I wish I knew this BEFORE Off-Roading

Ready to hit the trails? Before you dive into off-roading, there are some essential tips you need to know! In this video, I'll share 6 crucial things I wish I knew before my first off-road adventure.

Whether you're a beginner or looking to sharpen your skills, these tips will keep you safe, confident, and ready for any adventure! Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment if you found these tips helpful. Happy off-roading!

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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
00:43 Motorcycle tyres are important
02:48 Off-road Body Positioning
05:02 Expect the unexpected
07:12 How to pick up a motorcycle off-road
10:33 Momentum is your friend
12:48 Buy Armoured Bike gear
14:23 Conclusion

[tomevans]

Ok young lady. I have two daughters and have been riding for over 55 years, so here comes the dad in me talking to you. You are Not an idiot on your bike so stop saying that. Idiots do not learn and gain knowledge from their experinces and then use that to advance and that is something you absolutely do. And you also don't give up and that is admirable. You've got this. So although you are not my daughter if you were I would be very proud of you and your determination to always move forward, even though it may not always be easy. Ride on kiddo. Ok, off my dad soapbox now.😉😉 Love your channel.

[The_Arby]

Good to ride offroad, you learn so much more Saffy 🙂

[markchristianson]

Saffy please don't call yourself a idiot . You are a great rider remember that !

[robcreel]

You're doing alright. You are learning from mistakes. I hear you talking to yourself when encountering obstacles. You know what to do. You just need more confidence in yourself. Take care. Ride safe.

[dob]

I learned as a 13-15 year old in fields and a quarry, you have come along way it's just time and practice learning to laugh off the mistakes, you're doing great Saffy.
PS, has all the cake gone 🍰😘

[Kim_Thomas]

One thing to note - off road armour protection is not normally rated for on-road.

[gordonroberts]

You're doing great for your first time off roading the more you do the better you get ❤

[porter]

Took my 500x last month on the same trails you did, in the pyrenees...by the end of one trail going down steep inclines for miles on heavy rock I was ruined and I'm a decent rider, its all a learning curve. Well done for getting out there and doing it....

[cliff]

Nice one Saffy lass well explained, and as I've said before you've come along way since you started.

[keithkeeble]

Well done for keeping at it
I ride offroad all the time a one thing i would say you need to choose the right tool for the job if you need to do road miles and offroad the best bike would be a KTM 690 enduro r with a set of TKC 70 fitted to it the is the same weight as the honda crf you have but with much better suspension and more power for the road and it would much easier to ride

[leswatson]

Hi Staffy. Stop knocking yourself girl. As those older bikers used to say to me... what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I'm 71 next year and still riding. With my arthritis I know my limits especially when it comes to off roading - so I don't do that now as I'm officially classed as an old fart. Something we concluded round the came fire on the Isle of Wight back in 1981! I've come off while off roading with my mates. The laughter becomes infectious once everyone knew the rider was fine but oh the shame ... Rock on Staffy as I find your vids just fine. See yer in the next one kiddo 😊👍.

[ezebleziancraft]

You never give up, nothing can break your spirit. You are a born rider❤

[PetrolJunkie]

All good advice. You're still learning, you've covered a lot of ground quickly and there is a lot more to learn ahead of you. For what it's worth you are way ahead of the curve. A lot of people are afraid of riding on gravel, you're tackling deep muddy ruts.

These lessons are the sort of things that I firmly believe make better street riders. Understanding what a bike feels like when it's dancing on the edge of going over, wobbling around under you, teaching your body to just go with how the bike wants to move rather than trying to control it. Invaluable.

Now you understand the value of buying quality gear as well. Scratches and dings on the plastics are badges of honor and beauty marks, nothing to be afraid of because you can count on it happening on an offroad bike. Most people practically have a heart attack when the chrome gets a scratch, offroad people just shrug. You learn to laugh at falling down, just like when you were little.


You are 100 percent right; tires make a huge difference. I typically run 70/30 or 50/50 tires on my GS because full knobbies wear fast and unless I'm in deep sand or mud they aren't needed if the rider isn't afraid to twist the throttle. Getting used to carrying a bit of speed offroad comes with time and experience.

Right now, your brain is thinking its way through the obstacles. That's why you feel the need to ride slower. Once you have the chance to train skills to the point where you don't have to think about what you are doing all the time you'll free up a lot of processing power to focus on picking your lines. The more time you spend picking lines the faster you'll get at recognizing what paths are best for you and your bike. It's all about time spent on dirt, it'll come to you. In a couple of years, you'll look back and realize how far you've come and there will be a sense of pride because you have honestly accomplished something, you learned a mountain of new skills.

Keep going. You are doing way better than you think.

[RalfSW]

Hi Saffy, I think it's great that you're trying everything out on your own. Große Klasse! Gruß, Ralf

[harrymc]

Another good one is if you are running out of power to get up and over a hill, don't pull the clutch in. Let it stall otherwise you may find yourself heading backwards down a hill a rate of knots

[mageprometheus]

From riding to playing the piano, it's repetition that moves a new skill from conscious determination to autonomous reflex. That's why we do drills. Luckily, my dad got me to repeatedly practice bike skills (and piano) from an early age. I love your content. New sub.

[JaGriff]

Some good reflections. I've been a road rider for 30 years and considered myself a good rider. For the past few years, I have been doing some off-roading in the UK. It's been a humbling experience. The thing I've absolutely loved the most has been all the lessons I've learned; often at the end of a mistake. The Dunning-Kruger Effect has been my guide.

[tonysansom]

It's so cool that you're learning to ride off-road. It can take a bit of courage at first but can be so rewarding. It also adds so much to your riding skills toolset. Riding at 5 or 10mph might seem like the dullest thing but on a trail that can be a real challenge.
Very well done! 👏

[arnohag]

I rode dirt bikes before road bikes. I've also ride road bikes on dirt roads most of my life. I now ride a big dual sport which I do stand over the rough stuff. The things you have put into practise are great. Some riders never get it. Look after yourself and keep the vids coming.

[trailingarm]

My reflection is that most committed off-road riders have got a streak of " mad bastard " in them. An adrenaline addiction is another way of putting it. You can't teach this, it's just innate, and that gives people the drive to open the throttle on a ridiculous hill and hope for the best. They learn by successes, narrow escapes and falling off. This was my story and that of my riding buddies. I don't think this is your nature and that's mainly why you're finding it difficult. Sensible people and the risk-averse probably shouldn't do it. But I'm glad you've discovered body-armour it does save many trips to A&E.