How to Ride Uphill on an Adventure Motorcycle

Riding a hill with an adventure bike may be tedious at first, but when you learn how to do it properly, hills are enjoyable. Most riders are afraid of riding up hills as it can push them backward and may result in unfavorable conditions. This guide will demonstrate how to ride a bike up the hill comfortably, not only body positions, but also clutching. Let’s have a step-by-step breakdown of how you can learn and dare to take your ADV bike uphill while off-roading.

When you are riding up a hill, you are pulled back by gravity. Your motorcycle slows down, and you're unsure what to do. You can either stall or lose control while riding uphill. Nonetheless, with the proper and manageable arrangement and technique, a rider can ride up hill on his ADV bike. It can be done with a good body form, smooth clutch work, and the right gear shifting as well.

The most significant aspect of riding your adventure motorcycle uphill is the correct body stance. As the hill becomes steep, you will find that the weight is transferred to the back, making the front end feel quite lighter. To overcome this balance shift, you must adjust your body weight forward.

Here is the solution: Position your chest near the front of the bike. Stand on the foot pegs as you approach the uphill. Your knees should be close to the tank, and your elbows bent over the pegs. This exerts pressure on the front tire to remain stationary and provides sufficient weight to the rear tire to provide traction. Do not lean too far back, as this can cause the front wheel to lift.

When you are climbing, you must not look down at your front wheel. You must look up at the top of the hill. Your ADV bike goes where you are looking, so keep your eyes on where you want to be, which is uphill.

The selection of gear is among the most crucial steps that creates the major difference while riding uphill on an adventure bike. The second or third gear should be used by riders while riding uphill on the adventure bike. First gear may cause your back tire to spin too much. At the same time, the third fear provides smooth power delivery.

Get the bike in the second gear as you approach the bottom of the hill. Gain momentum in the buildup and shift to third gear as quickly as possible. In case the bike begins to lose power, get into the second gear with enough time to maintain your speed. You should not wait until you are stuck to change gears because this kills your speed and makes climbing uphill much more difficult.

Keep your RPM steady. In case the RPM begins to fall and the bike becomes shaky, change to a lower gear. The idea is to find the gear that provides you with easy power without excessive wheel rotation.

The use of the throttle is very important during uphill riding. Do not simply turn the throttle to full. This triggers your back tire, and your bike can get out of control. Instead, be gentle with the throttle.

Feather your clutch as you ride uphill during the ADV riding. This involves just slightly pulling the clutch and applying the gas to the bike. This will help you maintain control when the hill becomes steep or slippery. When you feel the bike slowing down or losing traction, then draw a little more throttle and the clutch in a little. This provides you with additional RPM without over-spinning the tire.

The top of the hill is usually very slippery. When you are about to reach the top, take off the throttle a bit. The motor will provide you with the necessary torque, and you will not make the tire spin out.

It is difficult to start your adventure motorcycle when it is in a dead stop on a steep uphill. Whether skilled or newbie ADV rider, starting from a stop on a hill can make any rider nervous; however, if you learn some techniques, it can become easy with time.

• Step 1:Use the rear brake on your adventure motorcycle to ensure the bike stays in place and it doesn’t go backwards. If required, keep the front brake engaged too to avoid the bike from sliding backwards.

• Step 2: Make sure that your adventure motorcycle is in the first gear.

• Step 3: As you continue using the rear brake, provide a little throttle to the bike. Make sure that it is more than what you would have provided to the bike on a flat road. An idle RPM of about twice works well.

• Step 4: In a slow manner, release the clutch until you reach a bit point (where the clutch begins to grab). You will feel the motorbike struggling to travel.

• Step 5:When you are sure that the clutch is engaged and the motor has some power to propel the bike forward, gradually release your foot from the rear brake. Do not let the clutch go all the way till you are moving well.

This combination of rear brake, throttle, and clutch helps you start your ADV bike on a hill. Keep practicing this skill as it is very crucial for riders. You require it for both off-road adventure rides and in certain on-road situations, too. Once mastered, you will not stall when faced with such a situation.

