Beautiful autumn weather this past weekend saw riders enjoy the Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail as part of a rally organized by the BMW Motorcycle Owner's of America. With 3 different guided ride options being offered, this video shows us what the “GS North” adventure tour route looked like while others enjoyed the GS South and Sport rides.
This footage also gives us the opportunity to review some basics on how to handle our heavy adventure motorcycles in loose terrain. Although geared toward helping beginners prepare for their first motorcycle trips that will involved sand and mud riding, even some experienced riders might learn from these basic points:
RIDING IN SAND - Keep as much weight as possible off the front wheel of the motorcycle by:
- Moving your weight back on the seat
- Avoiding braking, especially with the front brake
- Using the throttle when appropriate to lift the front wheel
- Don’t be afraid to slow down and “walk” through deep sand spots
CROSSING PUDDLES AND MUD PITS – Similar to sand riding, prepare for loose and slippery mud situations by:
- Choosing a knobby/aggressive tire
- Removing slippery rubber pads from your footpegs
- Be ready for surprise rocks, logs, and submerged obstacles
- Don’t be afraid to slow down and “walk” through the toughest spots
As always, we hope these reminders help riders get out there and try new routes, terrain, areas and countries they might have never ridden in before. After all, isn’t that what “adventure riding” is all about?
