Home › Forums › General Discussion › 2007 BMW Safari in NZ
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Anonymous
Guest01/08/2006 at 12:39 pmPost count: 2134Latest News
Australian Safari Adventure
Riding a BMW motorcycle symbolises freedom, a sense of adventure, independence and a desire for the finer things in life. As BMW Motorrad's model range becomes ever more comprehensive, customer activity programmes have also grown to meet the increasing demand for tours, riding courses and adventure travel opportunities.
One of the longest established and most successful of these is BMW Motorrad Australia's Safari events programme that is exclusively for BMW owners and their partners. Since its inception in 1994 the BMW Safari has played host to over 3,500 BMW riders and their pillion partners, and taken them thousands of kilometres around almost every region of Australia. Of the last nine BMW Safaris, three have been held in Queensland, two in South Australia, two in Tasmania, one in Victoria and one in New South Wales. A professional and friendly crew provides logistical, technical and tyre support, and the event is hosted by the management and staff of BMW Motorrad Australia.
In 2005 BMW Motorrad expanded the BMW Safari programme by introducing a special off-road event solely for GS riders. The GS Safari is an off-road adventure for BMW motorcycles (solo riders) with recognized off-road capability, while the BMW Tourensport Safari is the ultimate road journey open to all BMW owners, whether riding solo or accompanied by a pillion partner.
The 2006 BMW GS Safari will be going from Cairns to the tip of Cape York and back from 19 to 26 August (more details available from the http://www.bmwsafari.com website). The Safari events begin with a casual 'Welcome Party' and finish with a more formal 'Farewell Dinner'. During the Safari, various evening social events are organised so that participants get further opportunities to meet and make friends with their fellow riders and partners. Routes are all carefully researched and mapped and GPS waypoints are also provided to those with BMW Navigator GPS units. Daily route maps, with comprehensive directions, are normally handed out each night to maintain an element of surprise and adventure.
And while registration for this year's Safari has already closed, BMW Group Australia's Motorrad Manager, Mac McMath believes that overseas riders should consider adding a BMW Safari to their 'must do' wish list for 2007.
"In 2005 we decided to separate the GS activities from the road-based tour and cater for the more adventurous out there with a harder core, more earthy event. The success of the GS Safari in April 2005 has led to us staging our biggest logistical Safari ever with the Cairns to Cape York GS event scheduled for mid to late August. More than 100 bikes will attempt to head up to the country's northernmost tip - an arduous route that earns respect from diehard riders across the land.
"2007 should see us broaden our horizons once again as we are planning to host a Safari in New Zealand. Our organisers would welcome interest from BMW riders from other countries for future Safaris. Watch out for details before the end of the year including the opportunity to hire BMW motorcycles from established local firms catering for foreign riders."Inactive10/04/2007 at 11:28 pmPost count: 7I know this is a late reply to your August 06 posting…I recently completed the "ex-BMW South Island Safari" in NZ, now sponsored by Yamaha. Still a great safari but with the change of sponsor it is now targeted at scramble bikes, and the bigger bikes generally struggled, with some exceptions of course.The talk around the tables at night, from the owners of bigger bikes, was that they were unlikely to attend this Safari again given its new focus, but that there was still a need for a safari along the lines that ran until BMW ceased its sponsorship after the 2005 event.I can only recommend and support any move to run a safari for bigger bikes in NZ. Go for it... 😎
I hear discussion is underway to “reinstate” BMW sponsorship for the safari in time for 2008. It was a bit of a shame that NZ Adventures went with Yamaha for the 2007 one although given the restructuring going on at BMW NZ earlier, especially in the motorcycle divison, it wasn't a big surprise. There's still a feeling from the NZ side of the operations I think that the ball was dropped in terms of the opportunity to build on a grand 10-year tradition. Still, from all accounts the 2007 safari was pretty good for most people I've talked to and I don't think NZ Adventures intended to change the focus regardign bigger bikes per se, it could have been down to a combination of new routes and unfamiliar terrain perhaps. If BMW Mottorad do intend to run an NZ safari along the lines of the Australian and European safaris, it will be interesting to see who they use to set it all up. Whatever happens, I'll be there with Dave T. in support.CheersGarry
It will be intersting to watch this development, considering that BMW is moving towars lighter more off-road oriented bikes. I guess the mext R1200GS will be even more of a road bike than its previous incarnations. Look what happened to the Tiger. Although some riders manage to do fairly well the big bikes are still pigs when it comes to off-gravel road rides. The potential to destroy a bike you've just paid close to 30000 grand for is high and with so much weight involved the risk of injury is also considerable. As far as I am concerned I've done my dash of throwing around the 1150. As it is the Basic is still heavy enough to make it challenging to ride it in rough conditions. Challenging enough for me anyway, as I'll never be a jumping and wheeling kind of rider, too late for that.Let's hope Vege gets his A into G and sets a new date for the missed adventure ride.
Guest11/04/2007 at 8:34 amPost count: 2134I thought the ride was fine. There was hard options and easy options. There was a few small bikes dropped. You have to ride to your skill level, l like to test my skill level which means I may drop the bike. The one great thing BMW has done is built new bikes to handle off road riding which is what many BMW fans have asked for years. I believe the 1200gs will become more street riding and if you want to ride adventure rides then you may have to up grade to an HP (forget that they are all sold :-D) or the new 650x.
if you want to ride adventure rides then you may have to up grade to an HP (forget that they are all sold :-D) or the new 650x.
There is no compulsion to ride on a BMW on Adventure rides. As they say in Germany, "Other mothers have pretty daughters, too".
Guest11/04/2007 at 10:05 amPost count: 2134if you want to ride adventure rides then you may have to up grade to an HP (forget that they are all sold :-D) or the new 650x.Â
There is no compulsion to ride on a BMW on Adventure rides. As they say in Germany, "Other mothers have pretty daughters, too".
This is true, but from now on all BMW adventure rides are only for BMW bikes.
Interesting, who's told you that? Would they be able to get a big enough crowd for any single marque event?
Guest11/04/2007 at 7:54 pmPost count: 2134Interesting, who's told you that? Would they be able to get a big enough crowd for any single marque event?
BMW Experience. Henry has always said the rides should only be BMW. I don't think you need big numbers, but in saying that BMW Australia always has a waiting list for there GS events, and that is only BMW bikes. BMW South Africa is also only BMW bikes. http://www.gagsc.com/
Well, we don't have the same numbers as Oz and SA, but it sure beats getting passed by a postie bike in the rough stuff :-).
The reason past safaris have been open to all comers was to keep the individual entry cost down, although right from the start in 97 BMW riders were given preference to a place on the ride and a marginal discount on the entry cost. I think though we are now at a stage where rides sponsored by BMW are going to be those where you must be on a BMW to participate and smaller, guided tours are going to be the norm in the future given some of the land access issues and health and safety nazis playing there silly games. There are enough BMW owners now who will pay for this type of adventuring and overseas interest is way high that it used to be.
Guest12/04/2007 at 1:46 amPost count: 2134Well, we don't have the same numbers as Oz and SA, but it sure beats getting passed by a postie bike in the rough stuff :-).
I don't think size comes into play. It's how many bikes a country sells. New Zealand out sells most countries for the size of the county. We out sold Australia biggest dealer ifor February.
Well it's the number of people with BMWs who are willing to attend an adventure ride with their BMW. There aren't all that many. I am not trying to be negative, I am just curious.
Well it's the number of people with BMWs who are willing to attend an adventure ride with their BMW. There aren't all that many. I am not trying to be negative, I am just curious.
Then of course there's the issue of the number of GS owners who just won't get their bikes really dirty 😀
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