Your speed is your best friend while riding uphill on an adventure motorcycle. Take a good run to build decent momentum while approaching the uphill. This will provide enough thrust for the ascent. You will not want to get off too slowly, or you will have to struggle against the gravity the entire way up.

When you are riding up, you should attempt to maintain a steady speed. Don’t brake unless you have to. When you slip off too much speed, it is difficult to regain it on a loose or steep surface. Keep the throttle and clutch working smoothly to maintain your speed.

Every side and patch of the hill is not alike. There are spots with greater grip than others. While riding uphill, make sure to look for the soil or solid ground that is hard-packed and avoid deep ruts and loose rocks. You can get yourself in trouble if you don’t do so.

When the hill is very steep, rather than riding it straight up, ride at a slight angle. This provides you with the additional time to map out your route and makes the bike much more stable in the process of climbing the hill.

Stay high on the trail as much as you can. The loose dirt and rocks slide to the low side of ruts; consequently, the traction is usually better on the high side.

Many riders look at the ground directly in front of their bike. This causes you to lose balance and the perfect line/track that you can ride on. Always fix your target at the top of the hill, where you want to go.

The top of the hill is the most difficult place to ride because the traction is the worst there. Here, if you turn the throttle too hard, your tire will start spinning instead of pushing you up, and you will rip the trail up. It is best to keep the throttle smooth and leave everything to the motor.

Balance is the key to riding uphill on an adventure motorcycle. Do not sit too far back, as it puts most of the weight at the rear end. This may provide better traction to the rear wheel, but the front end will become too light that it can lift up. Turning will become difficult, too. Maintain a balance in weight with your chest forward.

Releasing the clutch too quickly, especially when starting off a steep hill or even just pushing off, will either cause stalling or jerky acceleration. Use smooth, slow clutch moves.

There is nothing wrong with stalling your bike while riding uphill. Every rider stalls his bike. Here's how you can restart on a hill:

• Leave the bike in gear or slam the rear brake pedal quickly so you do not roll backwards.

• You have to keep your right foot on the rear brake all the time.

• Flat down your left foot on the ground.

• Ensure that you are in the first gear.

• Give the bike throttle and locate the clutch bite point.

• Rock the bike back and forth several times to ensure that your rear tire is free and you have traction.

• Gradually release the clutch and apply throttle.

• As soon as the bike starts moving forward, stand on the pegs and release the clutch gradually until you are in steady motion.

In case you cannot get going safely, do not force yourself up the hill. Don’t hesitate to turn the bike and start from the bottom of the hill all over again.

The traction while riding uphill on an adventure track is highly influenced by tire pressure. For most of the dirt riding, a tire pressure of 12-14 PSI is recommended. Lower tire pressure provides a larger contact patch on the ground, and this comes in handy on loose or slick hills.

On steep or soft ground, some riders even drop to as low as 10 to 12 PSI for a certain time to be able to achieve greater grip. However, do not leave it at very low tire pressure for a long time. It may damage your rims and tires. After getting over the hard place, pump them up again.

Just like any other riding skill, learning to ride a motorbike uphill can take much time. Go to a soft-sloped hill and get yourself trained. Begin with small hills and go up to steep ones.

Continue practicing riding up hill again and again using the above techniques. Get used to the position of the clutch bit point and the throttle required. The more you practice, the less you will think about it, and you will ride smoothly.

Do not forget to wear the right gear when you ride. The must-have equipment is a good helmet, ankle support boots, gloves, and body armor. Off-road boots provide you with increased grip on the pegs and cushion your feet, which may help you dab while off-roading.

Consider your riding abilities and limits while off-roading, and know when you should turn back while riding uphill. Not all hills are to be climbed. If you find a better way up the hill that is easy, then do it.

Riding an ADV motorcycle uphill is among the most enjoyable aspects of adventure riding. However, it is possible only with the proper body position, a smooth clutch and throttle action, riding the bike in the right gear, and lots of practice. Hold on to the weight. Also, look up at the top of the hill while riding uphill. After a time, the uphill riding will become easy as on the flat terrain.