Off-Road Bike riding is a dream of travelling enthusiasts and bike owners. Off-Road biking comes with a lot of challenges, adventure and fun. Off-Road riding tips are very important because the right technique and proper use of motorcycle accessories will keep you safe and gives you a thrilling experience.
So what to keep in mind before going off-Road, here is a list of 7 useful off-road riding tips for beginners:
Table of Contents
1. Safety First
The first and basic off-road riding tips begin with wearing the right riding gear. Use your normal street gear if you must, but the wise thing to do is to invest in proper riding gear.
A pair of off-road or adventure riding boots will not just provide you safety but also will boost your confidence. A good jacket, pair of riding pants with adequate protection, gloves and a good quality helmet is the bare minimum when you think of going off-road.
The proper riding gear will not only keep you safe but will also save you from dust and minor injuries.
2. Trust the Bike
Your bike with which you have decided to go off-road, it is better that you should know everything about it.
In the right hands, even the oldest and most tired motorcycle will take on the toughest of landscapes and emerge the other side.
So with the proper knowledge of bike, you can take your bike on far more challenging terrain than you might think is possible. It is good to challenge yourself a bit and you will be amazed by what your bike is capable of.
Trust the bike and think positively. For a better experience of off-road riding tips, you can also check our list of best off-road bikes in India 2021.
3. Take a Stand
Often you will think that why riders stand up when riding off-road. Standing certainly gives you the right appearance, but there is more to it than just looking cool.
Standing up on the pegs not only gives you a good view of the trail ahead but in fact, it helps you to balance and control the bike better over the loose stuff.
Standing on the pegs can require an initial leap of faith as it may feel that it gives you less control rather than more. Standing up on the footpegs transfer the centre of gravity from the saddle to a point between the wheel spindles, far closer to the ground makes you and the bike more stable.
For beginners it’s recommended to try to stand on the pegs as much as possible to get comfortable, at first it may seem unnatural but over time it will help you to reap all the benefits and joys of riding off-road.
4. Body Position
While riding a bike – keep the arms relaxed and free, the legs slightly bent and knees hugging the tank, using the legs to steer the bike.
The body weight needs to be transferred, usually to the front of the bike, over the handlebars and sometimes to the rear of the bike when you need to weigh down to the rear wheel for better traction.
The ideal position to start off is the elbows up and pointing out words, the hands holding the bars with the outer two fingers, and the inner finger on the front brake and clutch.
You can further increase this effect by transferring your weight to the balls of your feet rather than on the centre of your foot which allows your ankle to flex in your boots too, further reducing the effects of the terrain on the rest of your body.
5. Heads Up
This is something that you should keep in your mind every time you sling your leg over a motorcycle.
It is simply keeping your head up and focusing way ahead.
Riding off-road will require you to keep your eyes focused well ahead of where you are to select lines and spot obstacles and hazards well in advance.
If you are standing on the pegs, lean forward so your helmet is almost directly over the bar clams, focus and at least 20m ahead if possible and constantly plan your route to find the smoothest and easiest path through the terrain.
6. Breaks
Learning the effective use of breaks will help your off-road riding skills. If you do need to slow down, before a corner, or suddenly, practice using your rear brake.
Use the front brakes less as it will provide you with a lot more stopping power than rear brakes.
Practice locking the rear wheel and figuring out how much you can control the slide while being in total control of the bike.
7. Know the Limits
You need to be realistic about your abilities and experiences if you have just started off-road riding.
Don’t shy, ask for help and advice if you want and be prepared to learn. If you can’t get up a tricky climb, then rather than smashing yourself and your bike, ask someone else to help or do it for you.
These were the 7 useful off-road riding tips. Off-road riding skills require training, practice and enjoyment.
So practice more and keep yourself safe!
