BMW Off Road Course - TIPS!

Originally Posted by Whatton

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.......

Suprised you didn't run away from it

[Surrey Yeoman]

Another vote for Pen Pentre B&B!

Stayed there 2-4 Sept 2010.

Very nice and clean. Good breakfast.

Only downer is that you have to ride/drive out to a pub/or resturant as there's not one within easy walking distance. I rode out to the Abercrave Inn each evening for scoff and got a few tinnies from the shop in Pehnros on the way back.

Stan & Sharon, the owners are nice people.

[Surrey Yeoman]

And.......................

.............. as has been mentioned by others above, don't be overdressed as you will sweat LOTS!

If I go again for a Level 2 (or even another Level 1) course, I will stuff a fresh T-shirt in the big pocket on the back of my jacket each day to put on at lunchtime, rather than sit eating my sarnies in a cold, wet, clammy top and then be able to start out for the afternoon in a nice dry top.

(Even the flash wicking ones were saturated by lunchtime - Sweaty!)

Turned my jacket and riding trousers inside out each evening to let them dry for the next day too.

[Ceri JC]

Originally Posted by JimboGSA

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.

+1. Particularly the clutch. A lot of the crashes I've seen with real offroad n00bs incorporate some aspect of failure to use the clutch properly.

When everyone else in your group is on G650Xs and you're on an F800GS, double check with the instructor if when he says, "don't use your brakes on this descent, just engine braking" he is really referring to the whole group or just the others.


Try and get in the habit early on of winding the throttle on when it starts to slip about. It's hard to overcome road riding instincts, but often a bit of throttle can straighten the bike out.

Don't give up and think "I've crashed" because you're at a point where it'd be irrecoverable on the road; the window of opportunity to save crashes is much greater when you're in dirt.

Don't be afraid to try to gnarlier stuff if the instructors give you the opportunity. They won't ask you to do anything beyond your abilities/too dangerous. You learn faster by pushing yourself a bit harder.

EDIT: If you're not used to riding on the road on knobblies, really edge on the side of caution with things like lean angle and how hard you brake/accelerate when on paved roads. Especially if it is wet. The session before my first one, someone broke their arm and knackered a bike less than 100m from base, within half hour of arriving there!

[DrogoNevets]

Don't be afraid to ask questions. The lot fo them are really friendly people!
I found lunch was alright actually, but the snack bars they hand out are good too!

you do get very hot, summer leather glvoes are too thick, rent a pair or buy a cheap pair of moto-x glvoes, worth it (i ended up renting on day 2)

i cannot stress how vital it is you drink/eat enough, on day 1 for me, towards the end i crashed (nutritionally speaking) and just sat down for the last hour and had to let the others get on with it, which was disappointing!

finally, make the most of it! it's not your bike, ride it like oyu stole it. I ripped the front wheel (and calipers et al) of a r1200, all i got was a "damm that going to be expensive" and a cheer for "crash of the weekend" they really dont care. As has been said, push yourself, and enjoy it

[Eejay]

Agree with all said. Deffo take camel back or similar and get some sports drink in it as it replaces lost salt and some carbs. Snackwise Tesco are doing 3 snack bags of choc bits and nuts etc. for £2 at the mo and these are great to scoff inbetween breaks.

Driving down is good option as have heard of bikes being nicked as they are essentially left for the day (and night) at well advertised times in known locations (not scaremongering just be careful).

All levels are catered for, being a woman was fine, except for mrs p's well meant but bloody patronising pep talk. It's only required if you are a worried rider. Mind you I can be a stroppy git.... Working on it....

Back down beginning of June for 1200 on trail ride in the beacons

[mrsroynie]

Eat breakfast!

Even if you normally get by on a quick cup of coffee and a slice of toast (or less), you are going to need that extra energy. The biggest fallers on the course we did, were simply knackered - by the second afternoon there were a couple of otherwise perfectly competent guys in our group who couldn't even perform relatively simple manoeuvres without dropping the bike.