Motorcycle riding gives you a sense of freedom. Even more so, when you are riding in the mountains/hills. The curvy mountain terrain throws a unique challenge to the rider. Mountain riding is blissful and equally dangerous. We bring you few tips that will help you enjoy your mountain trip while staying safe at the same time. Do remember that a rider is tailing you, a small mistake by you can bring him down, his safety is your priority. Listen to the briefing (given by captains before the ride commences) very carefully.

ANTICIPATE THE ROAD

The mountain roads can become very tricky at times. You should always anticipate the curve and the incline and plan ahead to be safe on the road. The incline can be determined by looking at the gradient of the surface. The angle of turn can be anticipated by looking at the corner of the road. If you see your left-hand side of the road vanishing quicker than the right-hand side, then it is a left turn. The same rule applies when you see the right-hand side of the road vanishing quicker than the left-hand side. Never raise the throttle while in the curve, as the throttle is squeezed the motorcycle tends to upright itself and move straight, the possibility of motorcycle going off the road is higher.

MAINTAIN YOUR LANE

Most of the mountain roads in our country are unmarked. There are no dividers or a marking dividing the road. Most of the times while taking corners, riders tend to go faster and land in the opposite lane. This can be very dangerous. Always riding slow, especially during the corners, so that you do not lose control and go on the opposite lane. This is one of the most common reasons for accidents in the mountains. Never overtake on the mountains, particularly around the curves.

RIDE IN LOWER GEAR

While climbing a hill, always ride in high-rpm and lower gear than you do on plains (the change in lower gear must be done before the curve) this will help the engine to generate adequate torque to glide effortlessly through the curve. Find the spot where the engine makes maximum power when try to keep the rpm just below that while climbing in the hills. This way you will keep maximum power at disposal whenever required. While climbing, the motorcycle has to make the extra effort, keeping it in wrong gear may make it knock and shut down, causing sudden power loss and fall.

STARTING WHEN FACING UPHILL

When about to start the motorcycle while it is facing uphill, sit on the motorcycle with the side stand on, now start the engine and jam the front brakes (it will be preventing the vehicle to roll backwards). Apply clutch (do not release the clutch / the motorcycle is already in gear adjust to the required gear to move the vehicle forward), put your right foot on the brake pedal and slowly release throttle. Start releasing the foot brake pedal and slowly squeeze the throttle to the point where the engine prevents the vehicle from rolling backwards, now release the clutch and move the vehicle forward.

DOWNHILL

Using engine braking is one of the most important aspects of hill riding. While coming down the hills, make sure that you are in gear and are not using only brakes to control the speed. By staying in neutral, you let go the control of the engine braking, which in turn may make you lose control of the vehicle. Also, using brake excessively while coming down an incline will cause the brakes to heat too much, which makes them ineffective at one point of time.

BRAKE RIGHT

During uphill climb use the rear brake of the motorcycle more than the front brakes. While riding downhill, use the front brake more than the rear brakes. The reason behind this is the weight distribution. While going up, most of the weight will be on the rear tyre, applying front brake more will cause the front wheel to lock up easily. Same is true for the rear wheel when riding downhill.

PARK SAFELY

Never park your motorcycle facing towards a downhill. Motorcycle stands are designed to lock when the motorcycle goes backwards. Always try to find a plain surface and park the bike facing uphill. Also, look for loose soil before you leave the vehicle to rest on the side stand. Kill the engine by releasing the side stand, when the motorcycle is still in gear, this will prevent the motorcycle to roll backwards.

AVOIDING TARGET FIXATION

Last but not the least. Target fixation is a panic reflex. When confronted with a dangerous situation or something unusual suddenly appearing in our field of vision, our natural instinct is to look directly at the object posing the threat and exclude everything else. Unable to look away and even consider an escape route, we tend to go where our eyes take us, often directly into the object. During hill riding, especially during the curves you may face a wall or boulder etc. and it’s natural for the eyes to look at the wall / boulder / corner of the curves. If your eyes keep looking at the obstacle instead of the road, you can become so fixated on the target and will end up colliding with the obstacle.

 Avoiding target fixation is a matter of controlling your vision before and as you deal with a crisis and managing the panic that arises. Your vision and where you are looking is a critical part in avoiding panic altogether as well as dealing with it when it does occur.

As always, keep your eyes up when riding with your vision far down the road. While on the hill your gaze should be constantly focusing on the roads for any potential hazards without directly fixing any target. Coping with panic is a matter of having a plan for whatever situation arises and executing that plan in a calm manner.

Some simple ways to avoid target fixation

• Keep your eyes moving. Fatigue sets in when you’re lulled into the idea that everything around you is the same, and it’s going to continue to be the same.

• Look through turns.

• Program your brain.

Having said these, it’s always a pleasurable experience riding in the hills and enjoy the ride safely.

– By Mohan Murthy