Rules To Ride By with John Hudson

This entry is part 41 of 24 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #3

On the APC Rally rides I’m sweeping the course so I’m always riding with the slowest riders in the group. The faster guys have gone because they’re using a GPS and there are no cornermen.

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping struggling riders with a few tips. On our rides I can spend two, three or four days with these riders, so the improvements can sometimes be up to 40 per cent. I watch them from behind and then I’ll just sit them under a tree and ask if they want to go faster. Since we have 2000km and four days, we have time to work some stuff out.

I explain to them there’s always someone faster no matter who you are, so forget about what other people are doing and just have fun.

Unfortunately, many riders worry about set-ups and bike selection and start making excuses in their mind as to why things will be difficult before they even twist the throttle.

“Chill out!” is what I say. Just buy petrol and give yourself some ride time. ‘Fast’ just comes to the rider who’s relaxed. They find a rhythm and just see things in a positive fashion.

Don’t stand for it

I have some good news for riders out there. I have a terrible riding style and my mates laugh when they see me standing up because they know I am just trying to look as though I know what I am doing.

So yes, you can ride quick sitting down. Good ol’-fashioned bush riders can continue reading.

When I’m following slow guys on my rides these are the most common problems:

• Looking 10m in front of the bike and not 50m so their balance is affected and they have less time to pick good lines. Please look up!

• They’re using the rear brake too much and haven’t learned the front brake has to do 90 per cent of the stopping.

• They’re not weighting the outside ’peg when going around a corner.

• Rather than singing reggae songs, they’re worried about a million things that could go wrong. Relax and just do it.

• Everyone falls off, so wear the good gear and just deal with it.

Hard-won knowledge

The next points I put forward in my safety briefings. I’ve lost some bark and broken 16 bones learning these lessons.

1. Ride with as little weight as possible. More weight means the faster you lose balance and the slower you can pull up.

2. When approaching a wooden bridge, lower your speed if possible, then do not try to do any braking, steering or gear changes when you are on the timber. Keep the throttle constant and look up and forward. Try to pick a line where there are no edges.

3. When crossing a concrete causeway with water over it, try to reduce speed so you don’t lose your feet off the pegs. Always pick a line where you think the car tyres have been because this is where the moss will not be.

4. When pulling up on a track to turn around because you’ve missed a turn, always pull up on the left side and never start turning around until all riders in your group have stopped where you are. Always pull up away from a corner so riders have plenty of warning to stop. Big bikes and big speed mean riders can’t stop or change direction quickly. Don’t trust your mirrors.

5. When coming around a corner and being faced with a car, or any other obstacle, always focus on the gap on the left-hand side of whatever you can see and ride through that gap. Make a decision and stick with it. There’s no time for two decisions. Do some braking but do not try to pull up before you get to the obstacle. On most occasions this severe braking will mean you lose control.

6. Do your stopping before the corner. This usually means dropping a gear and using the gearbox. With practice you can weight your body so the back steps out to the outside of the corner and you are then set up for the corner early rather than late. Always look through the corner to see if you can see any movement.

7. When crossing creeks or any other obstacles always be positive. In most cases it’s better to enter the obstacle in a smooth motion. If this means turning around and going back 100m, do it. The reason is that the first 10m when you start is when you have the least balance and your body is not settled in a relaxed riding position. Momentum is the name of the game. Try for a constant throttle and don’t look at your mates. Look at where you want to be.

8. There is no right way to ride around kangaroos or anything else that has a mind of its own. The only cure is to drop your cruising speed as soon as you see anything. Kangaroos will often move from the scrub out on to open pastures in the evening and then be returning to the scrub in the mornings. If you’re going to hit a kangaroo, do all the braking you can before the impact and then let off the brakes just before you hit it. The reason is your suspension will come back up and you’ll have more control of the bike when you hit the ’roo. Once you know you are hitting the ’roo, don’t try and change direction. Just grip the bike with your knees as hard as possible and look up.

9. If you hit a jump or grid wrong and your bike gets sideways in the air, just worry about your front wheel hitting the ground straight and at the right angle. The rear wheel can do horrible things and you will still be okay. Once again don’t try and brake as you’re hitting the ground, grip your bike hard with your legs. Your legs are the largest muscles on your body and should be doing most of the work. Riders who try to ride a motorcycle with their hands will never enjoy knowing what their bike is capable of.

10. Looking up gives a rider balance. When approaching truck ruts grip the bike with your legs and look where you want to be. Again, no braking can be done as you’re trying to smoothly angle yourself out of a rut. No two ruts are the same, but if the rut only goes for 10m most riders should be able to ride in the rut and exit without a drama.

11. Deep-sand riding takes momentum and courage. The more weight you have on board the more courage you’ll require. Worry about your speed and momentum more than the ruts when turning corners in the sand. Stand up and be smooth with the throttle.

12. If you fail to get up a hill on an adventure bike, 99 per cent of the time you’ll need to turn around and start again. Doing anything else will be wasting energy. Momentum is the name of the game. Always look ahead as far as you can. Grip the bike with your legs and don’t consider not making it. Speed and parts of the track that have good traction are the key to your success. If you’re leading and you make it, always ride out of sight from the riders below. Always pull up and make sure everyone makes it, just do it down the track a little. A rider who sees you waiting at the top has a 50 per cent chance of not making it because you have affected their confidence.

13. Always look after your mates. There’s nothing more important than getting everyone home safe. Never leave a rider behind and never leave a corner until the sweep or lead rider shows up.

14. Set your levers so you can rest one finger on them when you are riding. On adventure bikes you’ll spend a lot more time sitting down, so your levers should suit this position as well as standing. Big, bulky gloves can limit finger movement that can greatly affect your reaction time.

Practice makes perfect

Now go riding and remember to work on just one point at a time.

The key is to just keep enjoying it, your riding mates are the most important thing a bike rider has. Just imagine the poor guys who are living in the suburbs who wash the car and mow the lawn on the weekends. They have no idea just how much fun we’re having.

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