Safe Riding

Illustrations by Niranjan Gajjar

Written by Sandeep Goswami

Motorcycling Academy of xBhp

Motorcycling Academy of xBhp

Make sure your bike is as

fit for the ride ahead as
you can make it.

A failure 2 days into the trip or a day's ride

100 TIPS

ON

LONG
DISTANCE

RIDING

from home is not a welcome thing to

happen. Engine oil, brake fluid, coolant,
drive chains, control cables, spark plugs,

4 Four essential documents

SAFE RIDING

6 Plan your route

In India, you are required to have four

along with any alternatives, and calculate

essential documents related to you and your

equipment and financial requirements

vehicle and can be asked for by the law

according to the longest probable route.

enforcers. They are the Registration

Good road maps are a must. Especially the

Certificate (RC) of the bike in original or

ones that show distances (with heights in

case of hills) accurately and mark petrol

tyres and support electricals like battery,

pumps that actually exist. Being stranded

lights etc need checking and fixing. Do this

witho ut fuel is depressing at the best and life

well before the ride.

threatening at worst if you get caught at high

Don't get your bike serviced,

2 fixed
for a fault or add

altitude late in the day and without

equipment to spend the night in the open.

accessories just before the ride

Get these things done a few days earlier so
that you get to ride the bike around long
enough for remaining or new faults to show
up. A loose electrical connection, mounting
bolt or spongy brakes will show up within a
day or two of riding. Let it happen while
you're still home.

3 Pre-trip checks
Checks should include: 1) brake pads/shoes
and brake oil 2) drive chain 3) oil (and coolant
where applicable) 4) lights 5) battery 6) spark

photocopy attested by a notified

government official, the original Insurance
Policy, the Pollution Under Control
certificate (PUC) and your valid Driving
License. Make sure you have them in order
before you leave home.

5 Physical endurance

plug 7) control cables (throttle, clutch, choke

Long distance riding is as much about riding

and brake)

skills as about being able to physically

8) clutch 9) air filter 10)

7 Distance between breaks

suspension components (front fork and rear

endure the long hours on the saddle. Being

damper) 11) tyres 12) general nuts and bolts

fit helps in stretching your fatigue threshold.

On highways within our country, doing

13) PUC validity 14) Insurance validity 15)

It is important to be able to complete your

about 200 kms stretches between breaks is

Registration certificate.

ride for the day while you're still not tired

usually the limit. The traffic density, the

enough to start making mistakes

infinite hazards that populate our roads, the

road surface conditions and the weather
make for a stressful concoction that tires
both the mind and the body quickly.

8 Experience and limitations

Long distance motorcycling comprises of two distinct entities. 'Long distance' and 'motorcycling'. Motorcycling is pretty absolute and anyone who
rides a motorcycle is a motorcyclist by definition. But 'Long Distance' is hugely relative. To some, a 100 kms would be long distance while to others
even 800kms a day would be pretty-much usual. The perceived 'long' in this arises from quite a few elements, majorly being 1) mind-set/attitude 2)
prior experience of distance travel 3) state of one's physical fitness 4) confidence about one's riding skill levels 5) confidence in the reliability of one's
machine 6) availability of like-minded company etc etc, all not necessarily in that order.

kms a day ever before, don't plan a 1000 km

he lure and romance of long distance motorcycling is irresistible. The feeling of freedom when riding the open road, the mystique of travel far
from home, the sense of adventure inherent in individual travel and the richness of experience that derives out of seeing, meeting, knowing
and remembering makes this an avenue that transcends even age. Of course, the magnitude of our travels lie within limits and context of our
needs and aspirations.

Be aware of your own experience and

limitations. If you've not done more than 200
round trip in 3 days. Give yourself time, space
and oppor tunit y to learn and get
comfortable before pushing for those real
long rides. Even nature respects progressive

Through the 100 points detailed below, we shall put forth for you a repertoire of suggestions, advice, pointers towards essential skill sets for long
distance motorcycling and ways and means of improving the skills you already carry, to a high potential. The idea is to make your long distance rides
a safe and pleasurable experience. Come..share the high road with us.

growth.

CASTROL POWER 1
URGES YOU TO RIDE SAFE

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SAFE RIDING

Separate helmet for

9 Luggage as is totally essential 13 long
distance travel
Carry only as much luggage as is totally
essential, but never skimp on tools and
repair equipment. Carry all that you would

need
, short of towing another similar bike behind
you. Tie the luggage securely on the bike. If
riding one-up, tie it on the seat behind as it
gives your back some added support and
stops the wind from getting in from behind

10 Take a break,
however short, at least once every two hours.

Ideally you should have a separate helmet for

long distance travel. The daily use hard hat
gets dirty and grimy from repeated use and
smells all the worse after a long day of
continuous use. A dedicated touring helmet
ensures 1) you feel purposeful when wearing
ityou're on the high road 2) it remains clean
of the daily commute grime and sweat 3)
better chances of maintaining the visor clean
and scratch free. 4) a 'new' looking helmet
makes for great pictures eh!

clean visor
14 Separate
for tour use
If not a helmet, at the very least keep a
separate clean visor for tour use. Believe me,
you'll need all the clarity you can get when
doing those last 50 kms after dark and when
fatigued. Also make sure the visor seats tight
on the helmet frame and seals out the dust
effectively. Being forced to follow a truck or
bus on a narrow and dusty mountain road will
prove you its real worth.

