With spring about to bid adieu and plains getting warmer by the day, the hills are but a natural beckoner for almost all motorcycling enthusiasts. It is also the time to catch the mountains at their resplendent best and what better way than motoring your way through on your favourite bike, which otherwise gets little chance to purr at its best in the city traffic.
There is a saying, ‘four wheels move the body and two wheels move the soul’. Yes, to be true, motorcycling is the direct evolution of horse riding. You blast through vacant stretches at incredible speed, but also enjoy the luxury of feeling the wind, rain and dust on your skin. All said, it calls for both man and machine to be in prim shape to undertake the rigours of thousands of kilometres of tarmac and gravel on a ride stretching well over a fortnight.
Here goes the list for the dos and don’ts of a motorcycle trip:
Service
Get your bike serviced at least 3-4 days prior to the journey and take a test ride in the city. This will oil the engine parts thoroughly by the time you hit the highway and also reveal any malfunction, thereby saving you from any trouble during the journey.
Tyres
Make sure the tyres are not worn out or weak at any spot, especially along the rim. A tyre burst at high speed is very risky and could be fatal. Nowadays, many motorcycles come equipped with alloy wheels and sport tubeless tyres. But if your bike has spoke wheels, you could fill up the tubes with an anti-puncture sealant gel.
Spares
Carry a proper toolkit, a spare tube, a cold vulcanising-type puncture repair kit and a foot-pump set. Carry a spare spark plug, accelerator wire, clutch cable and, headlight, tail light and indicator bulbs. If you are using any specific lubricant for the engine, carry a bottle for top-up. Refer to the user manual for any additional information regarding your bike.
Safe-accessories
Properly tie your luggage with bungee cords and cover it with plastic sheets. Have a battery operated electric lantern and torch handy. You could need it while carrying out repair work on your bike in the dark. At times, you might want to camp somewhere. So, having a proper camping gear (tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mattress) would be necessary then.
Safety tips
You are likely to encounter streams and snow-covered stretches on the hills. Gauge the depth and keep the engine at high rev in low gear to generate adequate torque to plough through the obstacle. If you have to cross a large snow-covered stretch, deflate the tyres a little to increase the surface area of contact. Do not rev hard and do not brake hard. In both cases, the tyres will lose whatever little traction they have and you will fall.
Always remember that the first and last tenet of a ride is that both man and machine should return in the same condition in which they started out. Highways are for trucks and heavy vehicles. So, do not swear at them if they don’t give right of way. Don’t try to blaze through the traffic or race with others and, always give way to high speed vehicles. Always maintain a safe distance from the traffic ahead and behind you.
