EATING DIRT

Two wheels on dirt seems like fun, and it is, but if you are serious about going off-roading, flip the page.

- DHRUV PALIWAL

I used to consider myself decently fast at off-road riding. And then I attended the Reise TrailR Academy – an experience that immediately challenged my belief. It is about so much more than sliding the rear wheel or standing up on the motorcycle. It’s about understanding a completely new style of riding a bike in a completely new environment.

We were invited to train for two days under the supervision of Arunas Gelazninkas and Ashish Raorane. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the names, let me just say that they can do things on a dirt bike that most off-road enthusiasts can only dream of.

THE SETUP

Most of us assume that an ADV comes perfectly set up from the factory, and it couldn’t be further from the truth. Even ADVs are set up for riding on tarmac. This is the case even with the Hero Xpulse, which was our ride. But first, Arunas and Ashish went over the basics of body positioning. Your arms should be open wide and positioned in a way that they can effectively load and unload the front suspension. Your head should be angled upwards, focussing on where you want to go. Your back should be bent at the hips, with your rear sticking backwards. The balls of your feet should be on the pegs, and you should hold on to the motorcycle with your knees and lower legs. The rest of your body needs to be weightless over the motorcycle. Well, it’s a classic case of easier said than done, for only when you actually try it, do you realise that it takes a lot of practice to get it right.