A proper riding boot will make your riding experience not only safe but comfortable in the long run.
Currently, there are tonnes of riding boots available in the market and choosing the one that suits your riding needs is sometimes a hassle.
If you frequently go for long-distance trips and occasionally take your ADV bike on an off-road adventure, you might want to check out Alpinestars latest RT-8 touring boots.
The multi-purpose boots are Alpinestars latest 2022 riding gear, ideal for those who like subtle aesthetics without compromising safety and comfort.
The new RT-8 touring boots are best suited for adventure riders who seek enhanced comfort while spending long hours on the saddle.
According to the Italian company, the new RT-8 riding boots use microfiber inner liner for added comfort and high-resistance synthetic textiles that offer better protection.
Most importantly, the RT-8 also incorporates a Gore-Tex waterproof and breathable membrane to ensure convenience in all weather and road conditions.
The new Alpinestars RT-8 riding boots are available on the official website for USD339 (RM1.4k).
Sejak melancarkan 390 Adventure di EICMA 2019, motosikal bercirikan ADV dari KTM itu bingkas mencapai populariti.
Bagaimanapun, ramai yang tidak tahu bahawa KTM telah menjalankan ujian terhadap beberapa rekaan bagi 390 Adventure sebelum membuat keputusan untuk melancarkan model sedia ada.
Antara rekaan yang turut ditampilkan adalah model 390 Adventure dengan penghadang angin, handlebar serta jarak perjalanan fork yang lebih tinggi.
Menariknya, jentera ujian itu jelas mendapat inspirasi daripada KTM 450 Rally yang turut dilancarkan sebelum ini.
Dalam perkembangan terbaru, pengeluar motosikal Austria itu telah membuat keputusan untuk menambah sebuah lagi varian 390 Adventure.
Gambar intip terbaru yang didedahkan di India menampakkan KTM 390 Adventure dalam bentuk yang lebih bercirikan ‘off-road’.
Penghadang angin tinggi meningkatkan tahap perlindungan kepada penunggang terutamanya terhadap habuk dan debu sewaktu menunggang ‘off-road’.
Sementara fork yang lebih panjang dan handlebar yang lebih tinggi meningatkan tahap kawalan tunggangan terutamanya sewaktu berdiri.
Bagaimanapun, KTM 390 Adventure Rally ini akan terus mengekalkan enjin 373cc satu silinder dengan penyejukan cecair yang menjana 43hp dan 37Nm.
Selain itu, dengan KTM telah pun menaik taraf 390 Adventure bagi tahun 2022 dengan fungsi mod off-road baharu dan Cornering ABS, versi Rally ini juga dijangka menawarkan ciri sama.
Info lebih terperinci mengenai varian baharu ini dijangka akan didedahkan pada hari pelancaran nanti.
How’s this for an epic motorcycle adventure? The Trans-Mongolia 2019 adventure will cover 20,000 kilometres over 65 days through 11 countries.
The adventure is organized by the group called 4×4 World Explorer which consists of hardcore adventure riders and 4×4 drivers. They’ve organized the Trans-Andes, Trans-Amazon, among others in the past.
The upcoming ride which will begin on 21st August 2019 will ride through Thailand, Laos, and China before reaching Mongolia, hence the name. However, instead of turning back once they reach the country, the group will continue onwards through southern Russia (circumventing the Central Asian countries), Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany and finally ending in Paris, France on 24th October.
The bikes and 4x4s will then be shipped back to Malaysia.
Expedition Leader, Mr. Thomas Foo presented some of the details during the launch at the Explorer Outfitter outlet in Publika, Kuala Lumpur.
“It is like seeing seven different worlds in one ride,” he said. The riders will be supported by a number of 4x4s.
