BMW Off Road Skills - Boots?

Greasy Biker

Greasy Biker

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Hi,

Having completed my 'Adventure Maintenance' course, I'm looking to improve my riding skills with the 'bike, and have booked myself on the March 19/20th Level 1 course.

The blurb describes 'Motorcross Boots' required - I've a pair of Sidi Adventure's - does anyone know if these are strong enough - or do I need to rent a pair from the BMW peeps for the day?

Thanks in advance for the advice, I'm planning to delve deeper into the unknown, East of Syria/Azerbaijan in the next year or two, so may end up buying something a bit beefier than the Adventure's if necessary :blast

Cheers,


GB
 
Hi you won't regret the course, its fantastic.....I did this one the other year...yes they do say motocross boots, I used mine and you do need the rigidity of a mx boot to support your ankles.

Enjoy the course

:beerjug:

Morticia
 
I have a pair of the Sidis and do use them for gentle green lane bimbling but anything more than that I feel safer in my MX boots.

I'd rent a pair of boots I think if it was me 'cos you will almost certainly 'need' them over the two days.

Andres
 
I wore my Sidi Adventures when I did the course and they were more than up to the job. Plenty rigid enough in the ankle area. Unless you propose to repeatedly hit your feet with a sledgehammer I don't see that you'll need anything tougher.

Bloody good couple of days. Learned loads - enjoy!
 
I think if the OP is using a a 'big' GS then renting boots might be a good idea, if only to give a little more protection when he (almost inevitably) drops it on his leg repeatedly over the 2 days. If he's on a 450 then it might not be so necessary, but personally I'd go with the rented boots whatever the bike.
 
I did the course on a 1200GS - like I said, the Sidi Adventures were plenty good enough.

That said, I didn't fall off or drop the bike...........................
 
right tool for the right job - hire some mx boots, if you like the style / type of riding you can then go and buy some.
pj
 
Normally they boots there to borrow.
Pavey was quite scathing about my touring boots and lent me some MX boots
 
pj8332 said:
right tool for the right job - hire some mx boots, if you like the style / type of riding you can then go and buy some.
pj
Click to expand...

Decided to buy myself a pair of Sidi Crossfire's from Dirt Bike Express in Minehead, North Devon (£279-00) - I'll post next week as to how I got on with the boots, and the course.

Any other Tosser's coming on next weekend's Level 1 course?? (19th/20th March).

Cheers,



GB
 
Surrey Yeoman said:
I did the course on a 1200GS - like I said, the Sidi Adventures were plenty good enough.

That said, I didn't fall off or drop the bike...........................
Click to expand...


I second/third that! My Sidi Adventures did the job nicely on a 3-day BMW offroad course where I had 2 falls - one down the side of a quarry and one losing it after a bend and with throttle-freeze ended of in the bush.
Apart from losing my left toe-nail, no other damage to self or boots.

Just make sure you have nice thick socks and that your foot is properly braced in the boot... :thumb
 
Well it's now Tuesday, and I'm still a little tender after a weekend of Level 1 at the Walters Arena Enduro Park... 4000 acres of FUN :bounce1

Highly recommend to anyone who want's to develop their riding skills, and it's a bundle of laughs as well.

I bought a pair of Sidi Crossfires, which were very comfortable for two days of off-roading, and performed admirably in keeping my feet pointing the right way in the half-a-dozen or so spills that Ienjoyed:augie

I stayed at the Ancient Briton, which was relatively quiet as there was no band on that weekend - could be a different story though if there had been live music, as the rooms are directly above the bar area... :comfort
 
Greasy Biker said:
Well it's now Tuesday, and I'm still a little tender after a weekend of Level 1 at the Walters Arena Enduro Park... 4000 acres of FUN :bounce1

Highly recommend to anyone who want's to develop their riding skills, and it's a bundle of laughs as well.

I bought a pair of Sidi Crossfires, which were very comfortable for two days of off-roading, and performed admirably in keeping my feet pointing the right way in the half-a-dozen or so spills that Ienjoyed:augie

I stayed at the Ancient Briton, which was relatively quiet as there was no band on that weekend - could be a different story though if there had been live music, as the rooms are directly above the bar area... :comfort
Click to expand...

