Where did the name Exceptional Rider Training
come from??

Back in the spring of 1999 I took a job as assistant manager at a training company in Croydon.
One of the first training courses I was asked to cover was a 3 day 125cc (A2) test course, which I happily accepted. When I arrived on the first morning there were 2 students waiting for me in the shop. I went over to them and introduced myself and got to know them. The next person entered through the door and the receptionist called over to me and said, “This one’s yours as well.” OK 3 students it’s 1 more than I’m use to but I can cope. 5 minutes later and another person were sent in my direction. 4 students ok this is getting serious!!! At the 9:00am start time in came 2 more people who were again sent over to me. I have now got 6 students to train out on the road. The most I had worked with up to this point was 2!!!

I spoke to the manager and voiced my concerns. He said, “Well it’s legal because they hold
CBT certificates they are allowed to be on the road in their own right, so what’s the problem!!!”
I decided I should have 3 students in front of me and 3 behind and as we rode I would rotate
them…That was my plan!!!

We headed out from behind the shop and up towards the main road and had been ridding for
about 5 minutes when we approached our first set of traffic light, which were red. As the lights
changed the front 2 rode off like rockets and the third stalled!!! So calming the young guy
down he got his bike started and on the next sequence of the lights we got moving again but
the person at the back stalled this time!!!

This clearly wasn’t going to work, so I took them all to an industrial estate where we could work on their disciplines. We spent a good couple of hours there; until everyone could do all the things I was asking them to do!!! From then on they grew from strength to strength in ability and confidence…:o)

The test day arrived and we happily rode to the test centre. The test centre was at the old town hall in Wallington just outside Croydon. At the back of the test centre was the big Wallington library and on the test centre side was a cafeteria where we would station ourselves ready to go to test. Always the place was busy in the mornings but as lunchtime approached it would thin out as Instructors and their students would leave after test. Not this day…The word had go around that I had had 4 passes in the morning and still had 2 to go after lunch…So they would stick around and see if I could get the 6!!!

Number 5 went in…passed! As I walked over with number 6 I could sense his nervousness. “Look you have done the same as all the others so you can do this, just remember the things I have been asking you to do and all will be good.” On his return the examiner gave him the good news he also passed. We headed back over to the cafeteria and as we walk through the doors we both punched the air together and the place erupted…I graciously took a bow and thanked everyone for staying…What a day!!!

We rode back to the shop in triumph and with great delight I told the receptionist what we had achieved. She then produced a comments book for the student to sign after which we said our farewells and one by one they left. Having put all the bikes away and cleared up I returned to the desk and looked in the comments book to see what they had said.

There were comment like…Ronn is God, Ronn is a legion, but the one that got me was from the last person to pass, he wrote. “I have just had the most exceptional day of my life.” I then thought if I ever get to start my own school that is what it will be called…Exceptional Rider Training and on 20th May 2007 that dream became a reality….:o)

Ronn Tapp