[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

It's a bit hard to tell since the video is blurry even at 1080p

The old guy's impulse looks nicely tricked out...

Hey - I may have found the issue with the blurriness. YouTube’s post processing first processes the vids in Std definition and then in HD. So u gotta wait for the HD processing to be done before one hits upload

And I gave the “old man” your message about him and husband impulse. He sends you his regards in the latest vid

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

And I gave the “old man” your message about him and husband impulse. He sends you his regards in the latest vid

Lol, didn't mean to cause offence if he's taken it that way. Sirji, I refuse to be intimidated by your rusty screwdriver. I've got my own set of white hair and rusty spanners. That trick impulse is the only thing that scares me.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Drtrdr, do you have any videos or snaps to share of terrain you do? Seems like the three of us are the most active posers...sorry, posters here

I'm not really particular about what terrain I want to ride, though I like a challenge that would make me chicken away. But I'll take just about any alternative route, no matter if there's a road or not, to avoid traffic and mindless droning on big highways.

When I lived in bangalore, most of my riding was 10-20 kms of office commute in the traffic and I had my share of traffic-avoiding antics back then, and of course weekend getaways once in a while. Once I moved away from bangalore, most of my riding has been just exploring the local countryside, roads, trails, everything.

Sadly, I don't have an action camera, and I don't take pictures often either. But here's something of a collage from throughout the last 8 or so years.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

Lol, didn't mean to cause offence if he's taken it that way. Sirji, I refuse to be intimidated by your rusty screwdriver

Haha. I’ll let him know
And No offence taken I’m sure. It’s all good

[Red Liner]

Another weekend, and another trail, another bunch of falls - luckily this time it was the turn of the GS's to take a few naps

Full video here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post4841625

I don't stand up all the time when offroad. On simple fire trails or gravel, I sit to conserve energy, and stand only when the going gets tough. I also decide when to stand or sit as I get going, sometimes alternating position as I go, no hard and fast rules!

[drt_rdr]

Yeah, I haven't really found a lot of need for standing up when it comes to casual riding either, unless it's very bumpy stuff. Maybe, I'd stand up through the stuff in your first picture depending on the line i take. But the second and third ones are easy sit down.

When I ride fast though, standing up becomes indispensable.

I was lol-ing with you at the 7 minute mark splendor raja yawning his way through the stuff the big bad GS was wrestling with.

Where was this? Looks like a fun spot.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

Where was this? Looks like a fun spot.

Harohalli area, in Kanakpura

[ashwinprakas]

Quite funny how everyone has come to terms with sitting since I recall being 'schooled' on how to ride trails with the emphasis being on standing, in this very thread if I'm not wrong.

Jokes apart, I'm not particularly into trail solo/group rides but the same cannot be avoided due to how Kerala is set up, unless you want to take the long way around or skip a few interesting places you have to loosen some spokes.

Here's one such example; Midnight Trails, Ulupuni & Urumbikkara on a Bajaj CT100B

You can find off-road videos pertaining to the same just hit up 'Urumbikkara' and 'Ulupuni' on YouTube as they're quite popular among the youth, at Urumbikkara after a point the Isuzu 4x4 and Machismo couldn't keep pace as I was in a hurry to get back home i.e even less breaks i.e even lesser pics. Plus once in motion I find it really hard to pause for petty time wasters.

Coming back to point, there is no hard and fast rule, when you have to keep a faster pace you'd be going off stuff and landing hard enough so standing is the only way forward, but otherwise when negotiation at a slower pace you really do not need to waste energy standing, just loading the balls of your feet instead of your ass is good enough, my alloys that have not cracked to date and rims that I've not irreparably damaged to date would vouch for me, so would my heavy frame.

In fact I'd recommend that people not imitate the firangi log blindly, cause when it comes to Indian conditions we'd be covering rough terrain while dealing with on/off road traffic for several hours and clocking several hundred km's in the process, here are a few stats recorded by the cyclo-computer attached to my CT100B, note the hours and distance;

Ulupuni & Urumbikkara


Some other trails in Interior Idukki


Once fatigue sets in your perception is affected and haste starts to take over and you unknowingly stop shifting weight and stand in a fixed rigid position, and then all it takes is one good enough rut or loose enough rock to send you over the bar. Even worse is the fact that in Kerala where 4x4 commuting is the norm in deep rural areas you really can't afford to slack, lest be run over or off the clip by a local with a poorly maintained 4x4.

