Post Contributed By: Viking Bags

Adventure motorcycle riding is not as simple as road riding. It involves highly active decision-making, sharp muscle memory, and continuous learning from mistakes and practice. Adventure moto riding is undoubtedly quite adventurous, fun, and more amusing than normal road riding which is why it is currently the most popular form of motorcycle riding. However, to be safe and avoid crashing your adventure bike continuously, you must learn and practice ADV riding skills to become a better off-road rider. Continue reading this article to learn about the top five adventure motorcycle riding tips.

Turning a corner requires good road reading skills and approach. It also depends on the speed with which the rider is entering a corner. Leaning a motorcycle while entering is the most important riding skill without of which you will never be able to become a better rider. However, while off-roading on an adventure bike, the riding dynamics become different. The rider is expected to counterbalance and adjust his/her weight on the opposite side while taking a turn. This is never easy for novice riders and can only be learned with time and continuous practice.
Adventure bikes are taller, have high ground clearance, and the center of gravity is also high to make them better off-roaders. These differences in the geometry and design also change the way these bikes are ridden. While turning right, the rider should put more weight on the left foot pegs and move his/her body to the left side to avoid dropping the bike. Similarly, while turning left, the rider should adjust his/her weight on the right side.
While practicing this technique to take turns on an adventure bike, make sure to keep your body relaxed and do not hold on to the handlebars too tightly. This will help build muscle memory and you will naturally learn to turn your ADV bike while off-roading.

If you have ever been on an adventure off-road ride, you must have noticed riders using only two fingers to engage the clutch. and front brakes Though it is not a universal rule, it is considered an important technique to use only two or even a single finger to control the levers. While off-roading, the steering head, handlebars, or the front wheel does not feel as stable as it is on the road due to uneven surfaces and obstacles on the way. Therefore, to counterbalance this, the rider has to ensure a strong grip on the handlebars. Also, the rider is expected to keep engaging and disengaging the clutch due to slow speed maneuvering and the need to stop and go while off-roading. To ensure a strong grip on the handlebars and continuous engagement, it is better to have only two fingers on the clutch and front brake levers. The clutch levers are also made softer to pull on adventure bikes, which makes it easy to engage the clutch with two fingers. This way, you can keep the bike stable and maneuver confidently in off-road conditions.

You are not a true adventure rider if you do not know why and when to stand on foot pegs. This is undoubtedly the most significant off-road riding skill. What most riders say about standing on the footpegs lowering the center of gravity is wrong. The center of gravity is the average mass location of a body/object. However, one thing that is relevant here is the moment of inertia. When you stand on the footpegs, your mass is centered upward at a greater distance from the rotational axis, which is located at the tip of the wheels touching the ground. The greater the distance between your centered mass and rotational axis, the more stable the ride will be as it opposes the mass from tipping over.
Also, when you are standing on your pegs, you act as a separate entity, and the impact of the bumps and obstacles is not translated into your body. Your knees act as a spring when you are standing on the footpegs and bend whenever you hit an obstacle or a bump. If you keep sitting on the seat in challenging off-road conditions, it will also throw your body up due to the momentum. Standing on the pegs allows you to use your suspensions more effectively.

The one very important skill that can help you become a pro-off-roader is to use your rear wheel skid to take sharp turns. While off-roading, you frequently face situations in which you have to take sharp turns. Using the same old technique will not help you turn your bike a great deal. Therefore, most trained riders use the traction and rear wheel skid to take even a 180° turn while off-roading. Most modern adventure bikes have switchable ABS to avoid wheel locking in dirt riding scenarios.
It can take much time and practice to master this skill and you may even drop your bike several times while attempting to use the rear wheel skid to take sharp turns in off-road situations. You may also be required to use your leg to touch the ground to avoid dropping your adventure bike. You can also use your leg as an axis of rotation to move your motorcycle in a circular motion. For instance, if you are supposed to take a sharp turn to the left, you will need to lean your bike a little, shift your body weight on the opposite side, and turn your handlebars in the opposite direction of the turn, this will cause the rear wheel to skid. You can take a turn more effectively by skidding the rear wheel.

Some riders will consider this as a beginner move to use their feet to tap the ground to stay stable and avoid tipping over. However, tapping the ground with your foot to avoid crashing your adventure bike is a pro-rider technique. There are several instances during a challenging off-road ride where you are supposed to tap the ground with your foot which gives a slight push on the other side. It must not be done unnecessarily as it can distract you during the off-road ride. Make sure you only use your foot to tap the ground when the terrain is too challenging to keep the balance.

Riding on rough and challenging terrains is fun, but requires advanced skills to do it safely without failing. The dynamics and conditions completely change when you take an adventure bike to off-road riding. If you are familiar with basic riding skills, these five adventure motorcycle riding tips can help you become a pro-off-roader.

If you want to learn more and experience long-haul adventure tours, our trained riding team at Intrepid Moto can provide you with the company and assistance on adventure riding tours to explore the most scenic landscapes in Bali. We have multiple adventure tour packages to choose from, depending on your availability and routine, including half-day, full-day, overnight, and grand adventure tours.

For a better ADV touring experience, you will need to carry useful stuff as well on your ADV bike. Viking Bags helps riders with premium luggage-carrying solutions for their adventure rides, including ADV side cases, touring tail bags, tank bags, luggage bags, and backpacks.