BMW Motorrad GS Academy: courses start again

The Off Road riding courses of the BMW Motorrad GS Academy have started again from May 21st. The driving course will be divided into two shifts per weekend: from Friday morning to Saturday lunch and from Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening. We start as usual with theory in the classroom and in the two school fields, then on motorbike to explore the over 100 km of paths, dirt roads and mule tracks of the fantastic Castelfalfi estate in the heart of Tuscany.

The GS Academy offers each member a "tailor made" off road course. Thanks to a maximum number of 20 participants it is possible to create small groups, homogeneous in terms of driving ability, so that the educational program is functional to everyone's abilities and expectations. Each group is entrusted to an instructor.

Beppe Gualini, with participation in various editions of the Dakar behind him, is the Director of the School, supervises teaching, coordinates the instructors, as well as guiding the students to discover the world that opens up when they leave the asphalt.

The program includes, on the first day, an initial part of theory and technique in the classroom, to provide the fundamental rudiments of off road: riding technique, riding position and motorcycle dynamics. Then we move on to practice, in the two specially set up areas where the most common obstacles encountered when off-roading are artificially reproduced. The exercises, carried out under the watchful eye of the instructors, will serve on the one hand to identify the abilities of each student and on the other to begin to become familiar with the "unusual terrain" and to put into practice what has been learned in the theoretical phase.

The main exercises are:

1. Steering – Slalom-circle: to learn to change direction quickly and manage the traction of the motorbike on low-grip surfaces.
2. Emergency braking: braking control in poor grip conditions.
3. Down hill – Up hill: learn to manage the brake and accelerator both uphill and downhill.
4. Rats (furrow – track): absolute control and mastery of the motorbike to overcome even the channels dug by the water.
5. Stop up hill and Stop down hill: to control the motorbike both uphill and downhill, in any situation.
6. Sand or gravel: to find the best trajectory, overcome surfaces with low grip or which naturally cause the motorbike to sink.

Clearly all the exercises are preparatory to the second day, during which all the paths within the Castelfalfi estate will be followed to put into practice what was learned on the first day. The variety of routes with 3 types of terrain: sandy, clayey, compact with stones offers different levels of difficulty and guarantees fun and the necessary safety at the same time.

The School makes its motorbike fleet available to participants with all the models from the 2010 BMW Motorrad off road range: the specialist G 450 the twin-cylinder F 650 GS and F 1200 GS.

BMW Motorrad GS Academy course calendar:

• May Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd – Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd
• June Friday 11th and Saturday 12th – Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th
• July Friday 02 and Saturday 03 – Saturday 03 and Sunday 04
• September Friday 17th and Saturday 18th – Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th
• October Friday 01 and Saturday 02 – Saturday 02 and Sunday 03

Among the participants in the courses, 30 pilots will be identified, at the sole discretion of the head of the school and its instructors, who will be invited to participate in the final selection.

The thirty students, chosen on the basis of the skills demonstrated during the course and the answers to the orientation questionnaire, submitted to all the students of the GS Academy, will meet at the Tenuta di Castelfalfi on 9 October for the final selection.

Based on:

driving tests,
mechanical knowledge,
physical and psychological aptitudes

3 representatives of the Italian Team that will take part in the international GS Trophy 2010 competition will be selected.

The three selected will take part in the very tough and fascinating GS Trophy which will take place in South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique from 13 to 21 November 2010.

Together with the Italian Team, other teams from the USA (holders of the 2008 trophy), Spain, Japan, Finland, UK, Canada, South Africa, Switzerland, Austria, Brazil and obviously Germany will participate in the adventure.

On the website www.bmw-motorrad.it, in the Experience section, all the information dedicated to the GS Trophy 2010.

The BMW Motorrad GS Academy is based in the Castelfalfi Estate, between Florence and Siena. It is an estate of approximately 1.260 hectares with more than 200 km of off-road routes, for exclusive use.

In addition to offering a spectacular motorcycling experience, participants and any companions will find themselves immersed in the fantastic Sienese hills, a stone's throw from San Gimignano and Volterra for a weekend in contact with nature, history and architecture.

The course, which lasts two days, costs €800 (VAT included) and includes the course, insurance, medical assistance, use of the school motorbikes, petrol, an overnight stay with breakfast, two lunches and a dinner.

Information, contacts and reservations in the “Academy” section of the website www.bmw-motorrad.it. Telephone number 0382-69199, email bmwacademy@bmw.it.

Metzeler is the technical sponsor of the BMW Motorrad GS Academy, all the motorbikes will in fact be equipped with the off-road tires of the Italian-German company, depending on the use and size of the wheels, with the high-performance Metzeler MCE 6 Days Extreme or with the Metzeler Karoo T.