The Best Adventure Motorcycle Info and Tips - riding street to off road

Are you looking at adventure motorcycles and wondering what it's like to go from this... to this? Being a lifelong street rider, I found myself surprised by the challenges I'd soon face after driving off the lot on my new adventure bike. Here are some of the top things to consider if you're thinking about taking the plunge and transitioning from riding street to off-road. Starting right now on Motor Travel USA. There's a reason adventure bikes are so popular. The allure of getting even further off the beaten path and finding amazing places to explore. You also have so many different options of adventure bikes to choose from, all with their slick marketing shots of motorcycles crushing it in exotic locations. If you love travel and are looking for an adrenaline rush, these shots do a great job of drawing you in. It's why I broke down and purchased one after years of traveling on the road. Although those pictures had me dreaming of big adventures, I really had no idea how different riding off-road would be. We all know that riding a motorcycle is dangerous, but riding off-road turns that risk factor up a notch. However, just like riding on-road, danger is a double-edged sword because that's part of what makes it so exciting. Your heart's pumping, senses are firing on all cylinders, and you're smiling ear-to-ear as you're riding on loose earth inches from a sharp drop-off that could become a very bad day if you or the bike make a wrong move. Beyond the obvious dangerous cliff, riding off-road can be much more unpredictable than street riding too. You're on thinner roads, so a car could be around the next blind turn. You'll encounter mud, ruts, all sizes of rocks. The trail can go from firm to loose in a heartbeat. You'll have many more animal encounters. Plus, turns and grades will be much sharper than on pavement. I've actually had my worst dirt naps when I was confidently riding along on what seemed like perfect conditions, but hit a loose patch and went down pretty hard. That's something you'll have to get used to because unlike street riding where the point is to never crash, in adventure riding you have to accept the fact that you and your bike will be eating dirt at some point. Luckily, since the ground is typically much softer than pavement and the speeds usually aren't as fast, you should be able to get up and continue your ride, but that's not always going to be the case. There are numerous video examples of people getting injured on adventure rides and I haven't been immune to that either. While being a street rider will help you operate and ride the motorcycle, the skills for riding on pavement and off-road are fundamentally different. You have to learn a whole new set of to become proficient riding off-road. Yes, obviously you can wing it like I did at first, but I assure you if you take a training class, you'll learn things you never considered and that are the opposite of your muscle memory for street riding. The time and money that I've invested in training have helped me with emergency situations, getting out of jams in the middle of nowhere, and have prepared me for varying surfaces. I highly recommend the two-day off-road course at the BMW US Rider Academy, not because I own a GS, but because the trainers and facility they have are great. Their off-road training and practice area is so varied, you'll get to tackle many of the surfaces and situations that you'll encounter in the wild. I would also go as far to say that going to a training course is a necessity and you should factor that into your adventure bike budget, just like you're factoring in luggage and other bike options. In addition to the training, I've practicing the skills as much as I can have helped me too. I've practiced on easy trails and even parking lots to hone my skills. Exercise and conditioning should be a big part of your quest to ride off-road. Riding off-road is demanding and takes a lot of strength and endurance to tackle all-day long rides. Think about it, you're muscling a 500-pound motorcycle around obstacles while standing on your pegs and shifting your weight constantly. It can be taxing, but will be the most fun workout you'll ever have. Can you ride off-road without being in shape? Of course you can, but off-road riding is very demanding and will tire you out quickly if you're not prepared. Your workouts can be as easy or as hard as you want, but the harder you work, the more it'll pay off when riding for hours on end off-road. I personally have mixed riding long gravel roads on a bicycle, cardio, and weight training. While total body weight training will help you immensely, at the very least, concentrating on working out your legs will help you a ton. Plus bonus, you get in shape and you're ready to ride on much longer adventures. I hate to break this to you, but your expensive road gear isn't going to cut it for off-road. Can you use it? Sure, but you're not going to get the protection where you need it and you'll probably need more ventilation. Your road gear is designed to generally protect your entire body if you're sliding on pavement at speed. Off-road gear is designed to protect you if you have slower accidents while also maintaining mobility and having more protection in certain areas. As mentioned earlier, you and your bike are going to fall. Sometimes the bike's going to fall on your leg. You want a boot that'll stand up to a couple hundred pounds and hopefully avoid a twisted or broken limb. My first couple off-road rides, I wore my street helmet and it protected me, but was hot and it didn't block the glare. Off-road helmets are meant to protect you while offering better airflow and a visor to block the blinding sun. Those are just two examples, but it's similar for every piece of gear. I found that picking the right adventure touring gear is an exercise in trade-offs and compromises. Luckily, there are so many options out there, you're bound to find a solution that works for you. Keeping your road bike in top condition takes time. Expect that to increase dramatically for a bike you take off-road. Since an adventure bike takes more abuse sloshing through mud, eating dust, squirming through sand, riding through water, and testing the limits of suspension, the bike will need a lot more maintenance to make sure everything is in working condition and safe. In addition to more frequent oil changes, expect to change out the air filter and replace brake pads more often. I've also had to replace a rotor and my chain sooner than I've ever had to on a street bike. Expect your tire budget to increase too. Off-road biased tires don't last as long as sport touring tires, take much more abuse going over rough terrain, and need to be replaced more often. For example, after 25,000 miles on my bike, I've had five sets of tires on it. Luckily, there's a lot of competition, so the manufacturers keep coming out with better and longer lasting tires. In spite of the expenses, challenges, and dangers I've encountered, I've had the time of my life riding off-road. I knew I would enjoy it, but had no idea how much fun it would truly be. It has been demanding and tiring, but I've also gotten to see places that I never would have unless I traveled down those gravel roads. I've fought sugar sand, been foiled by mud, and gotten some battle scars, but even during the most difficult times, I've had a smile on my face. I would recommend making the transition from street to trails to anyone willing to accept the risks and challenges of riding off-road. Your perseverance will be rewarded with amazing vistas, exciting adventures, some of the best riding you'll ever enjoy, and amazing stories to share around the campfire. If you have any questions about making the change to an adventure bike, or I missed something you think others should know about, put it in the comments below. If you found this video helpful, please give it a thumbs up, and make sure to subscribe to see more videos like this. Thanks for watching, now let's go explore off-road.