The 12 motorcycles are the BMW G 310 GS, sponsored by Tian Siang Motorrad in Ipoh, Perak. While they don’t seem much to some out there, the small capacity, single-cylinder bike is reliable and tough enough to stand up to the challenges during the trip. But in case anything breaks, it’s an easy fix compared to more complex models. Besides that, the lack of weight will soon be the rider’s best friend when the going gets tough. Would you prefer to ride on through or wrestle with a heavy bike? That’s why almost all world travelers including Anita Yusof opt for simple, lightweight bikes.
GIVI Asia Sdn. Bhd. also played their part by sponsoring touring equipment to the riders. It’s a huge list but here are some of them: X.01 Tourer adventure helmet, B32 Bold Advance top box, PWB02 waterproof waist pouch, CRS02.AX Comfort rain suit, VEST02 high-visibility vest, and a new, taller windscreen. GIVI Asia Managing Director Mr. Oh Hai Swee and Marketing Manager Sam Sharman were present during the presentation.
The Trans-Mongolia adventure will be flagged off on 21st August in Putrajaya.
Please visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/4x4worldexplorer/ for more details.
We sat down for a chat with Chris Birch after the offroad clinic and trail ride. If there’s something to learn about the experience in the world’s toughest offroad competitions and KTM’s adventure bikes, there’s most probably no other guy.
(Click here for our coverage of the first day and here for the second day.)
The more we chatted through the night, the more we discovered that Chris isn’t just a champion, he’s a regular guy who loves bikes and offroading. Additionally, and no less importantly, he also coaches very well by articulating his instructions in easily-digested nuggets not only for the pros, but especially for the newbies. Let’s be honest, how many champ riders could truly teach? Participants could also get up right next to him and approach him at any point of time to post questions and chat.
Try that with No. 46.
Anyway, we decided to just have a relaxed chat with Chris Birch, rather than conduct a formal interview. A few of the participants had formed a circle around him at this point and it was an eye-opening experience for all of us.
Bikes Republic (BR): You’ve competed in the Dakar Rally and being New Zealand’s most successful effort. How was it like for you?
Chris Birch (CB): It was difficult because my experience of The Dakar is not many people want to hear. For me personally it was okay. Yes, people say it’s “THE MOST GRUELLING EVENT EVER, THE MOST DIFFICULT OF ANY ENDURO” (with emphasis) – it’s not. It’s really not, from my experience.
The Roof of Africa was in December, The Dakar starts in January. I had a small injury before The Roof (in 2009) and my fitness was not where I wanted it to be and I came second. I did no training at all between The Roof and Dakar, (but) I had no problem whatsoever in Dakar.
I’d normally lose 3 – 5 kgs of bodyweight during the Romaniacs, I actually put on a kilogram during The Dakar. (Everyone laughed.)
It’s very mentally challenging ‘cause it’s very long days and the navigation was difficult, but I didn’t find it very physically challenging at all.
BR: Is it because it (The Dakar) was more speed-oriented?
CB: Yeah, yup.
I think also because I had the skills in the technical stuff, so I didn’t find the difficult parts that difficult. The high-speed parts, however, there were a few high-speed stages where I got off the bike and started trembling, “S**t, that was fast! Wooow!” We averaged more than 100 km/h in offroad stages (we rode around 50 – 60 km/h in the fastest sections earlier in the day). It was freaking scary.
You’re completely blind and navigating as well.
Also, I found that raising money for it was really, really stressful. It put a lot of stress on my family as well. That’s the reason I haven’t done it again. It’s so stressful finding the money.
BR: What was your best experience in the Romaniacs?
CB: The best experience was in the first year. It was my first year in extreme enduro. Many people told me I was crazy, even for going, and I came on the podium on that first year. So that was a real life-changing experience.
BR: What was your worse experience?
CB: Nearly chopping my private part off. (Laughs).
I went over the handlebar in the river and caught it on the handguard. Lots of blood, I was like, AAAAGH NOOOO! Definitely that was the worst experience.
BR: How about The Roof of Africa? Is it still running?
CB: Yeah, it is! I’d love to join again, but I won’t be able to compete for the win. I’d probably still get a Top Ten finish, that would be really nice.
