BMW GS Safari Enduro

This entry is part 2 of 22 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #2

How much must BMW love adventure riders? Building bikes is one thing, but organising and running rides like the GS Safari shows a huge commitment to our sport. And when it seems it just couldn’t get much better, the company stretches out and offers even more. The GS Safari Enduro.

The BMW Safaris kicked off in 1994, and the idea was to offer BMW owners a fiveday ride with the infrastructure to make the week-long exercise stress-free. There was lots of flexibility built in for a stack of variables, and the event was a success. It rocketed along, gaining momentum every year, until 2005 when numbers became a little too large, and the decision was taken to split the Safari into two events –the TS Safari and the GS Safari. The TS had panniers, top boxes, pillions and sensational roads. The GS had solo riders who were looking for more adventure and liked to get off-road. Splitting the two Safaris meant each group could have routes dedicated to the type of riding it enjoyed most.

The growth continued, and 2011 saw 220 riders sign up for the GS Safari in South Australia. BMW Motorrad, Australia’s branch of the Big Bavarian, sensibly thought that once again the numbers were becoming just a little too large for logistical comfort. When the 2013 ride was announced and sold out in just a few days, leaving 50 or so riders dangling on a waiting

Ian Johnson, Darryl Easterman and Andrew Hamilton enjoy the view over Bright on the third day. What an incredible experience to share with a few mates! Missing is Col Davis, who’d taken a biff to the ribs.

As good as it gets

list, management decided it was time to take the next step. The GS Safari ran as usual, but a new event was offered, the GS Safari Enduro. The idea was simple enough: offer a tougher, more demanding, off-road course while remaining true to the original ideal of having all the logistics taken care of so BMW owners were free to enjoy it.

In the last few days of October 2013, 55 riders cruised, scrambled, sweated and laughed their way around the Victorian High Country, and we doubt there was a single rider who wasn’t blown away with the terrain, the scenery and the organisation.Oh yeah. This was a really, really good one.

Service with a smile

With the weather approaching perfection it’s hard to imagine how this ride could be improved. The accommodation was excellent, the support services absolutely first-class, and the Victorian High Country showed its best.

Rob Turton and the crew seemed to be everywhere.It made everyone’s maintenance a whole lot easier.

this ride could be improved. The accommodation was excellent, the support services absolutely first-class, and the Victorian High Country showed its best.

That doesn’t mean there weren’t a few mishaps along the way, of course. It was an adventure ride after all, so there were mechanical challenges and a few bumps and bruises, including one case of suspected broken ribs, along the way. But having people like Geoff Ballard and Chris Cater tagging along to offer help when needed, and of course, BMW Motorrad National Marketing Manager Miles Davis keeping an eye on things, took most of the drama out of any challenging situations. A specially prepared medic bike was set up and on the course, and Rob Turton and his people were seemingly everywhere doing tyre repairs and changes, and even the occasional set of wheelbearings.

If it sounds like an adventure-rider’s paradise, we think it was probably as near to it as we’ll ever see.

Rob Sellar’s bitsa was amazing. An R65 motor with 1000cc cylinders, enlarged exhaust valves, re-geared fivespeed box, CR500 forks, 1992 R10 frame and R1100GS rear suspension with a relocated suspension pivot. No electronic rider aids, and Rob and his bike smashed the whole route like it was a golf course. Legend!

BMW Motorrad National Marketing Manager Miles Davis kept an eye on things and lent a helping hand here and there.

Socialising and telling tall stories at briefing was a big part of every day.

Mapped out

The format for navigation was as well-sorted as everything else. Riders were given a route sheet at briefing each night, and just to be doubly sure, the routes were arrowed each day by Huffy and Nick, two enormously cheerful and happy guys who seemed to enjoy their work. The little hi-viz arrows shone from tree trunks and road signs all over the High Country.

Aside from the route sheets and arrows, the courses where also available as GPS tracks, so there was nothing left to chance. It would’ve taken a pretty dim rider to lose the course with all that information available (AdvRider’s editor was one of the few who managed it).

As for the riding itself, there’s not much left we can say. It was superb. There was dust on some days and patchy rain on others, and there were hills and creek crossings that presented a challenge. But there was always help available and cut-outs for anyone who didn’t want to tackle the more testing sections. There was no ridiculous, 450 only type single track, and even the bitumen sections were either lined with sensational scenery or twisted and wound their way along in such a way as to give the electronic rider aids on the newer bikes a good workout.

Mostly it was amazing dirt road connecting one sensational scene with another.