Hey GB - mind if I pick your brains? Thinking of signing up for the L1 course. IT's not just that I fancy learning some off-road skills, although I do, it's that I'm new to my GSA and 5' 9" and I reckon that two days of lugging one about the mud, dropping one etc will pay massive benefits for my everyday road skills too.
Not short of confidence on it at all, just self-aware enough to know that the size of the bike, plus the size of me, is going to equal issues one of these days when I'm not looking where I put my feet... :augie
So - had you done any off-road before, and when they say "good level of fitness" do they mean "not on 40 fags a day" or "Royal Marines Commando"?
Cheers
 
OscarIndia said:
Hey GB - mind if I pick your brains? Thinking of signing up for the L1 course. IT's not just that I fancy learning some off-road skills, although I do, it's that I'm new to my GSA and 5' 9" and I reckon that two days of lugging one about the mud, dropping one etc will pay massive benefits for my everyday road skills too.
Not short of confidence on it at all, just self-aware enough to know that the size of the bike, plus the size of me, is going to equal issues one of these days when I'm not looking where I put my feet... :augie
So - had you done any off-road before, and when they say "good level of fitness" do they mean "not on 40 fags a day" or "Royal Marines Commando"?
Cheers
Click to expand...

Sorry, only just spotted your request for info. :augie

For fitness, well I reckon it's mainly the sort of muscle-stamina that we all had when we were in our teen's that would be of benefit. You'll be spending two days standing on the 'pegs trying to keep the 'bike moving in the right direction... I'd say it's just as mentally tiring as it is physical.

In my Level 1 group the average age was 40-ish years, and there didn't appear to be any budding Marines amoungst us. At the end of the day, if you're really unfit you'll just end up more knackered than might otherwise be the case.

I guess a good bit of exercise to do would be find an old heavy 'bike, lay it down, pick it up, lay it down, pick it up, etc, etc... repeat about four times an hour for six hours and you'll be well prepared for the course.

Bottom line is - go for it!! You WILL have a great couple of days giggling at your own ineptitude and that of most of the others, plus an excellent evening meal at the end of the first day. I had no previous experience off-road on two wheels, and as you have quite rightly guessed, it does improve your on-road skill-set, once you have 'pushed the envelope' off-road.

A week after the course I found myself looking with serious intent at a KTM 450 in my local bike shop - but settled for ordering a set of Metzeler Karoo's for my '07 GSA. I'm planning on doing a little 'soft roading' on some of the by-ways around Bristol, and if I get hooked then I may go for a KTM.

Cheers,


GB
 
dakarDude said:
Avoid Sidi Crossfires, great boots but they squeak like f**k!
Click to expand...

Ah... !, but the squeak can be easily solved!! :rob

I used a silicone-based grease by Dow Corning called 'DC4' - it's actually promoted as an 'electrical compound' - so I've used it in the past to ensure that electrical block-connectors, etc.. are resistant to water ingress - blah, blah.... I guess any light grease would do, I just happened to have some DC4 lying around.

You need to open up the boot, and grease the area between the leather inner boot, and the plastic guard (?) that runs around it. I also used Dubbin on the leather areas of the boot, cos I'm a bit OCD about looking after my kit (brain-washed in the Military many years ago).

Anyway, follow above guidance & you can strut your funky whatever in front of the gathered masses - without that embarrassing 'squeak'... I learn't this from having the exact-same problem when I bought a paif of Sidi Adventure's a while back, nothing more humiliating than gingerly squeaking you way around the BuMW show-room sporting the latest RTW foot-wear!

Hope this solves your problematic squeak,


Dr Ozzy :aidan

(aka GB)
 
Last edited:
Worth curing the squeak, they are excellent boots, not waterproof like the Adventures, and slightly narrow fitting, but do offer a lot more protection to the ankle.
 
Dr. Ozzy, the anti-squeak genius! Thanks matey - will give that a go!!!!

Off to locate some DC4 right now :thumb2:thumb2:thumb2


Greasy Biker said:
Ah... !, but the squeak can be easily solved!! :rob

I used a silicone-based grease by Dow Corning called 'DC4' - it's actually promoted as an 'electrical compound' - so I've used it in the past to ensure that electrical block-connectors, etc.. are resistant to water ingress - blah, blah.... I guess any light grease would do, I just happened to have some DC4 lying around.

You need to open up the boot, and grease the area between the leather inner boot, and the plastic guard (?) that runs around it. I also used Dubbin on the leather areas of the boot, cos I'm a bit OCD about looking after my kit (brain-washed in the Military many years ago).

Anyway, follow above guidance & you can strut your funky whatever in front of the gathered masses - without that embarrassing 'squeak'... I learn't this from having the exact-same problem when I bought a paif of Sidi Adventure's a while back, nothing more humiliating than gingerly squeaking you way around the BuMW show-room sporting the latest RTW foot-wear!

Hope this solves your problematic squeak,


Dr Ozzy :aidan

(aka GB)
Click to expand...
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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