Motorcycle riding is a thrilling and adventurous experience, being done on challenging terrains like sand & rocks adds more to your delight.

Sand riding is a different affair than glazing through hard compact terrain. It has more in its pocket for the thrill-chasers.

Riding a motorbike on loose terrain & hostile weather conditions can be intimidating to riding enthusiasts.

Desert riding is an acquired taste. It’s rooted deep within you just get the exposure later on. To beginners sand might seem bottomless, rocks might appear dangerous & cactus can be another good grief.

In this article, we’ve put the things together that will help you with your first epic off-road riding exercise.

Related: Motorcycle Camping Guide – How to Camp Anywhere.

Prepare Yourself

Make sure you are fit & equipped with fine practice

Sand Riding is a physically challenging activity. It requires you to constantly adjust while riding your bike & use your legs. Pushing, balancing & even picking it when it gets stuck can be exhausting and requires a lot of energy. So make sure your body is in good condition before tying it in the sand.

Nothing is more frustrating than hanging on to a new skill in unforgiving climatic conditions. Practice riding a motorbike on and off-path whenever you have time before you head out to deserts. You can also learn about desert riding online. A lot of riders give proper riding training online.

Carry Enough Water

Keeping yourself properly hydrated throughout the ride is utterly important, a lot of people underestimate the harm the scorching heat of deserts can do. Riding under the direct sun causes more seating and leaves you thirsty, make sure you pack to stock and carry enough water that will hydrate and rejuvenate you throughout the sand-biking

Dehydration does not slow down the operations but makes your health vulnerable. So, do not forget your water bottle and energizing juices.

Do Your Research

No matter if you’re going on some desert tour or heading on your self-guided exploration with your friend or family, doing extensive research beforehand about your trip will help you and there will be a lot fewer surprises on your destination and route as well. Search about the route, area, dirt bike you will be riding, and weather changes.

Deserts are known for unexpected sandstorms, make sure you are properly equipped to deal with any kind of stressful situation.

Familiarize yourself with the dirt bike you will be riding on, and choose the one that goes well with your needs & comfort. A motorcycle through desert sand isn’t an arduous task if you’re adequately prepared.

This is you preparing for your lifetime riding experience, make sure you keep all the safety gear and stay on the marked path both are crucial for the success of your trip.

Beating the Heat

Most modern bikes have a high tolerance for hot weather conditions, they have special airflow mechanisms or cooling fins which keep the radiator temperature normal. But rider? There are some that you must take for staying cool on your ride.

If you are riding in summer consider wearing textile fabric. Textile clothing is easy to wet down, & gives an evaporative cooling effect that saves you from getting roasted in your sweat.

You can pack a few ice blocks in the jacket’s pockets—it helps in keeping the temperature low, plus the melting process of ice will wet down your garments. If you are wearing a motorbike Riding Jacket, go for the one which features zip-opening, vents, mesh patches, or perforated panels of leather.

Regardless of the outer temperature keep your body fully covered. The likelihood of a crash is the same in hot and cold weather conditions.

Also, full sleeves prevent sunburn & windburns deserts can dish you out, while slowing down your body’s natural sweating processes, for keeping dehydrating off.

Surviving in the Desert

A breakdown in the middle of the desert is the last thing you would want on your adventure ride, but it’s a real possibility for off-road riders.

What to do if you end up having one? Well, calling a towing service should be the first thing in your mind. Heat, cold & water are the major concerns that come with the rescue.

If it’s a hot sunny seek shade underneath trees, brush, or overhanging rock overhangs. You can also use your bike cover, trash bag, tent fly, or space blanket, for creating a small shaded spot.

The thing about deserts is they burn during the day and lose heat quickly at night. Motorbike provides a lot of ways of igniting a fire.

Stay closer to your bike. Hike out, in the evening. Use your bike’s helmet for staying warm at night.

Prepare Your Ride

Air Filter: Air filter is the primary & only equipment for preventing dirt from getting into the engine. Do not miss on keeping it in check. Service the air filter, oil it up. You can get it done by some expert or do it yourself with the help of cleaning kits. If you want to get them replaced before going on your desert ride make sure you do not compromise on the quality.

Engine Oil/Filter & Coolant: Engine Oil is the blood of your motorbike. Make you change it after an appropriate amount of time. Riding on such challenging terrain will take no longer to fill your oil filter with debris. Make sure you check it for a smooth riding experience. People are highly ignorant about the cooling systems, they never care for it till they get an apparent indication of coolant seeping, you must be proactive than reactive under forced situations. We would recommend getting the coolant replaced yearly for optimum performance.

Carburetor & Fuel System: Before storing your motorbike away in the winter season do two things, add a fuel stabilizer, or simply drain the fuel tank from preventing the pricey fuel from turning into the varnish.

If you do not practice this you won’t only get bad fuel in the tank but there’s a huge possibility of having the carburetor with suck jets & air passages. For undoing the damage you must pull the fuel tank & flush it, replace your fuel line & spend quality care time disassembling the carburetor & cleaning with some good quality carburetor cleaner.

Brake System: It’s the most critical and brainer thing to do before heading in your motorbike jacket towards the desert. Try rolling your motorbike back & forth by squeezing the lever.

Repeat it, while pressing its rear brake pedal. If your bike passes this stage dig a little deeper, check your brake pads if they are in perfect condition, take out some time to flush your brake fluid, and keep the brake feeling consistent.

Dirt bikes do not take so long in bleeding front & rear systems.

Tires: It is one of the more important things you must check before leaving. Make sure your bike has a good tread & it suits well to the terrain you are going to ride on. If that’s ok check the tire pressure, and make sure they have adequate air pressure.

Cross-check if there are any signs of knobs, cracks, or ripping off indicating that the tires might be drying out. If they need to be replaced make sure you get a premium one.

• Luggage: Along with all of these things, you need to carry some Medical kits in your motorcycle luggage. A full-size toolbox would be very handy in case of anything goes out of the line. A few spark plugs and a pair of safety glasses would also be helpful if you riding in the bushes or the sand. An overnight kit with an emergency blanket, Military-grade Knife, and fire starter might save you from having a rough night.

One quick pro tip is never to wear a backpack unless it is a motorcycle riding backpack. A backpack normal will increase your chances of a spinal injury and can affect your point of gravity in the woods.

Riding on sand and rocks

Stay centered while riding on the sand. Do not incline too forward or at back. Be easy on applying the rear brake. Sand already applies a good deal of friction so you do not have to be so hard with brakes.

The bike loses its speed when you try rolling off its throttle. Grabbing the handle & drifting the rear edge around will easily turn it around.

Rocks & sand can be the toughest combination to ride on as both of them require opposite techniques. You must be aggressive on the sand, and smooth & conservative on the rocks. Try going as straight as you possibly can instead of messing with the rocks.

Small stones sink in the sand while big rocks are ridden over. Medium-sized rocks can pose trouble. The worst thing about them is they cause the front tire of your bike to wash out. Also, look out for buried rocks.

Don’t accelerate hard on the rocks, don’t brake hard, and maintain an overall steady speed.