How to Ride a Motorcycle on Gravel

Riding a motorcycle requires a bit of practice and skill to ensure you can safely operate the bike and remain in control of it. Unfortunately, riding on gravel can be challenging and requires following a few techniques. If you want to learn how to ride on gravel, you can reach out to the experts at Willamette Valley Harley-Davidson in Eugene, Oregon, serving Albany and Corvallis, Oregon.

Avoid Becoming Tense

It's important to keep your arms and legs loose while driving on gravel to ensure you have proper traction and don't slip around on the small rocks and pebbles on the ground. You also want to avoid making movements at the last moment, which can lead to losing control of the motorcycle and getting into a crash.

Watch Your Speed

You'll need to closely monitor your speed while driving on gravel to ensure you have enough time to put your feet down on the ground to avoid tipping over. This will help you to have more reaction time to ensure you can respond to any issues if you start to lose control of the motorcycle. You also want to stay on the right side of the road if you're traveling on a winding road to avoid oncoming traffic.

Look Out for Large Rocks

Large rocks on gravel roads are always a threat because they're big enough to hit and get into an accident. Check for obstructions or hazards up ahead to ensure you have enough time to drive around them. It's also important to plan your route in advance to ensure you know where you're headed. 

Lean Your Body Away From the Motorcycle

If you want to avoid a lack of distributed weight on the motorcycle, you'll need to get into the habit of leaning your body in the opposite direction of the turn. This will prevent the back wheel from kicking away and will help all of your weight to be distributed in the middle of the motorcycle.

Inspect the Motorcycle

Perform a thorough inspection of your motorcycle to ensure everything is working correctly before you plan to travel on gravel. You'll also want to do this after riding n gravel to look for rocks that may be stuck in the brakes. Look for leaks in the tires and check your springs and shocks on your suspension system to determine if they need attention or repairs.

Do you want to learn more about how to safely travel on gravel on your motorcycle? You can learn additional information from the pros at Willamette Valley Harley-Davidson in Eugene, Oregon, serving Albany and Corvallis, Oregon.