BMW GS Safari Enduro = adventure motorbikes, news, reviews, publication

Adventure Rider Issue #32

• It’s what we do – adventure motorbike magazine
• BMW GS Safari Enduro = adventure motorbikes, news, reviews, publication
• BMW F850GS Rallye X
• Strap Yourself In
• The Dempster
• TomTom Rider 450
• Read Between The Lines
• Locked Gates – motorbike magazine, australian motorcycle publication
• Ural Adventure Ride 2018
• Sri Lanka – adventure motorbike tour, motorcycle magazine
• The Best Job In The World = australian motorbike magazine
• Wet Arses
• Yamaha Tracer 900
• Congregation 2018
• We Didn’t Have PLBs In Those Days
• Sahara To Sunraysia = australian motorbike riding tours news event magazine
• Managing Risk with Miles Davis
• Thinking Big? Start Small with Andy Strapz
• A Precautionary Tale from Karen Ramsay
• Checkout
• Fit out – australian adventure motorbike riding

Is there anything to compare to the feeling of being on a sensational bike in one of the world’s most devastatingly gorgeous adventure destinations and knowing every aspect of the ride has been taken care of? The riding, the catering, bike servicing, accommodation…everything? That’s the BMW GS Safari. Or in this case, the BMW GS Safari Enduro, a five-day romp around Tasmania where the only thing more heartbreaking than the wilderness scenery were the winding roads.

The ride started with the mainlanders boarding the Spirit Of Tasmania for an overnight run across Bass Strait. It’s not easy to explain, but there’s something monumental and over-whelming about being parked on the dock and having that huge lump of floating steel pull up alongside. Riding up the ramp and into the hull is an adventure experience all on its own, and the thrill never fades, no matter how often it’s done.

With 100 or so Beemers and their riders all safely stowed, a peaceful night crossing of the Strait had everyone refreshed and ready to face a long first day.

And that was just as well, because that’s what was on offer.

Everybody loves a good puddle!

Psst!

From Devonport the Safari Enduro show made its way west along the north coast. The silvery beaches glittered under overcast skies and every headland revealed a new wonder.

Temperatures started off at around 18 degrees and made for comfortable riding, and after the first 30km or so of tar it was time to flex a little muscle and slither along the four-wheel drive ruts past Penguin motocross track and into the forest. Veering south through towns like Edith Creek and down the Western Explorer past the Arthur Pieman Conservation area led, inevitably, to the Fat Man barge at Corinna, where many coffees were drunk and a few stories were already being told. The day had become sunny and warm and things were looking very nice indeed. Adventure Rider Magazine’s R1200GS Rallye X had suffered a tiny split on the front tyre and Miles Davis found bike and rider parked by a stream and wondering what to do with themselves. He located the problem and plugged the split, but the tyre was still slowly deflating. A generous fellow rider awaiting the Corinna ferry donated the use of his Rocky Creek Designs compressor and the bike was off and running again, albeit with a slowly softening front Conti.

With only 100km or so of the day’s planned 400km remaining, the tyre was inflated to billy-o and the bike was scurried along the course to hopefully make it to the overnight stop at Strahan before losing all its air and bringing the day to a halt.

A run on Strahan beach was optional, but not many riders missed it.

But wait…there’s more

But there was a bit to look forward to after the Corinna ferry, and with a handful of CO2 bottles chucked in the tankbag Adventure Rider Magazine was determined not to miss any of it.

A fast strop along some fabulous bitumen had everyone offered the chance to ride a couple of short sand sections. There were bypasses for those who didn’t like the idea, but a lot of riders took up the challenge and seemed to struggle with the concept of ‘riding’.

There was a lot of burying of front ends, a lot of cussing, and even some digging-by-hand, all of which was done in fairly good humour, but it delayed progress so much the organisers decided to delete the section for the remainder of the field.

That didn’t stop everyone having a crack at the Strahan beach, though.

Oh no. Just because someone had been buried up to the gills in sand 40km ago didn’t mean they should consider they might struggle to get to the beach.

Of course not.

But some did. It was a very short section and it caused more laughs than drama. Once on the firm sand everyone had a ball, so it was called a good deal.

And it was optional, not part of the regular course. Anyone who’d had enough sand could stay with the arrows and find their way to luggage truck without further challenge.

Adventure Rider Magazine threw itself on the mercy of the BMW tyre crew and a tyre was on the rim before the eager staff at the luxurious accommodation had sorted a room key and coffee.

