Top Tip: At the free meal on the Saturday night have a pudding off the kids menu. Mine was great, it was ice cream and sweats made to look like a clown.......
2. Try to get the feel and understand where they are coming from with the front brake locking and rear brake locking exercises as these come in extremely useful when out on the steep hills. Most of the cock ups and drops/crashes i saw were down to the brakes locking up on hills and people not releasing the brakes to get back control. drop it into first, let the clutch out and rely on engine braking if in doubt as the bike wont go any faster than walking pace then. Use of the brakes should be gradual and controlled, gradual pressure, smack them on and you'll lock up.
Sorry to resurrect what is an ancient topic, but has anyone gone on one of these courses recently?
For me £500 for the weekend represents a huge amount of money, but I have been saving for a couple of years, it was for going on a trip but I found the gravel roads in The Faroes very daunting and it has made me realise I need to know how to ride on stuff other than tarmac. There were roads I got part way along and bottled out and turned and came back because of my lack of confidence and ability on loose surface with tyre ridges and where the rain had created little gutters. I was on Tourance tyres which I didn't find that grippy on these gravel roads, but I then don't know how to use them. I have never been a hero, I cover long distances and do it as economically as possible, I have got 105,000 out of the clutch on my 1150 Adv so far and no reason why it won't do another 50,000 yet.
So, what I am really asking is will I actually get £500 worth of knowledge, or are there other alternatives to give me the tuition that I need to get some confidence to take the bike off the tarmac. Wet grass on a campsite fills me with dread at the moment - to the point I will leave it at the gate on hard standing and walk in with my kit, rather than risk dropping it trying to ride across the field.
What can people recommend please? I am not new to riding, I ride my bike all year round and have been riding as my main means of transport for 40 odd years. Probably very badly though judging by what I have seen on the videos - I would never dream of being able to ride like that.
I did the ORS course 4 years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't say whether it's worth the price, as this was recommended and discounted by my dealer, so I didn't look elsewhere.
If money is a bit tight though, drop Skygod a PM, as he offers tuition for a lot less, and you'll probably get one on one training.
Thanks very much, I don't know who Skygod is, but I will look him up.
Thanks Guys - I am not in a position to do the BMW course more than maybe once every 5 years, if I saved hard. It is mighty expensive for a weekend. Just like some people can afford a Ferrari, they might be brilliant etc, but not everyone has that kind of money.
I shall look at the other alternatives mentioned and sort something out - trailquest only go throgh the summer, so that's them out. I need someone who operates now!
I do recommend that you speak to Gary @ Adventure Bike Warehouse. I took a mate of mine for his first off road training to ABW, and he learned loads @ a great pace, and it did his confidence the world of good. Gary uses Honda CRF250's which are a cracking bike to learn on.....