BMW Safari adventure

The annual non-competitive motorcycle touring event caters for riders of BMW dual purpose GS motorcycles. Leaving from Broken Hill, NSW, this year's 200 or so riders will explore the Flinders Ranges, witness the exceptional spectacle of a full Lake Eyre and the coastline down to Port Lincoln.

Riders are given daily maps and the route is also arrowed, assisting with navigation. Some riders have hi tech GPS units with mp3 players for extra entertainment.

Typically riders will be in the saddle each day for around six or seven hours and will cover about 500km. They are free to go at their own pace and stop to check out attractions along the way as they please. Support vehicles including a luggage truck, tyre support truck and 4WD sweep vehicle leave riders free to enjoy their day, riding safe in the knowledge that assistance is close at hand should they need it.

This year's BMW GS Safari will begin in Broken Hill NSW on 19th September. From there, riders will tackle the Flinders Ranges, Lake Eyre, Roxby Downs, Pimba, Glendambo, Streaky Bay and Eyre Peninsula, before finishing in Port Lincoln on 23rd September.

BMW Motorrad Marketing Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Miles Davis is eagerly looking forward to the BMW Motorrad GS Safari.

"I have recently ridden over much of the course and it is stunningly beautiful. The GS Safari will give BMW GS riders an unforgettable experience as well as testing their ability over a variety of off-road conditions. At the end of the Safari the riders will appreciate even more how versatile there BMW GS bikes are," said Miles.

Riders are coming from all points of Australia and for many the 2011 GS Safari will be one of many BMW Safaris they have done over the past 15 years. The multiple Safari event stickers on the motorcycles are a reminder of the good times they've had exploring Australia on their BMW's.

The motorcycles they are riding range in capacity from 650cc to 1200cc and are just as capable tackling off-road trails as they are racking up big kilometres on the highway. The majority of riders will be on the larger flagship R 1200 GS models made famous by Ewan Mc Gregor and Charlie Boorman in their "Long Way Round"/Long Way Down" adventures. Charlie and Ewan have definitely inspired many to take up the motorcycle adventure lifestyle.

Adventure riding gives riders the unique freedom to explore more remote areas and become thoroughly immersed in the environment.