It's like summer camp for the big boys. Sleeping in a bunk house, playing in the sand and showering on a deck with the most amazing views ever seen from four shower heads this side of the Mississippi. There are a couple of distinct differences from the summer camp of our youth. The fridge is stocked with beer, the food is outstanding and we all have big BMW adventure motorcycles upon which we play.
The name's RawHyde, and the game is adventure motorcycle training. As one of eight BMW sanctioned offroad training centers in the world, and one of two in the United States, Jim Hyde has created a legend in just a few short years in Castaic, California. Riders from around the world come to the school to learn how to use these 600lb motorcycles in ways that would make a Harley rider quesey.
Ten years ago, Jim strayed from his typical luxury vacation in the world's best wine regions, and signed up for a
motorcycle tour in Europe. He had ridden years earlier, but it had been so long that he didn't even have a motorcycle endorsement on his license until days prior to his trip. As fate would have it, Jim was assigned a BMW GS adventure motorcycle, and although the trip was not off-road, the bug bit him hard. The trip was an epiphany for Jim, and just a few years later, after developing his skills into a bonafide adventure rider, Jim started RawHyde Adventures to share the dream.
Today, RawHyde is, and feels very much like a family run operation. Jim's wife, Stephanie, is very involved in the business, and their four year old daughter, Jamie Lynne, is never without a smile, and is always nearby bringing smiles to everyone else. Even Stephanie's mother is instrumental, and often accompanies the group on adventure trips. Meal time has the feel of a big family dinner. In general, the Hyde family opens their arms to the guests, and invites them into their home for the weekend.
The camp starts on Friday at 5:00 in the afternoon. Arriving earlier than planned, I had an opportunity to hike some of the properties 120 acres. The hike was tough. As I was struggling up and down the hilly trails, doubts began creeping into the recesses of my mind about riding a big bike on such topography. The hills were steep, and the trails were rutted, sandy, rocky or a combination of all three.
By 5:00, the rest of guests had arrived, and the bonding began. Two guys from California, one from Minnesota, one from Nevada and seven from New York. It was a fun group. Personalities quickly came to light. We had the serious, the quiet, the funny (two of them in fact). Throughout the weekend, everyone would settle into place, almost like pieces in a big puzzle.
In addition to Jim, we had three instructors from California. The instructors at RawHyde all have day jobs. Our group included two police officers and a business owner. They were all accomplished riders who had a genuine passion for the sport, and for training others in the sport. In fact, Coach Bill, the lead instructor, told us early “you guys have no idea how much joy we get as instructors.” Coach Kieth likened us to his kids a couple of times throughout the course, and the smile that Coach Kevin flashed when a student nailed an exercise just dripped with pride. These guys are the real deal, and they want nothing more than to see us succeed.
RawHyde's watering hole is called the Dakar Bar, in honor of the famous Dakar Rally where man and machine are tested beyond their limits. It's where we all met for the first time. The fridge is full of beer, the wall has a respectable selection of spirits and the atmosphere is manly. This is where we congregate to trade stories and rib each other. With the wood planking on the walls, the vintage rifles, and a couple of army surplus items, the feel is very Indiana Jones. This is the place where adventurers go.
After introductions, and a briefing on the weekend, dinner was served! It's not just the motorcycles that require fuel. Riding these two wheeled beasts takes some energy. RawHyde dishes it up with surprisingly high standards. Salmon with a miso reduction, risotto and spinach fill our tanks for the night. The food throughout the weekend continues the trend. Upscale and hardy. Remember, Jim used to vacation in wine country. His high standards for food and drink are evident in every bite!
Understand that this is a rugged place. It's a ranch (they still have cattle roaming). The bunkhouse is just that. A bunkhouse. Canvas ceilings and walls shelter cots and riders at night. Do not make the mistake of seeing this as a cheap way to put up guests. RawHyde is more than just learning how to ride a big bike up a dirt hill. It's about developing relationships that get man and machine through tough terrain. The open plan of this bunkhouse promotes and encourages interactions that simply lead to a tight group. You get to know your buddy.
The other accommodations are in a specially built, double decker trailer. I had a spot on the second level. The room contained a twin sized bed that nearly stretched from wall to wall. It also had a couple of shelves, some lights and a couple of electrical outlets. The ceiling was only about four feet tall. It was tight, but cozy and manageable. After a day's riding, it performed its intended function of providing a place to sleep quite well. I had some of the best sleep in a long time up there. Hard days, cool nights and warm blankets. It's worth repeating that the bunks aren't meant to isolate introverted riders during the down time. They are there to stow gear and sleep.
The next morning, bikes are assigned, paperwork completed, and gear comparisons begin. As a guy, equipment 
counts. It's easy for a couple of guys to completely lose track of time as they look over a bike, and admire or critique equipment choices. And, there are plenty of choices to be made. Just looking at the bikes, you have unbelievable options when it comes to adding protection gear, bags and lights. Kind of like the chrome habit for a Harley Davidson, but not as shiny and a lot more practical. My bike was pretty well stock. Truly a testament to the capabilities of these bikes straight off the showroom floor. More seasoned riders often upgrade wheels and suspension on their bikes to add a little bit more to the performance capabilities of the bikes.
Clothing is no less important, or talked about. From helmets to jackets to boots and gloves. I opted for an Arai XD3 helmet, Alpinestars boots and gloves, and a First Gear suit.