So once again, caution is of the essence as at the end of day we need to be able to get back home in one piece.

Ride Safe,
A.P.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Quite funny how everyone has come to terms with sitting since I recall being 'schooled' on how to ride trails with the emphasis being on standing, in this very thread if I'm not wrong.

Jokes aside, that bit of "schooling" (more of a suggestion, atleast from my end) was with respect to a very specific scenario.

To put things better, "Casual riding doesn't really need you to stand up" is a general statement. That doesn't mean a rider can sit down over everything just because they're going slow. They'd still likely need to stand up depending on what kind of surface they're riding (and whether they want to save their engine cases and\or tailbones or not )... things like going up a sideways rut or down a tall footpath or riding through a very rocky trail and etc.

I'm not particularly into trail solo/group rides but the same cannot be avoided due to how Kerala is set up, unless you want to take the long way around or skip a few interesting places you have to loosen some spokes.

That sounds fun. I'd prefer that kind of engaging riding over boring myself dead on the highways anyday. Sounds like I need to visit Kerala more if this kind of thing is the default there.

In fact I'd recommend that people not imitate the firangi log blindly

Firangi log don't stand up all the time either though. Desi or firangi, the way we ride is still decided by the condition and convenience of our bodies and more importantly, our motorcycles.

There is a large difference between riding a bike built for offroad riding and riding a roadbike offroad. A bike on which the suspension soaks up the bumps better, and standing up feels natural is obviously bound to fatigue you much lesser while standing up than a bike on which one or both are lacking. If at all we're gonna ape a firangi, we'd better get their kind of equipment too.

And it goes without saying, your leg and core strength are big factors in how long you can ride offroad, sitting or standing.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

And it goes without saying, your leg and core strength are big factors in how long you can ride offroad, sitting or standing.

My inner thighs are toast have restarted my physical fitness routines now.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

Sounds like I need to visit Kerala more if this kind of thing is the default there.

Do let me know before you come, would love to join.

Also lets hope someone comes up with a cure for Covid soon cause the government is actively leveling and tarring the trails, tourism money to be made!

Plus since KL is a small state there are no barren lands per say, even when we go deep into the forests we do meet people(who can give us a run for our money on their Scooters and Splendors), and surprisingly some of these hard to reach places even have Bus transport;



The bus had broken down, which I'm told was a weekly affair on this route(Rosemala) back in the days. Another reason for road construction I presume as this is a place of human animal conflict and there is no other civilian route to access the village.

Edit: Found better pics from a more recent run, at this point the govt had started tarring the sections closer to the highway, we still managed to have some fun as the trail crosses a few streams;





Though we both didn't bother to stop on the inclines, I do have an enticing pic from the top of the peak that'd make it still be worth the effort;



And this is just one of the spots from my home district, there are other places is KL that are quite a bit challenging and equally fun.

If all goes well, we can plan something and make it happen while cautiously avoiding tourism hotspots like Munnar etc. which post Corona would definitely be packed due to the mainstream attraction.

There is a large difference between riding a bike built for offroad riding and riding a roadbike offroad. A bike on which the suspension soaks up the bumps better, and standing up feels natural is obviously bound to fatigue you much lesser while standing up than a bike on which one or both are lacking. If at all we're gonna ape a firangi, we'd better get their kind of equipment too.

I still am of the opinion that it has more to do with the rider than the motorcycle even though you are right about hardware, but then again you have to keep in mind that the hardware we generally use is what this activity as a whole was built upon, several documentaries of the early 70's would attest to that.

Speaking of motorcycle, Redliner's video has become famous on social media(Kudos!) after it was picked up by Cartoq:

Hero XPulse sails through while KTM Adventure 390 really STRUGGLES: Here’s why [Video]

After seeing the video an old friend of mine shared a video of him climbing the same trail on two instances, once with his Mojo and then with his Vespa;

Sandesh Riding Trail on His Mojo and Vespa

I'd uploaded it on YT to share with you guys.

P.S. Don't underestimate the Vespa, She has been to Leh and back.

And it goes without saying, your leg and core strength are big factors in how long you can ride offroad, sitting or standing.

Physical wellness does make it a tad more easy but rideability is also about technique or rather presence of mind, saying this as I know a few retired riders who've settled down a long time ago and are in similar shape as us who still can rip a trail or two on their Thumpers given the chance.

Cheers,
A.P.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Do let me know before you come, would love to join.

