BMW Off road Level One

[Captain Pugwash]

I've just booked myself onto a Level One course for next year.The earliest I could get was mid June as all earlier dates from March are already full !!!

I'm sure loads of you have done it.What's it like ?

My offroading so far has been limited to 2 years owning a KTM450EXC and playing around on local beaches and tracks.I also 'raced' in the Enduro class at the local motocross meet for 1 season,mainly at the back !!!


Ref the BMW course,I said I would do it on the GS12 as opposed to the F650.The girl asked how tall I was (6'1") !

I'm sure the 650 would be easier but i am hopefully going to try and sign up for the Pyrenees trip organised by BMW and led by Chris Evans next Oct so would like to get to ride a similar bike off road.

If I do the Pyrenees trip,I'm not sure if I would take the GSA 12 or KTM 950 SE.

They say the trip is escorted but I assume you carry your own luggage etc ?

I'm also toying with getting a new KTM EXC 250 F to muck around with locally.

We don't have much scope for offroading here-just a few tracks and all the beaches from Oct to Mar.

I certainly don't want to take the GSA or SE on the beach as the sand would cause havoc but feel happier doing it on a bike costing £4.5k rather than £7k or £10k.


I used to find the EXC450 a bit too pokey most of the time,so think the new 250 will be just right for falling off.

I went with a mate who happens to also be my KTM dealer to the NEC last week and we had use of the KTM hospitality area.

Matt Walker,the KTM UK Sales Manager (and only in his mid 20s) said they had virtually sold out of 07 EXC250Fs already but he could most likely find me one if i wanted.

Nice looking bike :

 

[Duchess]

I've just booked myself onto a Level One course for next year.The earliest I could get was mid June as all earlier dates from March are already full !!!

Bang goes my planned May dates then

Off-roading level 1 : Its a good course.

Day 1:
You'll spend most of the first day in what I term as the 'playground' area learning back to basic control techniques eg: balance, small turning circles, lifting the bike correctly should you drop it (and trust me you will), how to recover the bike from the wrong side, how to 'walk' the bike which is extremely useful should you decide to ditch it somewhere on the course, how to get on the bike from the opposite side........ plus many many other useful things.

You'll be trained on controlled braking, front and rear wheel skidding. (Best bit for me )

They'll take you for a spin towards the end of the first day to give you an idea of the course / terrain that you'll be riding on the second day.

There's alot to take in ... please do listen and learn very carefully. Go with an open mind and you will be tired, its extremely exhausting.

Dont be deceived into thinking you can do it all before you get there.

Day 2:
Spending most of the day out with the instructors in small groups.

Hill recovery the safe way, riding the bike over gravel, slate, through water, up and over ditches, through mud ... its great fun but again hard work and very tiring as both days are spent standing on the foot rests. There's not many times you'll be riding sitting in the saddle.

Your muscles will be sore from standing all day.

Drink plenty of bottled water on both days, you'll dehydrate very quickly.


Its just a very quick over-view from when I was there earlier this year.

Enjoy it

 

[Captain Pugwash]

Thanks for that Karen.

It sounds good.


So were you going to do the level one again or go on to level 2 ?

If you were doing Level One,why not come on 8/9 june and show me the way !

 

[Taff]

Just 3 things:

1, Don't wear too much under your jacket - you will sweat like a pig. A T shirt will be fine.

2. Cut your toes nails.

3. If you don't drop the bike regularly - you're not trying hard enough.

 

[Duchess]

Thanks for that Karen.

It sounds good.


So were you going to do the level one again or go on to level 2 ?

If you were doing Level One,why not come on 8/9 june and show me the way !

You're welcome !

No, if I do the course again (and I will) I'll sign up for level 1. There was so much to learn. Personally I dont feel ready to take it to stage 2.

I'll check out the dates and see if there are any vacancies. Maybe a few of us can get together ... you never know you might well see us in June.

 

[BAKERMAN]

250 cc

Off road corse tips,

GOOD BOOTS

Sex tips

Drity thoughts anal worts

 

[Duchess]

2. Cut your toes nails.

Why ?

 

[Taff]

I lost both of my toe-nails but they have since grown back. You will spend a lot of time on slopes pointing downhill, so your foot will be pushed forward against the end of the boot. I was wearing brand new hired boots which felt very comfortable on the day, but as soon as I took them off on Day 1 the end of my toes felt really strange but not painful. I just assumed that it was the wet (picking up bikes from rivers, falling over in puddles etc etc). I wore the same boots on Day 2 and again they felt fine on the day but I lost all feeling in both toes for about 3 days. After a week, both my toe nails were hanging on by just a small flap of sking and eventually fell off. It freaked out the wife and kids, but it didn't hurt a bit. Whether it would have happend if I had been wearing my own boots I don't know.

 

[Captain Pugwash]

It sounds like a fab course-can't wait.

