For some time now the ‘adventure sport’ motorcycle segment has been growing considerably, with the BMW GS range of machines making up the lion’s share of new sales. Indeed, a whole breed of riders are discovering the joy of planning a long-distance overland ride to experience new faces, different cultures and the freedom that comes from just being on the road. 

Because all the models in BMW Motorrad’s comprehensive Enduro line-up have the capability to take you off the beaten track and to areas where other motorcycles just can’t reach, it is important for riders to have the confidence, ability and ‘know-how’ to keep their bikes running and to be able to perform ‘on the spot’ repairs if necessary.

With seven Dakar Rallies, a Trans Oriental Rally and numerous national enduro events behind him, World of BMW UK’s Off-Road Skills Chief Instructor Simon Pavey understands just how important it is to have the skills to maintain your own bike when travelling or racing. Furthermore, the seasoned rally veteran has taught off-road riding skills to literally hundreds of riders at the World of BMW school in South Wales, many of whom are planning exciting and ambitious trips but lacking the confidence and understanding to prepare and look after their own machines. This is where the new BMW Off-Road Skills Adventure Maintenance course comes in, as Simon explains.

“It’s an idea that I had quite a while ago, but it has become increasingly important as more and more riders discover the benefits of BMW ownership,” he says. “Twenty years ago if you were planning on doing some long-distance touring, you had to have the knowledge and skills to be able to fix your own motorcycle, because it was taken for granted that something would go wrong while you were out on the road. Now the machines are so reliable – after all, they only need servicing every 10,000 kilometres, so you don’t expect anything to go wrong – but of course, when you go travelling things can and do happen, and usually at the most inconvenient time and place!”

 The new is designed for riders to learn the basic skills and knowledge that will allow them to maintain their own bikes when travelling. With years of travel and racing experience between them, Simon Pavey and his team of instructors are teaching participants the skills to understand what is and isn’t repairable on the road, as well as showing which tools and parts are practical and essential to carry.  

The courses consist of a combination of lessons and ‘hands on’ practical sessions covering such topics as checking oil and fluid levels; repairing oil and fuel leaks; dealing with water crossings, and the results if it goes wrong; replacing brake pads and components; fixing punctures; jump-starting; preparation and common preventative tips needed for travelling; bike set-up, including controls and suspension; emergency refuelling; pre-ride safety checks and a pre-travel service. 

The BMW school is also providing all the bikes, tools and spare parts for participants to practice on, so they don’t have to worry about scratching their own wheel rims while learning to change tyres! According to Simon, any motorcyclist could benefit from this type of course and he believes that equipping yourself with additional knowledge about how your machine works will not only make you a more confident rider, but it will also allow you to enjoy your trip more, safe in the knowledge that you have the skills to deal with a variety of situations.

 ”The feedback from the first two courses has been excellent – what we’re not trying to do is create BMW mechanics, but just to give riders enough basic skills to get them out of trouble in the field. The course isn’t a replacement for a normal bike service routine or essential repairs either; however, many of the customers who come to our school for off-road skills tuition know nothing about their machines and we want to teach them that with a little understanding, you can quite literally go a long way!

 ”We’re using a variety of machines from the BMW range to cover all sorts of components, such as dry/wet sumps, shaft and chain drives, and air- and water-cooling systems. We also use a variety of pre-broken parts such as engine casings, tyres with holes in them, worn wheel bearings, brakes etc. We teach people the reasons why things happen, how to recognise potential safety issues and how to put things right.”

 The Off-Road Skills Adventure Maintenance courses are a welcome expansion to the riding programme offered by the World of BMW school in the UK and cost just £195. For more information, riders outside of the UK should visit the www.worldofbmw.com website, call +44 208 607 3917 or email bmw@worldofbmw.com for more details.

It’s time to cancel your gym membership and take up off-road motorcycling to battle the bulge. Research from a Canadian University study has just confirmed that off-road motorcycling is comparable to running or calisthenics for fitness.

“It’s hard for non-riders to believe that off-road motorcycling is good for your health,” explained Simon Pavey, chief instructor at the BMW Off-Road Skills School based in south Wales. “Non-riders may think that it’s just a form of thrill-seeking, but the physical aspect of off-road riding includes co-ordination and balance skills, as well as stamina and good fitness.

