Improving customers’ riding skills has long been a strategic goal for the industry, and it makes a lot of sense. Better riders are safer riders, and making motorcycling less dangerous, with fewer deaths and injuries, is a proverbial no-brainer.
Honda UK has just launched a new programme to help its customers access advanced training across the country, with costs subsidised during the launch phase. The Japanese firm has teamed up with Rapid Training to provide a bespoke advanced riding course. And for a limited time, buyers of new Hondas over 125cc will receive a free £250 voucher to use for a local training class run by Rapid.
It’s a one-day course focused on road riding, with more than 20 training locations across the country and more in the pipeline. There’s a 2:1 ratio of riders to instructors, and Rapid Training says its coaching is tailored to the rider, which means novices and advanced students should get something out of it, with a flexible syllabus that can reach every rider.
Rapid also offer further follow-on training options, including specialist off-road skills courses held on track.
Rapid Honda Training. Blyton Race Track. Gainsborough. 15th April 2026.BDN’s Alan Dowds spent a day at the Rapid Training base near Doncaster. The firm holds off-road training courses at Blyton Park Circuit, and Honda provided a fleet of demo bikes. The instructors – almost all advanced ex-police riders, with several former racers too – took the assembled journalists and social media influencers through a range of training exercises on track before an afternoon road session where the new skills were put to the test.
I found the training itself practical, logical, and easy to engage with, and it seemed tailored to different levels of experience. There was a very broad range of skill sets at the event, and over lunch, everyone agreed they were getting something out of the day.
“At Honda UK Motorcycles, safety for everyone is at the heart of everything we do,” said Andy Mineyko, head of Honda UK. “By combining our engineering excellence with Rapid’s expert tuition, we’re proud to help riders become safer, smarter and more skilled.”
Rapid Training MD Dave Hewson, added: “We’re delighted to work with Honda to deliver world class coaching that benefits riders of all abilities. This partnership demonstrates that great training has a genuine place in modern motorcycling.”
Thumbs-up from Shrewsbury Honda
Alan Dowds spoke to general manager Steve Williams and sales executive Matt Wharton from Shrewsbury Honda, who attended the Rapid launch event. How did they think the scheme would help with their business?
“That’s the first time I’ve ever done any sort of advanced training,” said Williams. “And to be honest, I was impressed. It’s a very good setup, and I think it’s good for the industry overall. I’ve got customers in their late 60s and 70s, they’re a bit rusty at this time of year, and it would be absolutely brilliant for them.”
“I’d class myself as an average rider,” said Matt Wharton, “and the skills I learned on the course are already changing my riding. I really liked being in the controlled environment off the road to practise, then when we got onto the road, it had already set in.”
And Wharton reckons his customers will definitely be interested. “I do think it’s a bargain and will be quite an easy thing to sell. I was talking to our local trainer, and he said you do 150-170 miles of training in one day. So, the value for money is really good. I’ve already contacted my customers who I’ve sold bikes to this month to give them a heads-up on the training.”