Most Common ADV Riding Mistakes Beginners Make and How to Avoid Them

Adventure motorcycle riding is currently one of the trendiest activities of most motorcyclists worldwide, particularly in the U.S. There is nothing more fun and thrilling than going on an adventure ride. However, ADV riding is not as simple as riding within the city or on straight roads.

There are many things to consider while taking your ADV bike out for an adventure. It is not something you can just start doing as a beginner. Good practice and adventure riding training are required to become a better ADV rider.

You will have to face consequences if you don’t pay attention and commit mistakes while on an adventure ride. You can either hurt yourself or damage your ADV bike. Therefore, it is important for adventure riders to follow the safe route and get training first.

Most beginner ADV riders are seen committing some common mistakes that make them suffer. Most adventure riders don’t even know that they are doing it wrong. They fall off their bikes during the ride, get up, and start riding again.

Continue reading this article if you want to become an expert ADV rider, look cool, and don’t want to hurt yourself and your precious ADV bike. This article talks in detail about the most common beginner ADV riding mistakes and how to avoid them.

Adventure riding requires you to be more attentive. It also requires too much involvement from the rider in the riding process. Having a bike that is too heavy and above your skill level will not only make the ADV riding process difficult. It can also cause damage to your bike, which you may not be able to afford.

Adventure bikes are heavy. They are built specially for trained riders. If you have no prior experience of riding on dirt, it is better to start with a lightweight dual-sports bike.

Dual sports bikes are lightweight and have small displacement engines. However, they are quite capable of riding on the dirt and are equally good for riding within the city. These bikes can also be termed the road-legal version of enduros.

A few good examples of the dual sports bikes are:

• Honda CRF450 RL
• Honda CRF300L
• Yamaha TW200
• Suzuki DR200SE
• Kawasaki KLX250S

On the other hand, if you want to ride an adventure bike, there are also many beginner-friendly options you can choose from. These include:

• KTM 390 Adventure
• Royal Enfield Himalayan
• BMW G 310 GS

If you want to learn more about the best beginner-friendly small adventure bikes, read the below article:

Another common mistake almost every beginner ADV rider makes is packing too much for the ride. Packing too much can:

• Add weight to your bike.
• It can alter the weight distribution.
• It can result in loss of balance.
• Degrade the fuel economy.
• Make your bike difficult to handle and ride.
• Make it difficult for you to lift your bike when dropped.

If you are a beginner adventure rider and want the best ride experience off-road, make it easy for yourself by only packing essentials. Adventure bikes are already heavy, and handling them safely is challenging for most riders, particularly on rough terrain. Consider your first few adventure rides as your training sessions or test rides.

Packing too much also requires installing more ADV luggage bags on your bike. They are a good addition if you are an experienced ADV rider. However, installing ADV side cases and panniers can completely change how a beginner's adventure bike looks and feels.

It is okay to ride at a good pace while riding on paved terrain and to maintain a pace with the traffic. However, riding on dirt tracks is not what everybody can do, particularly on an adventure bike.

Most beginners are seen not slowing down while approaching a sand patch. If they go above 40 mph on the track, they don’t slow down while riding in the sand. Remember! Your bike can lose traction, and you can fall off badly. The damage to the bike while off-roading can be irreparable.

There are instances when your ADV bike gets stuck in a sand patch while off-roading due to not focusing on the terrain. Not everyone can get these large adventure bikes out of these patches, especially if you are a beginner. If you ever get your ADV bike stuck in a sand patch, follow the detailed and easy-to-follow steps mentioned in the article below to get your motorcycle unstuck:

Therefore, slow down before approaching the sand section. It is perfectly fine to even use your feet to tap the ground if the bike is getting unbalanced. It is better to be safe than to put your life at risk.

As a beginner, you must ride within your limits. Adventure bikes are not designed for experiments on dirt tracks. They are fun and thrilling to ride, but on off-road tracks, they can give you a tough time if you are new to ADV off-roading. Therefore, always respect the machine.

