Anyone got strong opinions on the program, staff or general experience?
I've got some very strong views on this !
First of all; ignore Timolgra ...
Its good of him, to try and answer your forum post. ( UKGSeR forum can be a great place to get advice on a wide-range of topics,)
But in this case, just looking up their prices is not the way to go. He's an idiot to say its expensive! How can he claim that when he has never been there !
Frankly he shouldnt be a "forum moderator " and make obserations on something he knows nothing about ! What a fool?
What an idiot ! Does he buy everything at his local poundland>?
He said "why go corporate ?" "its just a ploy to sell more bikes" (What a twit ! I bet he's one of the riders on here who happily drops £900 on an Akrapovich exhaust , but baulks at £650 on a training course )
By the way , I'm passionate about bikes and I hope BMW( and any manufacturer for that matter) do sell more! If more people rode bikes , we'd all have less congestion and more enjoyable safer roads! ( how could anyone say "its just a ploy to sell more bikes?)
First off all;...I'm sorry you have to "go through this again".
From your posts, and forum name, you sound like an experienced rider who has owned a Harley in the USA and ridden quite a bit. I cant comment on the uk licensing mechanism, other than to say its a mess, its one of the reasons there are so few new motorcyclists.
Frankly heart breaking that prospective riders are disheartened by the regulations and complex/poor quality training/licensing options in Europe. )( thanks to teh EU , dont get me started on my favourite subject !)
Now back to BMW rider training at Royston.
Its run by Ian Biederman. he is (imho) one of the top instructors in the country.
(I still hear his "voice in my head" when I ride!
His hints and tips, have saved my life many times since I trained with him) How much is your life worth?
I tried (recommended) local training establishments, and there were well-motivated instructors for sure, top guys- but they were based out of freezing cold partakabins on gravel strewn airfields. The bikes , equipment and radios were trouble prone and frankly it was a pretty shitty experience because there was no investment. These guys were "scrathcing a living" on peanuts.( sadly)
Royston BMW replace all their bikes every season, so you'll be spending your time on a BMW that's only a few weeks old in all probability.
They suppply all the kit, and even if you have your own gear, its quite nice to be able to try the latest BMW clothing and gloves.
The location may seem a bit inconvenient , but they have access to some good roads, you'll come away as a very well-trained rider.
The instruction is superb and its all based out of purpose built premises with heating ( it sis January) and lots of fresh coffee!
In my opinion , it all comes down to the quality of training, and I know there are other fantastic trainers ( I used "rapid training" for some refresher training a while ago) and they were truly superb too. I'm not saying the BMW training at Royston is the only place to go, but I do get "pissed off" if some uninformed forum guy, who hasn't ridden with them, calls them expensive.
For what you get, its very cheap. A bargain. I absolutely urge you to go there ! pm me if i can help in any way or you have any questions.
( lastly ; if you do go there to Royston , could you kindly report back with your findings?) Good luck