Leicestershire Constabulary

Leicestershire Constabulary

Meet Our BikeSafe Team

Bryn Sabin: PC 448 Leicestershire Constabulary Motorcycle Section

Bryn Started riding at the age of 16, and has been a police officer for 18 years, with the last 12 years on the Motorcycle Section. It was always his aim to be a police motorcyclist. As he says “why not combine business with pleasure" He has owned 38 bikes since 1977, ranging from a CB200 to a 929 Fireblade. His current love (bikewise) is a BMW 1150 GS that has managed to keep his attention for over 2 years, which is a record for him!

His most memorable trip on the bike was a raid on the old Eastern Bloc in 2004, taking in Berlin, Poland (Auschwitz/Birkenau and Stalag Luft 111: site of the Great Escape) and the Czech Republic, calling in on Colditz on the return journey. He describes his GS as perfect for his style of riding, which is probably why it’s managed to stay in the garage for so long...

His favourite bit of road in Leicestershire is the B6047 between the A6 and the A47 "full of twisty bits and long sweeping bends-brilliant on a nice summer’s day"

Bryn devised the routes to be used on Leicestershire's bikesafe days, so it’s not surprising that the route includes the B6047.

Bryn is a Class one police driver in both cars and on bikes, and is the Leicestershire bikesafe co-ordinator.

Wayne Riley: Sergeant 484. Leicestershire Constabulary Motorcycle Section

Wayne was born in East London but spent his childhood and teen years in west and North West London. Since an early age he used to go to the famous Ace Café on the North Circular Road and look at the motorcycles and talk to the riders.

It was this and his passion for freedom that led him to his first moped on his sixteenth birthday, a Honda Graduate, he was knocked off [from behind] on is first outing. He progressed to a Honda SS50 moped £165 from Slocombes of Neasden. Both bikes took him to Coventry to see relatives during the course of his ownership and the SS50 covered many miles.

When he was seventeen he found the usual interest in cars but never forgot his passion for bikes and subsequently succumbed to buying a Lambretta scooter. This was a really nice machine which he enjoyed riding to many places.

A short interlude followed the scooter and he moved to the midlands. Eventually the situation was right and he purchased a new Honda CG125 for commuting. He decided he must take his test as the 125 was lacking in power and he successfully passed in 1983.

Immediately he went out negotiated a deal for a Honda 400 Superdream. A much maligned bike in his opinion. He was an instructor with a training scheme in Leicester for a short time before joining the Police Service. He has travelled around the country and holidayed in France two up. Since that time he has had MZ’s and BMW’s and presently runs a Bandit 600s.

Favourite bike at the moment: KTM Adventure closely followed by the Bandit 1200s.

Long term: Wayne will be travelling Europe from top to bottom/side to side when he retires from the force.

Wayne holds a Police advanced car and motorcycle certificate and Police Advanced motorcycle instructors Certificate. He also holds an LGV licence that he financed due to his love of Trucks [sad but true].

At present he is in charge of the force Motorcycle section based at Headquarters. He is committed to casualty reduction in Leicestershire and will be enhancing Bikesafe by holding focussed evenings for riders who wish to enhance their knowledge.

PC 87 Nick Bryan

Nick started motorcycling at the age of seventeen. He decided not to get a moped at sixteen but to wait the extra year for a more powerful, Kawasaki 100cc trail bike. Even this proved too much after watching the racing at Mallory Park, attempting to emulate the racing Gods on the way home and catapulting himself and his bike over a six foot high hedge.

Over the next few years the enthusiasm increased and the need for something bigger and more powerful continued up to the heady heights of a Kawasaki GPZ 900R ‘Ninja’.

This took Nick on yearly trips to Le Mans in France and the Isle of Man TT to ride in the infamous ‘Mad Sunday’. Who ever named it ‘Mad’ was severely under estimating it. Picture the scene of a racetrack with no speed limits, lined with dry stone walls. There are hundreds of bikes of varying speeds and abilities travelling along with coaches on sight seeing tours, OAP’s out shopping and any other vehicle you care to mention, oh and the odd foreign rider who still isn’t quite sure which side of the road they should be on. It was fantastic and needs to be experienced to be believed.

Like all good things it eventually came to an end for Nick after the Bryan family increased in numbers. The Ninja making way to up the power stakes again to………………………..a mighty MZ 250.

After several very slow years Nick was back, this time with a Triumph Daytona 1200. What a bike. What the MZ lacked in speed this lacked in the ability to get round a bend without using every morsel of strength and concentration.

This brings us up to date with Nick, now the very proud owner of a Triumph Thunderbird Sport. The trips to Le Mans are back and a recent ‘Ironbutt’ challenge has been completed (1000 mile in less than 24 hours).

A track day is the next thing planned for the Triumph. Lets hope that he does a better job than on that Kawasaki 100 he had all those years ago.

Oh and whilst all this has been going on Nick joined the Police in 1986 and has fulfilled his ambition to become a Police motorcyclist.

