MOTORCYCLE OTR Off The Road GUIDEBOOK
Mandatory for rider’s safety
- HELMET (Full face)
- RIDING BOOTS (High ankle)
- FULL BODY ARMOUR or RIDING JACKET
- KNEE GUARD (Armour)
- RIDING GLOVES (Finger protection)
Different from normal riding. Offroading starts when the road ends. No road????
Offroading is not about speed. It is unlikely different from high speed riding. Offroading needs a lot of patience, riding skills & riding at slow speeds specially when overcoming & clearing obstacles. Offroading is all about Torque not Speed.
Techniques when descending down a steep slope
Start the engine, shift to 1st gear, then release clutch fully. Don’t use accelerator, brake & clutch. Allow the engine to do the job on its own(engine braking). i.e 1st gear, no clutch, no brake, no accelerator.
Note:- If required to control the speed in case of very steep slope, Use brakes very very lightly . Don’t press very hard. Since crawl gears not available on two wheelers.
Techniques when ascending up a steep slope
Start the engine, shift to 1st gear, release clutch & accelerate simultaneously. Don’t panic. Don’t apply brakes in between. Utilize the maximum torque to reach the top of the slope. If required use 2nd gear & accelerate. Don’t drag the engine too long. It may overheat.
Note
Terrain (surface) can be anything starting from Mud, Sand, Clay, Gravel, Small boulders, Water (low depth) etc.
DO’s & DON’T OF OTR
- Carry a foot pump (to inflate & deflate tires)
- Carry a towing strap (To pull out a stuck motorcycle with another one)
- Carry all necessary tools & tackles
- Never accelerate too much when got stuck somewhere (it may burn your clutch plates as well as pressure plate)
- Never go alone (take 3-4 riders along with you so that in case of emergency you will definitely get help)
- Never believe at the mercy of god. (it doesn’t work always. You have to come out of a tricky situation on your own in case of a difficult terrain)
- Never consume alcoholic drinks during the ride. Consumption of liquor is strictly prohibited as per the Club Norms & Regulations.
RULES OF OFFROADING
- If you get stuck somewhere with your bike, try to steer left or right, try moving a little back or forward. But still if its not working, Get down from your bike & start digging the soil, clear the sand or mud or whatever from the tires & you may be able to get out from the situation. Otherwise you can call for help anytime.
- Spare motorcycle can be used with towing rope hooked at its rear side & then that rope shall be connected to the front portion of the stuck motorcycle to be recovered, so that the spare motorcycle can pull it out with power.
- If everything fails, then there are all the riders who can come for help anytime for recovery.
RECOVERY
Recovery is the most important part of offroading. It has been already clear from the earlier discussions above.
ITEMS USED FOR RECOVERY
- Sand ladder
- Towing strap or rope
- Tools & Tackles for attending any breakdown
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
- First Aid tool box containing all the necessary stuffs like bandages, sterile gauze, antiseptic cream, band-aids, spirit, cotton etc. should be kept at the OTR location for any kind of minor injuries.
- In case of extreme emergency, Ambulance shall be kept at the OTR site for back up.
- All emergency phone numbers should be kept handy, if required.
STATUTORY WARNING: MOTOR SPORTS IS VERY DANGEROUS FORM OF ADVENTURE. PARTICIPANTS MUST BE ADHERING TO ALL KINDS OF SAFETY PRACTICES INVOLVED WHILE OFF ROADING. RIDERS WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY KIND OF INCIDENTS INVOLVED. RIDERS WILL BE PARTICIPATING AT THEIR OWN RISK. THE ORGANISERS/CLUB OR ITS OFFICIALS CAN NEVER BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY KIND OF PROBLEM FACED.
