ADV-102 Everything to know for Adventure Motorcycle Riding

Exploring the various types of Adventure travel riding which influence the type of motorcycle you'll need.

Exploring the sorts of terrain and distance you'll ride in which has tyre choice implications.

Explore the distance, terrain and riders/pillions goals that affect the size of the motorcycle you choose to ride

We explore why a rider needs to gear up for protection from falling, from weather, etc. We discuss safety and protection.

We explore helmet types and styles for adventure riding. What it protects and how to choose the best fitting helmet.

We explore boot types and styles for adventure riding. What protection to look out for and what to avoid.

We explore jacket types and styles for adventure riding. All the various useful features to consider when choosing a great jacket.

We explore trouser types and styles for adventure riding. All the various useful features to consider when choosing adventure riding pants/trousers.

We explore glove types and styles for adventure riding. What features to look out for considering cold or warm climates. On or off-road usage, etc.

We look at the reasons for wearing rain suits, single unit or top and bottom. We also discuss the features you should try and get when choosing a rain suit.

We explore neck-brace reasons for use, pro's and con's, features, fitting tips and costs of neck braces in adventure riding.

We discuss many other possible personal add-ons of which there are many to choose from: Music and comms in your helmet. Jacket warmers, Ear plugs, Water hydration packs, body armour, etc. Expected price ranges for items.

Here we explore all the various motorcycle add-on's and after market equipment that could be considered. Wider footpegs, Handlebar risers, suspension, spotlights, bash plates, exhausts, power points, GPS, etc.

We explore tyre choices discussing 80-20 tyres, 50-50 tyres, tubeless or tube based tyres, spoked versus alloy rims, etc.

Here we discuss the various luggage configurations. Tank bags, top boxes, side panniers, hard vs soft, etc.

Here we start with some observations from experience which will build riding confidence. Start small and increasingly ride larger motorcycles, respecting the power and size, etc.

It will happen, just a matter of when and how often. But if you are ready for it and prepare then it doesn't come as quite so much of a shock. And the whole experience becomes even more fun.

We explore front-back balance, left-right balance, gyroscopic forces, momentum, power, etc. Discuss in a little more detail the rider being aware of their forward or backward leaning position and why and how it affects the balance of the bike. Discuss knees bent, where to look, leaning left and right, standing, sitting, etc.

We explore all the various danger to be aware of when riding such as animals, people and vehicles coming from left or right, falling, footstand incidents, exhaust and engine heat, sudden terrain changes, lack of the correct personal gear, oil spills, pecking order of traffic, personal health, Negative Camber on dirt roads, etc.

Explore group dynamics (who), mixing beginners with advanced riders, (what) using smaller bikes to learn on to build up confidence, (where) start with easier roads and build up to the more technical.

We discuss levels of fitness in riding adventure motorcycles. Particularly over longer multi-day rides, long distance in a day, what happens when you are physically exhausted, etc. How fit should I be?

We discuss the various considerations when Adventure riding with a pillion on dirt.

Here we discuss the various controllable items on the newer motorcycles. Some motorcycles don't have any or all of these, other have many. Things like Traction control settings, Braking and ABS settings, Suspension settings.

At certain times you need to check your bike over. Different inspections at different point in time. Some before you ride every day. Some every 1000km or so, others when you reconfigure the load on your bike. e.g. A pillion gets on. These are the various checklists of what to do when.

We consider the theory of what grip you get with the various tyre choices in the tar and gravel, spinning and how long the tyres will last, etc. We discuss the various surfaces and the levels of tyre pressure to adjust the motorcycle to for Sand, Mud, Rocky & stoney roads, Tar roads.

Here we talk about how to fix punctures, what you need and we cover both Tubeless and Tubed based tyres.

We explore the possible options for mounting cameras both on the motorcycle and on your person.

Explore getting on and off the motorcycle when it is packed without falling or catching your feet. Explore and discuss the somewhat obvious concept of stopping where you can easily get the bike out later. We look at slopes, ridges, bouncing on the front suspension, walking the bike out, etc.

We explore the clutch also throttle control and how the both affect riding, when starting stopping, braking, etc.

We explore the idea of how standing when riding gives you much more control and the bike more freedom to move under you.

We explore the effect of gravel and dirt on braking, ABS, etc.

In this lecture we cover off the various types of turns you might need to do. U turns, cornering at speed on gravel, rear wheel skid turns and so on.

We explore riding in winds. Cross-winds front and rear winds. We also talk about rain riding and sleet and snow riding.

This lecture discusses how to two bikes tow one another. What's needed, where to tie the straps, Different methods of how to tow, etc.

Explore and discuss ruts and their danger. Ruts in dried mud from old tyre tracks, ruts in sand, rutted and ridged rocks, etc. What the dangers are and what to look out for.

Explore and discuss the means of climbing a hill based on steepness, height, terrain, momentum, etc. Also discuss the means of decending a hill based on steepness, height, terrain, footing, gearing, slopes left and right, etc.

Explore and discuss sand riding. Initial feeling of lack of control, momentum, gyroscopic forces, "look up stand up open up" rule, speed, depth of sand, size of motorcycle, tyre pressure, traction control, etc.

Explore and discuss the dangers of riding in mud, depth of mud, wetness of the mud, clay versus sandy mud, slopes with mud, picking the best route through, etc.

We explore the various considerations when doing water crossings, depth of water, flow of water, surface underneath the water, width of the crossing, etc.

We've compiled a list of 21 Rules for Adventure Motorcycling. This is them. You can download the lecture in a PDF from the resources section too.

Now that you have learnt about all the aspects of riding, this is how you go about planning your routes and getting them onto a GPS so you can follow them when out there on the bike. They can also be sent to your fellow riders so you all know where the route goes.

Things to know and do now that you are armed with this information. Also a thank you and well done on completing the course.