[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Axe77

I’ll be in touch to find out when else they do it but partly just as a scenic getaway too with fun riding thrown in. Would love to be in this region when the weather is the way it was during yours.

Hopefully they shod the 400X also with the Reise Moto trails. That should be good enough for the task.

I'm told they would be publishing the 2025 calender soon - so insta would be a good place to keep track. Apparently there is a foreign trails tour coming up too!

Weather in Vattavada is just unpredictable most of the time - it gets winds from KL and TN side, creating micro weather patterns. That said - Munnar itself is a beauty when it's off-season and raining.

[praruaaa4]

Your pics have brought back a lot of memories and the stories behind them. I must say after the falls and mud/slush training in TSOD our group was able to survive our ride to Adikailash last year. The entire group was more confident on bike recovery after a fall and the knacks to tackle difficult terrains. While the knobby tires are great, but mastering bike recovery and terrain tackling with road tires takes skill and experience. Glad you got to experience it.

It is better to train with the bike one rides everyday as every bike has its own quirks, limits, and capabilities, and knowing these firsthand can make all the difference in tricky situations. Kudos to you and your group for taking the time to invest in those skills.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by praruaaa4

Your pics have brought back a lot of memories and the stories behind them.

Not sure if you noticed- I have linked your report in there. When I was researching for the experience before landing up there - yours was the one solid report available. Thanks for that

Fully agree with you that these experiences prepare us a lot for the worst case scenarios. I used to believe that seat time alone mattered the most, but now I see the value these programs impart, in addition to seat time.

[praruaaa4]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I have linked your report in there. When I was researching for the experience before landing up there - yours was the one solid report available. Thanks for that

Thank you for sharing the link. My work commitments have kept me too busy to update the thread, but now I feel the pressure to get it updated again
Glad that my report was helpful

[TheStoryweaver]

Originally Posted by Axe77

That’s great to know. Would love to attempt it on a 400X. I’ll be in touch to find out when else they do it but partly just as a scenic getaway too with fun riding thrown in. Would love to be in this region when the weather is the way it was during yours.

Hopefully they shod the 400X also with the Reise Moto trails. That should be good enough for the task.

I will be quite interested to read the thread on how the 400x fares on this.

Good low end- mid torque, better ground clearance, lesser weight than 200kg adv’s and offroad and traction control mode. Needs good tyres and i think we can have a good ride. Ofcourse i can imagine how dirty the rear will get post the slush

[100Kmphormore]

Very detailed report crazy driver! Felt I was riding with you guys.
Did you figure out why you had an issue with the XPulse and not the 390 ADV? The tyres on the 390 look like the Reise TourR - bad choice for a trail. I had thought it would be the other way round - the reise tyres seem to be pretty confident inspiring, according to a few riders who have them on their Himalayan 411 and the Xpulse.

The 390 ADV though having the torque is not one for the road rider to off-road with, from personal experience. Chris Birch makes 890/1290 Adventures look like bicycles and the 390 like a tricycle - all due to skill!

The BHPian who fell multiple times from his Transalp - hats off man. Would not have taken mine off-road and pretty much gone CDs way with a rental Xpulse/VStrom SX 250. The Himalayan 411/450 which is indeed a great bike but requires lot of skill up mainly handling the weight. Rest of the so called ADVs india are road based sport tourers.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by 100Kmphormore

Did you figure out why you had an issue with the XPulse and not the 390 ADV?

Thank you

Couple of factors to do with the physical size of the motorcycle - 1. XPulse being small on the tank to give me any feeler, for example on the ADV 390 / Tiger Sport 660 on the U turn events i have a solid feel of counter leaning against the bike due to the tank, 2. The same issue also meant my only solid contact with the bike was the pegs whereas the the other two i can also use the tank to maintain my posture.

Then there was the issue with power on the faster stretches- The first gear wasn't tall enough to keep up with the other bigger bikes, and the second gear would feel like losing steam over some of the more difficult sections.

That said - it surely did make my job much easier on all the tough sections through Day 1.

[Turbosailor]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Thank you
Couple of factors to do with the physical size of the motorcycle - 1. XPulse being small on the tank to give me any feeler, for example on the ADV 390 / Tiger Sport 660 on the U turn events i have a solid feel of counter leaning against the bike due to the tank, .

As usual your writing skills and photo logging made us to feels we are witnessing these events. I have a gut feeling that your are about to add a KTM ADV to the vacant slot left by Yamaha aerox

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

For anyone interested - School of Dirt has opened slots for the next session on January 31st. Details here

Originally Posted by Turbosailor

As usual your writing skills and photo logging made us to feels we are witnessing these events. I have a gut feeling that your are about to add a KTM ADV to the vacant slot left by Yamaha aerox

Thank you

Regarding the Aerox replacement- not sure because my next two set of training sessions are likely for the track, and I'm also in need of a daily rider - since office has full return-to-office mandate from the new year.

[skviknaraj]

A neat photolog CD!! Summed up the experience perfectly and reading through this post is like a replay of that day.

Finally I could put a face to the user ID. Hope to meet you again in another event / ride!

Had a great time there, even with all the falls. I could manage the bike tip toeing on asphalt but tip toeing does not help on slippery playgrounds. Glad that the bike took the beating and did not have to be towed. Looks like the gear and crash bars were really worth the investment.

Will have to go for this program again, after gaining more confidence and skills in controlled area. ( or may be with a smaller bike!).