Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

Hi Geoff, We're in, Dirk and Taunia Putter Thanks

Geoff put me and Tracey down AGAIN for this 1 !! Keep it SAFE !!

Dirk stuur vir my jou e pos adress asb!

dirk.putter@jci.com

List so far: Dirk & Taunia Putter Johan & Tracey de Jager Mathew Oertel & Allie Glenday Andy & Anne Connel Chris Potgieter & Jane Harrison Lonn & Bev Potgieter Abel & Lizl Esterhuyse Hennie & Mieki Botha Mike & Vanessa Saunders

Chris Potgieter and Jane Harrison Lonn and Bev Potgieter

oh sorry e-mail address is chrispotgieter@gmail.com

and for Lonn & Bev??

Geoff Ek het 'n epos van Leon waar hy 'n kursus : "Intro offroad riding" ook Nelsons Creek, vir 2 Febr het @R790 waarvoor ek my naam aan hom deurgegee het. Is dit 'n ander kursus? Of het Leon sy datums geskuif? - en wat sal jy aanbeveel vir iemand wat as eerste kennismaking met die GS1200 'n kursus van die teer af wil loop? Ek sal dus terwyl my datums oop is, my naam ook by hierdie datum (15 Mrt) plaas tot ek uitklaring het ivm met my navraag, asb. (sonder pillion)

Lizl and myself also need to do this course. Please add our names to the list. Abel

Johan, die 2 Feb kurses is seker die BMW goedgekeurde kurses sonder pillion. Dit is great. Ek was einde verlede jaar daarop. Ek persoonlik sal die een eers doen voordat ek so iets met my vrou aandurf. As jy miskien 'n bietjie meer ervare was is dit miskien 'n ander storie. Jy kan altyd op 'n later stadium die een met die pillion doen. Net my opinie. Maar jy moet defnitief op een van die twee gaan. Kobus --------- Dream like you will live forever, live like you're going to die tomorrow

Kobus, as dit so is, is dit goed. Ek sal net graag bevestiging van Geoff/Leon wil kry.

Hi Johan, Mmmmmm, how do I respond to your query???????? The other course mentioned is a great course and I believe that you should attend it. However they are different courses aimed at different skills. If you can afford both (especially if you ride with a pillion) then I really encourage you to do so. The "single" course will teach you about riding better off rode alone, The pillion course will teach you about important aspects of off road riding with your partner as well as helping your partner to be a better pillion. Hope this helps a bit with your decision. I will again be attending this course as well as the 3 day course in March to continue to try and improve my limited skills. Good luck with your decision. Geoff.

Dankie Geoff I learn that it is 2 different courses. My partner is not ready for venturing off road yet. In the mean time I was not on any off road course yet - so it seems best to start with the single course then.

The Pillion course will help prepare your wife for riding off road and to assist her in being able to prepare for it. It is the thought that off road riding is so hectic that puts most of our pillions off. However if you are a competent rider the off road riding is remarkably similar. The pillion course can help on road as well as it is all about doing thing "together" and the off road pillion course will help here tremendously. Remember also that Vrou lief will not be a happy camper if you keep on riding off into the sunset alone!!!!!!!!! The rest of your life starts today so "just do it"!!

Johan, I second Geoff. # The 'Intro of Off Road' course is great for ''you'', for both on and off road, because it gives you skills and confidence in handling your bike. It will make you the master of your machine. # Think of the 'Intro to off-road for rider/pillion' as a course for pillions on the grass so they feel less afraid of falling. The entire course takes place on the polo fields at Nelson's Creek. The two of you will learn to ride as a unit, and as a rider you will get a chance to practice the skills you learn on the intro to offroad course also. Julie and I have done this course twice, and both times seen riders and pillions fall on the grass and laugh. We also fell (all work done at slow speed, so falls are in that dreaded first gear) and it was good to learn that we could do it without getting hurt. One couple fell at least 7 times, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The only part of the courses that is specific to off-road is emergency braking with ABS off. On tar you can use the same techniques, and the ABS will 'make it right for tar'.

