Adventure Hills

Riding a trail or adventure bike off road can present many different challenges for bikers, and requires some unique skillsets compared to riding on bitumen.

Among the varied conditions and terrain a rider is likely to come across when hitting the trails, are large, slippery hills. These can be a lot of fun to conquer but also present a real test for less experienced riders.

As a leading manufacturer of quality brake pads for the motorcycle industry, Bendix has partnered with the rider training team at motoDNA to develop a series of tutorials to impart the wisdom of motoDNA’s experienced trainers, for riders to apply on and off the road.

Here are some tips to help get riders safely up the hills.

Momentum is your friend

When negotiating hills, momentum is a rider’s friend – attack the hills to get this momentum. The rider will need to be committed, especially in the first or lower part of the hill climb.

Clutch control

The next thing to be aware of is clutch control.

Riders want to avoid shutting the throttle, as this loses momentum; instead slip the clutch to control wheel spin and slides – this allows the wheels to line-up again without losing too much momentum.

Understanding the clutch engagement point helps to better control rear grip. A word of warning though, some mechanical sympathy is needed; clutches hate excessive heat. Typically, adventure bikes weigh around 200 plus kilograms and are rated at around 100 horsepower, so take care and avoid high revs when slipping the clutch.

Body position

The next thing to consider is body position on the bike. Standing up gives better performance and control, letting the bike move around underneath the rider, and making it easier for the rider to move their weight around the bike; this balances the rear tyre grip versus doing wheelies.

Weight equals grip, and riders want that grip on the rear for traction. The legs should be bent and act like suspension – keep the weight low to prevent wheelies. Riders should also avoid getting too far back on the bike, this position fatigues the arms and also encourages wheelies.

Given that most adventure riders tend to be a little older, fatigue can set in when standing through, so a rider may need to alter between standing and sitting. Sitting saves energy and also weights the rear tyre for good grip – on some hills, riders can even ‘tractor up’.

Riding line

When heading up the hill, the rider should take a moment to try and pick the smoothest line, and to do this, they need to optimise their vision.

The best way to do this is to keep the head up, looking ahead for where there should be most grip. The whoops are fun, and there’s also grip in the timing – a rider can power on when there’s grip on the back side of the whoop. The side of the hill can often also have berms with bonus grip.

Remember that more skill equals more fun with less risk, while gaining the confidence to take on adventure.

Riders looking to advance their skills should consider participating in a program with a reputable provider such as motoDNA. On offer are courses spanning from more traditional rider training through to the innovative Digital Academy, which provides a platform for riders to practice their riding skills at their own pace, in their own time and on their roads and trails.

Before pitting themselves and their machines against the trials, riders should also ensure that their bikes are up to the challenge, and a critical area of motorcycle service and maintenance is the braking system and consumables such as brake pads.

Bendix offer a wide range of motorcycle brake pad options under its Bendix Moto product lines, including its Ultimate+ and Street Road Track pads.

The range covers a wide variety of motorcycle classes including cruisers, commuters and small / medium trail and touring bikes, as well as large capacity bikes. There are options to suit a many Japanese, European, American and Chinese brands.

Ultimate+ pads are perfect for trail and adventure bikes and use dense ceramic materials that provide maximum durability and braking feel in all conditions. Ultimate+ also feature embedded fine copper fibres that increase friction and heat conductivity, while delivering low dust and noise performance.