ADV-tourers might be capable machines to begin with, but they can sometimes be a bit intimidating as well. Their heft, accompanied with their not-so-approachable seat height contributes to their menacing demeanour. So what do you do when you get yourself an ADV-tourer? Go on long rides? Go trail hunting with your buddies for a weekend? Sure! But before that, it wouldn’t hurt to learn a few tricks about controlling these beasts with a bit more authority on tricky terrains, would it? The masterful trainers at KTM are up to just that, equipping you with the right technique to get the maximum out of your ADVs. They carry this training out at KTM Adventure Day.
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The Austrian bike major recently conducted its first KTM Adventure Day at Mumbai on 31st January 2021, and we were only happy to participate in and experience the event firsthand.
So what exactly happens at the KTM Adventure Day? How much does it cost to attend? And who all can opt for it? This piece is going to cover all the things related to the KTM Adventure Day. KTM Adventure Day is aimed at imparting crucial trail riding & off-roading skills to the owners of the KTM Adventure range. The closed-circuit program is specially designed under the guidance of KTM International Athletes and is anchored by KTM’s Master Trainers.
The first edition of the Adventure Day was conducted at Hiradevi Complex, Marve Road, Malad. The program was attended by KTM Adventure customers from Mumbai, who went through multiple drills to sharpen their off-roading skills and discover the adventurer in them, all under the guidance of KTM Master Trainer – Varad More and his team of experts.
The day began with the registration, followed by breakfast. Soon after the whole scene was set, it was time for a classroom session, conducted by Varad More. The Master Trainer explained all the basics in theory first and explained the importance of the pointers he listed out in front of us. The three major pointers were: Don’t fight the front end, the importance of vision and target fixation and lastly, the correct riding posture. ADVs might be built a little differently, but the basics of motorcycling apply in their case as well. One needs to grip the motorcycle from the lower end of their body and not the hands. The hands should remain loose and the body should function as an extended suspension setup while standing up on the pegs.
The training area had different sections, for different drills such as slow poke, slalom, hill recovery, figure of 8, power turns, etc. The first of the exercises was the Slowpoke, where the riders were required to ride on a sleek concrete slab, without tipping over and riding through the slab. It might sound easy at first but the practical application might surprise you and result in a bitter reality check that you need to hone your basics even further. Yours truly, and a bunch of other riders as well, managed to tip the bike over. Varad More took the opportunity at hand and demonstrated us the correct way to lift a fallen motorcycle without hurting your back. This is one thing that all ADV owners should know because, well, it won’t always be that you will be able to keep the rubber side down, right?
The next drills including the figure of 8 and slalom taught us the fine art of balance and avoiding target fixation. KTM experts were present all times to guide us and made sure that all of us received one-on-one assistance and guidance. The other drills included water wading and letting the front end do all the job.
There are times when the unknown calls and you take the call. As soon as you get off the road, the traction level decreases substantially. Now most of us, when we find ourselves in the middle of such situations, panic and screw up one way or the other. The whole experience taught us that we need to be calm and composed and let the motorcycle gain back the traction, without fighting with it.
Personally, I am not that accustomed to riding an Adventure motorcycle but even for someone like me, the whole experience taught a lot of important lessons. ADVs are intimidating, yes, but at the same time, they will take you to places which other motorcycles can’t. In order to enjoy the trails and get home in one piece, one definitely needs to get a grip on the basics.
At the end of the day, the participants were awarded with a Bronze Level certification for clearing the single day training program. But apart from the certification, it was the whole experience which brought a smile on our faces. The KTM Adventure Day is designed to make you a better ADV rider and encompasses several crucial drills which take place in a controlled environment. What more can you ask for?