BMW Off road centre - anyone been?

[Littlepeahead]

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

http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/world-...f-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.

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.

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

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

[Littlepeahead]

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.

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.

Originally Posted by Littlepeahead

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 )

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 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.

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]

£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!

Originally Posted by the white rabbit

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!

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