PC 320 Dave Johnson. (Johno)

Dave joined the police some 14 years ago and decided very early on that traffic was to be his chosen path within the force. Having set his stall out to become a traffic officer he progressed by obtaining a grade 1 authority for the cars and later a grade 1 authority to ride the motorcycles.

He has always had a love for all motorcycles, so when the opportunity arose to join the motorcycle section.. He jumped with both feet (to be paid to ride a bike, “let me think about it “)

Over the years Dave has owned a multitude of motorcycles. Leading up to a clear passion for the BMW range. (15 so far and hopefully a few more!! I especially like the K1200 series..)

Dave joined the traffic department some seven years ago and has been on the motorcycle section for the last six years. Dave has also recently returned from an instructor’s course in North Wales and is now a qualified motorcycle instructor for the Leicestershire Police Force.

“One thing that he cares for is to pass on knowledge and information to others that through years of experience will hopefully help others prevent mishaps and promote safety on our roads for those who are prepared to listen. Overall to enjoy life and live it to the full. Safe riding”. Johno

Adrian [Ade] Summerfield: PC 792 Leicestershire Constabulary Motorcycle Section

Ade was first introduced to motorbikes at the tender age of 10 when he owned the good old Honda 90. Many a happy day was had learning to ride motor bikes across the local coal banks of North West Leicestershire.

Being the second oldest in his school year at 16. Ade upgraded to the arch rival of the Yamaha FSIE, yes you guessed it, the Suzuki AP50. After a year of that at 17 he upgraded to the Yamaha YB100. This was the time for his reality check as he now had a big bike and a years experience behind him he was un-touchable, NOT. A mates Suzuki X7 was the test and as Ade tried to up the tempo the only thing the upped was the front wheel of the X7, so far infact that he found himself lying on his back on the road with X7 on top of him. Learning from his mistake the bike went and the safety of 4 wheels was his new toy.

10 years passed until he was born again. When asked by his Sgt if he had a motorbike as there was a bike course coming up at work, Ade of course replied yes. (Liar) Off home he went, looked in the paper and saw a Suzuki GSX600F. An hour later he was the proud owner of the said machine and not knowing his ‘scam’ and in-experience his Sgt put him on the next standard motorbike course which he passed.

Within 12 months he had passed his advanced course and with his feet firmly under the motorcycle section table, he went on to own a sporty Suzuki GSX600R then the more comfortable Honda Pan European and then on to his present bike the awesome Honda Blackbird.

Ade joined Leicestershire Constabulary in 1983 and has been on traffic since 1988 where he as achieved the accolades of being a grade 1 advanced police car driver and motorcycle rider.

In his spare time he trades in his fast bikes for a throbbing, 130hp, 4 wheel drive Landini Legend tractor. A stark contrast to policing if I ever did hear one and downhill with a 10ton trailer load of maize behind him he has reached 28mph.

PC 4055 Rachel Marston

Rachel has always been interested in cars and motorcycles. She joined the Police Force in 1992 and obtained her Advanced Car authority by 1995. She soon realised that she wanted to become part of the Traffic Department and in 1999 became the first part-time officer to join this department. At that time this also boosted the number of female officers on the department to two!

Her love of motorcycles was re-ignited by spending time with the police bikers and she completed a Direct Access course in 2000 passing with ‘no faults’. She pursued her goal to become a Police Motorcyclist and passed her Advanced course in 2003 and instantly joined the motorcycle section, making her the first female police motorcyclist to work on a marked bike in Leicestershire. She has been on the section since and thoroughly enjoys taking part in BikeSafe. “It’s lovely to meet so many people from different backgrounds and walks of life who all share the same passion. It’s also nice to remind people how much enjoyment can be gained by riding a bike legally.”

Since 2000 she has owned a Honda CG125 (for training), a Yamaha TZT250 which caused her nothing but mechanical problems, a mint condition Honda VFR750 (lovingly looked after by the previous motorcycle Sgt), a Suzuki GSX600R and is soon to be the proud owner of a Honda VFR800.

PC 712 PC Mick Hinton

Mick was introduced to motor cycles at the age of eight years old when he would ride his Dads Honda C90 with his two brothers around the back garden and orchard area with his brothers. Since this he has had a love of anything with wheels and an engine and especially motor cycles.
Being sixteen in the eighties he first rode a Suzuki GT50 moped which he re-built himself. He then progressed on to a Suzuki Gp100 and then he swapped on to a Yamaha RD LC’s Owning 125, 250 and a 500 cc machines at some point, he has also ridden and owned bikes of all sizes and shapes and some of which he wont mention because of the shame..

Mick joined the Leicestershire constabulary in May 1993 and as soon as he saw the Police motor cycles he knew that was the job he wanted to do. He attained his advanced car driving authority and then in 2000 he joined the traffic department as a car driver and at the first opportunity he jumped at the chance of a standard motor cycle course and then passed his advanced course. He then performed a dual role for some time before joining the motorcycle section full time in March 2006 and has never looked back since, he has been involved in various events within the team and thoroughly enjoys this … being paid to ride a bike is the best job ever.

Mick still rides his own GSXR which he lovingly takes care of and is the longest he has owned a single bike for; he will continue to ride bikes until he can’t get on one.

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