Motorcycle Explorer October 2014 Issue 2 | Page 90

G
eraint’s son, Dylan, was our instructor. A
winner of four ISDE gold medals, he has clearly
inherited his dad’s talents on a bike. After a
period of instruction in off-road techniques,
the weekend was focused very much on riding
- amongst the varied and sometimes technical
terrain in the surrounding forestry blocks and
hills, but also on longer rides on the back roads
and green lanes of mid-Wales. On several
occasions Dylan led us to section of single
track or loose descents which I would never
have thought the Tenere could handle. But
every time she did. If you’re after a purely
skills-orientated package on a larger bike, this
probably isn’t for you. But if you want to get a
feel for the complete spectrum of ‘adventure
biking’, or test out the Tenere before buying
one, or simply want to enjoy a very challenging
weekend’s riding in some stunning landscapes,
it’s just the ticket.
L
ooking back with nearly two years and many
thousands of kilometres of dirt-riding under
my belt, I can honestly say that these two days
were all I needed to set me up for this trip.
Getting comfortable on the dirt is all about
riding on the dirt as much as possible. The two
days with Dylan was enough to teach me the
basics, build my confidence and learn what the
bike was capable off, which meant when I hit
the gravel in Argentina I felt ready to go.
What’s more, I did the weekend on my own
bike - a bit advantage. Anyone can bring their
own machine to one of the Tenere weekends,
and it needn’t be a Yamaha. This not only let’s
you get to know your own bike, but also makes
the weekend very affordable.