Stepping up

As the event progressed and the BMW guys could see the riders were capable and really did want an off-road challenge, a few tougher sections were allowed. The climb up Eskdale Spur Track on the fourth day held up a few riders for a while, but the view from the hang-glider launch at the lookout was a fair reward for the effort it took to get there. The creek crossings were all shallow and passable, but creek crossings are funny things, and a few riders were caught out on slippery gibbers or by following the directions of evil photographers hoping for a good pic.

Fittingly, the fifth and final day was the most challenging and the most spectacular.

Beautiful scenery and smooth dirt roads made up a big part of the five days. It was a pleasure just to be there.

In a very late call it was decided the weather was good and the riders proficient enough, so the route included a run from Bright up to Lake Cobbler, which was pretty, then a run down the The Staircase of the Circuit Road, which, to be honest, could’ve been downright ugly. It had a heap of fallen branches scattered all over its 20km or so, and we have no idea why it was called The Staircase. Staircases are even and go from one level to another. This trail was a loose collection of stony rubble wandering up and down all over creation, and it was all first- and secondgear the whole way.Still, when you get to the end of a section like that after five days on the throttle, you know you’ve taken a challenge and beaten it, and all the riders who attempted it came out the other end smiling. It doesn’t get much better than that.

The climb up Eskdale Spur Track gave riders something to think about. Rod Marr looked like he was giving it plenty of thought.

Rock on

From The Circuit Track it was a cruise up to the iconic Craig’s Hut, the setting for the movie The Man From Snowy River, and that was a real blast.

In a final gesture of farewell, the course left the Circuit Track and began the climb to Mt Buller resort, the final night’s accommodation.

But just as everyone began to relax the brightorange arrows suddenly speared off onto a rocky, crappy Corn Hill Road. That meant riders were on their toes – almost literally – for the final seven kilometres or so leading to the bitumen climb up to the resort itself.

That was a nice little kicker for anyone who thought the job was done, and capped off a sensational five days with an achievable challenge that will be talked about for some time.

The F 800 GS Adventure

For this ride BMW Motorrad put us on an F800GS Adventure.

We loved the bike when we rode it last issue, but a real-world, bonegrinding ride like this one tells more about a bike than any amount of controlled testing ever could. There’s no trailer if things aren’t quite right and no trip to the dealership for advice. Every breakage and failure has to be carried to the end.

The 800 was amazing. In a strange way we almost feel as though we cheated because the bike was so damn good. When the hills got loose, rocky and gnarly, the torquey motor lugged us up using almost no revs and seemingly without trying. When we were tired and braked late into the loose, sandy corners the ABS gently let us lock the wheels, but kept everything turning over so the rider never lost control. And when we slammed into rocks and causeways at ridiculous speeds so both ends slammed on the bumpstops like a blacksmith’s hammer, it coped. No breakages and no spearing off at right angles with a mind of its own.

In short, this bike was an absolute pleasure to ride. That’s recommendation enough, but the 800 Adventure made us look very good, and believe us, that’s not easy to do.

The creek crossings were gentle enough, but creek crossings can be tricky. A few riders ended up with wet bums.

Above: Nick Selleck and Glen ‘Huffy’ Hough did a brilliant job arrowing the course, and seemed to have a ball doing it.

All over…for now Tall tales were told and drinks and good food were consumed that night. That meant it was the same as every night on this ride, though. A few awards were given out by the BMW folks, and in general the talk ebbed and flowed as the rider’s stories of their prowess became more and more exaggerated.

A huge farewell celebration dinner was enjoyed by everyone.

The accommodation at Mt Buller was truly amazing as the warm, sunny weather offered spectacular views and the Bogong moths camped in the boots and riding gear left out to dry.

We admit to choking back a little tear or two as we watched the riders retrieve their clobber from the support truck and head for their various homes.

It was a great ride in every respect, and we can only hope the Enduro takes its place alongside the TS and GS Safaris as an annual event. If it does, we hope we get invited again. We’d hate to miss a ride as good as this one.

Above: A quiet celebration at Mt Buller resort after five days fabulous riding.

It’s an adventure.

Things can go wrong.

The riders were told at briefing, “If you get a flat, get your wheel out while you’re waiting for the sweeps”. Juan Roncallo did exactly that. Except, Juan had a tubeless fitted. D’oh.

The hill on the Eskdale Spur Track had Rod Marr running a little wide.

Rob McClurg learned the hard way not to trust photographers when they suggest a line through a tricky creek crossing. The bike started first touch of the button and Rob was straight back on the pipe after wringing out his socks.

Stuart Woodberry found some loose, slippery clay. How did AdvRider Mag know to stop and shoot right there? The editor had face-planted there himself two minutes before and figured someone else was sure to have the same result.

Thanks!
A massive thanks to BMW Motorrad and everyone involved for inviting us on this ride, and for making it such a trouble-free, fun, exhilarating event while we there. You guys rock.

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