BR: You’ve also competed in Hells Gate.
CB: The problem with Hells Gate is it’s in Italy in February. So, it’s freezing cold, it’s snowing, there’s ice in the rivers and while almost everyone in New Zealand is going to beach (it’s summer down there), and I kept thinking, what is wrong with me! Why am I doing this to myself? This is stupid!
BR: (Someone questioned about something in the Romaniacs).
CB: The event isn’t just about straight up riding. You need to look after yourself over five days on the motorbike. It’s tough.
BR: What you did today at the track looked a lot like trial riding? (Climbing over a huge boulder, climbing a nearly vertical hillside, etc.)
CB: That’s true, most people say it looks like trial riding, I guess it is both. I ride my enduro 70% more than my trail bike at home. I can do stuff on my enduro bike that I couldn’t on my trail bike.
I get to Australia and people say, “That’s a trails thing.” I answer, “No, it’s really not.”
BR: (Philip Ho asked, “What can’t you do on a trails bike?”)
CB: The last trials competition I did was a 2-day event. On the first day, I used my 300 KTM (KTM 300 EX/C two-stroke) and I put trials tyres on it. I used a trials bike on the second and did the same stuff on the KTM.
It was funny. There was one section with a steep hill climb. It had mud and a big rock. None of the trials guys could get up it. It was really muddy, so you couldn’t get the drive on the rock. I just went wide open in third gear and jumped the whole thing. It took me just 10 seconds for the whole section.
The marshals called out, “You ready?” I replied, “YEAH!” and just went “Rrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaargh” (the sound of the engine). The trials guys went like, “F*** you!” while flashing the “birdie.”
But there were a few sections where I couldn’t get the enduro to fit in there. I was great fun.
BR: Here’s a bit of a philosophical question. You’ve competed in the toughest events. You know it’s tough, but what makes you push yourself?
CB: It comes to the type of person you are. It becomes addicted too like the greater the challenge, the greater the high you get in overcoming that challenge. So, if you go to an extreme enduro and it’s not giving you enough challenge you go like, “Awwww,” (in disappointment) I don’t get the satisfaction at the end of it. It’s that the feeling of achievement. The deeper you have to dig inside yourself, the better the feeling at the end.
BR: It’s a lot like what’s for us today?
CB: Yeah, yeah! It’s like the Ironman or a marathon. It’s not that fun while doing it, but it’s the feeling you get after that, right?
BR: You’ve been involved with KTM and Red Bull since 2007?
CB: Actually, KTM since 2004. Red Bull was since 2007.
BR: How have they helped you? Have you been riding KTM all the way?
CB: Actually no. (Laughs.) KTM approached me in 1999/2000 and I looked at the bike (back then) and went “Uhhhh…..” I remembered thinking if this KTM brand was going to last, I think I’ll stay with Kawasaki. (Everyone laughed.)
It was different years later, the KTMs improved.
BR: Do you ride road bikes?
CB: No, just enduro.
I got on the KTM and thought this thing’s amazing. KTM improved an awful lot in those three years (2000 to 2003). The earlier bikes didn’t handle that great, but took a big leap forward. I got the (new) bikes and loved them straight away.
BR: (Philip Ho): So the earlier KTMs were bad?
CB: It’s not to say they’re bad, just different. You get off a Japanese bike and onto a KTM and they (KTM) felt very different.
BR: How long have you been riding and competing?
CB: I started riding when I was four. I started doing trials when I was ten. I started riding around with my Dad.
BR: (Philip Ho): How old you now?
CB: I’m thirty-seven.
BR: We were in Australia or a supermoto race a couple of years back. We saw a father buying a Yamaha PW50 for his two-year-old son. Is that why New Zealand has produced many champions? You guys start early?
CB: To be honest, I can’t remember starting to ride a motorbike.
Dad told me I used to drag all the cushions onto the floor and turned them into obstacles for trials riding for my plastic motorbike. My parents must have seen that was my interest.