“Professional off-road riders are at the ultimate level of peak fitness. When I train to compete in upcoming motorcycle rallies, I increase the time I spend riding off-road and only takes a week for my body to become noticeably leaner and strong” said the five-times Dakar Rally finisher. “Off-road riding quickly gets your heart rate going and that’s when you will get the direct benefit of reducing your waistline.”

The York University study included 60 riders who were divided into two groups – half on motorcycles and the other half on ATVs. Most were university students, but they ranged in age from 18 to 64 and included a Pilates instructor, an unemployed maintenance worker and a retired systems analyst. To qualify, they had to be new to riding and not exceptionally athletic.

All of the participants recorded what they ate and their other daily activities. They also underwent a series of standard physical fitness and health tests at the beginning of the study, which will also be repeated at the end. The riders were also periodically fitted with heart-rate monitors, oxygen consumption sensors and GPS receivers to log the speed and distance they travelled during their sessions.

The research is the first comprehensive fitness test of recreational off-roaders. The final phase of the three-year, three-part study is still under way, but many participants reported results that matched preliminary findings from an earlier phase, suggesting that trail riding requires physical exertion levels on par with running or calisthenics.

“Balancing on an off-road vehicle is like sitting on a stability ball,” said Jamie Burr, a kinesiologist and exercise physiologist at York who is conducting the research as part of his PhD. “Controlling the handlebars is like doing a bench press and seated rows or upright rows. Standing up and down on the bike would be like squats or deep knee bends and standing on the pegs is like doing toe raises.”

Previous research completed in the 1980s by the National Athletic Institute in California tested several professional off-road motocross racers as part of a comparative study of the cardio-vascular, muscle endurance and flexibility fitness of athletes from various disciplines. Athletes from track, American football, pro basketball and soccer were tested. The results showed that as a group, motocross riders tested to a higher overall fitness level than any group tested. The sport sees racers heart rate increase to 180-190 beats per minute and held for approximately 35 minutes, twice on a race day.

Further research completed by the American UPMC Sports Performance Complex in 2002 reconfirmed the results with current racers, adding that the physical demands of motocross required the racer to keep complete control of a 200 lb (91 kg) or heavier bike, while maintaining their top speed throughout a race.

Off-road racer Simon Pavey taught Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman to ride off-road before they travelled around the world on their Long Way Round adventure. Pavey’s off-road school teaches thousands of people to ride off-road for the first time every year at an exclusive 6,000-acre playground in south Wales. The course includes two days of training as well as motorcycle hire. To find out more about learning to ride off-road, visit www.worldofbmw.com or call 08000 131 282.

Once you have had a taste of riding off piste with the World of BMW Off-Road Skills team, you’ll be eager to don the off-road attire again and climb aboard a BMW motorcycle with an experienced instructor to further improve your skills. That is why we are contacting all past World of BMW Off-Road Skills customers to come back and take their skills to the next level.

Whether you haven’t ridden off-road since you took part on a course, or you ride every weekend, there are always skills taught on the course that will benefit any type of motorcyclist. The course improves rider confidence, balance and overall motorcycle handling skills.

Every course is different. You may choose to ride a different motorcycle, be led down new trails at the 6,000-acre Walters Arena off-road playground or taught by a different instructor. All of these elements and more, make yet another rewarding experience that is guaranteed to see you grinning from ear-to-ear.

“The essential lesson that I have learnt over the years is that you can never stop learning,” explains BMW’s Off-Road Skills Chief Instructor, Simon Pavey. “Even though I ride nearly every day, I’m always looking at news ways of developing my riding.

“I love teaching people to ride off road. In fact, I never tire of it. There’s nothing better than instructing motorcyclists and seeing them overcome their personal fears and watch the pleasure in their faces as they achieve skills that they personally thought that they couldn’t do. That’s why I love my job. Our instructor team share a little bit of knowledge that makes people enjoy motorcycling so much more.”

Simon and the Off-Road Skills team will be running courses on the following dates:

21-22 August – Level 1

23-24 August – Level 1

10-11 September – Level 1 and Level 3

25-26 September – Level 1

27-28 September – Level 1

8-9 October – Level 1 and Level 3

11-12 October – Level 1 and 2