As the whole show settled in to the scenic majesty of Strahan, the BMW support staff and techs swung into action, the restaurants and taverns over-flowed, and the general consensus was it had been a fantastic day that would be hard to beat.

Event Manager Grant Evans assured everyone at the evening briefing that he’d done his best to make the following day even better.

The bitumen sections were either twisting and fun or carving through amazing backdrops like this one.

Warm ride

Temperatures stayed warm and humidity high as riders left Strahan for the second day of the 2018 ‘GSE’ – as Marketing Manager Nigel Harvey had decided to call the GS Safari Enduro. The first section was a whopping 130km of bitumen,but before anyone grimaces and makes disparaging remarks, it needs to be explained the stretch of road under consideration is one of Australia’s most famous and sought-after road-bike routes. From Strahan through Queenstown and on to Derwent Bridge via the Lyell Highway is an incredible section of winding road which could’ve been built specifically for motorcyclists.

The BMWs were in their element and stretched their legs to demolish the curves and distance with obvious relish.

As a kick-off to a day’s riding and a head-clearer before smoko it could hardly have been any better.

A full house. 100 riders and 24 staff.

Slip way

The curious thing about the second day was the contrast. As riders munched through breakfast at the Hungry Wombat café and servo at Derwent Bridge, stories were already being told of heroic swooping through flip-flop bends and footpegs being scraped to almost nothing. Tyres were checked to ensure they’d been scuffed right to the edges on both sides, and riders’ chests were noticeably thrust forth as they recounted their exploits.

But from Derwent Bridge the fluorescent arrows marking the course sent riders south, and the traction and wild lean angles of the morning were traded for trembling, frightened-lookingmeerkat-types trying to keep bikes upright and under control as they seemed reluctant to go anywhere they were pointed. A series of hard-packed dirt roads covered with a fine coating of loose sand provided as near to a frictionless plane as science had yet discovered in the natural world. There were girlish screams and thumping noises as bikes and riders wobbled along or, in some cases, riders did their best to drag bikes from the scrub or trackside washaways.

That was all very well, and may have had prayers for a change floating skyward, but when the change came, it wasn’t much of an improvement.

With the temperature slowly dropping there came a long, long section, mostly downhill, of shaded, moist ground.

The twin wheel tracks were clay, and any-where with actual moisture was deadly slippery. And anyone who wandered off the clay onto the green moss on either side or in the centre was pretty much guaranteed a screaming, swearing torpedo run into the trees.

The road-race heroes of the morning had had a fair layer of gloss knocked off them by the time they found themselves, mercifully near the end of the day’s route, at Judds Creek.

There were lots of occasions across the five days where riders clubbed in to help each other out.

It was in the briefing

Judds Creek had had a bit of a surge in recent rainfall and the bridge had washed away completely. According to the briefing from the Safari crew, it wouldn’t present any problem to cross the creek itself. The quote in the briefing notes for the day said: ‘We expect to be able to get the bikes through this section, but will arrow accordingly on the day.’

Hmm.

The less said about the difficulty of the Judds Creek crossing in the 2018 BMW GS Safari Enduro the better, except that it was tricky rather than difficult. Plenty of riders had clean runs across the shallow stream, while just as many had wheels slide off the wet stones and got crossed up.

As always, everyone seemed to keep smiling, no matter how slippery the rocks and how rutted the exit, and best ofall, everyone chipped in to help everyone else. The camaraderie at these rides is one of their most amazing features.

From Judds Creek to Hobart was only about 40km of road, and the warm beds and hot dinners were much appreciated after a tough day.

The ‘Convict Trail’ of the fourth day was optional. It’d caused some grief during a model release in 2010 and was a tad slippery in spots.

Enduro

Overnight rain continued into the morning of the third day and riders set off from Hobart with slippery roads and the weather uncertain. Some opted for full wet-weather gear and some threw the dice and hoped the cloud would break up and the rain fade away.

The real excitement on the third day was in the ‘enduro’ section.

The same section in the 2010 Safari had caused some grief so riders were warned.

The route sheet said, “The route today is a tough one.” Some of the colourful stories from seasoned campaigners remembering the 2010 Safari added spice to the briefing notes, and as the rain fell there were a few knocking knees among those awaiting a start.

As it happened, the rain had subsided by the time the first riders hit Swanston Road alongside the army rifle range, apparently the home of a very large proportion of Tasmania’s rocks. For around 30km or so the Beemers picked their way through what could be fairly described as enduro-standard terrain, and the physical demand on riders was considerable. The bikes seemed to handlethe abuse no worries, and in fact the overnight rain meant there was little or no dust for almost the entire route.

