PREPARING FOR YOUR BMW SAFARI

A BMW Safari is a great week out on your bike with most of the planning and logistics nicely prepared for you. However, there are some things that you can do to ensure you have the best possible time.

Having your trusty bike prepared and fitted with the right luggage and accessories will help.  Participants are eligible for a free pre “Safari Ready” technical check at their authorised BMW Motorrad Dealer, this ensures that your bike is ready for the event. You don’t want a wheel bearing issue or to run out of brake pads during the event. Bikes that pass the Safari Ready inspection are eligible for BMW Safari technical support during the event. Having the right riding gear can make the difference between enjoying a day on the bike or not. Being comfortable in all conditions is important, and having gear that provides a high level of protection is also very important.

For many riders, some rider training may be just what’s needed to give that extra control and confidence. Never underestimate how much benefit you may gain from taking part in quality rider training.

Take advantage of a free BMW bike inspection with the “BMW Safari Ready” sticker program. Your BMW Dealer will check over your bike making sure everything is in top shape for the ensuing ride. Participants displaying the Safari Ready Sticker on there bike are also entitled to BMW technical support during the event. Bike inspections can be booked through your local BMW Dealer and should be done no earlier than 60 days prior to your Safari.

Aside from the “Safari Ready” Inspection your bike should be inside the scheduled service intervals allowing for the long kms you are about to embark on. Tyres also need to be considered and should be in good condition for the ride to the event with a fresh set of pre ordered tyres recommended for the start point of all GS Safari events.

Make sure you are able to easily carry your gear, whether it be in panniers or soft luggage on the back of your bike. Tank bags are a great way to carry the items you may need throughout the day, like camera, phone, route sheets/maps, waterbottle, sunglasses etc. You can even store a charging hub powered by your bikes 12v outlet port to keep items fully charged. Ensure any soft luggage is securely attached your bike. When packing your bike only take the essentials. A list of recommended items will be supplied to all participants after registration. Overloading a bike will decrease performance, increase fuel consumption and over all make the bike more difficult to handle.

You want to wear good riding gear, because weather conditions can vary drastically and unfortunately things don’t always go to plan. As with everything, you get what you pay for, good riding gear is an investment, it should last you many years and having it should give you good peace of mind.

JACKET AND PANTS
Should be comfortable, weatherproof, abrasion resistant and ideally have CE Approved soft armour inserts fitted in key areas (knee, hip, elbow, shoulder and back). Multiple ventilation zips helps for when conditions are warmer.

BOOTS
Should be purpose built providing good shin and ankle protection.

GLOVES
You should always travel with two sets of gloves, one pair for colder or wet conditions, waterproof and with a built in squeegee on the left index finger to easily wipe your helmet visor in the rain. Another set of lighter gloves is very handy for when conditions are warmer, these should still be strong and abrasion resistant, they just don’t need to be as insulated and bulky.

HELMET
Your helmet should fit well, snug but not so tight it causes discomfort when worn for longer periods. You should have a tinted and clear visor, or the new flip down tinted visor is a good solution for varying light conditions. An anti fog insert or treatment is a great idea also.