BMW builds rugged, ‘round-the-world ready motorcycles, but those capable Teutonic rides would be nothing without their owners. To experience the BMW lifestyle firsthand, I spent a day logging 330 miles on an R1200GS at the BMW RawHyde Adventure Rider Challenge, a hundreds-strong annual event that pushes the limits of man and machine on terrain that’s far removed from the comforts of urban sprawl.

The Setup: All About the Map… and, the GPS

The BMW Adventure Rider Challenge is open to all brands of bikes, but with the exception of a few KTMs and Kawasakis, the vast majority of these 200 or so participants choose Beemers.


One person rode all the way from Anchorage, Alaska in only two days. Yep, these are some seriously dedicated adventure riders who aren’t afraid to live out of their motorcycles.

My day started at RawHyde headquarters in Castaic, California with a 6:00 AM breakfast and a rider meeting, which involved discussing possible routes, considering the good, twisty bits, and of course some more map contemplation coupled with some GPS programming.

The Ride: From Highway to Trail, and Back Again

Our group of riders set out for the ghost town of Randsburg by pounding the interstate and heading into some scenic ranch areas. The group leader had a GPS system that led us to graveled roads, but every turn we took hit private property with a locked gate. Our attempts to find a mountainous off-road path were repeatedly rebuffed by dead ends. The day wasn’t getting any younger, so we headed back on the interstate to take a more conventional (and far less adventurous) route.

You can never refuel enough on an adventure ride—after all, nobody wants to get stuck in the middle of nowhere on a bike—so our group gassed up before heading into the remote stretches of the Mojave desert.

Temps here approached 110 degrees Fahrenheit according to one onboard temperature gauge, and the sparse desertscape severely contrasted the tree-dotted features of the ranch area. This time around, the GPS didn’t lie: we efficiently deposited ourselves in Randsburg, a ghost town with a population of 80 and a definitively dusty demeanor. Parked amidst a sea of BMWs, we recharged with lunch and stretched our limbs before heading back to the open road. We plotted a course through Jawbone Offroad Recreational Area, but barely inside the park one of our riders started having trouble with his bike. After diagnosing a loose battery cable, his bike wasn’t still running right, so we decided to cut our losses and head back on the interstate after some dallying in the gravel. In spite of our hiccups, many other riders had the opportunity to sample more rugged trails to Randsburg and back.

We all enjoyed the “Rodeo” competition at the end of the day, which involved a variety obstacle courses including off-camber hillclimbs, gravel and sand pits, and a menacing “Pendulum,” which involves riding through a series of arches while avoiding the swings of giant weighted arms. A trials-style scoring system penalized those who “dabbed” (touched their feet to the ground), and the riders competed for $3,500 in gifts. The competition was unique since you had to be on a 650cc or larger bike to be eligible for prizes, forcing riders to handle their big-bore enduros with balletic precision—much easier said than done.

In the End, Adventure is What You Make of it

After 330 miles miles of riding, I had an awesome time at BMW’s RawHyde Adventure Rider Challenge-- even if I missed a bit of the offroad riding I was originally anticipating. The beauty of the event lies in that you choose your own path, which can range from challenging offroad trajectories to more relaxing, scenic routes (and subsequently, it was through no fault but our own that we didn’t hit some of the offroad trails we hoped to.) BMW riders, it turns out, are an unpretentious, fun-seeking bunch, the kinds of folks you’d enjoy having a beer with just as much as you’d enjoy riding alongside from dawn ‘till dusk. My R1200GS performed admirably, and the areas surrounding RawHyde’s headquarters in Castaic, California are ripe for exploration. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to give the program another go when they reconvene next year.

The 3-day event is priced at $349 if you choose to participate in the competitions, and $319 for those who just choose to ride. To see the event's official website, go to www.adventureriderchallenge.com.

>>Click here for a BMW RawHyde Adventure Challenge Photo Gallery<<

>>Click here for a 2009 BMW R1200GS Review<<

>>Click here for a 2009 BMW R1200GS Photo Gallery<<