As a South Jersey Sand Flea used to sandy woops and single track on my Husky 450, it was an absolute pleasure to try a day of dual sport riding in Southern California. Last Sunday I rented a BMW GS800 from ADVRentals.us in Castiac, CA which got set up via the guys at BMW of Ventura County and headed out for an incredible 300 miles of the most scenic riding i have ever experienced. First off, everyone I encountered was a pure joy and more than helpful in every way. Sharif from ADVRentals was VERY accommodating and the price was more than fair ($165 for a brand new 800 with panniers). Lyle from BMWVC was instrumental in setting up the ride with another local ADV rider (Upst8) and the ride they took me on was awesome! 300 miles, 150 of killer twisties, 50 miles of highway, and another 100 off road. If anyone from outside of Southern California, or even in SoCal but dont have an adventure bike, I highly recommend talking to Sharif and setting up a ride. Not only do they rent bikes for you to do any type of riding but they also have guided tours and work with Rawhyde for Adventure Bike training. All in all I'd say they have set up a great network which benefited me and would do the same for anyone in a position to try such an adventure. I cannot wait to get back and do it again (and try the new GS1200). For now, I will continue to enjoy the spring time in good ole South Jersey. Cheers and "Keep the Rubber Side Down!"
I just realized i sound like a commercial, for these guys (lol) but be assured, I never met them until this past weekend and this is just a happy customer giving credit where credit is due and describing an epic ride.
That place DOES look awesome! I looked into doing one of their adventure courses, but it's just too expensive at ~$1400. I'd really like to someday!
That's steep for me right now also but I will do it someday. If you have any experience, just do the rental with a guide. That's under $400 I believe.
Glad you had a great experience riding in our neck of the woods, Lyle and BMWVC are good people! DesertSurfer There's tracks on my website of places to get Lost and ride in Socal, and I offer guided tours with or without the bike included too. You can find tracks here too: http://www.dualsportmaps.com
