Riding a motorcycle off road can be intimidating especially if you have never done it before. It doesn’t have to be though. If you focus on learning the basic techniques needed to ride a motorcycle over dirt roads and rocky riverbeds you will figure out that it is actually a lot of fun. It is also a lot more forgiving in the rare case that you do go down. A crash on your motorcycle on the street even without traffic comes with a high price not only for your health but also for your bike. Here are the top 5 reasons why EVERY motorcycle rider should at least learn the basics of riding in the dirt.
Balance and braking
It is a lot harder to ride in the dirt than it is to ride on the street. You are constantly trying to keep your motorcycle in a straight line on shifting terrain, and when it is time to stop you can just pull the break in and trust in the traction of your front wheel. Your tires lock up a lot easier on loose ground requiring you to apply a lot more feeling on your break levers. Once you can control your motorcycle off road it will be a lot easier to ride it in every day traffic especially when the roads get a little slippery.
Confidence
When you know what you are doing on two wheels and you can predict what your motorcycle will do in certain situations you will have a lot more confidence. For new riders group rides can be especially stressful because it is more difficult to ride in close proximity to other riders. Learning how to control a motorcycle off road will build the confidence you need to be save on your street bike.
Control
Controlling a motorcycle in the dirt requires a lot more throttle, clutch and break control yet the same principles apply to riding on the street. Learn how to master all of the techniques needed to ride off road and you will never struggle in every day traffic again.
Safety
As mentioned before, mistakes are a lot more costly on the road. When you are learning to ride off road the speed is a lot lower, the ground is softer and a dirt bike is build for hard impacts so even if you do make a mistake you can just get up, dust yourself off and try again. This will allow you to make mistakes, learn from them and eventually find your own limit with out any big consequences.
FUN
Riding a motorcycle off road is FUN. It doesn’t matter if your background s in street riding, adventure bikes or you don’t have a motorcycle background at all, there is nothing more fun then riding a motorcycle through a set of wide open land. Who hasn’t seen clips of riders exploring the world on two wheels and imagined the freedom that comes with that. Well learning the basics of how to ride a motorcycle off road will be step one to experiencing that freedom.
At Sedlak Offroad School we have a lot of different courses that can introduce you to the world of off road motorcycle riding. Make sure to give us a call when you are ready