My Mum and my Dad both ride
My Mum always said I went for my trials competition when I was two weeks old.
BR: You’ve been here a couple of times in Malaysia. What’s your observation of the offroad scene here?
CB: I think it’s pretty much growing and developing scene, which is exciting for you guys. It’s nice to be here at a time when it’s growing.
I followed what the guys had been doing down in Ulu Choh (Dirt Park). I see and watch on Facebook that they’re getting bigger and bigger, it’s gotta be good.
BR: How do you see the future here?
CB: The picture’s good. Definitely with the big bikes here (today). You guys are connected to big land masses, your opportunity to go on adventures and explore is huge. You can get on your bike and ride to different countries; we can’t do that in New Zealand.
BR: What’s your best enduro experience, if you have to pick just one?
CB: It’s definitely winning the Romaniacs. It was something I worked so hard for, for many year. I had to sacrifice so much of life to get there.
BR: What was or were the most difficult thing you encountered in these events?
CB: The most difficult thing has always been the lack of money. There’s not much sponsorship in New Zealand.
And people tend to think that I’m sponsored by Red Bull and KTM, there’s no concern for money, but I’d regularly be sleeping in people’s vans, like hitching a ride, that sort of stuff. Like not near enough money to do it.
BR: Really? That’s surprising!
CB: Yeah, it’s surprising. People think everything is taken care of, no issues, so I was always having to work, train and race at the same time. It’s really challenging and racing on secondhand tyres, that sort of thing.
People are like, “We want you to go to The Dakar again!” Man, if I could find the money, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
BR: What’s the best part about coaching?
CB: It’s when like I see these “lightbulb moments.” They come up and say, “That’s WHY I was struggling with that!” The number one goal is always to make people want to ride their bikes more often.
BR: What about difficult participants?
CB: When people are unwilling to change.
You can see people like thinking, “Yeah, yeah, I know better.’ It used to really bug me but now it’s like whatever. I’d rather focus my energy on those who really want to learn.
We used to get people coming and not listening. Then we put the prices up and they (the difficult people) went away.
No more people showing up late, showing up on broken bikes, all problems solved.
BR: Now it seems whenever there’s a new KTM adventure bike, you’re the first to have a go.
CB: Yeah, my role now is the KTM Adventure Ambassador for the factory.
BR: Thanks for the time, Chris. Hope to see you again!
CB: My pleasure, hope to be here again too!
(Click here for our coverage of the first day and here for the second day.)
13th November 2017, Siem Reap, Cambodia – The GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 epic ride has finally started today, leaving Thailand behind for the neighbouring Cambodia.
I said “finally” because Ismadi and I have ridden into Thailand since the 9th, hence it was time to release all that pent-up energy.
Participants were allocated their bikes last night after dinner. The convenience of having large-capacity GIVI side and top cases, besides tankbags and other storage accessories was not lost upon us, as we could carry virtually anything be brought in for this ride, with much space to spare.
We got together for the final briefing before the ride began. The 25 participants were split into four groups, each led by a Marshal. “Assistant Marshals” were also picked to help, especially at stop lights to keep the riders from straying and losing their way.
There were two support vehicles, one carrying tools, drinks and essential gear, the other as a medical vehicle.
We rode out of Pattaya and headed to the Thai-Cambodian border town of Sa Kaeo, 209 kilometres away.
The ride out was smooth, with traffic getting thinner and thinner the further we got away from the city. Thankfully, the day was overcast although it was still humid. Excitement and the freedom of the open road was apparent among the riders, smiling and laughing everytime we stopped.
For me who’s grown accustomed to Thailand, the scene at the Sa Kaeo border crossing kind of took me by surprise. There were many people pulling on large wooden carts in and out of Cambodia and poverty shows.
Anyway, the border crossing was painless as Trans Asia, the tour operator contracted by GIVI, had assured so well in advance.
We got our passports stamped and signed the paperwork for all the 25 bikes within 30 minutes and we were in Cambodia, although we had to stop at the Immigration Office a kilometer away for the officials to verify the details of the bikes we rode in.
