Riding a motorcycle off-road can be a lot of fun. Especially when the rear wheel is sliding on dirt, or slush! It also helps in sharpening reflexes, improving throttle control and even ride better on tarmac! But riding on dirt can be challenging, as the surface is constantly changing, and which means the risk of crashing is higher. I’ve always been a little scared of riding off-road thus, despite wanting to develop my skills. But while there’s quite a few academies to help you learn to ride on the road and on racetracks, there’s hardly any places teaching you to ride on dirt. And that’s where Ruts N Rides, a dedicated academy in Coimbatore, comes in to the picture!
Ruts N Rides is the brainchild of Sathyaraj, multiple national rally champion and former Hero Motosports factory rider. He has set up the academy along with enthusiasts like Bhubon and Vijay, and a bunch of professional riders. It is perhaps the only off-road riding academy of its kind, with a full-fledged setup to help you learn to ride off-road. Besides Sathya (as he is popularly known) being a professional, Bhubon is an explorer and helps students imbibe the endurance and mental grit required for cross-country riding, while Vijay is a technical mastermind and ensures students understand the technicalities, besides taking care of the academy’s motorcycles.
The facility is set up across a sprawling, 8-acre land just outside Coimbatore, and integrates a supercross track for professionals to practice on, a circuit for novice riders and also a recreational area, a café, a cool-looking garage and a dormitory set up for riders wanting to spend a weekend there. Ruts N Rides even provides riding gear besides motorcycles like the Hero XPulse 200 (with a Rally Kit), the Kawasaki KLX 230 and KTM 390 Enduro. Following a quick briefing and classroom session I started off with the XPulse 200, which I know from experience is an excellent motorcycle to hone your skills on. Expectedly, my first session had me realise it’s nearly impossible to pick up pace on dirt without the requisite skills and practice.
My trainers were quick to note my mistakes and offer tips about body positioning, vision and how I should to downshift to set the bike up for a corner. The next session saw me go faster as I had more confidence to open the throttle earlier and get my body position right. Switching to the KLX 230 made a difference to my confidence levels too, as the KLX feels lighter, more compact and friendlier. The slimmer tank, easier power delivery and better handling also helped me focus better on downshifting and braking well before the corner and looking further to process the track ahead in my head. The good folk at Ruts N Rides also believe in ‘catching them young’, and have small dirt bikes powered by 50cc, 2-stroke engines and riding gear for kids to learn riding on. Enthusiastic parents flock the academy on weekends with their kids, and it’s quite a sight to see the little ones pushing themselves on track!
I was also taught a few tricks like sliding a motorcycle to turn quickly like the professionals do in supercross, but learning the art requires a lot of skill and practice! Like I learnt in the past at say, the California Superbike School, training at Ruts N Rides helped me realised that riding fast, irrespective of the surface, is more about training your mind than the physical inputs and skills. Besides the classroom and track sessions, I also got a chance to train on a natural trail. Now, outdoor trails have always scared me more than dedicated tracks as the latter is a controlled environment, with largely fixed riding conditions, unlike trails where you can’t be sure of what’s ahead. But the two days of honing my skills worked wonders, as I was able to make the most of the KLX 230 on the trails, feeling far more confident than I ever have!
It was a long and physically demanding, but immensely rewarding weekend in the end. Riding on dirt is fun but no less than a full-body workout, as you are engaging all major muscle groups and your core all the time. But when it comes to riding motorcycles, things don’t get any better than being able to unlock more of your potential, no? And as I found out, Ruts N Rides eases you into riding better, and helps you improve your riding in an environment that’s safe, so you can go back home with a big smile!
Words Abhay Verma
Photography Saidatta Naik
