5 things I learned at Big Rock MotoPark that changed my riding

Hook up

It might seem like the most logical thing to do on a motorcycle – to grab its tank with your thighs while leaving the arms loose to let the front do its thing. But it’s a whole lot more difficult that it sounds on a dirt bike. Yes, you have to grab the tank and dig in your heels in order to keep your upper body loose. But on a dirt bike, with all the standing and the sliding and the jumping, it takes a whole new meaning.

For me, the easiest thing even when standing up and riding was to lock on the knees to the bike’s tank, which, as I have learned, is both incorrect and painful. For one, it leads one to hang on to the handlebar harder that needed. And, it makes direction changes a task.

Those motocross boots, therefore, are long and hardy for a reason. And I have now learned to hook them up – the whole length mind – against the mid section of the bike. It was difficult, but once I got it, it just became a whole lot easier to control the bike when riding standing up, and then be it around corners, jumps or even sandy stretches. And I could ride for longer without pain.

Don’t fight

If you have been riding road bikes for as long as I have, you ought to rate front-end grip and stability as your best friend in the whole motorcycling universe. It’s what gives you the confidence to brake deeper and lean harder into corners. It is the ultimate confidence booster. But, on dirt, the front slides, minor tank slapping is common, and that front-end feel, well it’s pretty mushy.

No wonder, when it came to dirt riding, I would corner almost straight up and grab the handlebar for dear life to stop that slapping. Big mistake. Thankfully, it’s now corrected. With the Big Rock instructor having moved my seating almost over the tank and having beaten my horizontal commute grip to a vertical off-road one, I unknowingly am adding more weight to the front. And that ‘elbow-up’ stance, surprisingly is also allowing for better and quicker leverage. So, now I ride with loose hands, let the front end do its thing and whenever I feel the front is about to wash out, I just gas it! Most times, all is well. If not, the leg out position means, I can always dab the bike up. And when that doesn’t work, at least mud and sand is softer than tarmac.

Take flight

One of joys of riding off-road is getting the rear to slide on power. But, if that doesn’t rock your boat, the jumps most definitely will. So far, my idea of jumping motorcycles had been over speed breakers and some mud mounts. It’s fun. And fairly easy. Compress the suspension just before hitting the breaker and on rebound give the bike a healthy dose of throttle and get some air.

But on a motocross track, taking flight was a completely different experience. And a hugely satisfying one at that. I didn’t need any of the above-mentioned antics, just a lot of trust in the motorcycle and my instructor. The ramps were steep and slippery and one even curved away on the down. Plus, the instructions seemed counter-intuitive at first. How does one get air without keeping the throttle pinned? But the trick is to hold it steady all the way up the ramp and keep it there till touchdown.

But the satisfying part is the airtime, something you can’t get jumping bumps, breakers or mounts.

Walk the talk

It’s more like walk the trail. Now so far, I have been riding trails blind if you will never having bothered walking them before jumping into the deep end with a motorcycle. It was more like take things as they come. As a result, I would chicken out of most routes thinking these were impossible to navigate. And in cases where I decided to be adventurous, I did land on my face a tad too often.

Now though, after Big Rock, there are two things I would never do. First, I would never go in blind. I would walk the trail, read the terrain, gauge the gradient and finally, work out the exit route. The second, no matter how impossible the trail might seem, unless I have walked it, I wouldn’t abandon an attempt. And yes there’s a third – never go trail riding alone.

Have fun

This, of course, is why I love riding my Impulse. You don’t need speed or great weather or hundreds of kilometres of saddle time just to get to a track to have fun. A construction site, quarry, a forest trail or even a beach close by is all you need to get your juices flowing.

And that’s the signing off line at Big Rock MotoPark. Have fun. Enjoy yourself. It’s key to riding well on dirt; besides the technique, skill and loads of practice, of course. And I can tell you, these two days at Big Rock, no matter how tiring, they were thoroughly enjoyable. I fell, hurt my thumb, and had to nurse a pair of aching thighs for a week thereafter. But I can’t wait to get into the thin and airy jersey, the long boots and the odd-shaped helmet and go hit some trails. It’s that addictive.

 Photography by Kapil Angane