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Bosnia Rally 2019 - A Roadbook Training Camp


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It's New Year's Eve 2019, I'm still fat and lazy from all the eating and constantly on Instagram or Facebook to kill time until January 6th. The start of the Dakar 2019. It's like the Rally season opens with the biggest of all every year. For a few years now I'm following the Rally Dakar and as soon as Toby and Matthias finished I said to myself it's about time. Time to learn how to navigate like these pros, old-school. With endless paper that tells you where to go. Navigation by Roadbook on a motorcycle. In Europe, the best way to learn is by attending the Bosnia Rally, which is a dedicated roadbook training camp.

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It's about 500 Euro for early birds (600 Euro regular) and you'll get a Roadbook theory training, a great staff including medical support if needed, and of course the chance to ride spectacular tracks in the middle of nowhere. Actually, the tracks are in Bosnia and Herzigovina, but as soon you're there, you're gonna realize how amazing and open field this country is to ride in.

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So I got myself prepared for my first Rally:
•    Roadbook, RB backplate and handlebar switch (MK1, Aurora)
•    Tripmeter (Tripmaster GFX, RNS Electronics)
•    Fresh Service for the old girl
•    New tires (went with the Metzeler Unicross in the front and the Karoo 3 in the back due to the lack of options for a 17 inch rear)
•    Bigger pegs to have a more comfortable stand on the bike (prototyped by SWT-Sports)
•    Renewed my first aid kit (good thing I checked, it already expired)

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I packed my things, put everything on the motorcycle and drove 1.200 kilometers to Bosnia and Herzegovina on small roads through Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and finally Bosnia. As soon as I got there I felt the spirit in the bivouac, over 100 riders as crazy as me. Many simply wanted to learn how to navigate by Roadbook, some were training for bigger upcoming events and some joined the rally while riding in the also offered GPS class, following a line on their Montanas. ☺

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The four days of riding went by quickly and you can read about them a bit more detailed in my blog. It's written in German for now, but I’ll translate it as soon as possible and will let you know here in the comments below.

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Four days of craziness, lots of different terrains to ride in, I loved to race there! Well, actually the Bosnia Rally is not a race, it’s a roadbook training camp organized like any other Pro Rally without the racing part. There was nothing to win, except for navigation skills, riding skills while riding outside of my comfort zone from time to time and tons of new motorcycle friends sharing the same passion. If you’re in the area or can make it to Europe that’s where you need to go.

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After driving back home to Germany for another 1.200 kilometers through the heaviest rain I ever had to ride in (sorry, I have to advertise, it was really horrible rain: Klim, thank you for keeping me dry ☺), the first thing I did was to register for my next Rally. Guess, I'm already hooked. Next up is the Transitalia Marathon and there is also a Roadbook class, and of course, that’s what I’m going with.

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Anyone with me in Italy end of September? Which other Rallys can you recommend? And here is one last picture of me stuck in the sand. Eric would say it's not the tires, it's lack of skill. And he's fkn right. But it was so much fun, so I drove all the way to the end of the beach, not thinking about how the hell I could get out of there again. My poor clutch, but still, fun!

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Every picture used here was taken by Bastian Benjamin Brüsecke, Reinhold Wenzel and Team, they are amazing photographers, you can find the whole gallery on the Facebook page of Bosnia-Rally.

 

Edited by Gravelscout
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