17 Cotton inner garment

A thin cotton inner garment or even a
cotton track-suit worn beneath the riding
gear makes both for comfort and maintains
riding gear hygiene. The cotton inner can
be substituted with wool ones for winter
travel. When using mesh-type riding
jackets, keep a windproof jacket that fits
over the jacket handy. Even 20degC
summer mornings can be uncomfortably
cold when doing a 100-kmph for hours
together. (Remember the wind-chill factor).
Also, when riding in those hot summers,
contrary to instinct, cover yourself well,
leaving as little skin exposed as possible.
The dry hot wind blows away perspiration
before it can cool you and since every bit of
liquid near the skin gets dried up almost
immediately, you get dehydrated pretty
soon. Clothes help retain this water. And
keep drinking water or cold drinks
frequently.

attempting a distance/time record. Some 810 hrs in the saddle would make you want to

Saddlebags or panniers, mount them tight and

15 proper
and keep them light.

stop even more frequently. Do as the body

demands. Fatigue and discomfort become
one homogenous menace at the end of a
long riding day.

11

Too much weight so far from the center of gravity of the bike gives it the kind of leverage you'd
thoroughly dislike in a panic stop or with a rear-wheel slide. The weight behind will act like a
pendulum and tend to swing the bike sideways when you least want it to. In a nutshell, carry
only the essentials and carry them tight.

your clothes etc

12 inWrap
polythene bags
before putting them in the luggage. Day long
rain when encountered at highway speeds
makes water penetrate into the best of
waterproofs and it's a real nightmare to find all
your stuff soaked, especially on a cold evening.

Keep a set of dark glasses for bright sunlight

robbing you of your precious body heat is to

and clear one's for night riding handy. Bright

dress in a combination of warm layers and

sunlight, especially when reflected off sand

wind-proofs. The layers give you two

or snow can really harm the eyes, both for

advantages. 1) Layers trap air between them

short and long term. And night riding might

and such dry air is the best thermal insulator

preclude the use of the helmet visor. Your

(its trapped air

only fall-back would be a pair of clear glasses.

Balaclavas are the best bet protection, both for the riders head and the helmet insides during
long and continuous use. Find cotton or a silk one and avoid synthetic like plague. Not only will
the balaclava stop all your perspiration ending
up in your helmet's liner, it will keep your
ears warm when its cold and prevent
insects from getting into your ears when
you need to ride with your visor open,
say after dark. Two thin cotton
balaclavas inside a well fitting
helmet can see you through
the coldest ride.

Early morning departures give you lots of

advantages for a long motorcycle ride. 1)
Mornings are freshness personified. You feel
invigorated just by being awake and riding
early 2) there's very little traffic even in
congested cities so early in the day 3) you
have plenty of daylight at hand for any
contingency that delays you on the highway.
best seen from the saddle of a bike.

25

t h a t

Riding in the cold

makes those wooly sweaters so warm). And

When riding in the cold, take frequent breaks

2) layers allow you to control your dress-up

for warm food and drinks. Do not keep riding

needs. If you feel hot, you can take off a layer.

until you get numb. You could be closer to

Wear one huge jacket and either you feel hot

hypothermia than you realize and could

underneath or freeze without it.

crash from delayed reactions.

19 Gloves

26 Wind is always thirsty

motorcyclist's armor. Never ride without

them, whether the distance is 2kms or 200.
When buying gloves, buy safety without
compromising either on feel or flexibility of
fingers. Motorcycling is as much about
feeling the control as it is about using them
sensitively. Loose feel and you lose part of
for long distance riding. Leather is ideal.

16 Balaclavas

Early morning departures

Moreover, the sight of a new day breaking is

your sense of control. Buy water-proof ones

Have all that you'll need

for the trip with you
before you leave.

Searching for stuff on the road in strange

towns and cities is not only a nuisance but also
a huge waste of time.

