Cycle Torque Jan/Feb 2017

CYCLE TORQUE FEATURE 2016 BMW GS SAFARI
cycletorque.com.au JAN/FEB 2017 I 64
A flock of GS BMWs - gathered up for checkin,
on the road and in the creek, and the riders
have a well-earned drink.
they managed to retrieve a piece of lost property, were
particularly grateful for some assistance or because they
lost a bet, and is something of a tradition at the Safari.
But the biggest contribution came from the person who
wanted the #001 identification sticker, which usually
goes to the first person to register for the event – but this
year that person had to cancel, so someone had the idea
to auction off the #001 plate, where it raised $3000. That
money and the bucket ended up at $5700 for the RFDS.
I met some great people at the year’s BMW GS
Safari. Some were on their first ride, some having
basically never ridden in the dirt before (ahh, here’s a
recommendation… don’t start out as an adventure rider
with a 1200cc machine… there are great mid-range
bikes which will build your confidence quicker…) and
of course the hard-core who I only saw in the evenings,
because I didn’t see which way they went each morning,
they were that fast.
It’s a credit to BMW that they put in the time and effort
to run these events – they are a huge drain on personnel
and resources, but it must be worth it to see the looks on
the faces of the riders at the end of each day, for this is
why they ride.
– Nigel Paterson
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