ANOTHER OFF-ROAD ESCAPADE

The Reise TrailR Academy is a two-day training school where we got to learn advanced techniques and further hone our skills off road. We attended the inaugural session to bring you this report

- Azaman Chothia

WHILE I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INCLINED towards riding on tarmac, I realised over time that off-roading can be a lot of fun backed by the right knowledge and techniques. For this training school, Reise Moto collaborated with Arunas Gelazninkas, who is a two-time Dakar Rally winner in the Motul Original category (2021 and 2022) and Tuareg Rally champion in 2019, and Ashish Raorane, who competed in the Dakar Rally in the Malle Moto class in 2021, Africa-Eco race in 2020, and Dubai Baja in 2019.

This riding school took place at the Throttle Shottle Moto Ranch at Gurugram. We arrived in 40-degree Celsius heat and were all preparing to get baked in our off-road riding gear. The first day got under way with a theory session where we got insights into setting up the motorcycle according to the rider's preference as well as the correct body position to tackle the dirt. It was now time to get down to actual riding after each of us picked one of the many Hero Xpulse 200 4V motorcycle models that were lined up. I always love a challenge, so I opted for the taller Pro model despite my short stature. All bikes were fitted with the Reise TrailR dual-purpose tyres which ensured superb grip throughout all our sessions.