The best way of keeping the cold wind from

Gloves are an indispensible part of a

Don't make your ride a 'chore' unless you are

24

in a combination
18 Dress
21Dark glasses
of warm layers

22 Spare prescription glasses

If you wear prescription glasses for vision
correction, keep an extra pair with you for the
long ride. You might lose or break the set
you're using and riding without them will not
just be a pain but can also be dangerous. Good
vision is primary to motorcycling safety.

your skin and breath, as you ride. So make it a

point to drink lots of water on the way. In cold
weather, tea and coffee are good substitutes
but for the frequent toilet breaks, since both
of these are diuretics.

23 Wear your rain suit

Wear your rain suit before it starts raining. The

Improvise a nape cover for the gloves using a

view on the open road usually is wide enough

non-slip type polythene bag if yours are not

for you to be able to see the certainty of

rain-proof.

20

The wind is always thirsty for moisture and

slowly sucks out water from your body, via

Legs and feet need

as much protection

Your legs and feet need as much protection

and/or thermal insulation as the torso,
head and arms. Here again, dedicated

head

riding pants and boots are the best. Knee-

ing into rain ahead. Wearing the suit over

pads (bionic type, the ones that are hinged

already wet clothes is not much help is it? Use

at the knee joint) are a safe alternative. For

the new GoreTex treated rain-suits. They are

cold, dress in layers again making sure you

rain repellent, don't smell like rubber and

have a wind-proof/water-proof top layer.

allow the fabric to breathe unlike rubberized

27 Maintain a fuel log

Maintaining a fuel log, something as simple
as a four column chart that tells you the
distance travelled between fuel top-ups and
the fuel taken each time will let you maintain
a good estimate of your bike's range. In areas
where fuel stations are far and apart, you can
easily assess whether you can make the
distance or not.

rain suits.
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SAFE RIDING

the fuel
28 Cross-check
gauge
During regular use of the bike, see how
accurate or inaccurate the fuel gauge is. Keep
a tab on mileage not just with the point of
saving money but also to be aware how far
you can get on a tank full.

29

Re-fuel before you actually

reach the edge of 'reserve

Re-fuel before you actually reach the edge of

'reserve'. Fill her up while there's a petrol
pump on your side of the highway and you'll
need to tank up in another 50kms anyway.
Slowing down later to look for a petrol pump

and
possibly
having to do a short
detour to get to it would be
silly considering that most bikes sold in our
country can do more than 350kms on a tank

31 Plan to make time

Avoid stuffing yourself

34 with
food

39 Wide beam spread

But in case you plan to make time, then stick

to the plan. Combine your stoppages. For
example, use the re-fuel stop to go to the loo,
take a drink of water or maybe grab a quick
bite from one of the many food counters at
petrol pumps nowadays. Ride at speeds that
allow you to do long and continuous
stretches relatively stress-free. Less stops can
increase your day's average speed by some 10
kph without the need to speed.

Avoid stuffing yourself with food during the

Prefer a headlamp that gives a wide beam

spread as it enables you to see which way the
road goes beyond a curve. A narrow focus
beam lets you see straight ahead but not
where the road is heading beyond the turn.

32 Holiday ride
When you are out riding long distance on a
motorcycle, the best is to make it a holiday
ride. Do it with a laid-back attitude. And the
best plan to enjoy a holiday ride to the hilt
is by not keeping a destination as the
goal for the end of the stay. At least a
destination that requires fast day-long
riding. Relax and stop wherever your
aesthetic impulse compels you to. Take
pictures, enjoy a beautiful scene, talk to some
locals or eat food at leisure, savoring both
local taste and company. Usually towns and
cities occur on most highways at short
enough intervals for you to be able to look
around a bit for a place to spend the night. Its
only popular hill-stations/pilgrim places at
peak season that make finding
accommodation a problem.

full at the very least.

30 Time-speed-distance
Keep time, speed and distance in
perspective. This is about avoiding
unnecessary speeding in the guise of
covering distance quickly. A 10 kph
difference in average speed over 8 hours
gets you there early by half an hour or so.
This in simple terms means that doing
100 kph instead of 80 kph will get you
quicker to your destination 300 kms
away by 30 mins. Think if the associated
strain on both you and the bike alongwith the higher risk at higher speeds is
worth it.

33

Wrap sandwiches or
paranthas in aluminum foil

Wrap sandwiches or paranthas in aluminum

foil and clamp it somewhere on the engine
casing. You get hot food whenever you stop
for a tea break! A real treat in those chilling
winter rides.

ride. Overeating will make you sluggish,

sleepy (the digestion takes the lion's share of
the body's blood circulation and while riding
you can't just afford that) and sitting
crouched on a sporty bike becomes rather
uncomfortable with an over-filled stomach.

35

Ride on your side of the

road

Ride on your side of the road when you ride

the twisties. Keeping to your side gives you
lots of margin for safety and others lots of
margins for errors. People can do stupid
things like overtaking on blind curves and
your safety here is in direct proportion to the
amount of road you leave with them to lay
their stupidity on.