Most beginners stand on the pegs at the wrong time while off-roading on their ADV bikes. It is one of the most essential techniques to overcome challenging terrains and obstacles. To become better at off-roading on your adventure bike, you must know why and when to stand on your motorcycle .

Most beginners stand on their motorcycles’ pegs only to look cool and an expert ADV rider. They have no idea why it is actually done.

Go through the below article to learn in detail how to stand on the pegs while riding your ADV bike.

When you stand on the pegs, there are several advantages that you avail. These include:

• You use your body, particularly your knees and legs, as the suspension.
• The shock or the jolt of hitting an obstacle or a pothole is not transferred to your back.
• Facing an obstacle or a pothole while off-roading on your ADV bike doesn’t throw you over the handlebars.
• You have a better and clearer view of what is ahead.
• You can control, balance, and maneuver your bike effectively while standing on the pegs.
• You are more flexible when reacting to most off-road challenges.

Target fixation may seem like a less severe or beginner mistake while ADV riding, but it is a real problem. The adventure rider has to be super attentive and flexible while off-roading.

Wrong target fixation means you continue staring at a wrong target that you must avoid. For example, you are off-roading on your adventure bike and find a log, pothole, or any other obstacle right before you. If you continue to stare at it, you are going to hit it. The best way to avoid the obstacle is to target the path you should adopt. You must look for the escape routes.

In adventure off-road riding, it is important to target where you want to go, not what you want to avoid. As you gain experience, your muscle memory becomes sharper, and you will naturally adopt the right path.

The worst decision an adventure rider can make, whether an expert or a beginner, is to go on an adventure ride alone. Don’t put yourself in danger by going all alone, particularly when you are not familiar with the route.

Most beginners don’t even know how to lift their adventure bikes when dropped. You can’t get help from anybody if you are on your own and in the middle of nowhere. Anything can happen to you when you are off-roading.

It is always good to have some help and to help someone in need while off-roading. What if your adventure bike breaks down? What if it doesn’t start? What if it is about to get dark and your bike isn’t working? Ask yourself these questions yourself if you go on an ADV ride alone.

Whether you are a beginner or a trained ADV rider, riding on unfamiliar terrain is risky. Even your expertise and muscle memory will only help if you are familiar with the terrain. It is always beneficial to have some good know-how of where you are riding and what is ahead of you.

Riding on familiar tracks is safe and preferred. If you are unfamiliar with the terrain or a route, ride slowly to get familiar with it first.

Most adventure bike riders keep their bikes’ tire pressure slightly lower than normal for off-roading. This improves the bike's traction, road grip, and control on challenging terrains. This is what beginner ADV riders learn from the experts.

It may be true in extreme off-roading adventures on dirt bikes. However, they forget that adventure motorcycles are quite heavy. Riding ADV bikes with low tire pressure puts much pressure on tires. This may improve the traction a bit, but overall, it worsens the handling and maneuverability of the ADV bike. So, always check the tire pressure regularly before going for an adventure ride.

Most beginner ADV riders are told not to rely too much on front brakes as they can cause them to flip over the bike’s handlebars. Suppose you are riding downhill, and your speed and momentum increase greatly. In such a case, if you apply the front brake forcefully, it will definitely cause the rear end to lift while the front tire is locked.

However, not relying on your front brake at all is not a wise decision. Don’t be too shy, relying on the front brake. Even in off-roading conditions, applying both the front and rear brakes at the same time is a good option. You can come to an immediate stop if you apply both brakes simultaneously.

There are circumstances when riders are only required to provide more traction to the rear tire, due to which they apply rear brakes. It is a totally different scenario. The rear brake is also used to take sharp turns and corners in off-road conditions. As a beginner, it will take you time to get familiar with this skill.

