Off-Road with BMW

I’m lost in the middle of the Brecon Beacons in Wales, flat on my back, with my BMW F650GS on its side, rear wheel spinning. I should be hitting the kill switch but I’m too busy laughing as I hear one of my fellow pupils ride up the same bank that had me off, and avoid my prone bike.

I’m on day two of the BMW Introduction to Off-Road course, and despite my best slow and steady efforts, I’ve finally joined everyone else in a low-speed tumble. The joy of off-roading is that you very rarely get hurt, as tested by one of my fellow pupils who seemed to enjoy throwing himself at the ground at every opportunity, but still kept going until he’d conquered each and every obstacle.

The BMW courses are held throughout the year on 4000 acres of training grounds on the Brecon Beacons in South Wales, with Introduction and Advanced options. Instruction is lead by the Team Dome BMW Paris-Dakar racers Si Pavey and Nick Plumb, and their skills and experience gives you a great deal of confidence in their advice even before the riding starts.

Day One:

Due to mechanical problems with the Honda CBR600 I’d borrowed to ride to Wales, I arrived late on the first day. The rest of the group had arrived for the 8.30am start at an anonymous industrial unit in Ystradgynlais, and received a full briefing before riding up to the training grounds. We’re each assigned a BMW F650GS or Dakar which has had its wing mirrors and indicators removed. Aside from that the bikes are standard, and two will be chosen at the end of the year to receive the minor modifications necessary to be a Team Dome bike in 2005.

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