36 Black Ice
When in the hills in winter, during frosting
conditions, watch out for the treacherous
'black ice'. Water or even moisture on the road
gets frozen into clear ice and it is very-very
slippery. This happens even on a bright sunny
afternoon on the shady side of the mountain.

If there's a stream flowing across the road,

watch for slippery moss covered rocks
underneath. Especially streams that are
exposed to sunlight sometime during the
day. Remember plants need sunlight to make
food. Keep the bike upright and avoid sudden
direction changes while crossing the stream.

38 Night riding

Night riding in the hills is, in a sense, safer than

during daytime. You can see the approaching
vehicle's lights beyond a curve. Also, you are
more focused since all you can see is what
gets lit up by the headlight. There are no
distracting views to see around.

If your bike is shod with tubed tyres, always

carry a spare tube even if you have puncture
patches. And, before hitting the road, check
the expiry of those puncture patches and
adhesive. In case of sudden deflation of a tyre
while riding at speed, never brake the
punctured wheel. The tyre will jump the rim
and you get thrown off the bike.

45 Emergency rain shelter

40

Night riding in the plains

is a different ball-game.

Night riding in the plains is a different ballgame. Follow a fast 4 wheeler at a safe
distance and use its lights to see ahead. A bike
is not the king of the road at night.

41Practice doing minor repairs

Practice doing minor repairs, in darkness, or
for fun and an immense sense of control,
with your eyes closed. Things like changing
the control cables, the headlight bulb or the
spark plug. You could get stuck with any of
these failures in total darkness. And it feels so
very good to be able to fix it in a jiffy, even
when others fel they are blind as bats in the

Moss under flowing

37 streams

44 Tubed tyres

dark.

42 Tubeless tyres
Tubeless tyres are getting more and more
popular these days and all for good reasons.

Carry a 12ft X 16ft plastic sheet. It works as an

emergency rain shelter. Put it across the seats
of two bikes parked parallel with a 5ft gap in
between for you to sit. You get an instant roof
and the luggage gets added protection from
rain. Keep a stout rope, about 15ft long, for
emergency towing.

2-mtr long piece of

46 fuel
pipe
Keep a 2-mtr long piece of fuel pipe for
emergency fuel transfers from one vehicle to
another. Also, have a flat board of wood, about
12"X8" handy, to put under the main stand if
you need to park your bike on soft ground.
Otherwise, use only the side-stand, with a
small flat rock placed under it, for parking on
soft ground. Note: What appears to be hard
ground now could become soft after even a
short rain shower. Even hard tarmac becomes
unusually soft on a very hot afternoon.

47 Ritual checks
As a ritual, check engine oil, brakes, control
cables, chain tension and lights each day

to fix in the field and can be run even with the

before starting. Keeps you in touch with the

puncturing debris stuck in the treads by

bike and you are not easily caught by a

periodically topping up the tyre pressure.

surprising failure.

along with a means of inflating the tyre with

you and fix the puncture when it happens.

43 Insulated wire
A couple of meters length of insulated wire
and insulation tape are indispensable for on
the spot electrical repairs.

Stitch a piece of chamois leather to the back

of your left glove's fore-finger. A quick wipe
across the visor in rain improves vision
substantially.

Deflect the angle of your

50 rear
view mirrors
At night, deflect the angle of your rear view
mirrors a little to avoid the glare from vehicles
following you. Adjust the angle so that you
have to lean forwards a little to look into them.

51 A long traffic free stretch

A long traffic free stretch will also make you
prone to relaxing at speed. Come upon an
intersection in this state of mind and you
might end up in a tight situation. Keep that

They rarely if ever deflate suddenly, are easy

Even then, do carry a tubeless tyre repair kit

49 Finger wiper for visor

speed through a
48 Never
populated stretch
A long sparsely populated stretch of road lets
you maintain high speeds for long. Be all the
more vary of speeding through a populated
stretch that follows. Check and re-check your
speed from the speedometer. It is very easy to
misjudge 80kph as 'feeling' like 60 when you've
been doing 100 kph for the last half hour.

head on the swivel and watch out for slower

vehicles/peo
ple who
amble across
the highway.
They are just
going from one
village to another
and cannot grasp your
need for speed.