As an added bonus, the hard-packed sand roads drained well and became quite grippy, much to everyone’s relief.

The really challenging section was probably only about 30km, but it was a tough hour or more, and maybe even a tough couple of hours depending on a rider’s skill level.

Veering south down the Western Explorer past the Arthur Pieman Conservation area.

Relax

Once through the rocky, tighter trails it was back on the open, flowing, forestry dirt roads for a run to the coastal paradise of Bicheno for snacks, fuel, maybe a latte or two and a run up the Tasman Highway along the eastern waterfront. The views were heartbreakers and the misty air framed the haven of the White Sands Resort, also a brewery, and the very welcome overnight stop where some chose to camp, but most took advantageof cabins and rooms overlooking Ironhouse Point.

After a relatively short 280km-day, many a sore rider found comfort in the Brewhaus Bar And Café that night, we can tell you.

An ‘enduro’ section on the final day was a highlight.

Best for last

In something of a planning coup, the GSE based at the White Sands resort for two nights. It gave everyone a chance to unwind a little, not worry about packing up for the luggage truck, and the place was a brewery. Does any more need to be said?

The riding of the fourth day was there-fore a lap through the local area and included highlights like Jacob’s Ladder and Mt Elephant pancakes. We’ve written about riding Jacob’s Ladder to the Ben Lomond ski fields several times, and if you’re not sure what we’re talking about, do some research.

As for the Mt Elephant pancakes, we can only say, “Mmm…yuuuuum.”

Thanks to BMW Marketing Manager Nigel Harvey we sat down to a Banana-and-chocolate chomp-fest and a Rocky Road rampage.

A lot else happened on the day, but now we’re thinking about those pancakes again we can’t remember much else.

Jacob’s Ladder was under heavy fog and visibility at the ski fields was down to a few metres.

The pancakes came with cream and ice cream, and the banana one had all bits of chocolate chopped up in it.

Mmm…

Thanks to BMW Marketing Manager Nigel Harvey we sat down to a Banana-and-chocolate
Two-time Isle Of Man TT winner Cam Donald looked to be enjoying the event.

Best for last

The final day was scheduled to be a short, 200km run from the White Sands Resort through St Helens and Mathinna to Launceston and the much-anticipated final dinner. A great deal of cash is raised for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and many riders are held up to the good-natured ribbing of the rest of the field for falling in creeks or getting stuck on obstacles at the closing function, and it’s always a high point of any GS Safari.

While the final 100km was a fairly sedate run along bitumen and dirt through postcard-standard scenery, the morning offered a couple of very special sections which Adventure Rider Magazinethought the best of the whole five days.

First was a run through some firm sand which quickly became a series of small whoops. It gave riders a bit to think about before a climb which wasn’t steep, but did seem to go for a long time. And the longer it went, the more chopped up it became. The odd off-camber detour around fallen trees added a little spice to the situation and made for just the right technical challenge to have everyone grinning their brains out.

Then came an overgrown section with a wet, slimy trail and lots of very low-hanging branches and shrubs. Again, a couple of fallen trees made sure no-one became complacent.

While all this was going on, the Adventure Rider Magazine Rallye X developed another slow leak, this time in the rear, and once again the source of the leak was a mystery. On this occasion Miles Davis didn’t happen by to help, and with the leak impossible to find, gas bottles were discharged into the tyre to get the bike to Mathinna where a couple of top blokes offered up yet another Rocky Creek Designs compressor.

It was pumped up to buggery, and with the tyre just losing its shape and showing 20PSI, it rocketed into Launceston to take the chequered flag and claim the finisher’s reward – lots of coffee and a pastry arrangement stuffed with berries and custard called a ‘brioche’ – while waiting for the crew and the rest of the field to arrive. Most riders took advantage of the short distance to maybe head back up Jacob’s Ladder, savour a Tasmanian day in a café somewhere, or perhaps get stuck on a fallen tree and wait for a couple of other riders to help get them moving again.

Whatever the choice, it was a superb day’s dualsporting, and perfectly suited to the bikes.

The final day was a little shorter to allow riders time to pack and get back to the Spirit for a run to mainland. It was still one of the best days of the whole event, though.

First class all the way

The BMW Safari has been running a long time, and it’s still the benchmark for a beautifully run, superbly managed brand ride. The courses are always exotic, always ideal for the German bikes, and the staff and people associated with the ride are brilliant. No matter how many GS Safaris and Safari Enduros we do, and how good they are, we always expect the next one to be even better.

We haven’t been disappointed in that expectation yet.

The challenging sections were short, but testing.