IanW - yeah I did that for a few years fella, kept renewing license & club membership, but then let it all lapse, obviously never thinking that these rulings would be brought in

ianw wrote: Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:02 pm There's an easy around this, keep your lience up to date, even if you don't race, renew it each year.
I know loads of people who do this.
That way you don't have to do the "courses", it will cost you though!

I've been working overseas for the last 10 years or so, I thought I'd got over the racing bug.....until I went to Mallory a few weeks ago and spent time in the Paddock again. I've no issue doing the Course, I'm sure there are a number of things that have changed since I last rode but the track assessment means getting the bike out in potentially cold, crappy weather at the start of the Season and as I've been working/living in warmer climes, that's the bit I'm not looking forward to. OK, I know, I'm a pussy

oldtimer wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 9:43 am Thanks for the info folks, don't want this to sound like a dumb question but I presume that if you are intending to race sidecars again then you do the rider assessment course on an outfit surely ? or is it on one of those 2 wheeled things ? .......... was all this brought in for the sake of modern day 'elf & safety' ?

IanW - yeah I did that for a few years fella, kept renewing license & club membership, but then let it all lapse, obviously never thinking that these rulings would be brought in

It depends which club is running the track assessment, some will allow you to do the test on a sidecar, others will only be able to offer it on a solo.

I did my assessment at Darley Moor on a Suzuki Maurader 125cc that I borrowed and towed to the circuit. The first and only time I have ever ridden a solo.

Whites wrote: Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:09 pm

oldtimer wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 9:43 am Thanks for the info folks, don't want this to sound like a dumb question but I presume that if you are intending to race sidecars again then you do the rider assessment course on an outfit surely ? or is it on one of those 2 wheeled things ? .......... was all this brought in for the sake of modern day 'elf & safety' ?

IanW - yeah I did that for a few years fella, kept renewing license & club membership, but then let it all lapse, obviously never thinking that these rulings would be brought in

It depends which club is running the track assessment, some will allow you to do the test on a sidecar, others will only be able to offer it on a solo.

I did my assessment at Darley Moor on a Suzuki Maurader 125cc that I borrowed and towed to the circuit. The first and only time I have ever ridden a solo.

Does that not just cover you for racing solos though ? according to what I've read sidecar drivers have to attend on the specified dates marked with the asterisks ............. none at Oulton in the list either !

I re did my licence again this year at castle combe after letting it lapse 8 years ago. I only had to complete the classroom section aslong as I could prove I had previous sidecar track experience with race results or championship standing results. If you contact the acu and the club before booking your course they might let you don the same. They would only give me a clubman licence back but it was still better than starting at the bottom again and saves the hassle of having to get a bike first.

I've just found the relevant section in the ACU handbook (2018). As long as you had upgraded to clubman before you "retired" you should not need to do an on track assessment. You will need to do the CTC course though.

2.3 LAPSED LICENCES
Lapsed Novice and Intermediate Novice Licence holders who have allowed their licence to lapse
for more than five years will be required to complete the Basic Rider Assessment and Competitor
Training Course before resuming competition at Novice/Intermediate Novice grade.
Lapsed Clubman, National and International licence holders who have allowed their licence to lapse
for five years or more, will be required to complete the Competitor Training Course before resuming
competition at Clubman grade.