When Jacob Davies-Pyke was paralysed from the chest down, it forced him to adjust and reassess his life in every way. It also seemed like the end of something he was passionate about – riding bikes. But with enormous willpower, determination, and tailored and dedicated training, it didn’t take him long to get back on bikes and regain his riding freedom.
Back in December 2022, Jacob Davies-Pyke was involved in a road traffic incident while riding his motorcycle. The collision changed everything. He sustained life-changing spinal injuries that left him paralysed from the chest down.
Before Jacob had even been discharged from the hospital, he had already decided to regain control of his life. He started to research how to adjust his life to accommodate doing the things he used to do before the accident. One of his passions was motorcycling, which was at the top of the list when he came to rebuild his life.
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Jacob reflected on what motorcycling meant to him: “Before the accident, I used my motorcycle not just for commuting, but it was a big part of my social life as well. I made many new friends through motorcycling and even joined various motorcycle groups with whom I went on ride-outs. My motorcycle gave me a new dimension to my life. It was so much more than just a machine; it made me very happy and gave me the confidence to go out and meet new people and make new friends. I had learnt that the motorcycle community is fun and friendly, and this was something I simply did not want to give up.”
Getting back into motorcycling is not exactly straightforward for someone in a wheelchair, dealing with life-changing injuries, but giving up was not something that Jacob was ever prepared to do. Instead, he knuckled down and started to learn about how he could keep doing what he loved.
After much research into how he could get back in the saddle, Jacob found that he could benefit from an adapted trike. So, the first task was to find a trike that he liked. After more research, the Can-Am Spyder, which can be adapted for individuals with reduced mobility, emerged as the top choice. With the bike acquired and adapted, it was time for Jacob to get his licence sorted.
Jacob held a provisional bike licence but no car licence, so the next step was to find a training school to pass his full motorcycle test (restricted to trikes). This turned out to be difficult with his disability, which meant that some of the training would need to be adapted to suit his needs. There was also a lack of nearby training venues with enough dedicated space for manoeuvres to handle a trike and staff with skills to adapt the training to suit Jacob’s needs.
Jacob described the difficulties that disabled trike riders often face when looking for motorcycle training:
“This is where it got very challenging for me. I was ringing around all the training schools in Kent, trying to find someone to help me. Most places I rang could not help me because of the various restrictions with their training facilities or their ability to adjust their processes to accommodate my disability or the trike. I had almost given up hope when I tried one last place. I called Phoenix Motorcycle Training. They were very understanding and said they were more than happy to help me. Finally, a result!”
After establishing exactly what Jacob needed to get back on the road, Phoenix Motorcycle Training put together a package that mapped the way for him to gain his full motorcycle licence.
“I did my CBT with Phoenix Motorcycle Training in Sidcup as the training pad there was big enough to accommodate the size of my trike. As I wasn’t allowed on the roads before the CBT, a friend from my biker group rode my trike up there, so I could attend my CBT. The Phoenix trainer, Nik, who helped me with my CBT, was fantastic and really friendly. After the day was over I had completed my CBT, which was a great achievement for me as a disabled wheelchair user.”
With the CBT in the bag, Jacob was now a step closer to the full licence, but he couldn’t go out on the trike with L-plates by himself as the power of the trike is much higher than what is allowed for a learner rider. He did a CBT Plus course with Mark Jaffe from Phoenix to get around this. The course gave him more experience on the trike and honed his skills for the full licence training and test. With the added skills and confidence acquired through the CBT Plus training, Jacob was soon ready to take on the full licence test.
“The guys from Phoenix really supported me with my training. They were friendly and helpful throughout the journey, and they even sent an instructor to my house, as I wasn’t allowed on the roads without an instructor because of the trike’s high power output. They made the process really easy and enjoyable. They would come to my house, and we would set up comms and then go out and practise ahead of my full licence training.”
Jacob went from getting his CBT certificate to passing his full licence test in just a couple of months. It was no mean feat for any biker and especially impressive for someone who faced as many additional obstacles as Jacob did.
Jacob’s whole journey from suffering a serious injury to gaining a full motorcycle licence hinged on finding the right combination of the right trike, suitable training facilities, well-thought-through training, and an understanding of what a disabled rider needs. However, without Jacob’s unyielding determination and dedication to achieving his goal, all the support would have been in vain. Only one person did the hard miles on this journey, but he’s still grateful for the help he was given on the way.
“With the support of Phoenix Motorcycle Training, I was able to gain a full category-A motorcycle licence, which means I can now ride my Spyder solo and regain the freedom and independence that I felt I had almost lost forever because of my disability.”
“I hope my story will inspire others with disabilities and show that anything is possible if you know where to go and who to ask for help. Life does not have to end just because you have a spinal cord injury. This proves anything is possible, and I am very grateful to Phoenix Motorcycle Training for all their support in helping me achieve my goal.”
Phoenix Motorcycle Training
Phoenix Motorcycle Training is the UK’s largest motorcycle training provider. The company provides high-quality courses designed to meet a range of customer needs, from complete beginners to experienced riders.
Training is delivered by fully-accredited instructors, who are the best in the business and produce exceptionally high first-time pass rates by working on learner needs, and tailoring their approach to meet individual goals.
W: https://phoenixmotorcycletraining.co.uk/
F: www.facebook.com/phoenixmct
T: https://twitter.com/teachmetorideuk
I: www.instagram.com/phoenix_motorcycle_training
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