52 Be visible
Always remember that your motorcycle is
one of the smallest of fast moving traffic
units and would be quite easy to miss for
drivers of other vehicles. As a precaution,
ride with your headlights switched on even
during day time. Keep this in mind while
maneuvering on the road. Don't ever
assume that the driver of the vehicle you are
moving past or braking in front of or
approaching at the intersection up ahead
has seen you just because you flashed or
honked. Look for positive signs of detection
like the other person slowing down
perceptibly, eye contact through the rear
view mirror, an clear hand signal allowing
you to pass etc .
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53 Alcohol- The great deluder 56 Fatigue

58 Deep water

Always study the road

62 surface

67 Monkeys are a nuisance 70 Fog in the hills

Alcohol is a great deluder. It makes you feel

Fatigue is one major factor that can result in

When riding through deep water that

Always study the road surface. A change in

Monkeys are a nuisance on many highways in

Fog in the hills during rains is as bad as that in

strong when you are weak, capable when

lax reflexes and diminished ability of the eyes

submerges the exhaust pipe, keep the bike in

surface conditions is as vital as a change

India and keep a sharp look-out for them,

the plains in winters. In fact, in the hills it gets

your abilities are diminished. Maybe that's

to focus. Rest, if possible. If not, then

first gear and those RPM's up. If the engine

either in traffic or weather. The road surface

especially their young ones who are not as

worse because you not only need to look

the attraction behind it. Don't, please don't

concentrate on focusing on distant objects to

stops, water will enter the tailpipe and maybe

can change quite suddenly, going by the kind

'road-smart' as the adults. Mostly, they will

around for other traffic but also see those

turns in time towell, turn. Slow down, keep

mix alcohol with 2-wheeler riding. Since the

avoid falling into the trap of focusing on

enter the engine. Do not attempt to re-start

of road maintenance done on our roads. For

not approach a moving motorcycle as the

'robot skills' of starting, stopping and steering

'nothing' in front of you, the 'seeing yet not

the engine as the water inside can cause a

example, excess tar in the tarmac mix

sound of the engine and the speed scares

that visor open, switch off that music

are not much affected, the drinker is deluded

seeing' syndrome. And keep those eyes

hydraulic lock and severely damage it.

precipitates to the surface during hot

them. But avoid stopping in an area infested

pounding in your earphones and take this

low visibility very very seriously.

into believing that all his reflexes and riding

moving. Take a short break or a nap when

weather, goes gooey and can be very slippery

with monkeys as they might damage your

faculties are intact. Not so. Even a bottle of

sleepy. Driving drunk or drowsy is the same.

even when slightly wet.

gear and things strapped on the bike looking

beer (that's just 5% blood alcohol level, half of

Be alert for signs of fatigue. If you're unable to

the legal limit) just takes away the rider's

maintain your target speed and realize you're

ability to cope with the unexpected. And

slowing down every few minutes, stop for rest

mishaps are unexpected.

and water at the next good dhaba. You're

cyclist who just materialized next to you, its

59

time to stop. And urgently as you're probably

High altitude riding, say to Ladakh or Spiti,

very sleepy! When simple decisions like which

entails physiological adaptation

turn to take, whether to re-fuel now of is that

(acclimatization) to reduced oxygen due to the

truck ahead parked or moving become

altitude. AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) can

difficult, you're fatigued. Stop and rest.

vary in effect from being a nuisance to having

tired. If you find yourself surp0rised by the

54

Strong crosswind

When riding in a strong crosswind, crouch to

make yourself as small a target for the wind as
possible. Tuck in your arms, narrow your
shoulders, bend your back, slide back on the
seat to get your head close to the tank and

retain a firm yet resilient relationship with the

bike. Let your body move a bit with every gust
and absorb its energy on its own without

High altitude riding

the potential of becoming life threatening. PS:

Physical fitness incidentally, seems to make no

grab the tank with your knees. In short, shrink.

And turn into putty. Relax your body and

63

57

difference to susceptibility to AMS.

Peripheral vision

Peripheral vision is the human savior when he

60 The third dimension

for food.

Look up, ahead and as

far as you can

Look up, ahead and as far as you can as your

speed goes up. In fact, the faster you go, the

With civic authorities not really efficient in

on-road adventures when you ride long

farther ahead you need to look. You sight is

their work in our country, gravel on corners

distance in India. Broken roads in rains,

your primary hazard sensing sense

shall be your recurrent companion and could

remnants of landslides in mountains,

become your worst nightmare come true if

absent roads at places or just a leftover

64 Going downhill

Slush will be an important part of your

you are not alert to avoid its pitfalls. Be vary

from severe water logging in the past.

and watchful on turns, especially if there's

Slush is slipper and slimy, not too good

Going downhill, shift your weight backwards

been a pattern of recent civil work along the

for balance on a bike. For tackling slush,

by sliding back on the seat and gripping the

road before.