I've been riding the XD3 for some time now, and it 
has quickly become a favorite helmet. In fact, my other two helmets have been relegated to their storage space in the garage for about four months now. The dual sport design includes a very large face shield that gives outstanding visibility. I had the opportunity to use this helmet, and the Alpinestars Scout boots and WR-3 gloves during a rainy day's riding in South Carolina just a month prior. They kept me dry and warm on that day, and were equally comfortable at Rawhyde. The boots have three adjustable buckles, and good armor but aren't too flashy. They even fit under blue jeans, making them suitable for tooling around town.
The First Gear suit was very comfortable, and gave me complete freedom of movement to perform all of the maneuvers. The armor in the TPG Ranier jacket is called d3o. It's a material that is soft and pliable until there is an impact, at which point, it instantly becomes rigid. At the end of the impact, it goes back to its soft, natural state. It's much less bulky and inflexible than traditional armor.
Now, we're onto our first lesson. Jim and his instructors gather us around for a lecture on adventure riding techniques. He hits on physics involved in doing the things that we're about to do. After all, it's nice to know that there is a physical reason that you can lean a motorcycle this large to the left while throwing your body to the right, all the while staying on two wheels. Is it time to ride yet? Not quite. Adventure motorcycling is a physically demanding activity, so we stretch out in the arena before we begin training.
Now it's time to fire them up. The day is filled with thirteen exercises and events, broken up by lunch. We start slowly, riding down the broken pavement and dirt drive to the road below the ranch while standing on our pegs. Riding like this is the bread and butter of making these bikes maneuver off-road, but it's a very unnatural position for someone accustomed to riding on the street where sitting is the primary riding position. The second run to the road, we begin to swing our legs over the seat in kind of a standing side-saddle position. We're not at a trick riding school, so why are we doing this? Well, when riding off road, the motorcycle's balance will be challenged in a variety of situations. Riding with both legs on one side helps students learn to cope with the unbalance, and understand the dynamics involved in keeping the bike upright. In the very first half hour, this school is building a confidence!
Throughout the day we learn specific techniques like slow riding, trial stops (stopping briefly without putting your feet down), counter balance turning, and front and rear brake use. It was fun, and we all had challenges with some of the exercises, but by the middle of the afternoon, we were ready to do something fun. Well, the RawHyde staff had assembled a ribbon course for us to pull all of our skills of that day together.
The course snaked through a small hammock, around some large boulders and through a small rut. A high-visibility pink
ribbon defined a narrow portion of the course that included a very tight 180 degree turn. The course required us to string together the skills that we had learned that day in a scenario that we would find in real world adventure riding. With the assistance and encouragement from our coaching team, everyone found success in the course. We also became our own worse critics. Skills that we thought we had mastered, or at least figured out, began to deteriorate as we encountered target fixation with many of the obstacles on the course. Whether it was the big boulder in the middle of a very tight off-camber turn, the twin logs that we had to ride through, or even the damned pink ribbon that defined a tight corner, we all internalized one lesson. Look where you want to go, not where you don't want to end up.
As darkness began to fall, it was time to park the bikes, clean up and head into the Dakar Bar. The group was really beginning to resemble a team more than anything. Friendly trash talk, laughter and jokes abounded. Everyone had stories of their best, and worst events of the day. Encouragement was offered freely by coaches and students alike. After dinner, the group held the traditional “highs/lows” where everyone stood and explained their highs and lows of the day. Highs of a great 180 degree turn or the friends that were being made were balanced with the lows of self criticism.
Training on the second day began with some practice on figure 8's. Riders utilize the counterbalance technique to lean the bike over at an unnatural angle navigating a very tight figure 8 pattern around two cones. A good rider can make this look simple, but it takes a lot of practice. Most riders reported that they were much more successful with the exercise on this morning than they were the afternoon prior. Therein lies another lesson. Adventure riding is physically demanding, but sometimes it's hard to identify the fatique. Having slept like babies, it became apparent that we were tired by the time we entered the ribbon course the day before. Fatigue will absolutely impact ones performance in this game.
RawHyde recognizes that competition is a healthy thing. Having split the group into two teams the day before, they were apparently not content with the level of trash talk that had taken place. So, we had a slow race. It's simple enough. Four or five riders line up at one end of the arena, and race to the other end. The last person wins. You have to ride straight, you cannot veer, and a foot touch disqualifies. My team represented every racer in the last heat, and I took the win. Alpha team rules!
Following a day of practicing various uphill and downhill turns and descents, we found ourselves with a level of confidence that seemed unreachable just one day prior. Imagine lining up at the top of a steep hill, standing on the pegs, and “rolling out” on the hill. That means that you just ride down the hill with no brakes. A frightening prospect just one day before, but by now, we have developed such an innate trust in our instructors, and their assessment of our abilities that we happily hurl ourselves down the grade. And, we succeed.
At the end of the second day, we had become adventure riders. Perhaps not experts, but we had the foundations that would allow us to tackle just about any off-road obstacle, and win. The confidence that we developed in ourselves, and our motorcycles was nothing short of epic. That we did this in just two days is miraculous. 
That night, the Dakar Bar was loud with happy, dirty, tired adventure riders. That's where we go...the Dakar Bar. The highs and lows that night were remarkeably different from the night before. This night, everyone's highs were matched with knowing smiles full of confidence, and the few lows that were offered really amounted to nothing more than mental damage sustained in the outdoor shower.
Graduation followed. Jim presented each student with a graduation certificate, and each coach offered a hearty handshake and congratulations. Jaime Lee helped hand out the t-shirts. She sized me up perfectly, and handed me a size large. Normally, I'm not big on t-shirts, but after spending the weekend at RawHyde, learning the skills and making new friends, I wear this one with pride.
