Kiwi Rider December Vol.2 2022 | Page 93

of your arse , the paramedics will need to hose you down before they can stop the bleeding . Dirt-riding teaches you how to deal with loss of traction . Pretty much because it ’ s happening constantly . Have you understood now why MotoGP racers all train on the dirt ? So my question to you , is this : When was the last time you went for a ride on the dirt ? And if you never have , then stop buggering about , put on your big-boy pants , and go do it . Oh ... you ’ re too old , huh ? No , you ’ re not . You ’ re just lazy and blaming your failing body because it doesn ’ t talk back to you . I ’ m not saying you should enter a hard enduro race . I ’ m encouraging you to get on your bike , whatever it is , and go and find a nice smooth track , and go for a bit of a squirt . If you have one of those giant adventure bikes – and I know many of you do because it ’ s still a booming segment of the bike market – then you have no excuse . Take that big-arse , nuclearpowered dirt bike , and go off-road . Stop pretending like you ’ re Adventure Incarnate , and actually have some . There are lots and lots of excellent dirt-riding courses on offer which will teach you the basics

you need to know to enjoy yourself . Or , if your

skills , like mine , could always do with a refresh . Trust me when I tell you that shit comes rushing back when you ’ re trundling down a wet , skatey , access road for tanks , and are confronted with a stinking cattle grid that ’ s book-ended by half-a-metre-deep molten clay . And you ’ re on a Multistrada , because hey , who doesn ’ t want a Panigale with knobbies , right ? Thanks , Italy !

There are countless dirt-roads out there . Most of them require minimal dirt-bike skills to ride . You really don ’ t have an excuse if you own an adventure bike . But , in all seriousness , I used to go to rallies a lot , and the roads into these events were usually terrifyingly difficult given we were almost all riding big Jap fours . But we rode them anyway – and then we had lots of tales to tell around the campfire . What do riders talk about now ? The quality of the coffee they bought last weekend ?

Dirt riding terrifies and exalts me . It will do the same to you . And it will make you a better rider .

Want to read more from Boris ? Click here to go to www . borismihailovic . com

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