We were advised repeatedly about what to expect in Cambodia, and how different it would be to ride here compared to in Thailand. We were told to watch out for Cambodian traffic, particularly how chaotic it would be. Traffic in this country is lefthand drive, by the way.
The road was rough at the border crossing but it was actually pretty smooth as we travelled further into the country, heading to our hotel in the ancient city of Siam Reap, 212 km away.
Traffic was thin, but true enough, bikes, car, trucks, even pedestrians will cross everywhere without looking closely. They’ll also pull out onto the road without thinking twice. We kept the group as tight as we dared to avoid being cut off.
The scenery in the countryside was natural and beautiful. Lush rice paddies stretched into the horizon like a green, plush carpet.
Our pace was much slower than in Thailand, although steady. It was dark when we reached Siam Reap, but the Aspara Angkor Hotel was thankfully not too far into the city.
We freshened up for dinner at a large restaurant called Tonle Sap not far away. Here, there was a large selection of cuisines, Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean.
We split up as a group headed back to the hotel rest, while the rest visited the Night Market and Pub Street.
This is Siam Reap’s nightlife centre. There’s everything from pubs, restaurants, massage parlours, small hotels, bazaars, street food and just about everything else.
We soon called it a night, more than elated that Day One of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 has been a success.
4th November 2017, Sandakan, Sabah – Anticipation, excitement, fear, doubt, sleepiness was on the faces and in the smiles of the KMOG Borneo Ride 2017 participants as we gathered for breakfast at 5am.
As mentioned in the earlier parts of our coverage, this was possibly going to the most epic day of this epic ride. We were to cover more than 640km today, first from Sandakan to Tawau past Lahad Datu, and finally to Keningau through Kalabakan.
While 640km is an easy target for seasoned Malaysia-Thailand riders, it’s not about the distance that scared us. Instead, it was because of the road conditions we have encountered thus far, in an unfamiliar territory.
Indeed, Ong Soo Yong had briefed us during the welcoming dinner that this would be the toughest leg of the KMOG Borneo Ride 2017.
For the first time, we left the hotel when it was still inky black. But the sun came out soon enough and we were seared by the sunlight by 9am. A few riders were concerned about having to ride under such weather for the remainder of the route. The road was thankfully smooth between the two towns.
We reached Tawau at 11.30am, well ahead of time, which took the restaurant owner by surprise. The staff scrambled to ready the tables and chairs, while the cooks jumped into overdrive. They didn’t even have water or Chinese tea in the beginning.
The sun had come out in its earnest by then, hitting 41 degrees Celcius, and no one could stand out in the open for more than five minutes. We charged into the restaurant like a swarm of angry bees.
One of the bikes had picked up a puncture, which sent the owner and Chris O’Connell out on a hunt for a tyre shop. So, all we could do was wait until they returned.
When we left the restaurant and out of Tawau, the sky ahead had turned ominously black and we hit a heavy rainstorm about 10km from the town. We stopped at a petrol station further up the road while taking shelter at the same time.
With every bike filled to the brim, a few of us donned our rain gear, while a few didn’t because they didn’t bring theirs. We pushed on anyway, all the while being lashed by the relentless rain.
The rain stopped after a few kilometres but dark clouds still dominated the horizon, so I kept the rainsuit on despite getting hotter and hotter underneath.
We were led by the marshals through a small village and ended up at an old Petronas station in Kalabakan.
It looked as if it had been built when Petronas first started business and has never been refreshed. The two 990 Adventures had to top off their tanks, unless they run out of fuel just outside Keningau and this was the last petrol station.
It started to drizzle again as we left the station. We rode through an oil palm plantation and it was offroad. The route was pockmarked with so many holes it looked alien.
We rode along at a brisk pace. I noticed the scenery and vegetation had started changing from flat farmlands to high hillsides.
