Keeping It Safe

BMW Motorrad rider training pursues a dual goal of spurring people on to develop their passion for motorcycling while enhancing their skills in rider safety. After all, motorcycling can only offer optimum enjoyment when the rider is in complete control of his machine, whether off-road, on the road or on the race track.

Early Initiatives

BMW Motorrad offers specialised training courses in different fields: for beginning and advanced riders, experienced bikers, and even for children. These courses are augmented by national offers by authorised BMW Motorrad partners in several other countries.

The need for rider training courses and specialised training facilities was recognised early on by BMW Motorrad. In the 1970s, special brochures and films were published on the subject of “safe riding”, which also included presentations of a number of riding schools. The first rider training units at the Nürburgring were also held in the 1970s, while in the 1980s, off-road rider training units were added to the range of courses on offer.

With the opening of the Enduro Park Hechlingen, ➊, in 1994, BMW Motorrad made a training course available in which experienced instructors imparted invaluable off-road riding and safety tips to riders, structured in a regular and systematic framework.

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Eldorado for off-road fans: Enduro Park Hechlingen

Today, BMW Motorrad not only offers off-road rider training in Hechlingen but also runs a wide range of other rider training courses for road motorcycling as well as motorcycle racing. For example, real and returning beginners as well as experienced riders can gain immeasurably from the safety training courses given at the BMW Rider Training Centre in Munich.

In 2010, BMW Motorrad began providing highly specialised training in performance-oriented riding on the race track, held at the BMW Motorrad Motorsport The Race Academy and directed at highly experienced motorcycle riders with serious sporting ambitions. Moreover, since 2012, BMW Motorrad fans have had the opportunity to take part in so-called Track Days, in which they can test out the S 1000 RR and HP4 supersports motorcycles on the race track, ➋ — under the professional guidance of experienced instructors as well as two-times superbike world champion, Troy Corser.

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BMW Motorrad Track Days for experience on the race track

All BMW Motorrad instructors are required to undergo certification, to ensure that they are qualified to perform their activities with a maximum degree of quality. The BMW Motorrad International Instructor Academy guarantees a constant high standard among instructors by ensuring that instructor-training activities for off-road and safety training are also maintained at a high level. Instructors in charge of racing training not only possess the above qualifications but are often accompanied by renowned racing motorcyclists working on behalf of BMW Motorrad.

Off-road Rider Training

You can always sense the excitement that prevails among off-road fans visiting the Enduro Park Hechlingen. It is not without reason that the 26-ha site is regarded as a veritable Eldorado for off-road riders. Spectacular fords and steep slopes alternate with potholes, gravel, sand and mud, offering an enduro experience that is hard to beat.

Beginners learn the basic principles of real enduro riding from highly qualified instructors, and even experienced off-road riders will find that there is still a great deal that they can learn from the experts, ➌. Because when you feel safe negotiating seemingly impassable terrain, then you will be far better equipped to master challenges you are faced with on the road. All exercises in the BMW Motorrad offroad training units are performed under the watchful eyes of BMW Motorrad instructors, and are individually tailored to match the personal needs and abilities of each participant. Participants are challenged but not overtaxed.

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Instruction in the Enduro Park Hechlingen

BMW Motorrad therefore offers selected training programmes in which both beginners and advanced riders will find just the right degree of challenge to enable them to continue to develop their skills successfully.

Training participants learn the essential principles of enduro riding, such as when and where to look, adopting the ideal standing position, and performing successful braking manoeuvres on loose ground. This prepares them for future real-world enduro conditions. By practising riding on narrow paths, rutted tracks, and uphill and downhill slopes, participants optimise their individual feeling for enduro motorcycles.

A special trial-training course is also provided, in which participants can test their ability on lightweight, agile trial motorcycles. Here it is all about maintaining command of body and machine while cultivating a good sense of balance. Trial training is also available for children and young people in the age groups 10 to 14, 14 to 17 and 16 to 18 years.

Safety Training

The more riding practice a rider has the safer he will be. This applies all the more to motorcycle beginners. The compact motorcycle training course at the BMW Rider Training Centre in Munich teaches beginners how to react correctly in critical situations in slow-moving city traffic. Integral to this is the knowledge of how to correctly shift your weight, perform steering movements, and give steering impulses to maintain command of the motorcycle even in dangerous situations. The training also includes practical exercises in braking and steering techniques plus tips and tricks for increased safety given by instructors.

The intermediate rider training in the BMW Rider Training Centre in Munich is ideal for building on existing riding skills or gaining the right feel for the motorcycle if returning after a long period of inactivity. Instinctively correct behaviour in dangerous situations is essential in motorcycling, and for this reason, intensive training is given in the following areas: cornering technique, dodging skills, slalom, and knowing when and where to look. Each participant is given individual feedback from the BMW Motorrad instructors, to enable them to rapidly build on their current ability.

BMW Motorrad Motorsport

For many riders with sporting ambitions, riding on a race track represents the most refined motorcycling sensation, and there are more than a few who dream of the “knee to the ground”, late braking in bends, and skilled fast riding on the ideal line, ➍. The BMW Motorrad Motorsport The Race Academy teaches participants all the techniques that form the foundation of motorcycle road racing, using a learning method that can considerable enhance the rider’s skills in only a few days, even for those who have never ridden on a race track before.

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BMW Motorrad Motorsport The Race Academy: practice alternates with theory

These courses are generally three days long and comprise daily programmes in which practice alternates with theory. The practical lessons comprise six 20-minute sessions in small groups (maximum of three people) under the supervision of an instructor. The use of video recordings enables a methodical analysis of each rider’s individual technique, riding style and progress.

What appears at first glance to read like a rider-training course in how to race your motorcycle at maximum speed on the race track actually contains a wealth of valuable lessons, which are also taught at the BMW Motorrad Track Days. The focus, however, is on free training on the race track under professional supervision. During the two training sessions, riders learn how to control their motorcycle at the limit on the race track, providing them with maximum reserves of riding ability to ensure that they can react in an optimum manner in dangerous traffic situations.