BMW Off road centre - anyone been? [Archive] - SV650.org

Littlepeahead

04-01-12, 12:06 PM

Anyone been on one of BMW's courses in Wales?

http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/world-of-bmw/off-road-skills/

I was watching Long Way Round again last night - and they do their pre-Road of Bones preparation there. It does look like fun but being a small weedy weakling of a girl I'm not sure I'll ever be able to ride a 1200gs and then pick it up even though they claim they can get anyone to do this. But I'm still tempted to try it.

I'm planning to return to Thailand later this year and there were a few roads out there where an orange squggly sign trandslated as 'Not bothered to build the road after this point' and you just had to hit the gravelly dirt track and hope for the best while following huge trucks.

-Ralph-

04-01-12, 12:11 PM

I wish I had been, but it's damn expensive (£480 from memory)! It would need to be my 40th birthday present from the wife or something. I think you do pay extra for the BMW badge, and the fact Ewan and Charley did it. You do get taught by some pretty damn good instructors though, possibly including Dakar legend Simon Pavey who runs the place.

I have found cheaper courses available (£100 quid) if you are interested though. That was to be my christmas present from my wife last year, and just have never got round to booking it. Specialone fancies it too, so if you were interested we could arrange it as a day out.

-Ralph-

04-01-12, 12:16 PM

http://www.tracksense.co.uk/offroadschool.htm

igkXrrPp1vo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igkXrrPp1vo

Littlepeahead

04-01-12, 12:18 PM

You mean you and Specialone take me along and then laugh at me dropping my bike every 5 minutes? As long as there aren't any fords I may be up for that...

It is quite expensive at BMW. For £480 I'd at least want to be able to fall off and land on top of Ewan McGregor a few times.

-Ralph-

04-01-12, 12:20 PM

PS: Part of the attraction of that course for me is it's £100 quid if you do it on your own bike. I wouldn't want to learn new stuff on a wee 120kg enduro 250, then not have the confidence or find it difficult to apply the new skills on my bigger, taller, wider, 170kg 600. I want to do a course where the instructor gets me doing it on my 600.

-Ralph-

04-01-12, 12:25 PM

You mean you and Specialone take me along and then laugh at me dropping my bike every 5 minutes?

I think you'd do pretty well actually, your centre of gravity will definitely be the bike, 16 stone blokes like me and Specialone, the centre of gravity is a lot higher (round about the stomach area ;) )

the white rabbit

04-01-12, 12:26 PM

Yes, but I got a 'second hand' cancellation so didn't pay the full amount.

They have a range of bikes not just the 1200, many people choose the smaller ones maybe G650GS or F800GS now, bikes have changed since I went. You will get put into a group based on perceived ability after early exercises, so people don't tend to get left behind or bored depending on level.

It was good and they teach you a lot of bike handling skills applicable to different terrain rather than just how to get around an enduro course like some of the cheaper options.

Although there are other options based on this type of school possibly down your way more such as http://www.adventureridingacademy.com/
That is run by Patsy Quick who used to teach at BMW Offroad.

Another option is to go down on a long-weekend to Spain and get some tuition from one of the companies there. Doesn't work out a lot more for guaranteed sun.

I guess it depends on what you want to do. If you want to be able to ride enduro maybe or the UK rallies or greenlane better the enduro type schools might be best. If it is overall non-paved road skills then the BMW or one I linked above possibly better. Although both translate to some extent I suppose.

For me though it was a case or rubbish in, rubbish out. In other words I was rubbish before and after :lol: But at least I knew what I should be aspiring to do.

I did an off-road tour in N. Thailand a few years ago. It was fun but nothing was as tricky as some of the bits on the offroad school course. So from that point of view it probably would have helped.

Ibike12

04-01-12, 12:27 PM

That looks Amazing!!! just seems a little expensive for a day in the dirt! and not sure i could trust my self not getting the 1200 lol! :O

Littlepeahead

04-01-12, 12:32 PM

£479 is for 2 days including lunch and dinner, you pay your own B&B or whatever.

My Thai trip wasn't off road planned, just the way it turned out here and there - more no road than off road. I was on an ER6 and found that being more upright certainly gave me more confidence as on the SV I've got my chest flat on the tank to reach the bars as I'm so short in the body. But having longer legs didn't help when we rode onto some mud flats and I started to sink along with the bike. It was like quick sand.

My ambition is to be able to ride my SV down my mate's long curved pea shingle drive without being terrified I'm going to drop the bike or end up in the pond!

-Ralph-

04-01-12, 12:36 PM

Another option is to go down on a long-weekend to Spain and get some tuition from one of the companies there. Doesn't work out a lot more for guaranteed sun.

