Off-Road Riding Tips and Tricks
Riding a motorcycle off-road can significantly improve your skills as a rider on the roads, it’s a completely different experience from what you may be used to, but the experience you will gain on how to control your motorcycle, along with the fun you will have, is second to none.
It can be a humbling experience for riders too, with less traction meaning it’s much easier to have an accident and end up face-first in a load of mud, but if you follow these tips, you’ll find it slightly easier.
Stand up
The best way to ride on dirt is to stand up, doing so helps to transfer the weight into your feet, allowing you to have more control of the motorcycle and ride it in a more effective manner. Additionally, you will have a better view of what is ahead of you, meaning you can react to situations more effectively.
When standing, it’s important to bend your knees somewhat to use them as suspension; this helps to reduce pressure on your spine when taking hits or going over rocky surfaces. Simply relax and loosen your upper body.
At first, it will feel incredibly odd, like you are losing some control of the motorcycle, but after a while, it will all click into place.
Relax and try to be loose on the bike
Relax and take it easy. It’s so easy to tense up when riding on loose surfaces with that constant worry that you may crash, but tensing up while riding will cause you to maintain less control of the motorcycle, especially as it is moving around underneath you on the loose surfaces you are riding on.
Inevitably, the motorcycle is going to slide around because of the surfaces you are riding on, therefore, it’s important to relax and let the bike move around underneath you while controlling the throttle and brakes and letting the suspension do the work for you. Doing so will help build up your confidence in the motorcycle and how it feels.
Adjust the levers for off-road riding
When riding off-road, your body position will be different due to the different riding styles you are applying by standing up. Because of this, it’s important to adjust the brake and clutch levers so they are within reach at all times, whether you are sitting or standing, and can be applied with as much force as necessary at all times.
Improving your comfort on the motorcycle will enable you to feel more confident about riding it. Most adventure bikes have adjustable levers as standard, but you may need to fit some aftermarket levers to ensure they can be adjusted.
Keep your fingers over the brake and clutch levers at all times
You need to have the reaction times of a hawk when riding off-road; consequently, covering the brake and clutch levers could aid you dramatically if you need to brake or stop for any reason. Those split seconds it takes to grab the lever could be the difference between an accident or a near miss.
Being able to feather the clutch will give you more control over the power output of your motorcycle. Many believe that the only way to give the engine power is to twist the throttle, and while this is partly true, the clutch can be used to inhibit or dampen how much power is actually going to the rear wheel.
Do not ride alone
This is an important one. Riding off-road can be incredibly dangerous, and however tempting it may be to do it alone and enjoy it by yourself, you never know what could happen. If you were to have an accident or get trapped somewhere without any nearby help, you could find yourself in some serious trouble.
Try to trust the motorcycle
We can appreciate that this is a tricky one; it’s hard to trust something that is actively trying to kill you at every moment possible, but hey, that’s why we love riding motorcycles, right?
It’s important to trust your motorcycle and its ability to take you wherever you go. If you’re riding an adventure-style motorcycle or a motorcycle built for riding on dirt, the chances of it being more capable than your skill level are very high. You’d be surprised how capable motorcycles are, and it may open your eyes a little or a lot to what they can do.
Of course, you still need to apply the right techniques to your riding and not go crazy, but try to trust the bike.
Remember object fixation
Where you look is where you go. If you’re riding along and notice a great big tree, it’s probably best not to imagine what could happen if you hit it while staring at it, as it’s very possible you may end up doing exactly that.
Make sure to look forward in the direction you want to travel; this allows you to scan the road and pathways, notice any dangers, and plan for what you are going to do. Just try not to stare at these possible dangers, as we know what could happen.
Wear the right gear
A one-piece leather suit is a great piece of equipment for a race track, but riding off-road? Probably not the best idea.
Having the right gear is very important. You need to have a helmet that fits correctly and provides you with great visibility and eye protection to avoid any stones or items that may come flying at you.
Adventure gear must be able to withstand you moving around, standing up, and sitting down; therefore, it’s important to try out a number of different types of gear to find ones that will work for you.
Learn to brake and corner properly
When riding on the tarmac, we are conditioned to use the front brake at all times; some use of the rear brake is advised, but the front should dominate.
When riding off-road these need to be more balanced. You will find that on dirt, the front brake will slow the bike down, but the rear brake will help you steer it around a corner.
It’s important that you continue to rely on the front brake to do the work of stopping the bike while also recognising that the rear brake will enable you to corner more effectively. By using your gravity and counterbalancing the motorcycle by leaning in the opposite direction, you will find that you have more stability.
As you build confidence and experience, you will find what works best for you, but using the right technique goes a long way.