MOTORCYCLE RIDING TIPS #5: HOW TO RIDE BETTER ON SAND/OFF-ROADS

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Riding Off-Roads can be one of the most fun things to do with your bike. Most people miss out on the fun by not going off-roading. However, it can also be one of the most dangerous sports if you don't know what you're doing. Hence, complete riding gear is always recommended before going off the tarmac.

Being a biker in India is crazy because we don't necessarily wait until we get an adventure bike to go off-roading. Rather, we turn any bike (street bike/cruiser/sport bike/scooter) into an adventure bike. We take them to places that people in other countries can only imagine taking their expensive, big and purpose built bikes. 

Taking these bikes to such places has its own set of disadvantages. Hence, we often find it difficult to complete the off-road course without damaging the bike. @its2bhan and I went on one of the difficult off-road trail last week and I got to learn a lot during the course. 

I will post our Off-Roading video in the coming days.

Getting to the topic, here are a few things you can do to make your off-roading experience a fun and enjoyable one:

1. Reduce Tire Pressure: 

This is one of the main tricks. When you reduce the tire pressure (10-15 psi), it helps the tires to just glide over the sand without digging deep. Make sure you fill up the air to the normal pressure once you're done with off-roading and are back on the tarmac. 

2. Get Knobby Tires:

If you're a person who does off-roading on a regular basis, it makes sense to get knobby tires than getting road use tires. These have knobs that helps propel the bike without tire-spin in sandy conditions. 

3. Maintain your speed:

Ride in an average and constant speed. Ride too fast and you may end up in disasters because you won't be able to control where the bike goes or what happens when you're going fast. Go too slow and you may end up getting stuck. 

4. Stand on the Foot Pegs while riding:

By doing this you can maintain the weight at the center and your legs act as additional suspension. You'll instantly feel the ride to be less bumpy doing this. This will also help you control the bike better and not allow it to go out of track. Control the direction of the bike by shifting your weight on the footpegs rather than turning the handlebar. 

5.Have a loose grip on the handle-bars:

Being too stiff can cause the impact of the roads to transfer to your body and you may end up getting jolts leading to accidents. Hold it loose enough so that you are in control and are also able to use the throttle. 

6. Never apply front brakes abruptly:

It always ends up in a lockup of front tire and finally leading to a fall. Use rear brakes and engine braking most often and also don't use too much pressure on the brakes. Slight pressure enough to slow the bike is better than a tire lockup which doesn't do shit to stop the bike. 

7. When rear wheel gets stuck: 

When your rear wheel is stuck, never give too much throttle or slip the clutch. It just worsens the situation by digging the pit even deeper. Try pushing back and forth along with giving little throttle. Sometimes the tire catches traction and you can escape the situation. If nothing works, get off the bike and try pulling it out. 

In worse conditions, ask for help. Which takes us to the next point:

8. Always take a riding companion along with you: 

Sometimes we may get into situations where one person is not enough to get the bike out of the stuck situation but need two or more people. Hence, it is always safer to go in a group of 2 or more. I always make it a point. 

9. Carry basic tools: 

Situations may arise where your bike parts take a hit and may move from their position or bend. For eg: the gear lever or brake lever may move from their position or bend. Carrying basic tools is most of the times sufficient to fix the situation temporarily. 

10. Steep Downhill: 

When riding down a steep slope, you could use slight pressure on both the brakes and keep it in first gear with clutch engaged. Alternatively, you could switch off the engine and just move down with the help of gravity by releasing and pressing clutch lever simultaneously. 

Here's a video from a fellow Indian biker:

I hope most of my biker buds here can relate to this. I would be glad if you could add some points that I might've missed out on.  Let's make this a complete guide. 

A huge shout-out to my biker buds from India: @firepower, @varunpinto, @its2bhan, @thebatmanbiker, @fruitydisco, @bunnypunia, @ashrayn, @littlevoice, @bikergirl, @heelsonwheels, @karthikrao, @goproman, @droidsid, @rideofpassion, @sandeshm, @sanjayjkamath, @speedracer, @srinidhi, @the44nmcaferacer, @touringdiaries, @thenomadictales and @xtrememotoadv. Phew! That's a long list. Please comment if I've missed out anybody else.  

Thank you for reading!

Cheers!

Here are my other tutorial posts:

1. MOTORCYCLE RIDING TIPS #1: COUNTERSTEERING (for effective cornering)
2. MOTORCYCLE RIDING TIPS #2: TARGET FIXATION (and how you can take advantage of it.)
3. MOTORCYCLE RIDING TIPS #3: ENGINE BRAKING
4. MOTORCYCLE RIDING TIPS #4: MONSOON RIDING TIPS