There are only a few places left for this very informative training course. If you snooze, you loose! Contact me immediately. russell@aroma.co.za

===Jean's Story=== Well some time ago Rene & I made the decision to attend the off road riding skills course at the Nelsons Creek Wine Estate hosted by Leon and his very able wife, Liza. One arrives at the estate with coffee and some light eats set on the table. Introductions are presented by each student and giving visions of what we hoped to achieve from this course. Now let me explain why we felt this course was going to be benificial to us. We were in the Karoo and about to tackle the Ou Berg Pass and my view was that this was fairly serious, I was anxious but the rider would not listen to my reasons, typical male. As we started the incline Rene told me to stand on the pegs and hold him. "What? you must be out of your mind I am not going to fall! me stand you must be nuts!!" I must add that we have spoken about this on previous occasions but never thought more about it, till we crested the pass. Then there were words spoken. I still had every reason under the sun not to stand. Now it was onto the course, Leon & Liza were our group instructors, they made it look soooo easy, incredible isn't it? As the instructor stands up so does the pillion - in unison, beautiful. Now comes the fun part Leon explains and demonstrates the techinque for the ensuing excercise, now it's our turn and still very nervous and my heart wanting to jump out of my chest we try to emulate Leon's actions. We repeated the manouvere three or four times and by the 4th time it was a doddle in the park. Then came the next tribulation and the next and so on till we now have to do emergency braking, Shoeeee this is not for me, no ways. I approached Leon but he suddenly became deaf, he did not want to listen, again a typical male,so it was back on the bike with strict instructions to the rider not to go fast. These males seem to have a selective hearing problem, SODS. Here we go and the speed builds up and the arm comes down indicating the beginning of the braking period. The bike slews to the left and we dont fall, phew. Now we have to do this thing standing up!! here we go!! brakes on skidding, slewing and the noise of the wheel dragging along the ground, again we never fell, gee that was not sooo baaad, actually that was F U N. This excercise was repeated several times another doddle in the park. I enjoyed this course! in fact it is fantastic. Leon is cruel to the bone, "do you guys want to go for a ride?" a unanimous yea, so off we go along the rows of vines some technical stuff where we occasionally stand, no problem, across the dam wall, this is still a doddle, into the forest. Now this path is about 1 metre wide tight and twisty, we stood and were going well!!! then I decided to sit down for no reason, you guessed it, no we did not fall but rode into a bush, three guys pulled the bike out and off we went standing up. What suprised me more than any thing else was that Rene was totally calm about that incident. What have I learnt about this course: It was well presented. Instructions clear. F U N And it was easy peasy, I feel a lot more confident about riding and I can actually feel that the machine is easier to handle for the rider. I now also know the feeling of a bike sliding, the noise and so on. Negatives: Why on earth we never did this course earlier I don't know. Boots and pegs. Standing up my boots were taking strain and the foot rest rubbers turned, Rene has now replaced these. Now I am fancy pants. From now I will stand for it is certainly more comfortable and safer, I can feel it. This is my experience that I need to share with all pillion riders out there, It is money well worth spent, cheap at twice the price and IT IS F U N. My thanks to Leon & Liza for their patience. The other feet in the pegs... Ignore opinions, heed facts. Feet on the pegs, always.

Jean many thanks for this great post,without comment/ feedback from our pillions nothing can change/ improve. I rode and stood where required,Jane sat. On hearing about standing Jane and I started asking "how, what do we do?"no real clear advice until asking Geoff who gave some and then organised a pillion course. This course seems to have been an enormous blessing to the club members,I know how much we enjoyed it and benefitted.In the past Jane was a mostly unhappy pillion,I was a tense rider, partly as a result; no longer the case. Go on this course,you will both enjoy it,it's worth it!We're hoping to do it again soon.

Geoff Vanessa and I are in too if theres a spot for us. In for a penny, in for a pound. So, Mike and Vanessa Saunders - Ops_Consulting@GR8.co.za "Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul"

You are on the list Mike!

Geoff, I am not sure whether the course in George is going to take place or not so please include Heather and I if there is still space. We will travel down for it. Have to prep for July/Aug.

What Jean forget to mention was that she has done MAAAANNNYYY miles on the bike with Rene before she went on the course. They have done so many stunning tours through our beautifull country. YET this course was a huge boost to them! :) Why learn the hard ($$) way and upset your pillion? I know of men in our club whose wifes refuse to ride along. Such a pity. This course could have been so good for them!!

Hi Geoff, This is a course I have to do, especially after the intro with Leon at the end of last year. Initially I was hesitant as we have workshop day, then Nelson’s Creek coming up, then the Klipbokkop weekend and this one it the weekend after that. BUT, I want to do this one, assuming that the next one is not any time soon. But again, I think you might be full now, damn… Can I go on the waiting list? You snooze you loose. Kobus --------- Dream like you will live forever, live like you're going to die tomorrow

Cheesy, thanks for that. I had similar feelings after the intro course. Leon and Lourens are great instructors, the venue is amazing. My intro course was on a 650, I am a bit scared of all these things on my new GSA. Talking about that, there are some "advanced" people goning on the basic Klipbokkop course which scares me as well. Kobus --------- Dream like you will live forever, live like you're going to die tomorrow

Just joined, and am also keen on this course ... are there any places left? J

I am sure the course is still full but will check tomorrow and confirm.