Or just get down there for a week and do it. I gained so much confidence in a week riding off road in Portugal. But that was mainly on dry dirt and gravel and I was learning to slide the bike around, deal with the front locking up and steering corners with the back wheel and the throttle. I was doing descents and climbs that I didn't think I would ever attempt on my bike.

Specialone also says he improved his road riding no end in a week in the French mountains. There's no better way to gain confidence than lots of practice, day after day.

Then Specialone and I went out greenlaning last week and it was really soft and muddy underfoot, the bike was struggling for traction, and I felt like bambi on ice all over again! :smt102

(though I wasn't having as hard a time as the other two guys who were on road tyres!)

Littlepeahead

04-01-12, 12:42 PM

Then Specialone and I went out greenlaning last week and it was really soft and muddy underfoot, the bike was struggling for traction, and I felt like bambi on ice all over again! :smt102

For comedy value Mr LPH ice skating last weekend was also very much like watching Bambi on the ice, with a few more expletives and he now needs to see a physio.

-Ralph-

04-01-12, 12:43 PM

For comedy value Mr LPH ice skating last weekend was also very much like watching Bambi on the ice, with a few more expletives and he now needs to see a physio.

:smt046 Didn't you get your phone out and video it?

Messie

04-01-12, 01:02 PM

I went on a one day school with a company just over the bridge in Kent.

have a look here
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=104605

and here
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=102727

for more info and pics.

Great fun!

Littlepeahead

04-01-12, 01:09 PM

:smt046 Didn't you get your phone out and video it?

Sadly our ice rink have a policy of no cameras (for fear of child abusers they say) so only those present got to laugh at him. Normally I take the nephew skating, but I'm banned at the moment from going on the ice.

Specialone

04-01-12, 05:49 PM

Funds allowing, id be up for an off road skills day.

I probably will do the BMW one at some point though as it's supposed to be very good.

I also wanna do CSS as well though :)

DJ123

04-01-12, 11:35 PM

Yamaha do one as well, i think it is also cheaper and different options

keith_d

05-01-12, 07:23 PM

I'd be tempted by a little pootle down to Track Sense. Though I'd probably use their bikes and kit.

DJ123

05-01-12, 07:25 PM

http://www.yamaha-schools.co.uk/

maviczap

05-01-12, 09:15 PM

Pretty sure Skip's been there

speedplay

05-01-12, 09:31 PM

-Ralph-

05-01-12, 10:03 PM

bolox

If I was a bit of a quitter, and I had a size 26 waist, and I had a trailer, I'd buy a lighter bike. But you know, I wanna learn to handle the man sized one that I've got! ;)

speedplay

05-01-12, 11:42 PM

Lighter bike would be easier for you to drag back out of rivers though col... ;)

-Ralph-

06-01-12, 08:56 AM

Lighter bike would be easier for you to drag back out of rivers though col... ;)

That's what I take Phil along for ;)

Balky001

06-01-12, 11:59 AM

This place in Wales is brilliant and not too expensive

http://www.yamaha-offroad-experience.co.uk/

Excellent instructors and they have 10,000 acres of woodland (used in RAC stages) at their disposale. Beats going round a little track.

The instructors are top riders but very friendly and funny. They will make you ache for days though. My daughter (14) was given a free afternoon (only paid for intro) as they thought she was a natural. Nice gesture and she loved every second of it.

The bikes are well prepped and less than a year old and you have flat fields as well as 45 degree rocks and everything in between for whatever level you are.

Skip

06-01-12, 01:17 PM

Pretty sure Skip's been there
Yup I have indeed - first time was the full 2 day course paid for by my MD - thanks! :D

I enjoyed it so much I went back and did the "Day in the Dirt" and paid for myself.

I used a 650 XChallenge the first time I went which at the time was their equivalent to a DRZ400 really - I had zero off-road experience and had a whale of a time! The Walters Enduro Park is quite a daunting place to learn really as if you end up in a group of fairly capable people as I seemed to be then the stuff they throw at you got tougher and tougher! Simon Pavey admitted to us that some of the rutted and sloped areas we went down we more Level 2 or 3 rather than Level 1 - scary stuff some of it! You find yourself getting dragged along with all the others in your group - "if they can do on the same bike then so can I" was the kind of attitude I adopted.

I went back a few months later for the Day in the Dirt and decided to try a 650GS - it was ok but I caught the sump guard so many times I lost count and the long first gear made long steep descents interesting to say the least! A major disappointment though was our group was not as strong so the riding was much tamer :( It was still ok but the terrain was nowhere near as challenging - hey ho I guess that the way it goes with group events like that.

All in all I would thoroughly recommend it - certainly a great introduction to off-road riding :thumbsup:

Littlepeahead

06-01-12, 01:36 PM

I need to wait until my heel is fully recovered, only been 7 weeks since the operation and really I should have spent the 5 weeks since I came out of plaster in of of those big plastic boots but instead I promised to take it easy - then realised that I am incapable of doing that.