If all goes well, we can plan something and make it happen while cautiously avoiding tourism hotspots like Munnar etc. which post Corona would definitely be packed due to the mainstream attraction.

At the moment, I'm sitting just around 150 km away from the state border. Once this situation passes, and other circumstances allowing, I'd love to come down for a good offroad romp. Will definitely let you know when I do.

I still am of the opinion that it has more to do with the rider than the motorcycle even though you are right about hardware

I agree to an extent, but rider skill and experience can only compensate so far and the right hardware will make our life a lot easier. In the end, hardware is about making things easier, more enjoyable, allowing you to do more, isn't it?

Speaking of motorcycle, Redliner's video has become famous on social media(Kudos!) after it was picked up by Cartoq

After seeing the video an old friend of mine shared a video of him climbing the same trail on two instances, once with his Mojo and then with his Vespa

This is all pretty circumstantial. Just because RedLiner's group had trouble on their ADVs, doesn't mean they're the same as a roadbike or worse.

Anyway, that cartoq article was a load of junk. The guy even implied RedLiner is short

Atleast the video has gained 4 times the views since I last saw it. But I wouldn't be surprised if people are going to misunderstand thinking the 1 lakh rupee xpulse is objectively better than 4 lakh+ machines. But that's good advertising for the xpulse and I wouldn't mind seeing more of them on the road. Might push Yamaha and TVS to quickly bring something in the class to the market.

Physical wellness does make it a tad more easy but rideability is also about technique or rather presence of mind, saying this as I know a few retired riders who've settled down a long time ago and are in similar shape as us who still can rip a trail or two on their Thumpers given the chance.

But technique and physical fitness go hand in hand. "Tad easier" is an understatement. You need strength in the core and especially in the joints to make effective use of technique especially over a longer duration of riding, and also have more resistance to fatigue, which is inevitable going over bumpy stuff. Stand up riding is no walk in the park.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

rider skill and experience can only compensate so far and the right hardware will make our life a lot easier. In the end, hardware is about making things easier, more enjoyable, allowing you to do more, isn't it?

I've already agreed on the fact that better hardware does make life easier provided one knows what they're doing but we also need to understand that it doesn't simply make up for skill that is obviously lacking.

Sleuth of the same would land you a bunch of cringe content where you see people(mostly kids) who believe merely buying anything marketed to be an adventure motorcycle instantly enables them to ride like CS Santosh, like unlocking performance packs or missions in games, which obviously isn't how its supposed to work.

In my midnight trail travelogue I'd shared earlier, with the exception of me the rest of the guys are professional motocross riders, the ones currently active on the scene do not ride on public roads and only ride in closed tracks and I've seen content of them riding on import non-road legal hardware as well as practice runs on the Himalayan, Bullet etc. and granted they aren't able to do the fancy jumps, but they still do chainsaw from corner to corner without a care in the world, something mere hobbyists couldn't dream of keeping pace with even with the best of hardware under them.

My Co-rider has retired from the scene and now rides motorcycles for fun, even on his Machismo 500 seen in the photo's I've witnessed him set some of the challenging trails in KL ablaze.

To put simply better hardware is good and it'll enable us to ride better provided it is the only things holding us back.

This is all pretty circumstantial. Just because RedLiner's group had trouble on their ADVs, doesn't mean they're the same as a roadbike or worse.

Anyway, that cartoq article was a load of junk. The guy even implied RedLiner is short

At least the video has gained 4 times the views since I last saw it.

There are technical reasons to warrant why one motorcycle is marginally better than the other but you're spot on about the specific article, it is garbage.

Also a point to note is that the guys have actually clocked some distance, unlike a few vloggers who inject TV Serial level drama for barely riding 150 meters of trail and make a half hour video on the same, Gaming Mentality I tell ya!

But then again, there is no such thing as bad publicity!

But I wouldn't be surprised if people are going to misunderstand thinking the 1 lakh rupee xpulse is objectively better than 4 lakh+ machines.

I do not believe price bracket alone makes a product better than the other, and the Xpulse though an underwhelming package at best does have its upsides in contrast to the 390, the engine configuration alone gives the Xpulse a traction advantage on such terrain BUT as far as the Indian consumer is concerned, No Doubt!

These are the same people who still believe 500cc is better than 250cc irrespective of configuration and conditions, no questions asked.

