TVS Young Media Racer Programme 2019 - Off-Road Riding 101

The MotoGP championship is the ultimate goal for aspiring racers. And being a part of TVS’s 2019 Young Media Racer Programme, I’d like to consider myself an aspiring racer. Now, apart from training on the track, the greatest of racers like Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Marc Marquez or heck, even the legendary Lightning McQueen trained off-road in the dirt in their rookie days. 

So, TVS wisely invited us for a day of off-road training at their training facility in Hosur, near Bangalore. Our coaches were the best in business; Aravind KP, Dakar Rally rider for TVS-Sherco and Abdul Wahid Tanveer who recently finished on the podium at the 2019 Desert Storm Rally. While these coaches rode the maniacal RTR 300s, we were astride the rally-ready versions of the Apache RTR 200.

The day started with Aravind and Abdul warming up their bikes by flying off the jumps along the course and catching some air-time. With that done and the focus finally upon us rookies, we were tasked to a set of stretching exercises to loosen-up our muscles to prevent cramps before getting on the bikes. 

But before we got on the bikes, it was important to learn proper body positioning. We were taught to sit as far ahead on the tank as possible, with our elbows up, toes pointing inward, knees locked in the tank recess and head up straight. This, needed to be consciously abided by while riding as we being ‘road racers’ weren’t used to sitting on a motorcycle like that. At the same time we learnt how to enter a corner with the leg straight up ahead near the forks to balance the weight out in the front while still gripping the tank with the thighs. 

Soon after, it was time for some drills and to begin with, we were told to ride in the figure of eight with Aravind and Abdul keeping a close eye on our body position. After getting accustomed to the bike, the coaches focused on our braking, throttle and turning points explaining to us that sacrificing speed in one corner would ensure a smoother entry and exit around the next two corners. As I got a tad comfortable with the course and the bike, I began throttling harder and pushing the tail out. While it was surely fun, it didn’t last long as the rear washed off and I landed on the dirt.

It happened a second time too which is when Aravind told me to focus more on throttle control than speed. And in tune with our theory session, the next drill focused on corner entry. We rode around circles, alternating sides after a few loops while Aravind KP, who by the way is an even greater coach with a stick in his hand, kept a keen eye.

For the final drill, we were taught the basics of standing up on the pegs and riding in slalom. This required our bottoms and elbows up and the chin as close and parallel to the handlebar as possible.  And soon it was time to put into action everything we learnt since morning onto the off-road track. The track involved multiple hoops, sharp turns, steep ascends and descends and even a straight which was the only time I shifted to fifth gear.

Divided into batches of four, we raced around for around six laps, focusing on body position and throttle control all through. As with our stint on the race track, where we were required to set lap times, the off-road training was more about learning and building confidence than going fast. 

We ended the session with a braking drill which consisted of three rounds. Aravind KP instructed us to brake as hard and safely as possible while increasing speed and reducing our braking distance in each round. With all the confidence I had gathered from the track time, this drill seemed rather effortless.

‘But why train off-road for a programme that involves track racing?’ I got asked. Riding off-road is the complete opposite of riding on a race track. And while most of my comrades at some point would have questioned the reason for this training, I’d say it would surely make a difference while riding on the track and would even go on to say it has improved the way I ride motorcycles on the road.

One, it emphasises on throttle control. Next up is foot positioning, which is keeping the ball of the feet on the pegs and gripping the tank with the knees. This puts less stress on the arms and evidently increases endurance and control over the motorcycle. And lastly, vision. Look where you need to go and that’s where you’ll be. As philosophical as it sounds, the phrase works well on a motorcycle too. 

I was not much of a dirt-riding enthusiast but the TVS Off-Road day has surely ignited a spark in me to try out the sport more diligently. Moreover, it has pushed my skills a level higher and there’d be none other to thank than TVS and our coaches, Aravind KP and Abdul Wahid Tanveer.