I promised my physio - who is also one of my best mates - that I absolutely definitely would not do anything this year that would result in surgery. After 2 lots of back cortisone injections in 2008 and 2009, breaking my elbow in 2010 then having a bone spur removed along with a big part of my achilles in 2011 he is understandably sick of the sight of me.

So anyone know how many broken ankles and collar bones you get on average at these sort of events?

Skip

06-01-12, 01:42 PM

I have only 3 days experience of it but I saw one air ambulance for a big spill and one dislocated shoulder - so yes - you need to be prepared that you might get hurt!

Fallout

06-01-12, 02:10 PM

I wanna do something like this too. I could definitely rope a couple of mates in. I had a 125DTR as my first bike and we used to do some cheeky greenlaning around where we lived. Came off once and was about 2 inches away from impaling myself on a sharp wooden stake someone left in the ground. But overall it was a wicked time I want to repeat. I would say it's gotta be worth the money, and if anyone from my neck of the woods is up for one, I'd definitely tag along.

I wouldn't want a 1litre though. You just don't need a lot of power unless you're skilled enough to use it. Rookies would find even a 250 plenty and a lot easier to pick up.

Skip

06-01-12, 02:13 PM

A few guys on the days I did were using 1200GS' - way too big really but they still went all the places we did - although they did fall off a lot more!

Balky001

06-01-12, 02:15 PM

I think everyone came off their bikes at some point when I did it. No injuries except for a lump on my father in laws collar bone which is still there. It was the most fun I've had on two wheels

Fallout

06-01-12, 02:19 PM

It was the most fun I've had on two wheels

I totally believe this statement. One day I want to emigrate to somewhere with relaxed off-roading laws, like New Zealand or Canada, and spend my days ragging it around mountains on knackered old dirt bikes with like minded mates. :) Could turn it into a business and offer room, board and copious amounts of alcohol to British holiday makers. Anyone wanna go into partnership?! :D

Littlepeahead

06-01-12, 04:22 PM

I totally believe this statement. One day I want to emigrate to somewhere with relaxed off-roading laws, like New Zealand or Canada, and spend my days ragging it around mountains on knackered old dirt bikes with like minded mates. :) Could turn it into a business and offer room, board and copious amounts of alcohol to British holiday makers. Anyone wanna go into partnership?! :D

In NZ the off road laws must be more lenient than the on road then. When I was over there every time I drove I was breaking their stupidly slow speed limits on the country roads where you are always getting stuck behind camper vans and sheep trucks. My Kiwi mate was convinced that I would end up with a heap of speeding tickets by the time my 5 weeks finished. BUt I just decided they'd have to go 12,000 miles to find me so good luck to them.

-Ralph-

06-01-12, 04:26 PM

-Ralph-

06-01-12, 04:33 PM

Central Portugal is an off-road mecca. 50% of the country lanes are unsurfaced, and even if a track is not strictly a public right of way, nobody is going to complain about you riding there. Through the tractor tracks across a farmers field if you like, the farmer will just smile and wave!

Fallout

06-01-12, 05:33 PM

In NZ the off road laws must be more lenient than the on road then.

I have no idea actually. That's just what I heard. Probably something I should look into before I sell my house and emigrate. :D Were you driving a car or riding a bike when you were there?

Paul the 6th

07-01-12, 09:37 AM

My off road thread @ i2i training on KTMs : http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=168302

£150 for a days training, everything included but lunch :)

Littlepeahead

07-01-12, 01:19 PM

I have no idea actually. That's just what I heard. Probably something I should look into before I sell my house and emigrate. :D Were you driving a car or riding a bike when you were there?

I had a big camper van for a week, then switched to a pick up and also NZ Cricket insured me on a car. I also used a hire car. But I kidnapped a cat while I was out there and the 'owner' called the police so if I'd have got stopped it would have been an interesting conversation.

Fallout

07-01-12, 01:30 PM

But I kidnapped a cat while I was out there and the 'owner' called the police

I want to do that camper van thing. One of my mates did that 5 week north to south trip for his honeymoon and said he wanted to move there. Good work on getting a new travel buddy btw! :D Sorry, I mean ... shame on you. :smt018

;)

Balky001

08-01-12, 02:14 AM

85 quid using your own bike. I like that!

Is it just a day blasting around under an instructors supervision, kind of like a track day, or is it actual tuition and exercises that the instructor takes you through, more like the California Superbike School?

It's not intense training but they take you up to some fields on top of a hill and teach you some basics then cater a ride from what they see. It's one following the other but its challenging and they do give advice generally or if you are doing a new piece. They also split the groups as much as needed so you might end up 1 on 1 with the instructor

I really can't rate it highly enough