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BMW Enduro Training
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Enduro Park School
12/01/2003
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Photography courtesy BMW
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BMW makes a nice pair of dual-purpose bikes—the R1200GS boxer twin and the
F650GS/Dakar single. Popular machines, they sell well but are taken off-road
about as often as is a Cadillac Escalade. A little dirt-road travel is usually
as daring as the average owner gets. However, anyone taking the BMW Enduro
training course will have an entirely new appreciation for the capabilities of
these machines.
Many riders are intimidated by the size and weight of the GS
models, but this course is designed to eliminate that fear and create
confidence. Enduro Park is located on an old quarry covering 50 acres near the
little lakeside village of Hechlingen, Germany about 75 miles northwest of
Munich. The area includes a lecture area and separate shower rooms for men and
women. Change into your riding gear and sit down while the instructor explains
the curriculum. (Click images to enlarge)
After the lecture you can meet your motorcycle. In my
case the 1200GS twin, though the 650GS is also available. Big knobby tires are
on the cross-spoked wheels, with about 15 pounds of pressure. The handlebars
have been rotated 50 degrees, with the levers almost straight down. This is done
because you are not intended to sit down on the saddle at any time; you are
going to stand on the pegs the entire day’s ride.
 To get you balanced the
instructor demonstrates riding techniques around a flat part of the quarry,
showing off skills including standing on the saddle or hanging off the side with
his right foot on the left peg. Follow the instructor through nasty little ruts,
sharp turns, deep mud, large rocks, and deep sand. You will learn how to turn at
full lock at four miles per hour, brake on loose surfaces after turning off the
ABS and climb 45-degree hills. At the end of the day, after having fallen a time
or two, you can relax on the pavilion veranda with a cold beer thinking back on
the day and all you have learned. (Click image to enlarge)
The school offers one-, two-, and three-day
courses, prices ranging from $200 and up. You can bring your own motorcycle, but
the school recommends using one of theirs, so you don’t have to worry about
damaging your bike.
The BMW 1200GS.
0049.89.32903.360 | www.bmw-motorrad.com
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