Road

Get down into first gear, use partial

keep more weight on the rear wheel and

clutch to control wheel-spin/wheel

lighten the steering and will get a lot of load

jamming, stick those feet out like out-

off your wrists.

riggers to arrest a possible slide and ride

slooowly through the patch.

o p e rate s i n a h i g h - s p e e d d y n a m i c

The third dimension suddenly acquires

environment. And motorcycling is both high-

importance in hill country as there's as much

changes in the wind force due to static (trees,

speed and dynamic. Use your peripheral

land above you as around you. Keep a sharp

houses) and moving (cars, trucks, buses)

vision to keep yourself totally aware of your

lookout for falling rocks. Look up and ahead to

Descend on positive throttle. So downshift

and coast downhill on trailing throttle on the

65

Descend on positive
throttle

windbreaks. They stop the wind as you pass

surroundings. The beauty of

be forewarned. Bushes moving in a localized

them and it comes back in force suddenly

peripheral

area for no apparent reason could mean either

straights, using engine braking to control

and animal or a tumbling rock. Being aware

speed. Keep that entry speed into turns low

feels good and it is only the aware who survive.

so that you get through them on positive

throttle. Trailing throttle on a downhill corner

61 Conditions that you dislike

tyre and can lead to a slide. DO NOT COAST

Avoid riding in conditions that you dislike

DOWNHILL WITH THE BIKE IN NEUTRAL AND

riding in. If you hate the mid-summer heat in

ENGINE SWITCHED OFF.

puts a disconcertingly high load on the front

sid
e drains are cleaned before rains and a
smear of mud and gravel remains long after
the bulk of it has been removed. Enough to
slide your front or rear and send your travel

Animals jumping in on the road from

just because a few other friends are

mountainsides are a very real possibility,

66 Landslides

fact that one does not

Watch road camber during a turn. Negative

need to compromise on

camber, seen when the road banks away from

forward vision to be visually aware of

monsoons. Do your thing. After all you're

even days if it happens. And the debris can

an animal, you might even get prosecuted if

your lean rather than with it, severely reduces

moving things along the sides.

riding to enjoy it. Ride in conditions and with

keep rolling down even after the landslide

you happen to hit an endangered

a mental state that is conducive to enjoyment

has been cleared off the road. Keep a vary eye

animal/bird.

and you'll ride the safest.

upwards and don't linger in that area.

the safe speed at which you can negotiate the

turn.

Never stop on the outside of a turn. That's

usually where the over speeders come. If you
do, be as far from the road as possible. Never
stop on tarmac on the hills. Get off the road.

Animals jumping in on
69 the
road

the north here, don't go riding long distance

persuading you to. If you dislike rain and

72 Park intelligently

plans to the bin.

55 Road camber

vision lies in the

look for a path used by heavy vehicles.

tank with your knees. This will not only help

shaking up the bike. And watch for sudden

when you are past them.

71 Slush

68 Gravel on corners

especially at and around dusk. Be watchful

riding on wet roads, don't travel when it is

Landslides are an integral part of mountain

and keep a strict check on your road speeds.

more or less certain to rain say in the

travel. Roads may get blocked for hours or

Not only will you fall and get hurt on hitting

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80 Warm tyres

86 Accelerate briskly

Sbks get eye-balls

89 even
on the move

Accelerate briskly through the gears to build

The attention quotient doesn't reduce even

when you're on the move. Young drivers and
riders tend to get excited on seeing a fast bike
next to or ahead of them and end up speeding
up behind you. Others try and get a bit too
close for comfort in their curiosity for the bike.
Stay doubly alert for what's building up around
you.

73 Emergency rations

77 Riding through sand

Motorcycling to less or even unpopulated

When riding through sand, drop tyre

Warm tyres are a good thing but too much of

83 Dehydration

areas makes it important to always have

pressures by upto 40% (The idea here is to

warmth is called hot. And 'hot' doesn't go well

Dehydration can vary between being a

something to eat and drink with you on your

with tyres at all. During a long ride, low

nuisance to being deadly, depending upon

up inertia and speed. The cumulative effect

improve tyre floatation i.e. its ability to ride on

bike for contingency. Even otherwise, a very

top of the sand through increasing the

pressures in the tyres will cause a lot of

how badly dehydrated you are and also

of sluggish acceleration, esp. each time you

late arrival at a small town might get you a

sidewall flex and so heat up the tyre. In tubed

upon where you are at the moment.

brake and then speed up for overtaking,

contact patch),

room at a hotel but food could be next to

keep the bike

tyres, this could mean a catastrophic

Dehydration can happen at any

becomes substantial at the end of a long day

impossible to get. Your own reserves of

deflation (tyre burst) and the subsequent

temperature, in any weather condition and

on the road. This is where big bikes make

in low gears
and steer

dangers involved. Even tubeless tyres suffer

at any place. It's about loss of water within

travel quicker. They accelerate from slow to

badly from too much heat. So 1) keep those

cruising in a fraction of the time our regular

straight.

your body, no matter what the conditions

uncomfortable sleeping on an empty

pressures within the recommended range or

are outside. Again, headache, fatigue,

bikes take. Imagine saving this time over

stomach.

maybe a trifle up if you're doing long

dizziness/drowsiness and unconsciousness

hundreds of instances during a typical day.

stretches on tarmac. And that pressure check

in the extreme are the visible symptoms.