I've just read a report on the EXC 250 F from a certain specialist mag that knows about such things and they give it a glowing report :

Which leaves the best till last – the 250 EXC-F. Having proved itself in its first year of World Enduro Championship, the long awaited production version of the 250 EXC-F is every bit as good as its WEC results suggested it would be. Replacing the weakest model in KTM's EXC line-up, the 250EXC-F goes from being the worst to the best of the bunch.
Adapted to woods-use the quarter-litre motor produces a subtle mix of easy to use bottom-end power with a high-revving and potent top-end.
Everything about the 250 EXC-F, with the possible exception of the spongy front brake that all the EXC machines seemed to suffer from, worked well from the performance of the motor to the bike's handling and its suspension. As a result the complete package is one that both Clubman and Championship class riders will enjoy and be competitive on.
Producing an extremely gentle and manageable bottom-end power delivery, the 250 EXC-F doesn't initially feel noticeably better than other available quarter litre thumpers but when the motor is revved a little more it produces a deceptively strong mid-range and an extremely impressive top-end.
With most 250cc four-stroke models needing to be ridden in 'the correct gear' at all times, the KTM can be laboured in higher gears, which puts it at a huge advantage over its rivals too.
Allowing the power to be rolled on and off with out excessive use of the clutch, when the bike does start to produce its power it revs to the moon in much the same way as the motocross bike does. Easy to use off the bottom and impressively powerful at the top-end, the motor is as near to being the perfect all round power plant that there is.
Matched to the motor's impressive performance is a chassis and suspension set-up that ensures the bike is every bit as easy to manoeuvre – at both high and low speeds – as it is capable of inspiring confidence and setting winning special test times.
In short, KTM's 250 EXC-F is not only a great all round bike that will appeal equally to riders at opposite ends of the British Enduro Championship, but also a bike that will be at home in both competitive enduro and cross-country events and non-competitive trail rides. The bike comes as close to scoring 10/10 as any enduro bike on the market

Damn,it looks tempting !!!

 

[Stujw70]

Off road course

I did the level 1 course earlier this year on an F650, i'm 6ft.

Good boots definately needed along with decent lightweight & flexible gloves. I wore my summer riding kit and still sweated like mad.

I would go back again and would still only do the level 1 course. The majority of people that signed up for the bigger bikes did not turn up on the second day.

I would not want to take part in the course during the summer months just because of the heat and hard ground. I want something softer to fall on, plus it was so much fun in all the mud & puddles

Stu

 

[BAKERMAN]

It sounds like a fab course-can't wait.

I've just read a report on the EXC 250 F from a certain specialist mag that knows about such things and they give it a glowing report :





Damn,it looks tempting !!!

Bound to be something wrong with it.

All those thuror bred bikes have their foyballs

My wheel calapsted on my CRF 250X after 500 miles, brand new bike.

 

[BLUE(UK)]

Bound to be something wrong with it.

All those thuror bred bikes have their foyballs

My wheel calapsted on my CRF 250X after 500 miles, brand new bike.

Are you STILL going on about that collapsed rear wheel??!!
'tiz soooooo last years news dude!!
Anyway at 3500+miles since Sept 2005 on my exc....tiz awesome!! Never needed anything other than the usual consumables and NEVER broke!!

 

[Captain Pugwash]

MMMMmmmmmm..........perhaps I would be better to do it on the F650 ?


I was just wanting to try the GS12 to see if it was within my capabilities before taking my GSA (or possibly KTM 950 SE) on the Pyrennees trip in Oct 07 and trashing the thing !!

 

[araspitfire]

When I booked in for May 11th, the kind lady REALLY tried to talk me into booking the 650....

I resisted as I've got some off-road experience in the past and really want to gain confidence on MY bike... (without adding more scrapes and dents to MY bike...)

She said people swap back and forth quite a bit during the course anyways...???

I'm reasonably fit, but intend to build up a bit of muscle for the inevitable pick-ups... to make it more likely that I'll show up for the 2nd day...

Anyone who has taken the level one, can you describe the pick-up technique that they teach on the course so that I can direct my exercises in the right direction? (Lean back into bike, or face the bike??)

Looking forward to getting past the "fear of slippery surfaces" that dominates my off tarmac riding experiences now...

Al...

 

[Captain Pugwash]

can you describe the pick-up technique that they teach on the course

"Here's 20p.Go and phone yer mum and tell her you won't be home tonight" is pretty bullet-proof.

 

[Mutley]

Well that's me booked on for June 8th / 9th as well

 

[Captain Pugwash]

Great stuff.

I've booked in here at the Abercrave Inn for the 7 and 8th.

It's the pub where they hold the evening meal on the eve of Day 1

 

[Mutley]

Me too

 

[JimboGSA]

BMW Off-Road

I did the level one course at the end of this years season, as I ride a 1200GSA i did the course on a 1200GS. The bike was brilliant off-road and I'm glad I did it on a 1200 as I've since taken my bike off-road alot and the BMW course gave me more confidence to do that. The braking exercise they run you through is a real eye opener!!!

People in my group who were on 650's had a go on the 1200 GS on the second day and ALL said they wished they'd done both days on the 1200 if you do drop it you are in a big group and people help each other out.

few tips i picked up:

1. remember to take both parts of your driving license (paper part and photo card)

2. arrive 20 mins early and put your helmet straight on a bike with DECENT TYRES - 1 out of the 8 1200GS's we rode had a decent tyre on it, the rest were barely road legal and were no fun in the mud (complaint about this in progress with world of BMW), there is also a bit of paperwork to sort so this gives you time for this.

3. take your own kit as the stuff they rent out is very basic cheap stuff, I wore a fox upper body armour kit with a t-shirt over the top, gs rallye boots and trousers, and gs gloves were ample

4. take a hyrdation backpack or a rucksack to store your water in, even though there are frequent breaks you get thirsty out and about

5. take it at your own pace, there were alot of injuries on the 2 days i was there including 2 air ambulance lifts for breakages, and lots of other off's - i got off with a few scratches and scrapes, at the end of day 2 I was tired out and made silly mistakes

6. go in your car - last thing you'll wanna do after 2 days off-roading is ride home on your bike

I'm doing the level 1 again on March 30/31st (first course of the new season = new bikes!) and level 2 on may 13/14th hope to see a few of you there!

 

[Lou Can]

6. go in your car - last thing you'll wanna do after 2 days off-roading is ride home on your bike

Wuss.

Ride home is the best bit - never felt so much grip before!!

LC