Beginners who don’t get adventure riding training and start off-roading on their ADV bikes are mostly seen adopting the wrong riding position. Sitting in the wrong riding position while off-roading on an ADV bike can cause several issues. It will result in compromised:

• Handling
• Maneuverability
• Control
• Balance
• Target fixation
• Posture
• Safety

Riding an adventure bike for off-roading is completely different and requires a dedicated approach. The rider has to be attentive and the riding posture must allow riders to be flexible. Riders must not sit in a manner that make their bodies locked in a position. This is because adventure riding requires you to keep moving and shifting your body weight for better maneuverability.

Riders have to keep standing on the pegs every now and then while off-roading. There are so many distractions riders face while off-roading on an adventure bike but the head must be straight. You should not only look ahead at all times, but also analyze the terrain to ride safely.

For detailed information regarding the right riding posture, click on the link to learn more about the 12 Best Off-Road Motorcycle Riding Tips for Beginners.

It is also common for beginners to get distracted with their shiny new adventure bikes. Most ADV bikes have a lot of modern tech gadgets and features, including:

• Display screen
• Variety of ride settings
• Multiple options to choose from
• Different ride modes
• Suspension settings
• Switchable ABS and traction control
• Heated grips/seats
• Adjustable windscreen

These ADV bikes’ features allow riders to interact with the bikes more often. The display screens’ interfaces are very attractive and some manufacturers also offer touchscreens.

Most ADV riders also seen installing phone mounts on their motorcycles’ handlebars right in front of them so they can use their phones while riding. Mounting mobile phones on your motorccycle’s handlebars can help in navigation. Most riders also listen to music and keep engaging with their phones, resulting in distraction. It is very dangerous, particularly for beginners, to keep using their phones while off-roading.

Therefore, it is advised not use your phones and get distracted with other gadgets when you are off-roading on your ADV bike.

Another very common mistake made by most beginner ADV riders is wearing wrong riding gear. Due to being shy, new riders opt not to wear full protective riding gear for adventure rides, resulting in a compromised safety. If you are going for an adventure ride, it is advised to wear the proper riding gear or else you are at risk.

Some beginners also fear being trolled by others, to which they go for adventure rides in casual attire. Read the article below to ensure you wear the right adventure riding gear to ride safely:

Most beginner ADV riders are seen to get up in a hurry and start picking up their ADV bikes when they are dropped. Picking up adventure motorcycles in an inappropriate manner and in a hurry can cause back pain or can also result in some twisted joints.

There is a proper way of picking up your ADV bike when it is dropped while off-roading. These bikes are quite heavy. Most of the time, you also get hurt when you drop your bike while off-roading. You may not be able to pick it up alone. This is why we recommended not to go alone for an adventure ride.

Watch the short video below to learn how to correctly pick up a heavyweight adventure bike if it is dropped. However, as a beginner, make sure to choose a heavyweight large-displacement ADV bike. Always start adventure riding with a small ADV bike that suits your skills.

• Start with a small and lightweight ADV bike.
• Get yourself enrolled in an ADV riding course.
• Learn how to ride an ADV bike in different conditions.
• Wear appropriate ADV riding gear.
• Ride slow.
• Stay alert and focused.
• Lookout for hurdles and obstacles.
• Keep practicing.
• Know when and how to stand on the pegs.
• Don’t try to look cool.
• Stay within your limits.
• Choose a simpler terrain and route to start with.

It is good to practice hard and learn ADV riding skills first before going for an adventure ride rather than commit the same silly mistakes. There is no room for committing even small mistakes while off-roading on adventure bikes. You can get yourself in deep trouble as these bikes are quite heavy and expensive.

As a beginner ADV rider, I know that the above-mentioned tips can help you a lot. It is a gradual process. You will become a better ADV rider over time. However, you must ensure to avoid the most common beginner's ADV riding mistakes and never repeat them to become a better rider.

ADV bikes are quite precious and expensive. They are also quite expensive to repair and maintain. Therefore, you must take care of these bikes while riding, particularly on off-road terrains. Your silly mistake while riding an ADV bike can cost you a lot.