You end up saving time without even

is on cold tyres mind you. 2) Avoid sustained

Clear and copious urine is usually a good

attempting to speed up.

always remember that the wheels have a

high speeds on hot tarmac. With an outside

indicator of a well-hydrated body. Keep

tendency to dig in, so when comin g to a halt,

air temperature of 40 deg C, black tarmac can

drinking liquids at short intervals, especially

do so gently or the sand piles up ahead of the

be heated to almost 70-80 deg C. That's HOT.

in cold weather where you need to drink

front wheel making the subsequent pick-up

So slow down on those really hot days.

even if not thirsty. Absence of thirst is not an

biscuits, snacks, chocolates etc will come in

handy then. B elieve me, it's quite

74 Riding in snow
Almost similar to riding in slush but with even
less friction/traction from the wheels. Really
deep snow requires special 'metal studded'
tyres. A few inches deep can be negotiated
with any tyres when mixed with tonnes of
patience. Just make sure to keep the bike
straight and upright, keep those throttle
inputs to a bare minimum, feet out like out-

In sand,

difficult.

and
78 Heat-strokes
sun-strokes

riggers and forget the front brake entirely. Heat-strokes and sun-strokes can be a real
The tyre does tend to dig into the soft snow possibility, going by the prevalence or really
and gets you some semblance of grip. Two up hot summers affecting most of our tropical
is always better in snow than solo. Also keep nation. Even with the helmet on, prolonged
the tyre pressure up unlike you do in sand. A exposure to very hot weather can induce a
smaller contact patch will put greater weight heat/sun stroke. The symptoms are
per unit area and garner better grip.

75

Riding on ice

headache, dizziness, fatigue to the point of

81 Passenger on board

87

city limits and

you reach the grey area of the estimated

downright

range. Most litre class sbk's don't go much

dangerous

beyond 200 kms on a full tank. Start looking

o n

you take on a passenger on board and all the

for a fuel bunk at around 175 kms. You'll at

open road.

more so for a long ride. Define the speed and

Make sure that your tyres should have a

least need premium fuel so might have to

Speed up

distance between breaks by what the pillion

minimum of 3mm tread left on them. Even

miss out a couple of pumps before you get

is comfortable with rather than by your own

though our law enforcement agencies do not

the fuel you want.

down to

needs. Tell him/her to lean on you and let you

check for worn out tyres, it is imperative in the

effectively ride
alone with space

know before moving

interest of safety to have tyres in an

around on the

acceptable condition. 3mm should be the

seat. A back-

limit because you don't expect to change the

88 Sbk's attract attention

behind you all the time.

In fact too much of it. Stop at places where

Make that a habit in the

interest of safety.

tyre enroute and a 2000-3000km round trip

hydrated by drinking water at short intervals,

you can discreetly park your bike and yet sit

pillion

tread of a tyre pretty quickly. By the time you

within sight of it. When making a roadside

but only

get back, the tyre will be close to replacement

stop, be sure to remove and pocket the

as long as

limits.

zilch. Even standard physics deserts you feeling drowsy, dizzy or get a bad headache.

the roads are smooth. Bad roads make things

worse with the back-rest digging into the

Make sure seats are comfortable. The foam

Seriously!

gets compressed over time and doesn't

remain as effective a cushion as it was during

pillions back at every bump.

82 Performance and pillions

Braking performance is degraded when

the initial usage of the bike. Get the foam

carrying a passenger, mainly because the

padding changed or add to as necessary.

added weight lengthens the stopping

Weather prediction is an indispensible skill for the long distance traveler. And it doesn't take much
to learn the basics. Wind and cold are the best indicators. Learn to read what they indicate and you
can predict weather with fair accuracy. High up in the hills where villages and help can be few and
far between and weather can be a killer, knowing what to expect in the next 24 hrs can mean the
difference between dying and living.

distance. Same with cornering. The extra

weight takes up suspension travel and makes
the bike less responsive to steering inputs. So
take it easy when tow-up and extend those
safety margins.

ignition key before responding to the call of

nature.

85 Best cruising speed

within

t h e

or slow

with fast tarmac travel can use up the middle

throttle inputs zero, brakes forgotten and roll

in wolf-packs is bad enough

Know your bike's range and fill 'er up before

rest does

through the area with a prayer on your lips.

more space to manage things safely. Riding

Tyres should have a

84 minimum
of 3mm tread

The rules of riding change quite a bit when

when friction is absent. Just keep the bike

76 Weather prediction

speeds are faster and drivers/riders need

Riding an sbk long

distance

help the

79 Is the seat comfortable?

Always keep a space cushion around you.