[ast.ggn]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

Atleast the video has gained 4 times the views since I last saw it. But I wouldn't be surprised if people are going to misunderstand thinking the 1 lakh rupee xpulse is objectively better than 4 lakh+ machines.

If you are speaking of trails, I see no reason why Xpulse would lag behind 3-4 lac category bikes. Heck, you hand over an Xpulse to Redliner, he will cross that same trail easily without thinking twice and without fear of breaking anything. In that video, his experience with 390 was relatively less (he had new bike at that time, if I am not wrong) and that 390 engine itself isn't trail friendly. These are the only two reasons I can think of after watching that video.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

If you are speaking of trails, I see no reason why Xpulse would lag behind 3-4 lac category bikes. Heck, you hand over an Xpulse to Redliner, he will cross that same trail easily without thinking twice and without fear of breaking anything. In that video, his experience with 390 was relatively less (he had new bike at that time, if I am not wrong) and that 390 engine itself isn't trail friendly. These are the only two reasons I can think of after watching that video.

Good points.

Since there is a big hullabaloo online, I figured let the horse say something

1. I switched off traction control. Big mistake. The TC would have controlled wheel slip, and I would have been out of it in a jiffy. It’s what happens if you follow youtube like a blind wuhan bat.

2. I did the first part of the trail where I struggled, quite easily on my friends GS. If you see the video, that’s me taking over the GS and riding out. That GS is bone stock mechanically.

3. I had no prior training to ride dirt. The way I was riding dirt, the body position, small nuances like keeping your eyes ahead, and even loading the bike correctly we’re all absolutely wrong. Corrected most of it with two training visits to big rock dirt park which is a dirt training school near Bangalore. Now, I am practising all what was taught every single day, even if I go grocery shopping. I have a series of videos of what I learnt at the school coming up over the next few weeks, will make for great discussion here as opposed to random videos of us falling down.

4. I was overheating with all my gear on, the sun was up, and real feel temperature inside my gear was probably closer to 40c. I hadn’t had a sip of water that morning, and I just lost it. Being cool is absolutely number 1 when going dirt riding. The heat can do funny things to your head.

Everything else like tyres, or the engine or the bike itself is alright. This bike can do crazy stuff in the right hands. The above are the real reasons why I struggled.

And yes, I would have ridden an Xpulse right up without batting an eyelid. Or a Vespa. Mental fear is a big issue. More and more dirt riding helps conquer this psychological slush pit, which once you enter, you ain’t getting out.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

I've already agreed on the fact that better hardware does make life easier provided one knows what they're doing but we also need to understand that it doesn't simply make up for skill that is obviously lacking.

To put simply better hardware is good and it'll enable us to ride better provided it is the only things holding us back.

Oh absolutely. As the firangi log say, you can buy the bike but you can't buy the skills... or something like that. Wish I could pay 1500 extra per year and get a wheelie skill pack along with my insurance.

I do not believe price bracket alone makes a product better than the other

I didn't intend that either, but I'm sure you know what I meant.

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

If you are speaking of trails, I see no reason why Xpulse would lag behind 3-4 lac category bikes. Heck, you hand over an Xpulse to Redliner, he will cross that same trail easily without thinking twice and without fear of breaking anything. In that video, his experience with 390 was relatively less (he had new bike at that time, if I am not wrong) and that 390 engine itself isn't trail friendly. These are the only two reasons I can think of after watching that video.

The xpulse definitely has it's advantages in certain areas over the ktm and the bmw. Personally I'd gravitate towards the xpulse. BUT... There's no comparison to the acceleration that comes with bigger displacement. The weight difference between them is within 20 kilos or something which is not very big. The suspension is also similarly specced IIRC. The tyres are also more road biased. I don't really see the bigger bikes losing any ground to the xpulse.

I honestly doubt the xpulse would be able to keep up with these bikes in the hands of someone who knows how to use the powerband, especially on the ktm. Just check out the acceleration of the modded duke 390 in urban nomad's videos.

edit: Just realized you're also a ktm owner.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

4. I was overheating with all my gear on, the sun was up, and real feel temperature inside my gear was probably closer to 40c. I hadn’t had a sip of water that morning, and I just lost it. Being cool is absolutely number 1 when going dirt riding. The heat can do funny things to your head.

This is the biggest gripe I have against full riding gear, especially riding offroad. I bought armoured inners years ago and layer them on with light clothes. I have to trade off abrasion resistance for staying cool, but so far, it's worked out ok. I don't boil inside my own clothes.