Soon after I noticed an orange coloured sign that said, “AWAS. KAWASAN TANAH RUNTUH,” (CAUTION. LANDSLIDE AREA.) followed by another sign of the same colour with just the exclamation mark. The lead marshal started pumping his left arm up and down furiously, and it soon became apparent that the road had become “no road.”
An entire section was nothing but gravel and mud, as if the tar seal had been scraped off. Through MX training, my instinct kicked in and stood up. The 1290 Super Duke GT’s semi-active suspension was still set to “STREET” and I feared it may be too bumpy.
Instead, the bike which was meant to be a road-only sport-tourer took it all in its stride. I took it painfully slow in the beginning but it soon showed itself as being more capable than that as it allowed me to swerve past water filled potholes. It rolled over the loose gravel and mud as without drama. (It also helped that I stood up, of course, so do that when you have to ride over poor surfaces. Check out our tips for adventure riding here.)
It was tarmac again after that, followed by another no-road section, and another, and another. And it started to pour down again. This route is often used by logging trucks, hence the level of damage we encountered.
The rain came on and off as we slogged through one section after another until I lost count.
I started to experiment with the GT as we rode along. I had switched the WPs to “COMFORT” to let it soak up the bumps better and RIDE MODE to “RAIN,” for a smoother torque output. In the tougher no road sections, I left the transmission in third gear, let go of the clutch and regulated the throttle.
However, as a fast as I went in the offroad section, this was where the KTM adventure models truly stood out. There was a good mix consisting of the 990 Adventure, 1050 Adventure, 1190 Adventure, 1290 Adventure T, and both the new 1290 Adventure S and 1290 Adventure R. All of them, for want of a better word, flew through those sections.
Let’s also not forget that KMOG had organized training classes called Defensive Riding Program (DRP) to prepare their members for this type of adventure. (We covered a DRP session a few months back. Click here for DRP Vol. 2 Day One and here for DRP Vol. 2 Day Two.)
In the meantime, the rain had gone constant by now. It’s nearly 5pm and light’s starting to fade. I’ve stopped to record a video as a few bikes passing through a rough section and I was now left alone (although the last man was well behind).
I came up to an area where it appeared to be a small stop for the logging trucks. A dog wanted to cross the road from left to right, but it stopped when it saw me, so I swerved to the right to give it some room. But it suddenly bolted into the middle of the road and into my path. I grabbed the front brakes and the bike slowed so hard I felt like I was doing a push-up with 200 kg on my back. Even then, the brakes didn’t lock and trigger the ABS, plus there was still much room left for braking. Amazing!
Believe me, I was tempted to stop. My Dainese Rainsun jacket has two thick layers and the rainsuit over it but it was still cold. I could only imagine what those without rainsuits were going through. And for the first time in Malaysia, I switched on the handlebar grip warmer to HIGH. However, I pushed on as I didn’t want to be riding out here in total darkness.
I soon saw a bike ahead and made it out to be the 1290 Adventure T ridden by Captain Nanda. We buddied up. There’s a certain relief to ride together with someone else, sometimes even with complete strangers when the going gets tough.
We finally made it to Keningau’s city limit. We stopped and waited for the rest to catch up.
The final leg into Keningau was awesome, featuring cambered sweeping turns. All of us cut loose. The Super Adventure S in front of me kept throwing sparks from its panniers through the corners!
We stopped for dinner at the beautiful Mee Woo Resort & Spa’s restaurant, but the service sucked. Yes, you read that correctly. First, they directed us to park at the entrance, then chased us away to park elsewhere after we’ve sat down to eat. Apart from one sweet usher, none of the crew ever smiled or greeted us. But never mind, because we were dirty, hungry and tired. The mood became increasingly jovial as hot food and drinks entered our systems. Everyone was relieved that toughest part of the journey was over.
From there it was a short three-minute to the hotel.
We did a final tally. Not a single bike had broken down despite all that trashing. Apart from a minor crash due to distraction (rider okay), no one had gotten hurt and that was the most important news.
Then all of us crashed into our beds.
