I took BMW's Off Road course this past weekend. It's designed for the big 550lb GS1200, so I felt a little like I was cheating on my little G650x. As a matter of fact, mine was about the only bike that stayed on its wheels the whole time. It was awesome to see $25,000 machines on their sides, repeatedly!

There was even a KLX250 out there too!

The focus was on very low speed manoeuvring off road. The venue was a moto-cross track but at very low speeds. All drills were in first gear, most of the time on the brakes & feathering the clutch; almost at a stand still sometimes!

Drills included:
- picking up a 550lb bike
- up-hill stalling
- ruts
- low-speed straight line
- hill-climbs
- descents
- obstacles
- emergency manoeuvres & braking
- full lock circles and pylons

The day-long course was 11 hrs; I suspect it's to teach students about maintaining proper technique when fatigued. About 1/4 of the class opted not to complete the course to the end.

It was much more challenging than I expected and it was well worth the dollar & time investment. I'd recommend it to anyone looking to improve their dual-sport skills.

 

How's that suit working out for ya?

 

How does one use the rear brake with that stance?

 

You actually use the rear brake on your bike?

 

Maybe ...

 

Pros:
+ An all-in-one outfit that saves fumbling with, and searching for, individual garments and armour
+ Great storage pockets
+ Great for cold days (below 0C 0r 30F) with the removable lining in, and on mild days (up to 25C or 80F) with lining out

Cons:
- Gets toasty on hot days (over 35C or 95F), even with the vents open, at lower speeds.
- Once a sweat is built up inside, it can get a little sticky and difficult to remove
- hip pads would be nice

Ultimately it's best suited to cold & mild temperatures.

 

Interesting topic! Lots of folks claim you shouldn't even be considering ANY front brake off-road. I even know street riders who proudly claim they never touch the front brake, using solely on the rear!

I have always used light-moderate amounts of front brake off road, but the GS course actually emphasized relying heavily on front brake, to the point of threshold in some circumstances (ABS off of course). One instructor even showed a technique of intentionally locking the front for short periods on steep descents to build up a little chock of dirt ahead of the wheel.

 

Nice! This remind me that on my last ride I realized I need to actually learn how to ride on dirt.

(Googling "how to ride dirtbikes")

 

I did the BMW Off Road Skills in the UK couple of years ago - one of the first skills (just after learning how to pick a 1200Gs up) was ride on dirt with the front wheel locked up ~ fun. The idea was to learn what it feels like and then never do it again.
I sort of got hooked after the Level 1, signed up for a Level 2, Day in the Dirt, and a two day tour mostly off road in the Welsh Brecon Beacons - then I bought my KLX as I found out how much getting dirty is.

 

I only use front brake on straights and even then only in good footing. Anything else gets little pulses on the rear. On the street - I never touch the rear.