BMW Course - Is Level 1 basic too basic???

Nico

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Hello,

I recently signed up for the BMW off-road training for August 03-04 (is anyone going the same date btw? :thumb2). I have absolutely zero off-road experience so they signed me up for the basic group. Is this 'too basic' and possibly boring with 11 years of road riding experience?

Thanks! :aidan

Nico
 
I'm doing the Level 1 basic next week ... I wondered the same thing, having ridden moutain bikes off road an' stuff. But I have to admit I'm a complete novice where the off-road thing is concerned, and actually looking forward to being on the bottom of a learning curve ... and learning from guys who really know stuff!

I'll let you know how it went ... meantime I found this pretty informative:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpv3R4Nwy0g

I wanna be able to pick up my Adventure in one smooth movement one day ... not dropped her yet though!

Cheers

Paul
 
They'll divide everybody up at the beginning of the first day based on your level. They'll split up people with lots of road experience from those who are less confident on road.
 
I wanna be able to pick up my Adventure in one smooth movement one day ... not dropped her yet though!


Well as the technique to picking up a dropped bike is included in the first morning's instruction(and you'll get many other chances to further hone the technique, possibly in challenging situations) I suspect you're in exactly the right place. :thumb

And FWIW, I was told I was in the 'Basic' group but I did everything that's mentioned in the Advanced syllabus :nenau
 
I'll let you know how it went ... meantime I found this pretty informative:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpv3R4Nwy0g

I wanna be able to pick up my Adventure in one smooth movement one day ... not dropped her yet though!

Cheers

Paul[/QUOTE]


Blimey, haven't seen this for a long time. 'twas nearly five years ago. Shot and edited the whole thing. Still got the rushes in a box. Hmmm... there's still a master tape I never had sent back.
 
I did the level 1 off road course about 2 years ago, we were asked if any of the group had previous off road riding experience, I (easy trail riding and police riding course) and a few others had, so they split the group in two, the more experienced group covered a lot more ground and progressed a lot quicker than the pure novices. All great value for money, an absolute hoot.
 
you'll have a brilliant time.........every muscle in your body will ache after pickin your bike up so many times.........but you learn loads....and its really really good fun......i loved every moment of it........and the best bit is............its not your bike, so it don't matter if it gets bent......lol enjoy............its the best fun you can have with your clothes on.....
 
Just finished my level one basic today. I've been riding for 10ish years on the road but have MTB'd (the alps ... ridges in the Antarctic too!), BMX'd etc since year dot.

I had Patsy Quick for an instructor ... she was brilliant ... by the second day we were going up steep trails that looked vertical, zooming down deep mud descents and wellying through deep pools ... all on a 1200!

Brilliant course ... worth every penny ... learnt loads ... can't wait to get my 08 GSA out in the mud now ... will book the next course this week.

The course gets quickly split on ability ... so if you are in reality that good .. you'll get split off into an advance group and do more.
 
Thanks all, sounds like basic was the right choice then! Can't wait to be there... :bounce1
 
nice to see the vines video pop up again and again, can't recall who did the edit but I uploaded it ages ago. level 1 is well worth it and very informative plus you'll come away with a real feeling of having had fun.

Plus everytime you get the urge just stand up on your pegs and ride about:thumb2
 
You'll LOVE it!!

I did it last year and am doing it again at the end of June :thumb2 and although I've taken part before, I still want to be in the really basic class as this time I'm trying it on a bigger bike . . .did the last one on the 650GS, this time on the 800GS!! :D

As Janie said, every muscle in your body will ache (mine did and could barely move on the way home) lol but it's such brilliant fun and you will learn loads! . . . and you'll be able to pick up your GSA!!!!! ;)

Have fun and let us know how you got on :D

Shirley
 
You'll LOVE it!!

I did it last year and am doing it again at the end of June :thumb2 and although I've taken part before, I still want to be in the really basic class as this time I'm trying it on a bigger bike . . .did the last one on the 650GS, this time on the 800GS!! :D

Excellent! I am on the 800GS as well, looking forward to it! :bounce1

Cheers

Nico
 
Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

I did the Level 1 basic on Wednesday and Thursday.

The most fun and the most pain I have ever experienced on a bike (including breaking bones) everything hurts today ... even my finger nails feel numb ...

Anyhow, I spent day 1 on a G650 Xchallenge ... did everything they threw at me ... and only fell off once - a proper comedy fall, face first into a drainage ditch - dry fortunately. Day 2 on the 650 again and did some more difficult stuff (stalling on a steep incline and recovering the bike in order to have another go, just as in the Vines vid on YouTube) ... then swapped for an F800 GS .... which I fell off almost immediately after discovering first gear is a bit too lively off-road ... and had it an hour before we were presented with the instructor's objective of the previous day:

"By tomorrow afternoon I expect you all to go up that hill and come back down it again."

That hill was about 40 degrees of slippery coal slag-like stuff (the site used to be an open cast mine) ... anyhow, I managed to go up and down and look (to observers on the ground) as if I was in control both times (thought the descent felt and looked to me to be utterly out of control) on the 800.

Result!

I unreservedly recommend it to you ... instructors are utterly brilliant ... group momentum works to get you through the stuff you really don't want to attempt ... I sort of refused - like a horse would - two obstacles and had to really focus mentally to get through them ...

We only had one guy fall so badly that he went off to the medical centre ...

It's extremely mentally and physically demanding, but ... Oh! So rewarding. You will learn a tremendous amount and do things on a bike that you would never have dreamed you were capable of!
 
Fleet!

Just finished my level one basic today. I've been riding for 10ish years on the road but have MTB'd (the alps ... ridges in the Antarctic too!), BMX'd etc since year dot.

I had Patsy Quick for an instructor ... she was brilliant ... by the second day we were going up steep trails that looked vertical, zooming down deep mud descents and wellying through deep pools ... all on a 1200!

Brilliant course ... worth every penny ... learnt loads ... can't wait to get my 08 GSA out in the mud now ... will book the next course this week.

The course gets quickly split on ability ... so if you are in reality that good .. you'll get split off into an advance group and do more.

Hiya, heres a link to some pics I took on the two courses I've done in the last year, both ab fab! The L2 was 13/14 Apr & I remember talking to someone from Fleet - if you had Patsy as instructor I'm guessing you're Andy right?? You must have had my mucker Tony in your group??

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinkytiff/2422918113/in/set-72157604608031662/
 


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