Click here for KMOG Borneo Ride (Day One).
Adventure riding is fun in many more ways than one.
Why not ride an offroad trail or better yet, blaze your own trail to some waterfall in a jungle where no one has been to before, compared to visiting an easily accessible waterfall that’s overcrowded, dirty and dangerous with rubbish and human effluents?
But how does one go about with adventure riding? Some people may cynically say, “It isn’t an adventure unless something goes wrong.” It’s not as bad as that. Think about discovering the many God-made beauties our country has to offer.
Here are our top tips for adventure riding.
1. Get a Proper Adventure Bike
Starting with say, a Kawasaki Versys-X 250 or a Versys 650 ABS. Or just go ahead with a Kawasaki KLX150BF or KLX250 (you may want to leave the KLX450R for the pros, though). But for the sake of simplicity, we’ll just stick to the Versys-X in this article.
The Versys-X 250 fills the role of a lightweight adventure and commuter motorcycle nicely, as it has a good balance for adventure riding when standing up on the footpegs. It’s also equipped with spoked wheels instead of cast aluminium ones. Spoked wheels are more desirable for adventure riding as they are usually lighter, absorb shocks better and can be adjusted back to shape if dented.
The KLX range is a no brainer when it comes to adventure riding, as they are enduro motorcycles – super lightweight, slim, long travel suspension, big spoked wheels, and torquey engines. The KX models, on the other hand, are competition models for motocross, supercross and conversion to supermoto, thus they are not road legal. But you could always truck it to the starting point of your ride.
Depending on the severity of offroading on your adventure ride, you may need to replace the Versys-X’s stock tyres to more adventure-oriented ones, otherwise the standard tyres are fine. Adventure-specific tyres not only offer more offroad grip, but they also allow the pressure to be dropped safely (more on this below).
2. Get Proper Training
Adventure riding has its specific set of skills. The route you’re going to travel on may not be severe, but it’s always good to be prepared.
Best way to learn this is at Most Fun Gym (MFG), operated by Malaysian veteran GP rider and legend, Oh Kah Beng. MFG may seem to be a hardcore motocross school, but it’s otherwise in reality. You don’t have to do the jumps. Learning offroad means learning the skills to control a motorcycle over low to no-grip situations through mastering throttle control, brake control, body control, body positioning, vision.
You’ll find your road riding skills improve too. That’s why MotoGP champs ride offroad on their off days.
3. Packing Up
This may seem frivolous but packing plays a big role in a safe hence enjoyable adventure ride.
A few extra items should be brought along:
For one, heavy items such as tool kits, or camping equipment should be packed low in the panniers. Locating them high up results in a high centre of gravity and causing the top-heavy feeling (the bike likes to tip over at slow speeds).
Important items like the wallet, phone, cigarettes/vape, lighters should be packed in a waterproof or ziplock bag, and be easily accessible, so you don’t have to dig through everything to look for them.
Not least of all, hook the motorcycle’s key to a large keychain. It’ll give you a good chance of locating it should it be dropped into a pool of mud or water.
4. Riding Gear
Adventure riding gear is the best as they are designed to be tough, protective and comfortable.
However, if there are certain constraints, motocross wear is fine, but do wear full body armour including knee and shin guards.
The subject of boots is open to contention, however. Many choose to wear motocross boots but this writer prefers adventure riding boots such as the TCX Track WP. First of all, the latter is more flexible, which increases comfort greatly. Secondly, adventure boots have more “aggressive” sole patterns compared to MX boots. That’s important in case you get off and push the bike. MX boots’ soles are smoother, made for sliding across the track while cornering, which means you may not have much traction in the rough.
An adventure helmet (full-face with a peak) is good, so is a motocross helmet, as they provide optimal airflow. A roadracing full-face will have you out of breath in a jiffy. An open-face is inadvisable as it doesn’t have the protective chinbar.
5. Tyre Pressure
With all that out of the way, it’s time to ride.
But hang on! We need to work on the tyre pressures first!