This is especially true for the open road as

unconsciousness etc. keep yourself well

avoid riding during the hottest part of the
Riding on ice is mostly about faith and prayer. day, keep yourself covered and seek a cool
Zero friction means all theories of riding are place for rest and rehydration if you start

upright, handlebar straight, feet spread out,

indicator of good hydration by the way.

90 Space cushion

both in front and

91 Road rage

Road rage is as much a nuisance on the

open highway as it is within the congested
confines of the city. Avoid getting into an

The best cruising speed, primarily in terms of

ego tussle with any other vehicle. A

getting the maximum longevity and

motorcyclist is too small and

efficiency from your motorcycle during long

vulnerable to be actually

distance riding is about 80% of your bikes

challenging another vehicle. And a

attainable top speed in top gear. A better

hit and run case on the highway

measure is to not exceed 80% of your bike

precludes catching the culprits ever.

engine's peak RPM in any gear and especially

Also, the person you mess up with might

for long periods of time as would happen if

be a local and could put you through lots of

you happen to ride continuously at or close to

trouble and pain by getting a crowd for

WOT (wide open throttle).

support.
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SAFE RIDING

of drinking
92 Cleanliness
95 Group travel
water

Keep updating someone

97 back
home

Be careful about the cleanliness of drinking

water when traveling long distance.
Standards of hygiene at roadside dhabas are
not comparable to a city eatery and water is
the easiest target for contamination. Prefer
bottled water if you're not sure of the source
o f w a te r yo u ' re s e r ve d. Th e u s u a l
consequence of contaminated water will be
an upset stomach accompanied by diarrhea,
which in turn is the shortest route to
dehydration and severe sickness.

Keep updating someone back home each day

about your where-abouts. A phone call, an
SMS.whatever. This might just get relevant
in case of an emergency.

93 Multi-day ride
When on a multi-day ride, the first 3-4 days
are the least tiresome for the rider where after
fatigue starts setting in progressively earlier
before leveling out at some 8-10 hrs on the
saddle a day. Factor in this diminishing
fatigue threshold into your plans.

94 Riding in a group
When riding in a group, ensure that the
group has riders of roughly similar skill
levels. And define group etiquette in the
sense that the slowest and least skilled
rider's comfort level shall define the group's
speed and riding schedule. It is dangerous
for all concerned to push a rider into riding
beyond his capabilities.

Group travel needs more planning, lots of coordination and is eventually somewhat more
time consuming on the road than solo travel.
Keep these things in mind while planning dayride distances. Make rules like 'no overtaking
within the group' and stick to them. The lead
rider and the 'sweeper' (who rides at the end)
need to be the most skilled of the lot.
Exchange mobile phone numbers and the
route plan for the day before starting the ride.

larger than
96 Groups
5-6 riders
Don't ride in groups larger than 5-6 riders. If
more than that number are travelling, split
them into separate groups, each with its own
leader and sweeper. Large groups tend to
accentuate the 'rubber-band' effect that
plagues any group ride. Rubber banding
happens when say the leader brakes and
accelerates briskly. The rider behind him does
so a moment later, the one behind also a
moment later than the one in front of him.
This starts a wave like oscillation in the whole
group that takes a while to settle and for the
group members to regain their equidistant
positions. The larger the group, the stronger is
this effect. If there happens to be another
hard braking by the leader while the fourth
member is accelerating, there are chances of
a crash within the group.

98 Keep enough cash at hand

Keep enough cash at hand to get you fuel for a

couple of day's riding and
food/accommodation for at least a night.
ATM's, though quite common are still a rarity
in some remote areas. And then, they could
be short of cash or maybe the internet
connection is just not working. Not much of
an issue for locals who can wait a day or two
but you'd be stuck.

tyre pressure and

99 Fuel,
head-lights
Fuel, tyre pressure and head-lights are the
three primary requirements to get you
anywhere on a bike with a working engine.
Ensure that you can always replace any if you
happen to lose one. Plan your fuel stops, carry
a means of inflating a deflated tyre be it a oneuse canister or a foot pump and carry spare
bulbs, fuses and electrical wire to fix lights
gone kaput. Of course lights are relevant only
after dark but then the open road can surprise
you by holding you up someplace forcing a
ride in the darkness to get to safety.

Curious enough to
100 learn

RULE

stop

ALWAYS WEAR
A HELMET
LOOK

GO

Be curious enough to learn about the

nuances and complexities of long distance
travel on motorcycles. Use the internet to the
fullest. Become active members of on-line
clubs and interact on forums like xbhp.com
where you can learn an immense amount just
by following inputs of experienced riders.
Long distance riding is a wonderful sport, a
great de-stressor and a wonderful means of
self-fulfillment. Go ride the open road.the
horizon awaits your touch! Ride long and
safe

www.ridesafewith.me

xBhp | 104

Oct. 2010 | xBhp | 91