Here are a few tips that make "sense" regardless of your skill level.

THE SECRETS OF
ADVENTURE RIDING

It all begins with a day in the dirt, Adventure Technique is easier than you think, more fun than you can imagine.

Heres the story, When you condense the important aspects of Adventure Riding, it comes down to balance & control! As with any aspect of riding, its all about balance. You canít emphasize that enough. Keep your bike upright and inline and even the heaviest maching will feel light and nimble. If you lose the balance the bike instantly becomes heavy. The trick is getting the bike back in balance quickly. Many riders actually ride "out of balance" and wonder why they feel so tired after a days ride.

Loose and Relaxed. The key to controlling an adventure bike is using your body weight to make the machine do what you want, not the other way around. If your are tense and tight on the bike, your mass is added to the bikes weight, and when something happens you've got nothing to fight back with. By being loose (and by standing on the pegs) you can let the bike move under you & use your bodies influence when necessary.

Slow down, This is really important. Riding a 600 lb. Bike in rough terrain is not about speed! You are not racing the Paris Dakar, and no matter what you think your bikes capable of, its mass is just waiting for the next ditch or rut to toss you "to the ground". If you can't stop before a danger or obstacle, youíre riding too fast. You should ride your big off road bike like you would drive a jeep - slow and in control. Most riders use speed or "momentum" to sustain their balance, thereby masking their poor balancing skills.

Clutch Throttle and Brakes. Can you ride around more slowly that first gear allows by slipping the clutch? Can you do it with very little throttle and not stall? Can you apply the brakes and come to a full stop, balanced, without putting a foot down? Then can you use the controls to snap back into balance? When going slow off road, being in total control is crucial. These three items are key, and youíll need to use them like never before.

Click here to download a "printer friendly" tutorial on the basics of "Adventure riding"

Welcome to the BMW Academy's "Rider Training Programs." This enduro rider training program is called "Adventure Camp" because its an all-encom-passing adventure experience that is much more than a simple rider training class. You will definitely learn a lot about riding your motorcycle in challenging conditions, and your confidence will grow immensely, but your experience with us will entail much more than training.

This program runs from a Friday evening to Monday morning, and you will spend this time immersed in the lifestyle of "Adventure Riding". You'll enjoy the camaraderie and have the chance to learn about navigation, gear, tire choices, accessories, communication and many other aspects of Adventure Riding. Whether you're just getting started or you're an intermediate or advanced rider we have programs tailored to fit your riding interests.

Our Rider Training Program is a unique and critically-acclaimed Adventure riding school! Our primary goal is to show you how to ride the BMW GS comfortably and safely in an off-road environment.

The GS is the SUV of the enduro world and it can be intimidating if you don't have experience as an off-road rider. We will give you the experience you need to begin to explore the world..."your way."

Introductory (Intro To Adventure), Intermediate (The Next Step)
and Advanced training (Expedition CV).

Adventure Camp #1 "Intro to Adventure": This Class follows the curriculum taught at BMW's very own training school in Germany. We want to teach you to ride the way BMW envisions as the correct way to ride their GS. This program is for the novice "off-roader;"someone with a measure of "street experience" but little or no "off-road" experience. Many participants in this program do have some "dirt bike" experience in their past, but also recognize that handling a "big bike" off-road is much different than a light weight dirt bike. Our goal with this training is to give our customers the opportunity to "get comfortable in the dirt," and togive them the confidence to explore the logging roads and back-country tracks of the world.

Click here to learn more about this program.

Note: this is not a "beginners" dirt bike training class, we recommend that you complete a motorcycle safety foundation "rider training class" and that you have at least 3 months of general riding experience before signing up for this program.



Adventure Camp #2 "The Next Step": This program is aimed directly at riders who have completed our "Intro to Adventure" program or have at least a year of off-road experience. The curriculum is designed for those who want to begin to expand the boundaries of their riding and travel beyond the realm of logging or forest roads. We will begin to work with skills that will help the rider gain confidence for managing rougher trails. The goal is to reinforce the lessons of our introductory program, to increase the "pace," and to equip the rider with a skill set such that they can overcome virtually any obstacle encountered on a "round the world trip." This class will teach the rider a "very complete" toolbox of skills, skills that will enable the rider to conquer any foreseeable challenge.

Click here to learn more about this program.



Adventure Camp #3 "The Expedition CV": This program is part expedition preparedness, part education and part vacation. It's a real life adventure, on a fully loaded motorcycle and it takes place in the "real world" not the carefully crafted environment of our training school. To top the experience off… this is one cool trip as well.

Click here to learn more about this program.

After your training class, Put your new skills to work.

One of the things that typically happens with any type of educational program is, you very quickly forget half of what you've learned, especially if you don't have the opportunity to use the lessons. With that in mind, let us suggest that there is no better way to cement your new BMW Academy skills than to go on a great Adventure Ride immediately following your class session.

The Journey to Base Camp Alpha is an authentic adventure, an amazing experience, and the perfect definition of the term "Adventure Riding."

Imagine a 2½ day, 340 mile motorcycle adventure through the heart of the world famous Mojave Desert. This is an area full of historic ghost towns, abandoned gold mines and awe inspiring landscapes that most people never get a chance to see because the terrain is foreboding and there's not much paved access!

RawHyde Adventures and their experienced desert guides will take you safely through the heart of this amazing place on an adventure you'll never forget. When you return to civilization you will be amazed at the increase in both your confidence and your competency in handling your "Big Adventure Bike" in the back country.
Click here to learn more.