Again, if the adventure ride consists of serious offroading, the tyre pressures needs to be reduced.
Reducing the tyre pressure lets the tread “open up” for a wider footprint. The lower pressure also allows the tyres to absorb shocks from irregular surfaces, rocks and tree roots.
Typical road pressures are anywhere between 200 kPa front to 280 kPa rear. A drop of half will suffice. For example, if the recommended pressure for your bike is 200 kPa, drop it to 100 kPa.
Remember we recommended that you bring a tyre pressure gauge? This is what it’s for. Also, keep in mind to re-inflate the tyres back up to the recommended pressures when you ride home on the road. That’s what the air compressor is for.
6. Stand Up
Get your buttocks off the seat and bend your knees a little, using your legs as shock absorbers for the rear. Lean your chest slightly towards the fuel tank and splay your elbows outwards, but do not press down on the handlebar. Use them as additional shock absorbers for the front, instead.
Standing up brings your centre-of-gravity (CoG) down to the footpegs. Also, having your body off the seat means you don’t get hammered when the bike moves around underneath you. Sitting down in the seat, will have the bike taking you for a ride as it snakes, squirms and bounces.
The Versys models have short fuel tanks; the Versys-X’s fuel tank is sloped sharply downwards at the rear so that the rider may position his body weight towards the front when standing up.
7. Ride Loose
Your grip, arms, torso and legs should be relaxed. This allows the bike to do what it’s supposed to, and letting the suspension soak up the bumps. Fighting the bike will only exacerbate a situation. Your job is just to point the bike towards where you want it to go.
8. Push Down
Cornering on the road or track means leaning your body to the inside of the corner.
When adventure or offroad riding, keep your body straight up and push the handlebar and footpeg downwards.
9. Sit Down
Standing up is necessary when you travel straight or around a gentle curve. But you need to sit back down for sharper corners.
Keep your upper body straight up and push the handlebar downward. Stick your leg out but that leg’s knee should touch the bike. Splaying your leg wide will have the bike sliding and can lead to a lowside.
10. Throttle Control
Throttle control is probably the single most important control in adventure riding (so is on the road, as a matter of fact).
Modulate the throttle smoothly when turning it on or shutting it. Roll it on, roll it off – never slam it open or slam it shut.
If the bike slides in a turn, don’t slam shut the throttle like what your instinct tells you to do. A slide doesn’t mean the bike is totally out of control. It’s just a sign that the sliding tyre or tyres have less traction.
Instead, you could maintain the same throttle position and lift the bike up slightly by either using your leg or the handlebar, or both. If you need to slow down more, remember to roll off the throttle. Cutting the throttle immediately when the bike is sliding will cause an abrupt back-torque (engine braking) and that will result in the tyre breaking all available traction.
When we tested the Versys-X, we noticed that the engine’s power is softer initially, before picking up at 3000 RPM. On one hand, that’s to not scare beginners, but it’s also meant for smoother throttle response when adventure riding. The model is also equipped with a Slip & Assist clutch to control engine braking.
11. Don’t Jump on it!
As with the throttle, you should also be smooth on the brakes. Never grab the brakes but apply pressure progressively.
Additionally, do not brake in a slide. Use the throttle.
Similar to the throttle, the Versys-X’s front brake is a little soft at the beginning of its stroke.
12. Look!
The simple adage applies: “You go where you look.”
Don’t stare at the big rock in your path if you don’t intend to hit it. Look to the sides and you will miss it.
So, there you go. Follow these pointers and you will want to forget about road riding and who knows, you may devote yourself to adventure riding. These tips may seem complicated at first, but they are actually rather simple and straightforward when you put them together.
Enjoy that waterfall!
Dalam pasaran Malaysia, terdapat banyak pilihan untuk motorsikal atas 250cc. Bagi yang baru sahaja mendapat lesen B penuh, antara pilihan yang menarik di pasaran sekarang ialah Honda CB500X ABS tahun 2016. (more…)
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