BMW run an excellent series of off road skills (ORS) training in South Wales at the Walters Enduro Park, 4,000 acres of what was once an open cast mine, but is now well forested, an ideal area for learning how to ride off road. Bob Mack and I had arranged to do the ORS course together, which turned top be a very good idea, more later!
We stayed at the Abercrave Inn (recommended by Ken Smale) and it was very good idea, it was also the location for the course dinner so that was convenient. On Thursday morning we arrived at the BMW ORS in a small industrial estate near Ystradgynlais. The line of new BMW motorcycles waiting for the ORS course was impressive with a choice of machines from R1200GS, F800GS, F650GS and GS650. The bikes are new every year and are supplied by BMW to the ORS team. ORS itself is a business owned by Simon and Lin Pavey.

The next step was to get kitted out properly. most people chose to hire there kit which was very sensible and there was a good choice of bo0ts in particular. The course was well attended, about 30 people including six women. Everyone had their bike numbered and after filling in two insurance forms we were ready!

The four instructors including Simon Pavey of Paris Dakar fame were equipped with R1200GS Adventures.

Bob and I had decided to downsize and went on GS650s. The first riding was on the road to get to the Walters Enduro park was about 10 miles which allowed us a chance to get used to the bikes.

The first half day of true course is spent in a relatively flat area of gravel , mud, water (it was raining) where you learn to skid front and back wheels under braking and practice the off road riding position and balance. We also learnt how to pick a bike up (useful this) even the instructors’ adventures! After lunch we split into two groups and went out on the trails in the park which was great fun.

At the end of the day we were trying some steep descents and unfortunately  I hit a rock and went over the handlebars and hit another rock hard! It turned out that I had fractured a rib and was very bruised all along one side. But decided to carry on with day 2 anyway. At the end of day 1 we were completely knackered the off road riding is very strenuous!

On day 2 we learnt how to recover a bike mid way up a steep ascent, learnt to ride along with no hands (a bit like the statue of Christ the Redeemer outside Rio de Janeiro!) and mastered some much steeper hills than on day 1. With my injured rib I certainly could not lift a bike, and not having any strength on my right side was quite prone to dropping the bike. Bob was very good and must have picked me and the bike up four or five times at least!

After lunch we got to ride all the bikes over a short course and both Bob and I felt that the R1200 did feel very nice, excellent controls and the weight helped push through the rocky sections. The F800GS is high but has the best enduro riding position but the engine is a bit revvy. The GS650 single really is a good bike with fantastic low down torque, we went up even the steepest hills in second.

The final task was the controlled momentum hill ascent, just carrying enough momentum to clear the top and then a tricky run back through some ponds and a narrow path. This is basically the assessment for starting ORS level 2. We then had a nice and interesting trail run through the park and we also tried the steep hill section on day 1 where I had my bad fall. I decided that prudence was really in order as I could feel the ribs moving a lot under the bruising so I just climbed the steep section, no descents.

Back at base after the course was over the bikes had taken a pounding and were pretty dirty plenty of cleaning and repairing work for the instructors who were pretty nifty with a spanner, fixing one of Bob’s foot rests by stealing bolts from the fork clamp!

Simon Pavey and the other instructors presented ORS level 1 certificates at the end of the class. Lin Pavey, Simon’s wife was also brilliant, a fantastic organiser and instructor and a dab hand at repairs as well. Many thanks to Gary Taylor, JP and Gary Ennis our instructors.

So in summary the ORS course fully achieved it’s objective, measured in terms of what we could do after two days it was amazing. One the first day the flat gravel area looked challenging enough and by the end of day 2 we were riding all over the enduro park. This is mostly down to the excellent instruction from the ORS team.

So Bob and I are thinking perhaps next year we would do a ‘day in the dirt’ to get some more off road practice in and then a few weeks later complete level 2 which covers some useful skills like riding through ruts! Certainly the ORS can be completely recommended, but I would suggest investing in some extra body armour!

Touratech have a large showroom just by the ORS and one of the course participants had a very nice F800GS! Many thanks to Bob for doing the driving I really appreciated that on the way back.